A fresh group of artists are moving into vacant downtown spaces in an expansion of the OpenStudios Lawrence program as the first participants have wrapped up their stint.
The initiative, designed to fill commercial spaces while giving artists a chance to work, display and connect with the community, is adding more artists and more locations.
The latest round will bring painting, jewelry, photography and more into vacant storefronts.
OpenStudios Lawrence first launched with Andante Home at 745 New Hampshire St., where the candle business spent about two months using the space to make and sell products while testing out what a storefront could look like.
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At 938 Massachusetts St., next to Red Lyon, the lineup includes local ceramic artist Kim Brook, painter Lauren Bass, jewelry artist Lane Eisenbart and photographer Ailecia Ruscin.
Brook is leading the collective, which the group is calling The Living Room Collective. The group plans to use the space for community events and creative work.
At 646 Massachusetts St., formerly Squishingtons, arts group Percolator is preparing to move in, bringing a nonprofit arts and community focus to the project.
Kyla Love, Percolator board chair, said the space is meant to serve as a third space where people can gather, create and connect outside of home and work.
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For Percolator, the temporary space is about more than exhibition. Love said the group wants to use it for community projects, workshops and open creative time, giving people a place to participate rather than just observe. She said the space also gives the nonprofit a chance to connect artists with support, such as open office hours for social media and website help.
“Our mission really centers around making the arts more accessible for everyone, and building bridges, fostering connections between artists and audience,” Love said.
At 745 New Hampshire St., Andante Home has moved out, making way for new artists Brandt Minden and Toni Brou, continuing the program’s first location with a new creative pair.
Dell Johnston, who co-owns Andante Home with Nate Gu, was the first OpenStudios participant in Lawrence.
He said their time in the space gave them a chance to learn the realities of downtown retail, including the importance of visibility, foot traffic and signage.
“Location is key. Visibility is key,” Johnston said.
While in the space, the business sold candles, diffusers, wax melts, room sprays and roll-on fragrances, but they also prepared jars, poured candles and designed labels.
The time in the studio space also helped shape their future plans, including the Framed Flame project, which pairs local artists with limited-edition candle labels. Fittingly, the first candle in the project featured work by Minden.
OpenStudios Lawrence has quickly grown from one storefront into a downtown network of temporary artist spaces. Andante’s exit marks the end of the first chapter and the beginning of a broader rollout across downtown Lawrence.
Director John Harrison said in April that the nonprofit covers utilities and insurance using grant funding, offering property owners a low-risk way to use empty buildings. Find more information at openstudioslawrence.org.
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Courtney Lane (she/her), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. She can be reached at [email protected].
Read her complete bio here. Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.
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