The city’s Cultural Arts Commission voted in favor of Lawrence artist Mona Cliff’s proposed native plants mural for the Midco building downtown, intended to complement the nearby prairie in progress.
Cliff, enrolled member of the Gros Ventre tribe (A’aninin/Nakota Nations), has created murals at Haskell, in the New Hampshire Street parking garage, on the Social Service League building and many other places around town and beyond.
On Wednesday, she presented her vision for the building at 644 New Hampshire St.
The building is next to Midco Prairie, a project that is filling a former parking lot with native plants and the work of local artisans. Native Lands Restoration Collaborative is developing the site at 210 E. Seventh St.
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Cliff said she wants the mural to highlight the plants that will be in the park and tell a story of the seasons. The river will “make its way through the mural” and tie it all together, too, she said.
“I really did feel it was important too to kind of try to incorporate elements of the river system since we’re so near it,” she said.
She said people also tend to either stop and smell the roses or just walk past them. She wants to use the wall space to blow flowers up really large so plants are “in your face,” bringing more attention to the plants and their smaller details.
Cultural Arts Commission member Moniqué Mercurio said they liked how Cliff’s work encompasses the spaces it’s in. Mercurio said Cliff’s mural in the parking garage was so bright and bold, and the colors she used in this proposed mural are soft and welcoming.
“I am always just mesmerized by the way that you’re able to highlight the surroundings you’re in through your art,” Mercurio said.
Cliff said she did want to make this mural more in tandem with the park, rather than clash with it.
“It still can be loud, but subtle at the same time,” Cliff said.
Midco is covering the cost of the mural, she said.
“I really like that they’ve been very supportive in in my vision,” she said. “… I like that they’re very welcoming in that sense.”
The project received more than 100 signatures on form letters in support, some featuring additional comments such as “I want a beautiful downtown” and “Looking forward to it!!”
“I really appreciate the way that Mona intentionally goes in person to talk to the folks living in the vicinity of that. I think that speaks volumes about the way she moves in community,” Mercurio said.
Kyla Love, who attended her first meeting as a new board member Wednesday evening, said she was excited to see the project unfold.
Board members voted unanimously to recommend the Lawrence City Commission approve the mural. The proposal will soon go to city commissioners for final approval.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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