Community members gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of the latest mural by the young artists of Van Go. The mural now decorates a wall of J.Lynn Bridal & Suiting in downtown Lawrence.
Rick Wright, Van Go’s art director, explained to the crowd of about 50 the process and inspiration for the mural, called “Intertwined.”
“Throughout the fall, our artists actually met here at J.Lynn Bridal and got to learn a little bit about the vision of what the shop hopes to accomplish and the community around it,” Wright said. “It’s not just a mural about wedding dresses and marriage, but it’s more about community and acceptance and creating a home.”
He pointed out a plaque that explains the meaning of the mural, which weaves together a home, flowers and feathered friends, all in shades of brown and blue.
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“The sparrow is often a symbol of friendship, love, and teamwork — all values of a strong marriage,” the plaque states. “… The birds are resilient, hardworking, and adaptable to many environments. In this design, they work both as pairs and as a community bound together by a rhythmic ribbon.”
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“The floral theme is both an element of nature, and an intentional depiction of the intricate lacework found in traditional wedding dresses,” the plaque continues. “This motif was borrowed directly from one of the gowns found in this very shop. It provides the viewer with a sense of delicate movement throughout the design.”
Jena Lynn Dick, owner, buyer and stylist at J.Lynn, said it was an honor that the Van Go artists took on this mural.
Van Go is a Lawrence-based nonprofit social service organization that employs artists ages 14 to 24. The Arts Train program, responsible for “Intertwined,” serves young adults ages 18 to 24.
One of the young artists, Alaric Wheeler, told those in attendance that he didn’t think he would have had the courage to speak at the event without the support of Van Go staff.
He said during his time at Van Go, he had the opportunity to practice his craft and learn new things, finding mediums he never thought he’d be interested in. He thanked the staff for making him excited to come into work every day.
Artist Niko Munoz said before they started at Van Go, they had been spending most of their days in bed. They finally got to a place where they felt as though they wanted and needed something more to do as they were moving into adulthood and seeking more education “after being stuck in illness for so long.”
Munoz quickly found that the Arts Train program “checked every box that I needed at the time.”
Munoz said they started to make friends quickly at Van Go, and that Wright had found a place for everyone to contribute to the mural. They thanked the Van Go staff and their coworkers for making it a safe and welcoming environment.
Other artists involved in the project included Sawyer Breneman, Tristan Chavez, Samantha Greenfield, Jubilee Jacob, Ro O’Leary, Mary Ramirez, Fletcher Sanborn and Alex Van Vleck.
Sarah Humbert, community engagement coordinator for Van Go, said the organization is always looking for ways to interface with other businesses and organizations.
“Lawrence is such a special little community, and we care for each other, and the kids we serve are part of this community,” Humbert said. “What I love about this is that downtown is such, like, the heart of Lawrence, and getting to be a part of that — it’s just really a special event.”
Although many arts organizations have faced cuts to their federal and state funding in recent years, much of Van Go’s funding comes from a Department of Labor grant for workforce development, “which is pretty safe,” Humbert said.
“Obviously nothing’s guaranteed, and we’re always looking for ways to diversify fundraising,” she said, noting that they’ve also seen a “really big outpouring” of support from donors this year. This process for creating a mural is a recurring part of Van Go’s programming. Other murals completed in recent years include another downtown, at GPW & Associates, one inside the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center and one adorning the building of HeadQuarters Kansas.
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Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a senior at Free State High School. He is also a news photo editor for Free State’s student publication, where he works as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.
Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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Nathan Kramer / Lawrence TimesYoung artists of Van Go, community celebrate new mural at downtown Lawrence bridal shop
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