Lawrence Art in the Park celebrating its 60th year (Sponsored post)

The Lawrence Art Guild will host its 60th Art in the Park this year on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15 at South Park.

Art in the Park, which began as an event to showcase local artists, is now a two-day event with more than 125 artists from across the country, food trucks with both savory and sweet treats, and live music.

Although much of Art in the Park has changed, one thing has remained consistent: Lawrence painter Celia Smith has participated in every Art in the Park since the mid-60s, except once when she was out of the country. 

Smith’s paintings alone are reason enough to visit. With her suggestive lines, she is able to capture the curiosity of a cat, the playfulness of a puppy, the shyness of deer or the grace of a bird. Some of Smith’s other works capture the essence of a landscape, whether it is the geometry of houses found on a hillside in her native country of Spain, or the broad vistas of Kansas, which has been Smith’s home for 60 years.

Visitors to Art in the Park will be able to find Smith within her booth. She will be in either booth 111, right across from the fountain, or just down the way, under a shade tree in booth 52, if the weather is too warm. 

Another artist to note is Emma Hixson. Hixson is returning for her second year at Art in the Park. Last year, she was awarded Best of Show in 2-D work, and this year she is Art in the Park’s featured artist. 

Her current body of work is an exploration of comfort. She not only uses subject matter to convey this emotion, but colors, patterns, light and texture to visually describe how comfort feels. Cats, plants, cozy furniture and her mother’s blanket are all motifs which show up in her oil paintings. You can find Emma in booth number 91. 

These artists with more than 125 others will be at Art in the Park in Lawrence, a free, fine art fair set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15 at South Park, 1141 Massachusetts St. in Lawrence.

Learn more and see a map of artists at lawrenceartguild.org.

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