A mural proposed for the exterior wall of the Lawrence Public Library has received a preliminary approval.
At its meeting Wednesday evening, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission voted unanimously to recommend the mural, which depicts stories of local women of color. The team leading the project, Womxn of Color, began gathering historical and present-day stories last year to incorporate into the mural design. Last month, the City Commission voted unanimously to receive the mural proposal, though some fundraising groups associated with the library indicated they opposed the project’s proposed location on the library itself. The artist team initially proposed that the mural be painted on the parking garage next to the library but later said that there are technical issues with that surface and that they would like to put the mural on the library itself. Some community members expressed concerns that opposition to having the mural on the library itself was due to its content and that the stories or women of color are often excluded.
(Read more: LJWorld.com / Lawrence, Kansas)