PROFILE: Adam Dorssom: Big Ideas in The Small Space

On the last Friday of every month, hundreds of people stream in and out of galleries, restaurants, bars and coffee shops in pursuit of art and music.  Traveling with the flow of the crowds is the unassuming Adam Dorssom with what appears to be a vintage briefcase at his side.  With his quiet demeanor and shy grin, passersby who aren’t paying close attention might assume Dorssom just another visitor touring the exhibits.  When Dorssom catches the eye of  an interesting person, or spots an open tabletop, he pops open his case to reveal its secret.  Inside is Dorssom’s entire gallery, The Small Space.  Stacks of small prints, original artworks and tiny sculptures fill the case, flanked by the familiar lining of the gallery’s previous life as a backgammon game.

Inspired by Vancouver artist, Lee Henderson, who ran a non-profit commercial art gallery out of a black hard-shell briefcase, Dorssom began looking around for the right case until he located the backgammon case at Lawrence’s Antique Mall.  Originally called The Backgammon Showcase, the miniature gallery’s first “tour” was launched four months ago with a group show curated by Dorssom. He later renamed the gallery The Small Space.

Dorssom takes the shows out and about at Final Fridays as well as to friends’ homes, bars and coffee shops.  Thus far, The Small Space is gathering fame through word of mouth, Facebook and chance encounters. “[The Small Space] is run like any other gallery with one big exception,” says Dorssom.  ” I don’t take any commission from the artists. My cut or commission is getting to run in to people, those chance encounters.”  Citing accessibility as his main goal, Dorssom strives to only show works in the $10 – $30 range, though some works have been priced up to $50.  At these prices, as you can imagine, show sales have been a wild success, and The Small Space is already booked with a series of solo and group shows through December.

Future hopes for The Small Space are big.  Dorssom hopes to create an international exchange with artist, Yuri Zupancic, who is currently located in Australia.  “Yuri was my introduction to the Lawrence art scene. I first met him outside the dotdotdot [Artspace] several years ago.  He had a flute case that he was displaying his microchip paintings in. It would be cool to do a show exchange with him.”

Until The Small Space goes international though, keep your eye out.  Dorssom will be out this Final Friday with a new show by local artist and close friend of Dorssom’s,  Ariel Richards Pearson.

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Lawrence Arts Center teaser film for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet teaser

(click link above)

Marlo Angell provides us a short film view into the Summer Youth Theater production of Romeo and Juliet.  You can find more of Marlo’s films for the LAC on their You Tube channel: LACdigitalarts

June 24th, on the Final Fridays art walk

• Sunfire Ceramics

1002 New Hampshire

The Jewelry Work of Loretta Schmidt

and

Open Studio Fused Glass

create your own simple fused glass piece!

• Lawrence Arts Center

940 New Hampshire

Wizard Porch and Garden

Aaron Storck brings the latest from his Wizard series installations of paintings, drawings, and sculptural installation to the project space at Lawrence Arts Center. Opening Final Friday.

• Social Service League

905 Rhode Island

Final Fridays Dance Party

Stop by the League during regular Final Fridays hours, or stop in for the Final Friday after-party. 5 pm until ???

• The Bourgeois Pig

6 E. 9th St.

Regrettable Edibles

photographs by Meg Dejmal

The inspiration for this particular series came from a study of the history of women being associated with nature, fairy

tales, and third wave feminism.

Visually, I’ve also always been fascinated with the juxtaposition of objects that don’t belong together. For example, I have always loved the way that something disgusting and dark could pair with something soft and feminine. I am a firm believer in opposites attracting.

• Flash Space!

739 Massachusetts

A group show curated by students at The University of Kansas, this show takes the empty Maurice’s storefront downtown, and turns the space into a one-night gallery.

• Signs of Life Gallery

722 Massachusetts

Signs of Life is proud to present Water, Paper, Paint: The Creativity of Heather Smith Jones.

Opening Friday June 24th, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Heather Smith Jones is a local artist and author with a newly published book Water Paper Paint: Exploring Creativity with Watercolor and Mixed Media. Join us for a reception and opening featuring her newest work.

Heather’s art is a playful yet meaningful exploration of media and text, often incorporating interesting techniques such as pinhole designs, old photo images, and letterpress embossing. Her work is not constrained to any one medium and stretches beyond the boundaries of traditional water color paintings.

Originally from the American South Heather came to Kansas in the late 1990’s to attend graduate school at The University of Kansas. In 2001 she earned her M.F.A. and then married a homegrown Kansas guy and settled in Lawrence. She is a studio artist and part-time instructor in the Arts-Based Preschool at The Lawrence Arts Center. In addition she collaborates with artists and writers on a number of projects.

• 1109 Gallery

1109 Massachusetts

On June 24th, Final Friday, join 1109 Gallery for our final reception of the “Portals” exhibit. Place a silent bid in our “Take a Seat For Art Fundraiser” and enjoy the music of New York jazz painist Kent Raine. Open until 9pm, musician performing 7-9pm.

• Wonder Fair Gallery/Shoppe/Studio

803 1/2 Massachusetts

The Wonder Fair Family Show!
The first ever group exhibition by the Wonder Fair Family

6 – 10 pm

 Things have a tendency to accumulate; matter, trash, cells, atoms, ideas,
human-beings. Mysterious forces push and pull these things into bigger more
complex things. Gravity acts on our skeletons, electromagnetism on our
neurons, and desire on our souls.

A bit of carbon, some thermodynamics, geologic span of time and presto, a
diamond! Four artists, shared piece of bubble-gum, a dash of entrepreneurial
verve, smudge of paint and a megaphone and presto, The Wonder Fair!

When elements accumulate resulting in a combined power greater than the sum
of its parts, we call it synergy. When synergy happens at the Wonder Fair,
we call it show time, and it is about time.

The Wonder Fair Family: Jason Barr, Kelly Clark, Eric Dobbins, and Lee
Piechocki have some things to show you and some things to tell you. Who
started the fire? Who toils over the anvil? What is in that ambiguous pile?
Is that a real diamond or a cubic zirconium? We will lift the mystery of the
Wonder Fair Family Crest; share our secrets, hopes and dreams. You will
laugh and you will cry. You will shake your head and close your eyes, then
open them again. You will ask, “why” and we will respond, “why not?” You
will wish you never came, but then later, you will be so glad you did.
Artist Related Links:
www.barrrheaven.com
www.kellyjohnclark.com (under construction)
www.ericdobbins.com
www.leepiechocki.com

• Diane’s Artisan Gallery

4 E. 7th St.

Jewelry Trunk Show with Sydney Lynch of Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska artist, Sydney Lynch, will be presenting a large collection of her sculptural, contemporary jewelry. From her studio based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Sydney Lynch creates jewelry of the highest quality craftsmanship to create a unique collection of wearable art that include a variety of gemstones such as diamonds, opal, aquamarine, tourmaline, pearls, beryl, peridot and sapphire set in high karat gold and silver. A nationally recognized designer for 25 years, Sydney’s work has been exhibited at leading juried shows and is sold at fine craft galleries and jewelry stores across the country. 

• Z’s Divine Downtown Espresso

10 E. 9th St. Suite A

Dreams Whisper

works by Ashley Buckmaster

5-7 pm

from the artist: The art work I put together for this show is all about nature
and dreams, basically whatever I think up that brings a feeling of fantasy
and whimsy. A lot of the paintings feature women’s faces in natural
earthy surroundings with splashes of color leaving the faces white.
I like to think they’re my nature goddesses, like keepers of the elements.
My photos are mostly taken around the city of Lawrence or in the woods or farm
farmland where I live around lake Perry.

(Bio)
My Name is Ashley Buckmaster. I am 23 years old, from Lake Perry.
I am a freelance artist specializing in photography and mixed media paintings,
often combining the two by digitally manipulating images. My art styles
include:
Pop art, Modern, Realism, Surrealism and Symbolism. I believe that trying
to obtain perfection in art is a waste of time. It’s all of the imperfections
that make it special and interesting. ” Artists who seek perfection in
everything are those who cannot attain it in anything”. ( Gustave Flaubert)

• Global Cafe

820 Massachusetts

An Appetite for Energy

by Ryan Waggoner

Sponsored by the Take Charge Challenge

As part of the Take Charge Challenge, the City of Lawrence will team up with
ES Lighting to provide a lucky Lawrence resident with a prize that includes
a home lighting consultation and lighting retrofit worth up to $800. How
can you enter to win such a great prize? Visit the Take Charge Challenge
exhibit at the upcoming Final Fridays event on June 24 in downtown Lawrence

The Take Charge Challenge will present the exhibit “An Appetite for Energy”
by local artist Ryan Waggoner at Global Cafe, 820 Massachusetts Street
during the Final Fridays event from 5 to 9 p.m. on June 24. The public is
welcome and invited to attend the exhibit and visit with local energy
professionals on ways to save on energy costs, receive free CFLs and learn
more about great energy-efficiency programs offered through Westar and
Efficiency Kansas. Food and beverages will be provided for the event. The
sign-up for the ES Lighting retrofit raffle will also be available at the
Take Charge event.

*About the artist:* Ryan Waggoner, born in Lawrence in 1988, presents a
photographic series entitled ‘An Appetite for Energy’. The series is a year
in the making and is focused on the way we Americans consume and waste
energy. Backed by extensive research, each frame explores and exposes many
careless tendencies and habits related to energy consumption. Without making
sweeping conclusions, ‘An Appetite for Energy’ attempts to explain why the
United States consumes nearly 25% of the world’s energy despite being home
to just 4% of the world’s population. Waggoner is a recent graduate from the
University of Kansas with a B.F.A. in Photography.

*About the Take Charge Challenge:* The Take Charge Challenge is a friendly
competition to save energy, save money, and take charge of our energy
future. The town that reduces its energy use the most from January through
September 2011 will win an energy efficiency or renewable energy community
project worth up to $100,000! For more information, visit:
www.lawrenceks.org/takecharge

• Pachamama’s

800 Massachusetts

Debra Clemente

 Final Fridays reception from 5 until 8 pm

 exhibit runs through July 2^nd

 http://www.pachamamas.com http://www.strecker-nelsongallery.com

•  Phoenix Gallery

825 Massachusetts

Demonstrating artist, Rachael Sudlow

Rachael Sudlow’s outdoorsy, Midwestern upbringing influences her jewelry
through ornate touches that parallel her love of art, whimsy and organic
themes. She has a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her
designs, mostly created in sterling silver, are entirely handmade. Almost
all of her work is customizable and can be created to your
specifications. Sudlow was born, raised and now runs her studio in Lawrence,
KS. She teaches metalsmithing at the Lawrence Arts Center.

Come in it meet Rachael and see her beautiful jewelry!

http://www.phoenixgalleryks.com

• The Invisible Hand Gallery

801 1/2 Massachusetts

Andrew Burkitt: Karma Bones

Opens Final Friday, June 24th 6-9pm

Runs through Saturday July 23rd

From the artist:

Andrew Burkitt was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1977. He grew up in the suburbs outside of Kansas City. In 2007 Burkitt Graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence with a BFA in Printmaking and Art History. In 2012 he will graduate from the University of Georgia with his MFA in printmaking. Burkitt is interested in making two dimensional work using printmaking and drawing. He finds the processes of intaglio, lithography, woodcut, serigraphy and digital printmaking all have a place in his artistic practice. At times Burkitt combines many of these techniques together to obtain a single unique image and at other times he will use a single technique to create multiples of an image. The content of Burkitt’s work is informed by gravity, landscape and human social history.

 

• Teller’s Art Space

746 Massachusetts

Jennifer Somers: Energetic Terrain
Landscape photography featuring ways we attempt to harness the power of our surroundings

Open for Final Fridays

5-9 pm

• Lawrence Art Party

(Hobbs Taylor Lofts between 7^th and 8^th on New Hampshire)

We’re having a special Lawrence Art Party this month – great music, 20
artists, and a really fun time!

Artists include Louis Copt, Tim Forcade, and many others. Check out the
poster here<http://www.scribd.com/doc/57546406/Lawrence-Art-Party-June-24-5-9-pm>a
complete list.

The Lawrence Art Party is held every Final Friday at the Hobbs Taylor
Gallery at 718 New Hampshire, in Lawrence, Kansas.

Please visit the event page
here<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178192528900551>,
invite your friends and kick off Final Friday at the original, one-and-only,
Lawrence Art Party.

• ACME

847  Massachusetts

Works by Dave Kelly

(limited edition T-shirts available from the artist)

5-8 pm

The ACME staff will press limited edition shirts by Dave Kelly while you enjoy great art and refreshments.

• Elevate Mind Body Peace

1403 Massachusetts

Featured Artist: Charles Ray

Elevate throws another blow-out party for Final Fridays with Astrology readings, Psychic readings, artworks by oxidation artist Charles Ray, live music by Hello Bi-plane, and much more. Elevate will be open from 5-9, music begins at 8.

• Lawrence Public Library

707 Vermont St.

*Please join us for a Final Fridays Artwalk reception with artists Toni Brou, Juliana Hacker and Emily Reno in the Auditorium and Gallery from 5-7
p.m.*
GRATITUDE by TONI BROU Toni Brou(“Brew”) grew up in Dodge City, KS, watching
her father make what he called “junk art” from found objects. During a
series of personal tragedies in the 1980s, she adopted the mantra “the sun
always rises” and began sculpting small suns repeatedly in her own work.
When Toni lost her father in 1999, her suns became bigger and she began
incorporating salvaged objects as a nod to her dad and his fostering of her
creativity. CBS Sunday Morning will be using images of her sun art in
upcoming broadcasts. “Gratitude” features works in honor of people who have
inspired her, and includes Toni’s hubcap sun assemblages, whimsical bird
paintings, and hand painted silk scarves.

PHOTOGRAPHS by JULIANA HACKER and EMILY RENO  Two burgeoning local artists
unveil their portraiture for the first time in this fun and charming show!
Taking pictures of her cats has always been a hobby for fifteen year old
Juliana Hacker. For this show, Juliana was inspired to take photos her cat,
Mrs. O’Hara, where only a tiny bit of her was showing, so that viewers must
scan the photo to locate her. The name of this series is *Cat Scan*. Free
State student Emily Reno will be a Junior this fall. Her passion for
photography has only increased since 2008 when she was given the family
camera to use on a trip in Arizona. *Up Close and Personal* is a collection
of Emily’s favorites using Macro.

June 24th Final Friday at The Eldridge

The Eldridge to Showcase Label Art of Boulevard Brewing Company

Payton Kelly presents “Art & Beer” for Final Fridays

June 14, 2011 – Lawrence, Kansas – The label art of Boulevard Brewing Company is coming to Lawrence and the historic Eldridge hotel for Final Fridays on June 24^th from 5-8pm. Boulevard’s Creative Director, Payton Kelly, presents sketches and original illustrations used over the course of more than two decades of branding and packaging for Kansas City’s Beer.

 

Kelly’s exhibit was on display in the Crossroads district of Kansas City and can currently be seen in Liberty, Missouri, at its City Hall before making its way to the Crystal Ballroom at The Eldridge in Lawrence for one night only on June 24th.

 

The pieces Kelly will display are sketches, design elements, and finished artwork representing the many components of the Boulevard brand. Enjoy seeing the evolution of the art over the years, as well as the detail that goes into the packaging of Boulevard’s fine ales and lagers.

 

Boulevard beer along with a cash bar will be available in the Crystal Ballroom (you must be 21 to participate). A signed Payton Kelly sketch along with other Boulevard prizes will be awarded during the evening.

 

Payton Kelly was born in Springfield, Missouri, in 1956. He studied music and fine arts–but not graphic design–in Springfield and then in Eugene, Oregon, remaining on the West Coast and working at teaching, screen printing, and carpentry until 1983, when he moved to Kansas City and started working with Hallmark Cards. It was at Hallmark that Payton learned about graphic design, and it was there he met Anne Blumer, who introduced him to her boyfriend, John McDonald. John and Payton started to home-brew beer together as a hobby. John decided to turn pro and asked Payton for some help designing labels. There wasn’t much money to pay him, and not much promise it would develop into anything. By 1995, Payton decided to join the company full-time. Boulevard grew, Anne and John got married, and Payton stayed on as Creative Director. The intervening years have been a constant adventure, as Boulevard evolves within an expanding craft brewing industry.

 

Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to be the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest, dedicated to the craft of producing fresh, flavorful beers using traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. Boulevard’s portfolio of year-round and seasonal beers is available in fourteen states, primarily in the Midwest, with selected offerings distributed in an additional six states. For more information about Boulevard visit http://www.boulevard.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/Boulevard or on Twitter at twitter.com/Boulevard_Beer.

For more information contact The Eldridge at 785-749-1005.

June 24th Final Friday at The Lawrence Arts Center

Lawrence Arts Center (940 New Hampshire St.)

Daniel Coburn. Object: Affection

June 10 – July 11, 2011

Daniel Coburn will exhibit photographs & text from his body of work, Object: Affection at the Lawrence Arts Center June 10 – July 11, 2011.

 

This project investigates the physical/psychological condition one experiences through the process of self-objectification. Coburn explores concepts related to the person as object and the photograph as object: the sitter as commodity and the print/media as the vehicle for distribution. In addition, this work illustrates the direct connection between an individual’s material possessions and that individual’s personal identity. The model is asked to participate in a photo shoot, and to approach the situation with the intent of making a photograph for a lover, significant other, or an ideal mate. Coburn’s long-term goal for this project is to study a widely diverse cross-section of people in an effort to understand how age, race, gender, sexual orientation and varying social/economic backgrounds affect a person’s approach and reaction to the process of self-objectification.

Bio:

Daniel Coburn is a contemporary photographer whose visually arresting images have garnered national and international praise. Selections from his body of work have been featured in prestigious exhibitions, including Top 40 at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art and the National Competition at SOHO Photo Gallery in New York. He is a recipient of the 2008 Kansas Mid-Career Artist Fellowship Award presented by the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Coburn recieved his BFA with an emphasis in photography from Washburn University and is currently a MFA candidate at the University of New Mexico.

http://www.objectaffection.com

2010-2011 Print Making Artist in Residence Exhibition

Nicolette Ross. If You Say So

June 10 – July 11, 2011

Nicolette Ross will display her newest body of work, If You Say So at the Lawrence Arts Center June 10 through July 11. This body of work was created during Nicolette’s yearlong residency at the Lawrence Arts Center.

 

From the artist:

If you say so. is an installation of hand carved illustrations symbolizing the incessant dialog between mind, body, and environment. Each illustration has been carefully selected to represent a particular memory, object, word, symptom, sound, or sensation related to my own afflictions with anxiety disorder, as well as the loss of personal relationships through time, circumstance, and communicational misunderstanding. I have made the choice to exhibit these carvings as sculptural objects, as they display the marks of individuality and movement- clues of my intimate and laborious engagement between my body and the material.

Bio:

Nicolette Ross is the 2010-2011 Printmaking Artist in Residence at the Lawrence Arts Center. In 2010 she earned an MFA degree with honors at Washington University in St. Louis, where she had the privilege of building a comprehensive understanding of traditional and non-traditional contemporary art practices with an emphasis on printmaking and the artist book. She is the recipient of the 2009 Belle Cramer Award in Printmaking and the 2010 Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Award for Excellence in Book Design. She continues to fulfill her residency at the Lawrence Arts Center by teaching various Printmaking and Book Arts classes to all ages.

http://www.nicoletteross.com

Summer Youth Theater presents:

Romeo and Juliet

7:30 pm

The Lawrence Arts Center Summer Youth Theater continues their 2011 season with ROMEO & JULIET by William Shakespeare – Directed by Doug Weaver.

Come join the Summer Youth Theater cast as they bring to life a world of love, passion, swordplay and tragedy. Rival Montagues and Capulets face off as Romeo (Taylor Thurmond) and Juliet (Ashley Kennedy) try to soar above the hate.

“Plenty of love and plenty of swordplay,” including fight choreography staged by director, Doug Weaver. Romantic sets and lighting by Danny Rogovein, evocative costumes by Steffani Day and a surprise contemporary musical score all bring Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy to life.

Ice Cream Social

Come join the Lawrence Arts Center’s ceramic community this Final Friday from 5pm until the ice cream runs out for our summer ice cream social fundraisers! Five dollars will get you a serving of ice cream (donated by Penny Annie’s) in a hand crafted ceramic bowl. Enjoy the ice cream and keep the ceramic bowl! Small bowls are perfect for other favorite summer foods such as guacamole, salsa, hummus, etc. If you are unable to make it this time, do not fret! There will be one more ice cream social during July’s Final Friday on July 29th. (spoons, napkins and wet naps provided!)

Lawrence Tango Dancers

(in the lobby at Lawrence Arts Center)

performances throughout the evening during Final Friday

Lawrence Tango Dancers celebrates the rich history and vibrant future of Argentine tango, bringing this romantic and expressive dance to the Lawrence area. In cooperation with Kansas City’s Argentine tango community, Lawrence Tango hosts events, performances, masterclasses and workshops for everyone from absolute beginners to advanced tango students. Free beginners’ classes for all ages – singles and couples both welcome – and an open practica (practice session) are held every Monday from 8-10 p.m. upstairs at Signs of Life Gallery, 722 Mass., as well as special events on a monthly basis and a beginners’ bootcamp on the KU campus in September. To learn more about events and classes, or to find details on joining the Facebook group for the latest info, please visit www.lawrencetango.org.

Welcome to the official Final Fridays Blog!

Welcome!  This is the official blog of Final Fridays exhibits & performing arts in Downtown Lawrence.  Final Fridays began in August of 2010 through the cooperation of the Lawrence Arts Center, Downtown Lawrence Inc., The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission and a wealth of artists, gallerists, art collectives and local businesses, all of whom saw the value of the arts in our city and an opportunity to bring them to a wider public through this monthly free arts festival.  Lawrence has one of the highest  percentages of working artists in the country per capita, and has long stood out in the Kansas landscape as a mecca for creative thought and energy.  On the last Friday of every month (all year long!) from 5 until 9 pm, the streets of Downtown Lawrence erupt, storefronts convert into flash spaces, and performances and exhibits spill in and out of galleries and businesses.  Activities for kids, exhibitions designed to challenge adults, music, dance and theater for all ages are all within walking distance of each other. On this blog, you will find previews and updates, listings of venues, links to galleries, Lawrence visitor information and a lot of great art photos.

For information on participation, email molly@lawrenceartscenter.org

(If you have photos or stories about Final Friday, send them to us! Selected stories and photos will be added to the blog!)

-Molly Murphy

Final Fridays Coordinator