The Lawrence Art Guild held the fourth annual Art Spaces Studio Tours on Saturday, with studios open again Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Featured artist Nick Schmiedeler, a forklift operator who creates assemblage sculptures from found metal and wood, opened his studio at 710 Missouri St. Muralist Dave Loewenstein and his 8-year-old son Andrés hosted guests at their alleyway studio, where Andrés performed live drawing demonstrations. The tour also included Art Emergency, a collective studio space at 721 E. Ninth St. housing artists working in painting, photography, textiles, and mixed media.
This event matters because it demystifies the creative process for the community by transforming homes and industrial buildings into accessible galleries. It fosters direct connections between artists and collectors, supports local artistic networks like the Art Emergency collective, and highlights how working-class artists like Schmiedeler balance creative practice with full-time jobs. The inclusion of a young artist like Andrés Loewenstein also underscores the intergenerational transmission of artistic skills and community engagement.