Dave Loewenstein

For more than twenty years, Dave Loewenstein’s community-based public projects have focused on collaborative storytelling, civic participation, and the celebration of neighborhood vitality. From his home in Kansas to rural Mississippi, New York City, Northern Ireland, South Korea, and Brazil, among many other locations, Loewenstein’s work has centered on an art practice that reaches people outside of established institutions, reflecting their histories, concerns, and visions for the future. Central to his belief is the understanding that the technology of murals can help build bridges across difference, offering a form of public performance where strangers can meet and encouraging renewed participation in civic life.

Loewenstein’s projects intentionally bring together people with different abilities, backgrounds, and stories to tell, creating environments where developing relationships lead to the emergence of exciting new ideas and visual forms. The challenge of facilitating such diverse groups is also one of the key ingredients in making murals that honestly reflect the dynamics of contemporary life.

Loewenstein is a muralist, writer, and printmaker based in Lawrence, Kansas. Examples of his community-based murals can be found across the United States and in Northern Ireland, South Korea, and Brazil. His prints are exhibited nationally and are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Yale University, and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics in Los Angeles. He is the co-author of Kansas Murals: A Traveler’s Guide, a 2007 Kansas Notable Book Award Winner, and the co-director of the documentary film Creating Counterparts, which won Best Documentary at the 2003 Kansas Filmmakers Jubilee.

Loewenstein has been widely recognized for his work, including the 2001 Lighton Prize for Arts Educator of the Year from Kansas City Young Audiences, the 2004 Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice Award from the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, a 2006 Phoenix Award from the Lawrence Arts Commission, and a 2007 Kansas Press Association 1st Place Columnist Award for his column “Blank Canvas.” In 2014, he was named one of the founding Cultural Agents for the new U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, and in 2016, the documentary Called to Walls premiered, focusing on his six-state mural project for the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Program I – Community Mural Project for School, Organization or Town.
Participants will research, design and paint a public mural for their school and/or community. Led by Loewenstein’s inclusive and thoughtful process, mural participants will explore their culture and community, reflecting on pride, aspirations and challenges. Imagery derived from these explorations will form the basis of the mural design which will be collectively painted. Projects can be for interior or exterior spaces and will take between 3 – 21 days to complete.

Program II – Community Mural Organizing Workshop.
This is a two-day workshop for teachers, arts administrators, non-profit leaders and others who are interested in organizing a mural project. Participants will learn about the process and technical requirements for building successful projects. They will also learn about contracts, city and building permissions, insurance and other administrative issues they will need to prepare for. And to cap off the workshop, Loewenstein will lead a brainstorming session to begin the process of imagining a new mural.

Program I – The fee for this project varies according to the amount of time it takes, with a three-day project being approximately $1,000 and a 21-day project $7,000. This is for the artist fee only. Materials, travel and lodging are not included in this fee.

Program II – The fee for this workshop is approximately $750.

Program I – Community members who are not on the mural design team will have the opportunity to paint on the mural, attend a screening of the documentary “Called to Walls,” and attend the mural celebration / dedication. All residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the finished mural for many years after its completion.

Program II – Community members will be invited to attend a free screening of the documentary “Called to Walls.”

Program I – Students who are not on the mural design team will have the opportunity to paint on the mural, attend a free screening of the documentary “Called to Walls,” and attend the celebration/dedication of the mural. While in residence, Loewenstein will also visit with students upon a teacher’s request. In addition, current and future students, faculty and staff will get to enjoy the mural for many years after its completion.

Program II – While in residence, Loewenstein will visit with students upon a teacher’s request (as time permits).

Scaffolding and or a lift are needed in most cases. Outdoor murals can only be painted when weather permits, usually between May and October.

Dave has led community mural projects across the United States and in South Korea, Brazil and Northern Ireland. To read about specific projects, please explore his website.