Spencer Museum’s Backyard Bash will celebrate art, nature in Marvin Grove


Thu, 09/27/2018

author

Elizabeth Kanost

LAWRENCE — The Spencer Museum of Art invites the University of Kansas and Lawrence communities to kick back with friends and neighbors in the biggest backyard on KU’s campus — historic Marvin Grove — for an artful celebration of nature. The Backyard Bash is a free community event that will take place from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, directly behind the Spencer Museum in Marvin Grove. 

A variety of university and community partners will facilitate more than 20 different activities, games and performances for all ages. Activities include making posters or yard signs that share visions of freedom, sampling teas and learning about their health-supporting properties, henna, making prints using fish specimens, yoga, an oversized game of mancala and more. There will also be a variety of ongoing musical performances. 

A highlight of this year’s event is the museum’s outdoor exhibition “Art in the Grove,” which features two site-specific commissions. The Backyard Bash will host the premiere of “Groove in the Grove,” a hip-hop performance choreographed by Maya Tillman-Rayton, instructor in the Department of Theatre & Dance, and performed by dancers from KU and the Lawrence community. Additionally, visitors can explore “Chipko,” an installation of benches that “hug” trees in the Grove created by Judith G. Levy, Jason Zeh and David Ross.

“The Backyard Bash is a celebration of connections between art and nature that provides creative and accessible ways to consider our environment,” said Amy Duke, the museum’s associate director of public engagement. “All of the activities, performances and games encourage people to unwind and explore the Grove in different ways.”

In the event of inclement weather, the event will move inside the Spencer Museum. 

The Backyard Bash is supported by KU Student Senate, Friends of the Art Museum and Walmart. “Art in the Grove” is supported by Mike and Dee Michaelis, Emprise Bank and the Linda Inman Bailey Exhibitions Fund.

Thu, 09/27/2018

author

Elizabeth Kanost

Media Contacts

Elizabeth Kanost

Spencer Museum of Art

785-864-0142