Lawrence arts commission backs World Cup–themed changes to Unmistakable Public Art Exhibition; Arts Center to apply for tourism grant

The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission on Wednesday agreed that the Lawrence Arts Center should pursue a Kansas tourism grant and begin adapting the Unmistakable Public Art Exhibition to align with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the commission’s chair said. The commission asked staff to return to the Sept. 10 meeting with proposed changes to the call for submissions and selection criteria.

Porter, a tourism and events staff member who presented regional planning data to the commission, said the 2026 tournament will be larger than past World Cups and will drive substantial regional visitation: FIFA has increased the field to 48 countries, the tournament will include 102 matches, and Kansas City organizers estimate hundreds of thousands of visitors and hundreds of millions of dollars in regional economic impact, Porter said. He told the commission Kansas City already has many hotel rooms contracted for the event and that Lawrence should expect day and overnight visitors during June–July 2026.

Why it matters: commissioners said public art could provide photo-able landmarks and programming that attract visitors during the tournament window and raise Lawrence’s profile to domestic and international visitors. The adaptation would reuse OOPA’s existing structure but change timing and compensation to encourage new work and broader participation.

Commission discussion focused on three near-term items. Marlo and other commissioners proposed issuing the OOPA call earlier than usual, increasing artist stipends for work created specifically for 2026, and using existing OOPA funds as the initial pool while the Arts Center pursues outside funding. Marlo said the current OOPA outdoor-sculpture budget is about $20,000 and noted a Kansas tourism grant worth $10,000 could be added to that pool if received. Commissioners discussed raising artist stipends from the program’s current level (discussed in the meeting as approximately $1,750) to roughly $3,000 for work created that year to cover materials and fabrication costs.

The commission heard that Explore Lawrence cannot apply for the Kansas tourism grant because it has an open award for a mobile visitor center; Porter and Marlo said the Arts Center is willing to apply. Marlo said the tourism-grant application deadline is due in about two weeks, and the commission agreed by general consent to allow the Arts Center to pursue that application. The commission also asked staff to draft updated submission language and judging criteria and to return draft materials at the Sept. 10 meeting for formal review.

Commissioners discussed potential additional funding sources, including transient guest tax (TGT) revenue if the city elects to adjust the TGT rate. Several commissioners said shifting or augmenting TGT funds could expand the program but acknowledged that would require separate City Commission action.

No formal ordinance or contract award was approved at the Aug. 13 meeting. The actions taken were (1) a consensus to permit the Lawrence Arts Center to apply for the Kansas tourism grant and (2) direction to staff to prepare revised call-for-art language, revised judging criteria and a proposed timeline for the Sept. 10 meeting. Chair Daniel B. Smith said there was no opposition to letting the Arts Center apply, and staff recorded that the commission would review draft materials in September.

Next steps: the Arts Center will move forward with the grant application, staff will prepare proposed OOPA revisions (including timeline and stipend recommendations) and the commission will consider those proposals at its Sept. 10 meeting. If the Kansas tourism grant arrives (staff said notifications are typically in October–November), commissioners said the additional money would expand the number of artists supported or increase stipends.