On March 26th prototypes of the art panels being created by artist Javy Ortiz commemorating the LaYarda community were unveiled in a feedback session at the Lawrence Public Library. The artwork will be installed on the Lawrence Loop at the intersection of 8th and Delaware within a few blocks of where the La Yarda neighborhood once stood. The event was well attended by many of the LaYarda neighborhood descendants were in as interested community members.

The Lawrence Arts Center, in collaboration with LiveWell Douglas County and the City of Lawrence Department of Parks, Recreation, Arts and Culture, selected Lawrence artist Javy Ortiz to create a long lasting original work of art to honor the Mexican American community of La Yarda, a housing unit created by the Santa Fe Railroad to house workers from 1920-51.

Work on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway brought Mexican workers and their families to Kansas in the early 1900s where they set down roots in communities along the tracks. In Lawrence Mexican families settled in an East Lawrence neighborhood known as “La Yarda.” The La Yarda families came from different parts of Mexico, but they soon formed a close-knit community where they shared childcare duties and traditions, and depended on each other to survive. The physical neighborhood of La Yarda is long gone — the Kansas River washed the homes away in the 1951 flood — but the community lives on and its legacy continues today.

The art is highly informed by discussion and close collaboration with descendants of the LaYarda residents. The panels were inspired by memories of daily life in the neighborhood. A number of the descendants were children that resided there and their memories of their childhood played a large role in the art.

Javy Ortiz is a Mexican-born interdisciplinary artist residing in Lawrence, KS. As a self-taught artist, Javy works prolifically to expand his knowledge and craftsmanship while embracing an experimental approach to creating. He pulls inspiration from personal experiences, as well as pop culture and contemporary social issues. Mixing and layering mediums such as acrylics, spray paint, and epoxy resin, Javy creates compositions that explore identity and resemble the path we navigate through our daily lives. Javy’s work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions regionally and can be found in many private collections.