Slow and Steady Wins the Race

7th & Alabama in Lawrence, Kansas, 2025

By Dave Loewenstein and students from the Little Red Schoolhouse, with help from Sam, Andrés and many community volunteers

Created with students at the nearby preschool, this intersection mural features a pair of turtles (inspired by the Kansas State Reptile) swimming in an oversized kiddie pool. Designs on the turtle’s shells were made in workshops that Dave led with students, parents and staff, and include biomorphic creatures, school logos and references to the neighborhood. Painting took place over a warm late-summer weekend where over one hundred volunteers lent a hand. The project was supported by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission, LCNS, the Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association.