Lawrence opens Phoenix Awards nominations, seeks artist for trophies

Lawrence is asking residents to help decide who gets the city’s Phoenix Awards while also recruiting a Douglas County artist or artist team to design the trophies themselves. Five honors will be selected later this year, and the process gives the public a direct say in which artists, advocates and arts organizations get the city’s highest visibility.

The Phoenix Awards began in 1996, and the city says more than 161 local artists, sculptors, photographers, dancers, musicians, vocalists, educators, writers, literary supporters, administrators, organizations and volunteers have been recognized since then. Past honorees have included Cider Gallery, which received the Creative Spaces in the Arts recognition in 2023, a reminder that the awards are not limited to performers on a stage but also celebrate the places and people that keep Lawrence’s cultural life visible.

Nominations are open to the public through 10 p.m. Oct. 5. Eligible nominees include emerging and established artists working in visual, literary, musical, theatrical and media arts, along with arts educators, administrators, patrons, advocates, volunteers and supportive organizations. Students are not eligible for nomination, though their teachers, mentors and champions may be. The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission can also select a nominee for a special Exceptional Artistic Achievement award.

At the same time, the city is accepting applications from professional artists who live in Lawrence or Douglas County to create the awards that will be handed out. The selected artist or team will work with a $5,000 budget to produce six awards, one for each honoree and one for display in the Carnegie Building. Applicants must submit a letter describing their interest, along with qualifications, references and samples of past work. The city says the finished pieces should be innovative, original, practical for display and durable enough for handling and long-term display. Last year’s Phoenix Award sculptures were created by C. Bryan Young.

The Cultural Arts Commission will choose the 2026 awardees at its Oct. 14 meeting, and the ceremony is scheduled for December 2026 as part of the Winter Inclusive Market at the Lied Center. With categories that include Arts Advocate, Arts Administrator, Arts Education, Design Arts, Literary Arts, Musical Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Volunteer in the Arts and Creative Spaces, the Phoenix Awards remain one of Lawrence’s clearest public signals about who and what the city chooses to celebrate.