Lawrence plans tribute gallery honoring Douglas County public servants

Families with old snapshots of a parent, spouse, friend or colleague in public service had a direct way to shape Lawrence’s July 4 celebration this year. The city was collecting images for the Public Servants Past & Present Tribute Gallery, a banner display planned for Summerfest at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, with organizers hoping residents would help fill in the faces behind the county’s daily civic work.

The project was being organized by the city of Lawrence, Douglas County, the Watkins Museum of History and the Dole Institute of Politics. Porter Arneill, the city’s assistant director of Parks, Recreation, Arts & Culture, said the idea grew from a simple truth after more than 30 years in government: many public employees “don’t like the limelight.” He said the 250th anniversary of American independence offered a chance to publicly recognize people whose work usually stays in the background.

The eligible pool reached well beyond one office or one payroll. Organizers were including police officers, firefighters, EMS responders, public school and university staff, military service members, veterans, and employees of libraries and museums. State and federal employees who lived in Douglas County also qualified, widening the project into a countywide portrait of public service rather than a city-only salute.

At the time of the push for submissions, the gallery had drawn about 30 to 50 photos, and organizers were still trying to build the display. Will Haynes, the Watkins Museum’s deputy director for public engagement, said submissions could come from the public or from family members, friends and colleagues. He said organizers wanted basic biographical information too, including when the person served and what the job was, so the finished gallery could tell more than just a visual story.

The timing also reflected a practical opening at Summerfest. The city’s usual artisan fair fell through because the holiday lands on July 4 and not enough artisans were available, leaving a fairgrounds building open for a different use. Instead of letting the space sit empty, organizers turned it into a civic exhibit that would honor the teachers, librarians, first responders, veterans and other public servants who keep Douglas County running day after day.

The Watkins Museum’s America at 250 calendar listed the Public Servants Past & Present Tribute Gallery from May 6 through June 20, 2026, as part of a yearlong commemoration of the Declaration of Independence and its legacy. That broader 250th-anniversary effort included the Dole Institute of Politics, the Watkins Museum of History, Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and the Lawrence Arts Center, placing the gallery inside a larger community history project with July 4 at its center.