Stan Herd creates Algerian flag earthwork to welcome World Cup team

A quarter-acre site behind the Lied Center of Kansas is becoming Lawrence’s most visible World Cup greeting, as Stan Herd and his team turn native grass, limestone, coco shell, wood mulch and bricks into an Algerian flag that is meant to move with the land instead of lying flat on it.

The earthwork is taking shape near Iowa Street and Bob Billings Parkway, a location chosen to catch attention while linking the project to the local landscape. Herd’s design uses the slope and natural contours of the ground so the flag ripples rather than reads like a simple graphic, a signature approach for an artist whose field-sized works have been part of Kansas visual culture since 1981. The work is expected to be finished by early June, just before Algeria’s national team is due to arrive for its Lawrence base camp.

Lawrence was officially selected in February 2026 as the Algerian men’s national team’s World Cup base camp after nearly two years of preparation. The team is expected to train at Rock Chalk Park, and Kansas Athletics has described the selection as an opportunity to showcase Lawrence, Douglas County and the wider region. That effort has been coordinated under Lawrence 2026, which has launched a local information hub for events, transportation and business resources tied to the tournament.

The timing gives the project added weight. Algeria is scheduled to play Argentina in Kansas City on June 16, then return for its final group-stage match on June 27. Between those dates, Algeria’s June 22 match against Jordan will be played in Santa Clara, California. The Lawrence earthwork is being created as a visual welcome before those games begin and before the team settles into its Kansas training base.

The project also points to a larger civic question: how Lawrence wants to present itself when the world arrives. The collaboration among Herd, the Lied Center and Score Lawrence has received major support from Lawrence resident and former mayor John Nalbandian, and organizers are also exploring ways to involve the community in the process. Ruth DeWitt of eXplore Lawrence has said the city has been preparing for World Cup visitors for more than a year and a half, with the goal of welcoming not only players but also staff, family members and fans.

For Lawrence, the flag behind the Lied Center is more than decoration. It is a public statement about immigrant visibility, local investment in art and whether the excitement surrounding the World Cup can leave a lasting civic benefit after the tournament passes.