Spencer Museum’s Backyard Bash on Sept. 22 will celebrate art, nature, community

LAWRENCE — The Spencer Museum of Art invites the University of Kansas and Lawrence communities to kick back with friends and neighbors in the biggest backyard on KU’s campus — historic Marvin Grove — for an artful celebration of nature. The Backyard Bash is a free community event that will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, directly behind the Spencer Museum.

A variety of KU and community partners will contribute more than 20 different activities, games and performances for all ages. Activities include creating a pop-up playground, yoga, printmaking, learning to tag monarch butterflies, playing croquet and much more. Some performance highlights of this year’s event include the African Drum Ensemble of KU, acrobats from The Last Carnival and poets from BLACK Lawrence.

“The Backyard Bash is envisioned as a welcoming outdoor space where communities can come together to explore the intersections of nature and culture,” said Adina Duke, the Spencer’s associate director of public engagement. “With this year’s event coinciding with the autumnal equinox, it is a chance to re-center and consider the importance of our shared natural environment.”

The Backyard Bash is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to pack a picnic or buy snacks from food trucks. In the event of inclement weather, the event will move inside the Spencer Museum. The Backyard Bash is supported by KU Student Senate, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission and Friends of the Art Museum.

Photo: Dancers perform at the 2018 Backyard Bash as part of “Art in the Grove.”