Two Lawrence-based filmmakers among recipients of 2026 Rocket Grants

LAWRENCE — The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas and Charlotte Street in Kansas City announce the awardees of this year’s Rocket Grants, a re-granting program supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Lawrence-based filmmakers Lourdes Kalusha-Aguirre and Sean Kenealy are among the 10 recipients. Each recipient will receive $6,000 for a total of $60,000 in funding for public art projects in the Lawrence and Kansas City area.

Kalusha-Aguirre is making a documentary exploring the connections between Lawrence and El Salvador through interviews and archival footage. She plans to hold screenings and discussions of the film, “Forward, Together,” at venues in Lawrence and Kansas City. 

Kenealy’s “Pocket Cinema Project” will offer free workshops for low-budget filmmaking using phones hosted by local filmmakers, writers and artists. The project culminates in a free public film festival featuring a selection of participant films.

The projects funded by this year’s grant cycle involve a variety of workshops focused on accessibility, film screening events and initiatives, performance-based celebrations of queer resilience and outdoor exhibitions in unconventional spaces.

“Artists of our region continue to expand definitions for art, explore new places where it thrives, and invite many communities to participate,” said Saralyn Reece Hardy, Spencer Museum director. “This year’s Rocket Grants recipients offer a broader view of our communities through surprising, somber and sometimes zany projects of note.”

The awardees were selected from a competitive pool of 84 applications. Selections were determined by four jurors: Joshua Rios, artist and associate professor at School of the Art Institute, Chicago; Meg Hahn, artist and development and special projects manager at the arts nonprofit SPACE in Portland, Maine; Thomas Huang, artist and associate professor of design at the University of Kansas; and Camry Ivory, a Kansas City-based artist and 2025 Rocket Grants recipient.

“The jury was impressed by the talent on display from our region’s artists,“ said Elizabeth Spavento, Charlotte Street co-executive director. “While only 10 artists were ultimately selected to receive awards, each of the applicants represents a significant contribution to our region’s creative identity.“ 

The public is invited to celebrate this year’s recipients at an awards ceremony from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 24 at Charlotte Street in Kansas City, Missouri. This event is free and open to all and is an opportunity for audiences to learn more about each project and connect with the artists.

For more information about Rocket Grants and this year’s award recipients, visit the Rocket Grants website. 

Here is the complete list of the 2026 Rocket Grants recipients:

• Grace Ambrose, “From Log to Stool: Green Woodworking, Traditional Craft, and Community Building”
• Lourdes Kalusha-Aguirre, “Forward, Together”
• Melissa Ferrer-Civil and Calvin Arsenia, “Melanated Measures: Launch: Greenwood Centeni”
• Kim Riley, “The Reckoning”
• Luke Harbur, “This is Us: LGBTQ+”
• Jared Horman, “If Life's a Drag, Kansas City's Been Living”
• Bryan Stalder, “The Front Page Project”
• Sean Kenealy, “Pocket Cinema Project”
• Marian McClellan, “Reflected”
• The Waiting Room and Harrison Street DIY, “Site Four”