Lawrence artist Blanca Herrada
Lawrence artist Blanca Herrada. (John McGrath | Flatland)

Lawrence Artist Celebrates People of Color

November 4, 2019  |  John G. McGrath, Cole Blaise, Emily Harris, Vicky Diaz-Camacho  |  1 min read

Blanca Herrada grew up in Emporia, Kansas. She moved to Lawrence a year after her 2014 graduation from Emporia State University with a degree in painting and art history.

Her art often celebrates family and friends, but the real goal is featuring people of color in her works.

“What I want people to take away from it is people of color have a place in this environment, in this world,” Herrada says. “We’re engaging people to just kind of admire the diversity of people of color.’’

To see more of her work, watch the attached video.

Flatland is proud to launch “Behind the Mise En Scene,” a profile series that puts artists in the Kansas City area, their creative process and their inspiration – which ranges from history to identity – into frame. We are launching this series to shine a light on underrepresented artists. Only 11 percent of artwork in art museums is made by women. And nearly 80 percent of art in galleries are by white artists. 

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

Nick’s Picks | Messi, Jail, Buses, and More …

June 1, 2026

World Cup Team(s) Arrive It’s starting to feel real. The first World Cup team has landed in Kansas City. Defending champions Argentina touched down at KCI airport on Sunday and will begin practicing today at Sporting KC’s training facility in Wyandotte County. Much of the attention, of course, is focused on Lionel Messi. The soccer…

Related Stories

Karen Paisley, artistic director and cofounder of the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, stands in a balcony above the stage at the Warwick Theatre. Behind her are storage tubs full of costumes that she and volunteers cleaned after a devastating fire at the site two years ago, on Feb. 6, 2024. (Todd Feeback | Flatland)

Up From the Ashes: Warwick Theatre Revival Draws Applause

Two years ago, John Cleary met a fellow Kansas City actor for drinks. Their conversation centered on the fate of the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre. A large portion of the ensemble’s home, the Warwick Theatre, was ash, charred timbers and soot-saturated costumes and props — remnants from a recent massive fire. The destruction was so great…

Read More >

Nick’s Picks | Andretti, FIFA, Petition and More …

From Shutdown to Epstein Now that the federal government shutdown is over, our major news outlets need another big drama to focus on. They seem to have found it in the Epstein files. The House is expected to vote Tuesday on releasing the final documents relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The…

Read More >
Lawrence, Kansas-based crop artist, Stan Herd, says his portrait of a Mexican indigenous woman is the most relevant work he has created. The portrait in a field in Linwood, Kansas. (Mary Sanchez | Flatland)

Area crop artist’s latest work celebrates U.S.-Mexico ties

Kansas soil, cleared of vegetation to reveal a rich brownish mauve, forms the indigenous woman’s skin. Sand, mulch, woodchips, and compost are layered and sculpted to form the rest of the portrait titled “Young Woman of Mexico.” Stan Herd has sculpted similar images for more than 30 years in places like Brazil, China, and Cuba….

Read More >