Council approves downtown pedestal public-art pilot, seeks local and national artists
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Summary
Council approved initiating a downtown public-art project to permanently populate 14 city-owned pedestals with purchased works (priority for local artists), funded by a $200,000 allocation from the 2% for art program; motion passed 7-0.
The Wichita City Council approved a pilot program to purchase permanent public art for 14 city-owned downtown pedestals, reviving and redesigning a prior rotating Sculpture Walkabout program into a permanent public-art collection supported by Design Council funding.
Lindsay Bonacca of the City Manager’s Office described the history: the Arts Council administered a rotating Sculpture Walkabout from 2008 to 2023, but annual rotation and recurring loan costs became unsustainable. Design Council recommended acquiring permanent pieces rather than sustaining an annual loan program. Bonacca said there are 14 pedestals available downtown (including one at the stadium) and that two current installations came via donation and long-term loan.
Why it matters: Staff said permanent installations reduce annual operating costs for loans, increase the permanence of downtown public art and provide opportunities for early- and mid-career local artists. The project also aims to include preference points for Wichita-area artists while remaining open to national applicants. The adopted CIP includes a $200,000 allocation via the Design Council’s 2%-for-art program for this pilot; staff also applied for an NEA matching grant and will proceed regardless of the NEA outcome.
Process and outreach: The city will run a competitive call for entries through the Call for Entry (CaFE) platform; a stakeholder panel will review submissions and recommend finalists to Design Council, which will make a final recommendation to council. Staff noted the city maintains a public-artist registry and has previously issued multiple RFQs with hundreds of applications.
Vote and next steps: Council authorized initiation and bonding resolution for the project; the motion passed 7-0. Staff will issue the CaFE call, establish review panels, consider a purchase of the stadium pedestal piece if the current artist submits and is selected, and manage maintenance funding from the 2% set-aside or other budget lines as appropriate.
Ending: The program is intended as a sustainable approach to downtown public art, prioritizing permanence, local participation and ease of artist entry into the public-art process.