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Community mural concept for Ardent Mills elevator presented; commission received concept, no formal action
Summary
A volunteer group and artist presented a community mural concept for the Ardent Mills elevator and an adjoining community coloring wall; the commission received the concept presentation and staff said funding conversations would continue with potential corporate partners.
Greg Bontrager and local volunteers presented a concept design for a large public mural on the Ardent Mills elevator wall near the downtown library and described plans for a community coloring wall and artist-led finish work.
Bontrager said the mural concept uses five book‑spine panels on the west face of the elevator to represent local themes: railroad history, Mexican‑American fast‑pitch softball tournament history, Guadalupe Park, native wildflowers and a central “Elevate Our Story” panel. He said artist Mindy Allen would lead a community “coloring book” portion — a 6‑foot‑by‑60‑foot retaining wall that participants color inside drawn outlines, after which the artist returns to clean and finish the piece. Bontrager described prior work by the artist in other Kansas communities and estimated the project budget in the range of $160,000 because this elevator is larger than some comparators. He said schedule and cost depend on weather, lift availability and fundraising; the group is pursuing corporate sponsorships and expected strong community volunteer participation.
Commissioners and community members asked about dimensions, scaffold/lift access and timing; Bontrager said finished height to the elevator top is about 30 feet and the artist would work from a scissor lift rather than suspended scaffolding. Bontrager emphasized the presentation was a concept rather than a final design and said the group would return with more complete budget and funding details after community and corporate outreach.
No formal vote or appropriation was requested or taken at the meeting; commissioners thanked the volunteers and asked staff to return future budget or permit items as needed.
