The Capitol Preservation Committee subcommittee reached consensus to recommend the Fourth Floor South wall as the preferred site for the First Kansas Colored mural and to distribute an outreach letter to potential sponsor groups the week of Jan. 21, with a request that interested parties respond within about 30 days.

The decision matters because the subcommittee is seeking a sponsoring organization to raise funds, work with an artist and submit a formal application to the Capitol Preservation Committee for installation of a permanent mural in the state capitol. Members emphasized tour access and lighting as key practical constraints and discussed how much fundraising the project might require.

Subcommittee members said the Fourth Floor would place the mural on a route commonly used by guided tours and would add another interpretive stop for visitors. Frank, a subcommittee member, said the Fourth Floor “seems logical and I think would be beneficial.” Members also raised concerns that wall sconces and heavy visitor traffic near gallery entrances could make interpretation or photography difficult on some Fourth Floor walls, and that the First Floor can be crowded with events and setups.

Heather O'Hara of Legislative Research summarized the formal application materials the committee expects to receive: a completed request-for-approval form, contact information, a one-page project description and statement of purpose, whether the work is permanent or long-term, proposed display method, an option to donate or loan the work, and an amount if the artist is to be commissioned. O'Hara read from the form, noting applicants must attach the creator’s resume and images and agree that “the state of Kansas will not carry specialized insurance to cover the value of the work.”

Committee members discussed fundraising and costs without fixing a firm target in the outreach letter. The group said past projects suggested a wide range of costs; members recalled prior murals costing in the tens of thousands and discussed a working minimum of about $100,000 as a reference point during the meeting, but they decided not to put a fixed price in the initial letter because final costs depend on artist proposals and design choices.

Members agreed on several outreach steps: circulate a short letter to museums, arts organizations and known contacts; notify the Kansas State Historical Society (Patrick Zollner was identified as a contact) and Curtis Young in Creative Arts; distribute copies to legislative desks and to Senator Bowers on the Senate side; and post links to the committee’s application resources so prospective sponsors can find detailed forms and instructions. The subcommittee asked Legislative Research to include a link to the application page with the letter and to prepare a consistent list of criteria and talking points for staff who field inquiries.

No formal vote was recorded; the subcommittee characterized the result as a consensus recommendation to forward the Fourth Floor South location and the outreach plan to the full Capitol Preservation Committee. The next steps are to finalize the outreach letter, distribute it the week of Jan. 21, accept responses for roughly 30 days, and reconvene or follow up as needed if multiple sponsor groups indicate interest.

Ending: The subcommittee also asked staff to compile the application materials and examples used in prior projects and to provide the committee a proposed timeline and contact list before the letter is distributed. The meeting adjourned after members confirmed they would review a draft of the outreach letter before it is sent.