*TravelWorld International Magazine Spring 2024

One way Wichita honors
their original citizens is
through the 44-foot,
5-ton sculpture,
“Keeper of the Plains”
In Wichita
in front of
Mark’s Art,
visitors can
enjoy the
fascinating
piece
that you
can walk
through
is “Oh
Give Me A
Home”
ichita’s Mark’s Art is a
vibrant regional arts hub that
offers an unusual piece of
art. Artist Patrick Dougherty
created stick artwork and in
front of Mark’s Art, visitors can
enjoy the fascinating piece that you can
walk through “Oh Give Me A Home”.
The mural titled “Lenaswa Waayaahtanoki” means, Bison of the Whirlpool from
the place of the Wea shares Native American history in Crawford County.
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The Kansas Art Trail
rt is a wonderful way to
share the history and
culture of a town and add
beauty at the same time.
Public art brings visitors to
towns and cities for the art
itself, as well as those
following certain trails, (chocolate
trails, donut trails, sculpture trails).
Several Kansas towns offer fun art
through their murals, sculptures,
and even stationary items that bring
attention to the town’s story.
Story and Photos by Cindy Ladage
Wichita is a lovely city located at the
confluence of the Arkansas and Little
Arkansas Rivers. By 1895 Wichita was
the 3rd largest city in Kansas. Native
nomadic people were in the area up
to 11,000 years ago! The history of
Western visitors goes back to as early
as 1541 when Francisco Vaquez de
Coronado was searching for his cities
of gold. He met the Wichita Indians,
that later moved to Oklahoma until
they returned during the Civil War.
One way Wichita honors their original
citizens is through the 44-foot, 5-ton
sculpture, “Keeper of the Plains”.
Created by Blackbear Bosin, a Kiowa-
Commanche artist, Keeper of the
Plains is an awe-inspiring sculpture.
Located in the Keeper Plaza, the
sculpture incorporates the history of
the Native Americans and embodies
a "sacred hoop" and the four elements
that make up life (earth, air, fire, and
water).
Crawford County Kansas was once home to
the Osage and Cherokee tribes. They lived
in an area referred to as “Neutral Territory”
where the land was supposed to be set
aside. However, as often happens settlers
moved in and took over.
One beautiful mural represents the native
American population in the town of
Pittsburg a city within Crawford County.
The mural is in the west alley behind the
shops owned by a brother and sister. The
shops are Books & Burro and Miners
and Monroe. The mural titled “Lenaswa
Waayaahtanoki” means, Bison of the
Whirlpool from the place of the Wea.
In Crawford County’s town of Pittsburg,
the mascot for Pittsburg University is a
gorilla. This copyrighted mascot can be
found in gorilla statues and visages all
over town. Perhaps the most stunning
example is at Gorilla Village: Champion’s
Plaza where artist Tim Corbin created a
2,000 lb. hand-crafted bronze sculpture that
was unveiled in 2004. The sculpture sits
opposite the stadium where a HUGE split
faced gorilla painting is on display.
At Gorilla Village: Champion’s Plaza artist Tim Corbin created a 2,000 lb. hand
crafted bronze sculpture that was unveiled in 2004. The sculpture sits opposite
the stadium where a HUGE split faced gorilla painting is on display.
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