Can you find the 13 colorful Keeper statues that have just moved into Wichita parks?
Wichita’s newly painted Keeper of the Plains mini-statues are finished and in place, and driving around town to check them all out might be an ideal way to celebrate Wichita’s 150th birthday in the age of social distancing.
The new 10-foot-tall fiberglass Keepers were commissioned earlier this year by Together Wichita, a nonprofit made up of businesses that organize and finance projects intended to better the city.
As a gift to the city in celebration of its 150th birthday, the group wanted to add to Wichita’s already existing collection of individually painted Keeper statues that have been installed around town periodically since 2015.
Now, 12 of the 13 new ones are in place (the last one will be installed early next week), bringing the total of Keeper statues on display throughout the city to 42. The old-school ones can be found in places like the lobby of Hotel at Old Town, outside the Credit Union of America in Delano, at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita, and in front of USD 259’s Alvin Morris Administrative Center.
The majority of the new batch, which are being called Keeper 150, are set up in parks — two in each of Wichita’s six City Council districts and one designed for Mayor Brandon Whipple that was placed outside the Advanced Learning Library.
Local artists were paid $1,000 each to design and paint the Keepers, and their only instructions were to either incorporate the number 150 into the design or to include 150 individual items. The Keeper painted by artist Delilah Reed for the Pracht Wetlands, for example, depicts 150 different animals, bugs and flowers.
The COVID-19 pandemic came along at just the wrong time for the project, said coordinator Tessa Brungardt. But in the end, it worked out okay.
The group put out a call in January for artists to apply to paint one of the Keepers, and the 60 applications were whittled down to 13 in February. But then the pandemic took hold, and coordinators were not able to get the statues to the artists until late May. They had six weeks to complete them.
The plan was to unveil the finished Keepers at a big public celebration this summer, but that obviously couldn’t happen. Instead, the project managers decided to produce a documentary about the 13 new Keepers that aired on KPTS and still can be viewed on the Together Wichita website.
Even though their plans were all upended, Brungardt said that driving around and finding the Keepers, which are all outdoors, can offer families trying to stay socially distant a fun, safe activity.
“They are all different, and it’s just really cool to see how not one looks even similar,” she said.
Following is a guide to each of the new Keepers that you can use to plot your route. A map version of the list can be found at izi.travel and is linked from www.togetherwichita.com/keepers-on-parade.
Find the Keepers
Here’s where you can find each statue, along with a brief description of its look and the artist who provided it.
Stryker Sports Complex, 2999 N. Greenwich, District 2: Angie Evans gave this Keeper a coat of yellow and blue paint and an inspirational “Don’t Give Up” theme. The Keeper features 150 stars.
Dr. Glen Dey Park, 2901 N. Grove, District 1: Hallie Linnebur’s design features a quilt-like pattern in a rainbow of colors and a message of family and community.
Fairmount Park, 1647 N. Yale, District 1: Ellamonique Baccus’ design includes parts of the Kansas flag, and the Keeper’s headdress depicts 150 International flags.
Eastview Park, 1544 N. Governeour Road, District 2: Artist Coral Donnelly painted her sculpture in sunset shades of purple, pink and orange and covered it with images of the Flint Hills and of a Kansas night sky filled with 150 stars.
Clapp Memorial Park, 4611 E. Harry, District 3: Sarah Myose and Chiyoko Myose painted this Keeper, which features images of landmarks in the neighborhood, including St. Joseph Hospital, All Saints Catholic Church and the John Mack Bridge.
Planeview Park, 2819 Fees, District 3: ArtsPartners and artist Tereza Zardoz teamed up on this Keeper, which highlights the aviation heritage of the neighborhood and features images of the famous Joyland sign, of “Doc” the B-29 and of neighborhood buildings.
Osage Park, 2121 W. 31st St. South, District 4: Heather Byers’ mostly green and brown design features a transportation theme that uses images of airplanes and a pattern that depicts the highways running through the area.
Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. Second St, Mayor’s Keeper: Michella Tripoli consulted with Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, and the two agreed on a theme inspired by the resilience of the next generation. It includes dramatic purple, pink and blue swirls.
Minisa Park, 704 W. 13th St., District 6: Priscella Brown’s red, white and blue design includes an homage to North High School.
Orchard Park, 4808 W. Ninth St., District 6: Lindsey Kernodle painted her Keeper to look like a tree in an apple orchard as an ode to the Hoover Orchards that were once in the area.
West Douglas Park, 3201 W. Douglas, District 4: Baxter Suber’s black-and-gold Keeper is a tribute not only to Wichita State University but also to nearby Mayberry Middle School and its panther mascot. It’s the only statue not yet in place, but it should be in its new spot by Monday or Tuesday.
Buffalo Park, 10201 Hardtner, District 5: Josh Johnico’s abstract design features graffiti elements and incorporates the image of a buffalo.
Pracht Wetlands Park, 9926 W. 29th St. North, District 5: Delilah Reed’s Keeper features the images the artist is known for: whimsical flowers, bugs and birds.
Together Wichita partners are: Armstrong Chamberlin; Berry Companies; Fleeson Gooing Coulson & Kitch; Friends University; Newman University; Spirit Aerosystems; Wichita Area Builders Association; The Wichita Eagle, and the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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