Woodland Park - North Gateway Public Art Commission

The City of Wichita invites professional artists and artist teams with demonstrated experience completing permanent outdoor public art projects to submit qualifications for a $49,000 public art commission for Woodland Park-North. The project is estimated to begin in early 2026 with execution completed in late 2026. Emerging artists are encouraged to apply.

Woodland Park-North (841 W 21st St North) is located in the historic North End community and includes the La Familia Senior Community Center, baseball field, shade structure, playground, basketball court, and a portion of the Little Arkansas River Pathway. The park serves as an activity hub during Open Streets ICT: NoMar community events. A gateway sculpture is envisioned near the Little Arkansas River Pathway and 21st Street pedestrian crosswalk to increase sense of place and community pride. The gateway structure will complement anticipated history walk signs detailing the North End's impact and significance. The exact location will be determined during the selected artist's concept development phase.

The $49,000 art budget is inclusive of all costs for design through structural engineering, site preparation, transportation/delivery, and installation. Applicants will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of City staff and stakeholders based on artistic excellence, creative process, ability (including experience with large 3-dimensional work and outdoor durability), and meaningful relationship of creative and conceptual aspects to the project's purpose. Submissions must include 5-10 images of relevant past work, an annotated image list with scale, budget, medium, year installed and location, a one-page Letter of Interest describing project approach, resume or CV, and three professional references. Questions should be emailed to Tim Kellams at [email protected] by November 7, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. CST. Qualifications are due November 14, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. CST.