37 rural mural projects completed in 2022

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - In 2022, 37 murals were completed in 14 Kansas communities.

On February 3, Governor Laura Kelly announced this accomplishment. These projects were completed through the Office of Rural Prosperity’s (ORP) Rural Mural and Public Art Grant Programming.

“These murals celebrate the beauty of Kansas and highlight everything our small towns have to offer. As our Rural Mural program continues to grow, I look forward to seeing how it showcases each community’s individuality and contributions to our state,” Governor Laura Kelly said.

Governor Kelly’s office said this grant program helped communities with fewer than 10,000 residents create murals and public art projects to assist in the beautification of public gathering spaces and offer new tourist attractions. The maximum amount of each grant was $10,000, and awardees were also required to provide a 1:1 match. A total of $93,500 was awarded last year.

“These rural murals speak to everyone — tourists, locals, and children alike — and I encourage Kansans to take time to visit these locations. Public art allows communities to showcase their past, present, and future in a creative way that will have a lasting impact for years to come,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.

The Director of the Office of Rural Prosperity, Trisha Purdon, was pleased with the program’s results and spoke of the total increase in murals.

“We had an incredible response to our Rural Mural program in 2022 and were able to complete more murals than we had in the past years,” Purdon said. “The communities came together to support the artists and projects to see them through to the end.”

Below is the list of ORP-funded murals completed in 2022. The murals are located in 13 counties throughout the state.

City of Caldwell - Caldwell Firehouse Community Quilt Mural
City of Chanute - Welcome Mural
City of Girard - Girard Main Street Branding Mural
Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation - Resting Art (14 benches with murals)
Community Arts Council of Council Grove - The Sun Also Sets
Community Foundation of Dickinson County - Welcome to Woodbine Mural
Ellsworth County Economic Development Corporation - Millwood Realty Mural, Paden’s Place Mural, Munchkinz Bakery Mural, and City of Holyrood Mural
Jackson County/Jackson County Tourism Council - Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Mural and Western Tallgrass Prairie Mural
Meade County Historical Society Museum - Museum Murals
Mitchell County Strong - Explore More Mural, Under the Sea Mural, Waconda Trader Mill Street Mural, Greetings from Cawker City Mural, and Trapper Lodge Mural
Seneca Downtown Impact - Seneca Sampler Quilt Mural
Stepping Up Inc. (Scott City) - Welcome Mural
Wallace County Foundation - Blooming Poppies Mural, 1870s Railroad History Mural, and Welcome to Kansas Mural
Wilson Tourism Hub - Heritage on Display