What Is the Story Behind These Sculptures on Campus?

While exploring campus there is a chance of stumbling upon a distinctive outdoor sculpture. This 10-foot-tall piece of art depicts an Indigenous person with hands raised in supplication to the Great Spirit. Wichita State's main campus hosts two of these sculptures, each with unique hand-painted designs. But what do they mean? Where did they come from? The story behind these sculptures dates back more than 50 years into the city's history.

These sculptures are smaller versions of Wichita's largest and most iconic piece of public art. The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot tall steel sculpture that overlooks the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers near downtown Wichita. It was created by Comanche/Kiowa artist and prominent Wichitan Blackbear Bosin and erected in 1974 in celebration of the United States Bi-Centennial and in honor of the culture of Indigenous people who inhabited the area. The sacred grounds which it stands include:

• Mid-American All-Indian Center
• A pair of footbridges for visitors crossing the rivers
• Displays telling the story of local tribes
• The Rings of Fire - five fire drums  around the Keeper that are illuminated as part of a nightly ritual from 7 - 7:15 p.m. during the fall/winter and 9 - 9:15 p.m. during the spring/summer.

Undergraduate Admissions

What about Wichita State's miniature versions? With The Keeper being Wichita's most iconic symbol, an art project was established in 2015 to promote city pride. Now headed by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, Keepers on Parade boasts more than 60 Keeper statuettes in various locations around the city. They are made of fiberglass and each is uniquely hand-painted, often reflecting the area in which they reside. This project is done with the approval of the Blackbear Bosin Family Foundation who own the rights to The Keeper. Local artists are commissioned to paint blank fiberglass Keepers through community partners who sponsor the pieces.

Clinton Dick/Undergraduate Admissions

Wichita State University has two Keepers on its campus. The first is just outside of the west entrance of the Rhatigan Student Center. The second is located between NetApp and the National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation (NIRDT) on the far southeast corner of campus.

Be sure to snap a photo with one of the Keepers on campus and visit the original Keeper in downtown Wichita!