Feb 03, 2023
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 37 murals were completed in 14 Kansas communities in 2022 through the Office of Rural Prosperity’s (ORP) Rural Mural and Public Art Grant Programming. These grants helped communities with fewer than 10,000 residents create murals and public art projects to beautify public gathering spaces and offer new tourist attractions.
“These murals celebrate the beauty of Kansas and highlight everything our small towns have to offer,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “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.”
The maximum amount of each grant was $10,000. 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,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “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.”
“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,” Director of the Office of Rural Prosperity Trisha 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.
Project information and photos can be found on the interactive map at https://www.kansascommerce.gov/murals/.