CHENEY – Two new public art projects that were completed late in 2023 came to fruition because of the efforts of local residents.

In October, a new public mural on the north side of Farm Supply was completed by Cheney artist Kelly Caswell. In December, four new wayfinding signs were installed at various locations in Cheney. Those projects included work by Caswell, Bob Downey and Downey Consulting, Jackson Chance with MadJax, and Albers Finishing and Solutions.

All of those involved either volunteered their time or worked far below market rate, or a combination of both. The projects were made possible with funding from the Office of Rural Prosperity in the Kansas Department of Commerce. Additional funding came from Citizens State Bank and the Cheney Chamber of Commerce.

“The mural really turned out great,” said Cheney city administrator Danielle Young. “It adds color to our downtown. The purpose of that mural is a welcome to Cheney and our downtown.”

The wayfinding signs serve a similar purpose, to welcome visitors to town and to help them find the locations they are looking for. The mural and signs were treated as one project for the grant funding.

Young said the signs had been on a wish list for a few years, inspired after a visit to Sterling during the early days of the pandemic. Originally, the signs would not have included the art work that sits on top of the signs. The signs’ artwork highlights the best part of Kansas, including wheat fields, sunny skies, the state’s agricultural heritage, and the Sedgwick County Fair.

Caswell, a former educator, wrote the grants, which then went through City Hall before submission. She said that Young put a lot of work into making these public art projects come to fruition.

“She cleans the grants up and puts things in. It’s hers,” Caswell said. “She works really hard to make things happen.

“I’ve never seen anybody work this hard to make the city look good.”

Caswell said Downey’s work also has been instrumental in these projects, as well as in previous ones such as the frames for new artwork in front of the Cheney Public Library, the glass artwork at the small park by the mural on the Cheney Health Center, and the bridge at the Cheney Sports Complex.

“He puts so much into the city for free,” Caswell said.

Downey, who is not a Cheney native but has made his home here for many years, said he wanted to give back to his hometown.

“This town’s been good to me, so I try to be good to it,” he said. “I’ve always been kind of creative. Kelly, she pushes me along with what she wants. We seem to get it in the end.”

His company primarily builds for equipment companies. It is a customer base that usually seeks function rather than art. The public art projects give him an outlet.

“It feels worthwhile,” Downey said.

Caswell said she, Downey, and the contributors are not involved for paychecks.

“The state grants just aren’t that big,” she said. “We do this because we love the city. From where I stand, it’s really about Bob Downey and Jackson Chance.”

City maintenance employees also have played a key role in the installation of the various public art projects.

Caswell said that public art is important. As an example, she told a story about her time as an assistant principal at a Baltimore high school with 1,700 kids. There were flower beds that were neglected and full of weeds and trash.

Once the beds were redone, she said there was a 180-degree change in students’ attitudes.

“There was a sense of ownership,” she said.

There are no new projects on the horizon, but there is interest in additional murals. One possible project could be a student-led mural, but no plans are in place right now.