What a thrill Monday to see the beautifully restored Keeper of the Plains sculpture hoisted atop its massive rocklike pedestal overlooking the Arkansas River.
What’s immediately clear is that Blackbear Bosin’s artwork — 30 feet higher than before — will be much more visible and powerful in effect. Its gracefully arched shape and uplifted hands can now clearly be seen by motorists driving by on McLean Boulevard.
Judi and Leon Krob of Wichita, who were among the scores of onlookers braving the chilly winds to watch the historic raising, said they came in part because they attended the first Keeper of the Plains dedication decades ago.
“It’s finally making good use of the river,” said Judi Krob, who added, “It ought to be a tourist draw.”
Wichita needs to plan a big community celebration when the new setting — including two pedestrian bridges and a ring of boulders spouting flames — is finished in a few months.
It’s easy to imagine how dramatic the Keeper will look at night. How many communities would love to have such a recognizable and meaningful icon for their city?
This is going to be a tourist magnet and a point of pride for Wichitans.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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60 Comments
It appears that you almost worship the thing Randy.. I look at it and see another Golden Calf. I sincerely hope it doesn’t become a curse.
Tourist draw? Sorry..I don’t see it. People driving from all over to see a statue? Well, Statue of Liberty, maybe…but one statue? It could be a nice start if the trend of attractive additions continue, but one statue does not make a tourist destination.
It might have been better to have installed the Keeper last, after all the other additions were done.
But HOORAY! The Keeper is one of the best things about the Wichita skyline. It makes up a bit for the billboards and outsized crosses.
Good one, JR! Gotta agree with you on that..something positive instead of self-serving!
I agree with JR also. :)
I’m going to check out the Keeper today. I’m glad that you will be able to see it again. Exploration Place blocked it for too long.
I think it is great that the Keeper is finally visible – but a tourist attraction? Let’s be real here – Wichita doesn’t have anything that would attract tourists.
VC – You don’t think people will come to our river to see the “Brown Trout” float by?
Ummmmmmmmm – no.
I snapped this photo in Bet Shean, Israel because I thoght it looked like the “Keeper of the Plains”. It’s just a tree.. but kind of interesting! I hope this link works……
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/samuel53/detail?.dir=10b3&.dnm=65fcre2.jpg&.src=ph
Kssam,The link worked. My question: does the tree signify some type of miracle? You know, like finding the Virgin Mary’s face on a patato?
It’s a miracle the link worked!!
How on earth would they KNOW it was the Virgin Mary’s or even Jesus’ face….. NOONE has ever seen an actual painting or Polaroid shot of either one!
Great picture SAm!
As for tourism I think what we need to do is improve the quality of life such that (a) people want to live here and (b) people who visit for various reasons want to visit our attractions. I doubt that many people will travel across the country to visit our zoo for example (which IS world-call by the way) but if they are in the area they might visit it.
Business meetings, etc, might find a hospitable environment here.
Sam,XERF Radio in Del Rio Texas used to send out full-color autographed photos of Jesus, in exchange for a donation!
I went down to watch the raising ceremony yesterday. The Keeper is a fine work of art by one of Kansas foremost artists, and I liked raising it on a higher pedestal, but fountains and fireballs seem a bit glitzy and will distract from the sculpture. And no, it’s not an idol, although it has significance to Native Americans and Kansans.
I can’t remember where I heard or read that Wichita’s (relatively low-cost) housing market and Medical establishment make our city attractive to retirees who have money. Hard to believe, but maybe true . . .
There was a small, tiny house down the street from me that was offered at over 100K – just an absurd price if you ask me. Someone with Colorado car tags bought it after a pretty short time on the market.
Sounds kinda corny but when the Keeper was gone it seemed like a bit of Wichita’s soul was missing. Now that he’s back it’s like all is right with the world.
Good call about the attractions, Ben. It is unlikely people will flock to Wichita from New York or Oregon or whatever, but Wichita could be a great place to spend the weekend for people from Tulsa or Omaha. No one will come to Wichita just to see the Keeper, but it will be something great for them to see when they come here for the multitude of other attractions.
Kind of like I didn’t go to Yellowstone just to see Old Faithful, but it was sure one of the highlights.
“No one will come to Wichita just to see the Keeper, but it will be something great for them to see when they come here for the multitude of other attractions.”
Multitude of other attractions, LOL.
Hey Todd, why the LOL? I was being serious. With the zoo ranked in the top 5 in the nation and other regional attractions such as Exploration Place, Cowtown, the art museum, Old Town, indian center, Wichita Center for the Arts, Prairie Rose chuckwagon, Museum of World Treasures and the KS Sports Hall of Fame, this city has a lot to offer people just looking to get away from home for the weekend. Add to all that Wild West World and the WaterWalk, both opening next year, and the Cosmosphere just a short drive away. And Ben probably hit the nail on the head about business meetings–these attractions can be (and probably are now) great distractions for folks here on business, not just pleasure.
The idea that there’s nothing to do in Wichita is just perception.
Unlikely to draw tourists, but a fitting better dsiplay for a worthy Wichita artist’s work. It’s a good thing.
Absolutely, Brandon. I can’t believe we let the Keeper sit so long by himself on a bare concrete slab. It’s like we locked grandma in the basement or something. It’s good that what probably is the greatest symbol this city has will finally have a picturesque plaza surrounding it as a fitting tribute.
My mother was a volunteer with ZooAtlanta and was justifiably proud of Atlanta’s zoo. Then she visited Wichita and OUR zoo. She told me ours beat Atlanta by a mile. The Sedgwick County Zoo is DEFINITELY a jewel!
I think you’re right, Steve, Wichita does have more worthwhile attractions than many of us appreciate.
I like Dr. Kardatzke and all, but has anyone else ever thought that the collection at the Museum of World Treasures kind of looks like 10 different people cleaned out the attics of 10 different crazy aunts and then pooled the results of said cleanings in a big building? I sometimes miss the theme that ties the collections together, ya know. Is there an overarching theme? Well, maybe it is a fitting metaphor for Wichita.
Ben, it’s good to hear a comparison between our zoo and Atlanta’s. I’m curious, what did your mother say set our zoo apart from Atlanta’s? Was there anything specific that made our’s better?
You made me laugh, Darwin. I’ve thought the same thing! I appreciate it and love what Dr. K’s done, but it really is amazingly random, isn’t it? You have to wonder what he did with all that before he opened the museum…did he have Egyptian mummies in his basement??
Yeah, I doubt it will be taken seriously as an academic museum ow whatever anytime soon. Just one of those quirky things no one will find anyplace else. It is uniquely Wichita.
One thing that’s world class for a zoo is the Marine Reef. A thing like that in Kansas is astonishing. The Rain Forest is first rate, too. I’m not big on primates, but as primate facilities go, the Wichita Zoo has a lot to be justifiably proud of.
The Keeper of the Plains? that’s nice, but something that might help our image would be some tall buildings.
Steve – I think it was a combination of the wide open feeling and the primate exhibits. One thing I particularly like is that so many of the animals have near-natural habitats.
I sure am glad Steve’s back to let us all know how we should be thinking. What did we do without him? How did we function without such a gracious moderator?
Darwin;
Bet you would be surprised to know, what that little ole house would sell for in Colorado. Like, say, in Montrose, for example?
Just a comment.
Wichita’s zoo is a first rate facility. The best I’ve ever been in was the wild animal park in Escondido CA. That is one awesome place.
A world class hotel and convention center would do wonders for Wichita’s reputation. It already has much to offer. Tax deals for perspective developers could get them in here, and if the influx of conventioners was realized, the tax generated would pay back the city in no time. A win-win situation.
James,I am sure I would have a heart attack if I had to think about paying housing costs in some states. It sure does seem to me that house prices are a bubble that will burst some day. There will be many unhappy people when that occurs.
Wow, other Steve, I’m swimming right now in your sarcasm. That was good! Ya know, we’re all entitled to have strong opinions. I’ll tell you how I see things and I hope you to tell me how you see things. Sometimes we’ll agree, sometimes we won’t. Sometimes we’ll both believe strongly enough in something we’ll end up in a heated debate. It can be as fun as it is sometimes frustrating. I usually won’t hold anything back. But I hope you at least acknowledge that I won’t hold back agreement just as much as I won’t hold back criticism. Now enough about me, let’s actually talk about something important…
Why doesn’t Wichita promote itself more to companies and people in areas with a high cost of living, like California? I can’t imagine that everyone in Silicon Valley is hunky-dory pulling down six figures but not even being able to afford a house!! With our low cost of living here, ridiculously short commutes, rising quality of life and expanding entertainment opportunities, Wichita could really position itself for some phenomenal growth in the coming years.
Picture this: a photo of Kellogg and Rock Road at 5:15 PM with the caption “The worst traffic jam in Wichita.” Show that to someone stuck on the Freeway in LA or Chicago …
Steve,If we work at it, we could just promote ourselves out of our low cost of living! What do you think is going to happen to it if all those six-figure Techies were to show up on our doorstep?
LOL jed, the same thing that happened to Austin in the 1990’s! Growth, prosperity, jobs, live music, tolerance and culture. Damn but they ruined red neck Austin!!!
Actually Ben, that has already been done…by AUSTIN in Houston, Dallas and California.
Steve, (whichever one) ya know why they would rather endure insane traffic, outrageous housing costs, high taxes and all the other ills? One word…
THEOCRACY!! Or intolerance, or christian taliban or whatever you want to call it. See: BOE, kansas legislature, fred phelps, susan wiggle waggle, etc.
Did I mention phill (sex police) klein?
Throw in a dose of hypocricy with bonbon huy, terry and joe, the state’s anti- choice, anti-gay, anti-hispanic, anti-gaming, or anyone who wants to live life without the christian republican yoke around their necks… etc. Yep, that will bring the blue staters and all their money and jobs right to wichita.
And I know all those high tech science freaks are just ITCHIN’ to have their kids educated in kansas.
Now do you know why blue staters wouldnt come to kansas if you paid them? Oh, lol, that has already been tried here too!
There are lots of other reaons people stay in California. It is an easy target to attack, but having lived there for many, many years I can attest to reasons to stay. Beaches. Mountains. Forests. Deserts. National Parks. Natural beauty. Plus, increasing housing costs do not affect people who are not moving at the moment. Prop 13 prevents their real estate taxes from increasing like it does here on a yearly basis.
Has little/nothing to do with politics, phelps, or anything else. It is home to over 30 million people, and CA does have its positives. Long commutes is not one of them, but even that is possible to tolerate.
Consider also the climate, almost never a tornado, almost never freezes, an economy that if it stood alone would be about the 6th largest in the world.
So, it isn’t all bad. Matter of fact, it has a lot going for it.
ksfarmgirl,Then lets just not do it then. Do you think that Austin and other towns that have experianced recent growth just gave up. I think the redneck image of Austin would be more of a turn off then any of those things you mentioned. Just log on to any left wing site and they hate the redneck image.It will take one or two people to move here from the left states to get the ball rolling. I think it could get done. But of course if it is like the majority of Wichitans’ attitudes it will never happen they would complain it to death and nothing would be done.
Keith, I am not sure I understand your posts.
California is a wonderful place to live. My point is…the red state mentality will never cause blue staters, in great places to live, to move to kansas.
Austin has long been driven by tolerance and creativity, and “redneck” was sarcasm. Why do you think all the californians moved to Austin with their businesses and their money and not to Dallas or Houston?
Tolerance my friend. Tolerance and creativity equal prosperity.
Intolerance and koolaide equal the kansas economy.
I think ksfarmgrrl has a great point. Kansas has a HORRIFIC image as an ultraconservative wasteland. Some of it–okay, most of it–is well deserved. Thanks to Fred Phelps, Phil Kline, the evolution debate, and our anti-everything attitude, we are the punchline for a lot of jokes. I think it’s disgusting what the right wing extremists have done to this state, and I’m a Republican! We have a LONG, difficult ladder to climb.
But like Keith said, does that mean we just crawl back in our hole and not even try?? Seems to me it’s just like Kansans these days to just give up at the first sign of adversity because we never think we’re good enough for anything.
California has a lot of things going for it, but it has a lot of negatives as well. The state is on the edge of bankruptcy, and its traffic, crime, earthquakes and high cost of living are legendary. No doubt Austin had to fight its state’s reputation, which is not far behind Kansas’.
“Picture this: a photo of Kellogg and Rock Road at 5:15 PM with the caption “The worst traffic jam in Wichita.” Show that to someone stuck on the Freeway in LA or Chicago …”
That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Ben. Those are the kinds of things we should be doing. We have it so good here and we don’t even know it. We complain about Rock Road traffic–hell, that’s like a residential street in New York!
Jed had a point that growth could destroy all these things that make Wichita a great place to be. But if we make growth a community priority and manage it carefully, we’ll be okay. Of course, saying it and doing it are two different things.
On this we agree Steve. Being from elsewhere I find traffic here a breeze. My commute is a ‘killer’ by Wichita standards (far west side to far east side) but is absolutely nothing compared with Golf Road through the NW suburbs of Chicago. I think there are more cars in the Golf/Algonquin traffic jam than tere are registered in Sedgwick County!
ksfarmgirrl,I agree that Kansas has a bad image nationally. Instead of doing anything to change it Kansans just seem to give up or ignore there is a problem. I agree my first post was misleading but I think what Steve said was what I was trying to say. Somehow what my brain says and what my hands type is two different things. I don’t think that Wichitans and Kansans should just give up and not do anything. We should be working on changing our image and the people will come.
“What do you think is going to happen to it if all those six-figure Techies were to show up on our doorstep?”
Uh, guys….we’re already here. In force. There are thousands of us. Hi-tech is one of Wichita’s best-kept secrets. We’re the “Silicon Prairie”.
XXX, good post, although I think Minnesota has had the “silicon prairie” label for a number of years.
Guys, I agree that doing something is better than doing nothing. I agree that Kansas is its own worst enemy. I moved here from Austin because I thought kansas promised a great quality of life.
I quickly found that low taxes, no commute, and a paid for house did not outweigh the absolute trashing of anyone who is not a part of the majority of this state. For many people, short commutes and lower housing dont always win over bigotry and theocracy.
I would rather put up with the inconveniences and the higher NET income :) in other places than to live with the christian taliban.
I have seen so many states, and so many communities, just “put on a happy face” and ignore their root problems. These same people think we just need better marketing, not a better product to sell. That denial doesnt fool anyone except the people who already live here.
Should we do economic development? OF course, but why piss away our marketing resources when there is a refusal to even admit WHY people dont want to live in ks. Do you think Mississippi just needs better marketing, or do they need to rank above 49th in every catagory to draw more people?
Do something yes, but do the right thing. Address the real problems of the state before you go a marketin’ in other areas. You cant pretend to be something you are not, and kansas has done that for many years in terms of economic development.
And of course, I hafta ask, how is that working for us? Do we need better marketing…or do we need a better product (state) to market?
The hell of it is…we get to decide. I hope we do better in the future than we did in the past.
Keith, with all due respect, I think statements like this are the problem in ks:
“We should be working on changing our image and the people will come.”
Gosh, dont you think we should change our substance, not just our image? Ann Richards used to say “you can put lipstick on a pig and call her monique, but at the end of the day, she is still a pig”. If all we change is our image, wont people who move here leave again when they find out the truth? No one wants to kiss a pig, even one with lipstick!
It isnt the lies about kansas that hurt us. It is the truth about kansas that keeps people and jobs from moving here.
It isnt changing our image that is hard. It is changing our substance that is daunting. Almost impossible judging from the posts on this blog!
Good points ksgirl. Late night jokes on Letterman don’t hurt us. Fred Phelps DOES. And, perhaps even more, comments made by people who have moved away from here.
ksfarmgrrlTypical Kansan, it’s hard so lets just give up. Then why don’t people in Kansas fight the Phelps, the BOE, and the Christian taliban. Why don’t Kansas as a whole accentuate positive things in the state. Of course that is the hard thing to do so I am sure Kansans wont do it.
I think you’re right, Keith, that Kansans, in general, always take the easy way out or just settle for the status quo. But I don’t think farmgirl is saying we should do that. I’d hate to put words in her mouth, so I hope she corrects me if I’m wrong.
She’s absolutely right in questioning what we should change. Our image is well deserved. I had never really thought about it this way before, but changing our image is actually the easy way out. Changing the core of our society is the real bitch. I stand corrected.
Though some of us are pretty deeply divided over the arena, it seems we have found some common ground on this blog. It’s going to take people like us–who won’t stand for the intimidation by the Terry Foxes and other right wing nutball nazis–to change things around here.
Keith: “Then why don’t people in Kansas fight the Phelps, the BOE, and the Christian taliban.”
Good question dude. The answer is in Thomas Frank’s “What’s the Matter with Kansas”.
I also suspect it isnt the degree of difficulty that keeps the majority of kansans from fighting the above problems. Kansans dont fight the BOE or the christian taliban BECAUSE THEY AGREE WITH THEM!!
The sad truth is that things are the way they are in kansas because kansans WANT THEM THAT WAY!!!
People dont fight phelps because, as the ever wise Rage once said, seventy percent of kansans differ from fred only by degree.
How do you change that keith? And over what period of time? And can kansas even survive long enough for that to happen? (See devil ice skating post)
Hell, kansans are PROUD to be so out of step with the rest of the nation. It seems to work so well for us…
Good post steve, you put good words in my mouth!
I am reminded of a saying that efficiency is doing a thing right, but effectiveness is doing the right thing.
Efficiency, no matter how well you do it, can never make up for a lack of effectiveness, or doing the right thing.
I am all for efficiency, as in doing our marketing well, but it is just whizzing dollars and effort into the wind if we are not doing the right thing. Doing the same things harder and faster and expecting different results is nuts. Kansas needs to do something different.
I sincerely want to know what you all think is the “right thing(s)” we should do to draw PEOPLE to ks. You might as well take a shot, because I guarantee, us “experts” have no clue what to do next.
ksfarmgrrl,I say we challenge the idiots that ruin what is good in Kansas and then we promote what is good in Kansas.In regards to Phelps, I think that once Fred is gone the church will no longer be in existence. I remember reading that Phelps’ church is in declining numbers. So lets pray that it keeps declining to just him and his family.I agree with everything you say and I am sorry if I jumped on you in previous posts.
Keith, I dont feel jumped upon. I wasnt challenging you in order to have an argument. I really want to know what other people think we should do. You suggest good and broad things, but the devil is in the details.
I know you know this already, but in business, almost all marketing involves finding your “competitive advantage” and then promoting, dare I say exploiting, that advantage.
What is kansas’ “competitive advantage”? Not what is good about ks, but what is better about ks than other locations. What do we have to offer someone that they cant get better, and more of, in another state? Something besides wheat, lolol.
The easiest and most cost effective marketing is to develop a product to access a market that already exists. The most difficult and expensive marketing involves creating a new market for an existing product. Old book, but read The Regis Touch by Regis McKenna.
I am suggesting changing our product to fit the market. Doing that is both more effective and more efficient in terms of drawing residents to our state.
It is insane to try to change the market to accept our shoddy product. Example? The foreign market for beef. We keep trying to sell what we have, not give the market what it wants. Change is never easy.
I dont see too many takers for what kansas already has. And I dont see any prospect or appetite for change among the voters. What do you suggest?
OK JR, XXX, I can hear you laughing at my multiple posts :)
Keith, how do you think we should challenge the “idiots”? :) For one thing, we need better, hell, we need GOOD candidates to run for office, and we need a bi-partisan effort, including money, to elect people who put kansas first and personal gain second.
Another helpful thing would be a vigilant media to act as a watchdog FOR kansas. Not vigilant for where the next “cookie” will come from, but vigilant in the sense they will bark when stupidity knocks on our door.
We could also use some informed voters who can see the koolaide glass as half empty, not half full of half baked promises.
And last, but not least, we are in need of leadership. We need, as walker and I have discussed, a candidate who can actually forge a path to the future instead of a loop back to our history.
We need a scout from the Lewis and Clark days. A scout and a leader who would look ahead and come back to the people to say “follow me. There is nothing to be afraid of out there.”
What do you suggest?
I agree with everything you mentioned in your last post, farmgirl: we need better leaders, better voters, better media, etc. Other than making sure that individually we vote our conscience, good luck controlling those things, though. I wish we could just conjur up great leaders and invent a new media.
Power is in numbers. Look at what Karl Peterjohn does with his KTN. I disagree with him on pretty much everything he says, but I truly admire the way he is able to if not change the system, at least alter public opinion.
What I’m saying is there needs to be an organized effort to give a voice to people who don’t like the direction our local and state governments are going. The Christian taliban and other rednecks have WAY too much power in this state because they are smart, organized, and have an agenda and know how to push it. They bought television commercials before the gay marriage amendment vote, they organize rallies outside of abortion clinics, and they exert an enormous amount of pressure on our political leaders.
These guys have had the run of things around here so long, they might be caught off guard by some strong opposition by a scrappy, well organized group of people. Ya know, people who are actually for something instead of against everything.
As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so it’s time we should be making some noise.
That’s my take, farmgirl.
Good take Steve!
Thank you Steve, for your comments! It’s good to have you here! I’m so glad we have common ground on this blog!
It’s nice to get on a Wichita blog and actually find some people with a few brain cells for a change. I was wondering if there were any left. I haven’t lived in Wichita in 25 years and was thinking about moving back but it’s a tough, tough decision. Real tough.