The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot tall steel sculpture standing between where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers join together in downtown Wichita. The American Indian sculpture was created by Wichitan and Native American artist Blackbear Bosin. This land between the two rivers is sacred ground to the Native American people and is also home to the Mid-America All-Indian Museum. This historical monument of  Wichita was finished on May 18, 1974 to celebrate the United States Bi-centennial and has kept a watchful eye on the city ever since.

Decades later, in the spring/summer of 2006, a $20 million dollar river corridor improvement project contributed to the complete renovation of the statue and the installation of the Keeper of the Plains Plaza was installed. The plaza now brings people of all ages out every evening to see the keeper and the lit fire pots that surround it, known as the ring of fire. The 10,000 lb statue is now 30 feet higher then before with its new added pedestal. There was also two suspended foot bridges allowing people to cross from north and south direction to the plaza at the base of the Keeper. The statue can now be seen over the tops of trees and buildings that have popped up over the years.

Want to help celebrate the iconic statue, on May 18th, 2024 from 8 a.m.- 9 p.m. Mid-America All Indian Museum (MAAIM) is hosting an event “Party for the People” which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Keeper of the Plains. The event is put on by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, MAAIM’s Bosin Society, the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Evergy and other sponsors. The event will be a free, family-friendly celebration that will include, a re-dedication of the Keeper of the Plains sculpture, a park run, Native performances, an indoor powwow, art exhibits, outdoor games and activities, food trucks, exhibits from community partners, free museum admission, fireworks and so much more!

Along with the giant 44 foot tall statue, there are over 60 miniature 10 foot tall fiberglass Keeper of the Plains statues called “Keepers on Parade” scattered all around Wichita. Over a dozen artists were chosen to paint the Keeper 150 statues as a part of a public art project run by Together Wichita. Each 10-foot tall fiberglass Keepers on Parade statues is a custom painted “mini” version of the iconic downtown sculpture, Keeper of the Plains which honors the culture of Native Americans who used to live in the area. The style of art incorporated on the statues varies and each commissioned artist’s work is presented for approval, if accepted they can start on the piece. Styles can vary from intricate brush strokes to graffiti art, each statue depends on the artist’s style.

I spoke with local artist Angie Evans and asked her a few questions. First I asked her how she got chosen to be a Keepers on Parade artist, she said she attended one of the informational sessions that the Wichita Chamber of Commerce holds about once a year. In these information sessions she got details about the statues themselves, the process required to submit and get a finalized design approved, how to work with the host organization and more. If you can complete the process with professionalism, follow through, and a good final product you just might get asked to do another keeper on the parade. Angie has painted three Keepers on Parade so far. The first is located at Strikers sports complex and was one of the 13 Wichita 150 Keepers on Parade place in public parks and locations in celebration of Wichita’s 150th birthday. The second is located at the East entrance of McConnell Air Force Base. “The Freedom Keeper” was a collaboration with a couple of Airmen at McConnell by bringing their Vision to life following the design contest at McConnell. The third is located inside the West entrance of Scheels and is part of a few design projects she did for the Wichita store including the Wichita Skyline mural along the west entrance cash wrap area and WSU Athletics mural towards the East Mall entrance.

I asked which is her personal favorite that she has painted and she said that she honestly could not choose a favorite because they all included elements specific to that host organization and location. Angie enjoyed the process of each Keeper on Parade and the intricacies of working with the host organization and the Bosin Foundation to solidify the final design. She stated “The process of actually painting the 10′ tall Keeper on Parade statues also brought their own unique set of challenges and victories”

I asked what some of the other works of art she does and this is what she included, “I am a multi-faced artist. This could be explained by my love of learning a new craft in addition to my squirrel-brain attention. I started with black and white film photography many years ago which transitioned into owning a photography business for many years focusing on weddings. I have also ingrained myself into the business side of the creative world and have a long resume of commercial photography, graphic design, web design, creative Direction, marketing strategy and more. I am the creative director and marketing strategist for WSU Tech. My husband and I also started an apparel company which is focused on screen printed T-shirts with designs geared toward the craft brewing community. In addition to all that we own an art gallery in downtown Wichita called Art House 310. We focus on showcasing local artists for First Friday openings as well as housing my own art studio for fine art. My primary medium is alcohol ink and resin but I also have works in acrylic. oil, watercolor and more”.

You can learn more at,  https://arthouse310.com/