Wichita, Kan., March 11, 2025 – Local artists have scored a slam dunk in downtown Wichita storefronts!

“Bouncing through Downtown: Art & Basketball” (“Bouncing through Downtown”) has transformed downtown storefronts into basketball-inspired art displays in celebration of the city hosting the First and Second Rounds of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Funded by a City of Wichita grant, this innovative project features three local artists/groups who have reimagined basketballs as the foundation of their temporary art installations.

Following a public call for artists in December 2024, a selection committee chose three unique concepts to bring this project to life. Each installation offers a fresh perspective on the intersection of sports and community, inviting residents and visitors to experience downtown in a new and unexpected way.

The installations will be completed by 5 p.m. on March 15 and remain on display through April 7 (the date of the National Championship game in San Antonio).

You Be the Artist Activity – March 21

Downtown Wichita and the artists will lead a crafting workshop during the city’s Fan Fest in Naftzger Park. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on March 21, stop by to craft your own Kansas sunflower out of recycled basketball material. This activity is free and open to the public, while supplies last.

Public Walking Tour – March 21

A public walking tour will begin at 509 E. Douglas Ave. at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 21.

Featured Artwork and Locations

• “A Game of Growth” – Taylor McQueary
  509 E. Douglas Ave.
  Blending basketball with nature, this vibrant installation features bold paintings of players in action. Surrounding them, oversized paper mâché plants and flowers—incorporating recycled basketballs—symbolize growth and transformation. McQueary, an art teacher at Wichita West High School, collaborated with her students to bring this vision to life.
   
• “Ballin’ Wichita Flag” and “Hooping in the Dub” – Mike Glasscock
  102 N. St. Francis St.
  This striking reimagining of the Wichita flag uses painted basketballs as individual pixels to form the city’s iconic red, white and blue design. A second piece at this corner property deploys metal basketball rims to create our city’s iconic “W.”
   
• “Braille in the Paint” – Envision Arts Gallery, an initiative of Envision
  801 E. Douglas Ave.
  Recycled basketballs, painted white, form the words "WICHITA KS" in Braille on a sleek white basketball court. Smaller basketballs spell out basketball-themed messages. Vinyl-mounted Braille decoders are positioned at an accessible height, ensuring that everyone, including children and those in wheelchairs, can engage with and decode the messages.

For more details about the project, visit downtownwichita.org.

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About Downtown Wichita
Downtown Wichita is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that amplifies the energy, capital and growth of downtown by empowering residents, visitors and businesses to explore the possibilities of the city’s core. Collaborating with stakeholders, the organization stimulates continued investment and interest downtown and connects resources from the private sector and local government that allow commerce and culture to thrive. For more information visit: https://downtownwichita.org/home.