In celebration of Wichita hosting the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships' First and Second Rounds, “Bouncing through Downtown: Art & Basketball” (“Bouncing through Downtown”) transforms downtown storefronts into dynamic art galleries featuring basketball-inspired installations.

Three local artists have reimagined and recycled basketballs as the core element of their temporary, one-of-a-kind artworks, bringing creativity and energy to the heart of the city. This project, funded by a grant from the City of Wichita, showcases their unique visions following a public call for artists in December 2024.

The installations will be on display from March 15 – April 7, inviting residents and visitors to experience downtown Wichita in an exciting new way during the national tournament.

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.​​​​​​​