Sculpture Tour Salina

There are many fun activities and things to do in downtown Salina. One of the activities that many people don’t think about is the Sculpture Tour Salina. The unique experience that the Sculpture Tour Salina offers is a self-guided outdoor walking tour that takes you to the different sculptures that are located all around downtown Salina. This year will mark the 15th year of the Sculpture Tour Salina exhibition in downtown Salina.

Before the Sculpture Tour began about 14 years ago, leaders in Salina wanted the city to be known as some sort of destination for people to come and visit rather than just another town to drive through. The arts have also been a contributing factor to the Salina community because of all the things it has to offer. These include the murals all around the city and other key events and places such as the Smoky Hill River Festival, the various museums, and the concert and theater venues. With the addition of the Sculpture Tour in Salina, the likelihood of Salina becoming a travel destination increases. In fact, the Midwest Magazine listed that the city of Salina is starting to be known for all of their arts (sculptures, statues, and murals) and said in their magazine that “being immersed in the Art of Salina” was one of the top 20 things to do in the state of Kansas. 

The 2024 Tour sculptures are currently still being displayed throughout downtown Salina. There are around 15-25 sculptures that were carefully selected and chosen to be a part of the 2024 Tour. To view all of the sculptures from the 2024 Tour you can visit the sculpture site at https://www.sculpturetoursalina.org/copy-of-2023-sculptures. From this Tour there have been many favorite sculptures. One student from Kansas Wesleyan University said that “all of the sculptures from the 2024 Tour are really cool and have their own features that make them unique. If I had to choose one of my favorite sculptures, I would say it definitely has to be the hummingbird that is right outside by The Market Shop. I really like that statue in particular because it’s just so unique. I love walking by it when I am downtown.” When asked the same question another student said that “the sculptures that are downtown are all so creative. It’s cool to walk around the different sculptures and see all the different materials that were used to create them. All of them are so unique so it’s hard to choose my favorites, but I would say that a few that always seem to catch my eye are the hummingbird, the fish that is jumping out of the water, or the honeybee.” To view the map where all of the different sculptures are located you can visit the link https://www.sculpturetoursalina.org/2022-sculpture-map. 

There is also a way that the Salina Community can get involved with helping decide what statue will become a part of Salina’s permanent art collection. The “People’s Choice Award” is a chance for anyone to choose their favorite statue. The voting ballots and brochures can be found in many of the restaurants, shops, and boutiques that are downtown. After you take the sculpture tour all you have to do is fill out the ballot and return it to any of the businesses downtown. The 2024 sculpture winner was “Going Home” by Sondra Johnson, which portrays an angelic carrying a fallen soldier into eternity. The “People’s Choice Award” is a great way for people to get involved in the community and to also help choose the new sculpture that will become a part of Salina’s downtown art collection. To view the previous sculpture winners you can visit the link https://www.sculpturetoursalina.org/vote. 

There are also many volunteer opportunities that are available at the Sculpture Tour. There are no requirements to apply for the volunteer jobs. On their website it says “Sculpture Tour Salina is looking for dynamic volunteers to assist with recruitment of additional Friends and Corporate sponsorships, artist recruitment, public docents, sculpture sales and much more! Please submit your volunteer application through the form below. Answering the following questions will help us match your volunteer interests with a suitable volunteer role.”  To learn more about the volunteer opportunities that the Sculpture Tour Salina offers, you can visit the link at https://www.sculpturetoursalina.org/support.