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Art Installations

The Smoky Hill River Festival’s Art Installations distinguish the event from any other in the country!

ALPHABETICAL BY BOOTH NUMBER

NEW THIS YEAR

West of Art/Craft Demonstration

A Seed in the Middle
By Scribe

City: Kansas City, MO

Don’t miss this favorite annual tradition and the chance to see muralist Scribe at work painting his 2023 mural.

A Seed in the Middle

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West of Kenwood Bridge

A Stellar Dodecahedron
by Alicia Kelly

City: Lawrence, KS

‘A Stellar Dodecahedron’ is a playful exploration of a twelve sided star, hand constructed into an oversized inflatable sculpture. Composed of stacked abstract shapes and patterns alongside a limited color palette of black and white, this sculpture creates a type of abstract wonderland of play and investigation for all ages.

A Stellar Dodecahedron

Stellar Dodecahedron by Alicia Kelly

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Between East Arts Show and Tennis Courts

Alternative Evolutions
by Margaret Craig

City: San Antonio, TX

Lanterns, evolved from repurposed plastic and a creature animated by the artist, will move through the festival periodically, interacting with visitors.

Alternative Evolutions

Alternative Evolutions by Margaret Craig

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East of Fourth Street Bridge

Beyond the Horizon: The Journey
by Ann Arkebauer

City: Leawood, KS

Lines, movement, and patterns from past Festivals are reinvented and re-imagined to create a new rhythm that inspires.

Beyond the Horizon: The Journey

Beyond the Horizon: The Journey

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East Arts Area

Big Fan
by Juniper "TJ" Tangpuz

City: Kansas City, KS

When things heat up, it’s best to stay cool. Luckily, your biggest fan showed up! Let’s form the ultimate team and life will be a breeze!

Big Fan

Big Fan by TJ Tangpuz

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Arty’s Stage in Artyopolis

Color Me Joy
Arty's Stage Skirt by Anne E.H. Hoekstra

City: Salina, KS

Move and dance with the joyful colors of the rainbow in this fun-loving, original design.

Color Me Joy

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East Arts Area

Cooler Mom
by Juniper "TJ" Tangpuz

City: Kansas City, KS

Her cooler is packed (no glass, of course) and she’s ready for a weekend of art, music, food, and fun!

Cooler Mom

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Attached to staff golf carts throughout the Park

Creature Constellations
by Juniper "TJ" Tangpuz

City: Kansas City, KS

Look fast and you might catch a glimpse of these sculptures flying past. These creatures inspired by the cardinal directions of the Chinese constellations are going, going, gone.

Creature Constellations

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Fourth Street Bridge

Dream Dragon Bridge
by Bill Godfrey

City: Tarentum, PA

Get ready to be immersed in an experience like none other. Journey through mysterious symbols under an amazing dreamscape of mythical themes!

Dream Dragon Bridge

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Paintchoo Plaza in Artyopolis

Face Parade
by Tim & Amy Carlson

City: Lawrence, KS

Come be a part of the action and join the continual procession of colorful Festival faces and figures.

Face Parade

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Flight of Dragonflies
by Evan 'Doodledood' Brown

City: Overland Park, KS

A hand-painted flight of dragonflies in Brown’s brightly colored, signature style for this year’s new festival scavenger hunt. Ten dragonflies will be hidden around the park on Friday and Saturday leading up to the Sunday activity, when 100 dragonflies will be released into the park.

Flight of Dragonflies

A Flight of Dragonflies by Evan Brown

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East Arts Area

Food Truck Prime
by Juniper "TJ" Tangpuz

City: Kansas City, KS

A heroic consumer of Festival foods…

Food Truck Prime

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Attached to Staff Golf Carts throughout the Park

Four Elemental Directions
by Juniper "TJ" Tangpuz

City: Kansas City, KS

Keep your eye out for these roving sculptures representing the four cardinal and elemental directions of the Native American medicine wheel.

Four Elemental Directions

Four Elemental Directions

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Events Center Bridge

Gators Gone Wild
by Curt Krob

City: Salina, KS

“Gators Gone Wild” is back! Kinetic Crocks swim lazily below the bridge to Tony’s Event Center. And this year, they’re joined by Ferocious Fish Friends, proving once again it’s not safe to go in the water! After all, we hear the fish are biting!

Gators Gone Wild

Gators Gone Wild - Curt Krob

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South of Stage II

Into Orbit – Eyes turned Skyward
by Steve Britt

City: Salina, KS

Join this heroic spaceman and explore distant planets and galaxies in the wondrous but dangerous universe we inhabit. Inspired by retro comic images and childhood memories from space-themed movie and television serials.

Into Orbit – Eyes turned Skyward

Into Orbit - Eyes turned Skyward

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Surprise Locations Throughout the Park

Jitterbugs
by Matt Farley

City: Lucas, KS

A total re-envisioning of the typical festival white pop-up tent, where the tent frame and panels have been completely disassembled and given new life as building blocks for a truly one-of-a-kind sculpture.

Jitterbugs

Jitterbug Sketch

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West of Events Center Bridge and West of Art/Craft Demonstration Area

Natures Canvas
by Alicia Firstbrook-Stott, Shelby Brin

City: Ogden, KS

See if you can find all the tubular tree trunks around the park decorated with colorful fabric.

Natures Canvas

Trees - a Natural Canvas

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Roving

Plein Air Painting
by Bill Brassea

City: Salina, KS

A Pleain Air painter is the name of an artist who paints outside. Stop by for a conversation about art with Bill as he works in pop-up locations around the festival.

Plein Air Painting

Plein Air Painting by Bill Brassea

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West of Kenwood Bridge

Poetry Wall
by Rich Bergen, Salina Public Library

City: Salina, KS

Fancy yourself a writer, poet, or just want to try your hand at it? Create your own poems and prose on the “S River Scroll.”

Poetry Wall

Poetry Wall

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Kenwood Bridge

Reinventing the Wheel
by David Exline and the Exline Family

City: Aliso Viejo, CA

The wheel is reinvented through this merger of design, art, engineering, fabrication, and mechanical expertise. A true collaboration of minds! This kinetic Festival icon has changed the Festival landscape for more than 20 years. Designed by David Exline, Engineered by the Family of Exline, Inc.

Reinventing the Wheel

Reinventing the Wheel

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Riverbank at Kenwood Bridge

Riverbank Mural
by Colin Benson

City: Salina, KS

The natural landscape becomes a painter’s canvas. Come be immersed in this feature and experience how art can transform a space and bring this riverbank to life!

Riverbank Mural

Riverbank Mural

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West Tennis Court Fence

Robins in Bloom
by Brady Scott

City: Hutchinson, KS

In a collaboration with Salina Downtown Inc., artist Brady Scott will paint a series of panels to be installed around a downtown trash corral after the Festival.

Robins in Bloom

Brady Scott, Hutchinson, KS

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Stage II

Stage II Skirt
by Anne E.H. Hoekstra

City: Salina, KS

This vibrant handmade skirt is inspired by the deco architecture in downtown Salina.

Stage II Skirt

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Events Center Bridge

Standing Wave
by Mike Miller

City: Wichita, KS

New and interactive additions invite your participation as you cross the TPEC bridge. This is a hands-on installation with spinning parts and more!

Standing Wave

Standing Wave 2021

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Throughout the Park

Stick Horse Stampede
by Juniper 'TJ' Tangpuz

City: Kansas City, KS

Watch out for the Stick Horse Stampede! Playful sculptures of “standing” stick horses – let your imagination run wild with them!

Stick Horse Stampede

Stick Horse Stampede by TJ Tangpuz

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Tennis Court Fence

Sub Culture Cross Stitch
by Marideth Highsmith

City: Salina, KS

This is not your grandmother’s cross stitch! Using color, scale, and texture, this abstract repurposed fiber sculpture challenges viewer’s understanding of what the age-old art of cross stitch can be.

Sub Culture Cross Stitch

Sub Culture Cross Stitch

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Shelter by Sound Garden

Weaving a Community
by Amy Schmierbach & Fort Hays Students

City: Hays, KS

Weave with us! Weaving a Community is an inclusive, accessible, and hands-on weaving experience. We aim to bring people together to make art and build connections with those who attend the Festival. Weavings finished will be added to our on-site installation. With Fort Hays State Students: Taygan Daisy, Isabel Dixon, Madison Gleason, Kiernan McCarty, Haleigh Raber, and PJ Stauffer

Weaving a Community

Weaving a Community

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Wind-O-River
By Bergen’s Art LLC, Salina Sculptor, Rich Bergen.

City: Salina, KS

Come by the Mulberry Bridge and enjoy the Sculpture “Wind-O-River.” Enjoy the dazzling color as the wind or festivalgoers turn the kinetic forms. Take time to view the river’s natural beauty between the wind sculptures as if looking through a window on the river.

Wind-O-River

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Contact

785.309.5770
Salina Arts & Humanities,
a department of the City of Salina
211 W Iron Ave • PO Box 2181 • Salina, KS 67402 •
Fax: 785.826.7444

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