A new art installation designed by a Mill Valley High School student is planned for a roundabout in Shawnee.
At the Oct. 27 Shawnee City Council meeting, the organization Shawnee Kansas Arts, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, announced funds are being raised for a new sculpture to be installed at the roundabout at 75th Street and Monticello Road.
Using grants and donations, the organization plans to create and install the sculpture dubbed “The Kansas Wildflower,” designed by AK Wright, a Mill Valley sophomore.
The sculpture is part of the organization’s mission to “support, celebrate, and
elevate the arts in Shawnee by fostering a vibrant cultural environment for both artists and
residents,” the organization’s website stated.
The project, whose materials will include acrylic and metal, will be made solely by local students, from the design by Wright to the welding and installation by students at USD 232’s Cedar Trails Exploration Center.
“This isn’t just a sculpture, it’s a learning experience. Students are gaining hands-on exposure to design, fabrication and civic engagement,” DeAnn Gould-Lancaster, a member of the board of directors for Shawnee Kansas Arts, told the council last month.
It will be the second such student-led sculpture installed at a Monticello Road roundabout in recent years, after the work “Flight of Florescence,” a collaboration between The Shawnee Public Arts Task Force and USD 232, went up in July 2024 near Clear Creek Parkway.
“Wildflower” was chosen from submissions from two schools
When the roundabout at 75th and Monticello was constructed in 2022, footings were installed to accommodate future artwork, like a sculpture.
This past spring, Shawnee Kansas Arts issued a call for submissions.
Students from Shawnee Mission Northwest and Mill Valley responded with concepts and models, and they participated in interviews with the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department and Shawnee Kansas Arts.
Ultimately, Wright’s submission, which pays tribute to wildflowers in the Johnson County area, like plains coreopsis, American bellflower and bloodroot, was chosen.
“When I see wildflowers, I see beauty that isn’t really shown or appreciated that much … and that inspired me,” Wright told the council last month. “I was like, ‘Hey, they’re beautiful, and they’re everywhere, but they’re not really considered a flower. They’re wild flowers because they’re wild.’ So I thought that maybe there needed to be a little more of that around Shawnee.”
Phases for the Shawnee Kansas Arts sculpture project. Image via Shawnee city documents.
The project will happen in phases
The presentation to the Shawnee City Council last month was part of the third phase of the project.
The next phase will include community engagement opportunities and developing a 3-D model of the sculpture to see what it will look like in the roundabout.
While the project has secured some funding, including $5,000 from the Kansas Arts Commission, Shawnee Kansas Arts will continue raising money, including through an online fundraiser.
No final budget is set for the project, but the previous roundabout sculpture project cost about $20,000, Doug Donahoo, Shawnee’s communication director, said in an email to the Johnson County Post.
Shawnee Kansas Arts is not requesting funding from the city, city documents stated, which, along with it being a student project, earned praise from Shawnee City Councilmember Tony Gillette.
“Hats off to you guys for utilizing those skills and the students and for finding alternative fun sources this time,” he said.
Diagram of “The Kansas Wildflower” by AK Wright. Photo courtesy City of Shawnee.
City council had praise for the project
Watching the project evolve, Councilmember Laurel Burchfield said she was excited to see the students’ engagement with the project.
“I love seeing where you’ve gone and came from, (from the) original design and the little cardboard model to more thoughtful design here that you’re showing us. I’m really excited to see how it develops,” she said.
Echoing Burchfield’s praise, Councilmember Sierra Whitted was impressed by the dedication of the students.
“This seems like a fantastic project. It’s going to have a lot of impact from the students and impact on our community, and I’m thankful that you all are here to make that happen,” she said.
Other Shawnee art installation stories: New Shawnee traffic sculpture result of collaboration between rival high schools