Inspiration amd Description:
150 international flags celebrate Wichita’s 150th anniversary and represent the countries of birth and cultural identities of people living in the Fairmount community drawn by nearby Wichita State University. The 150 flags are connected by the stars and stripes of the United States flag. The red iris is at the heart because it represents rare beauty achieved by a diverse combination as do the culturally diverse residents that call Kansas home (represented by the Kansas flag). The red iris does not occur naturally and only skilled hybridists like WSU Professor and past resident Hugo Wall could cultivate it. The wheat shocks refer to the shared past, present and future of the Fairmount community and Wichita State University.
Artist::
Ellamonique Baccus is an art therapist with a Master of Arts in Art Therapy from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was trained in Renaissance Oil Painting at the Atelier Neo Medici in Monflanquin, France by Master Painter Patrick Betaudier and received her BFA in Painting from Bowling Green State University. She has completed more than 30 public art projects. Her expertise is at the intersection of community engagement through the arts, urban renewal, youth development, and artist training. By engaging community stakeholders through personal interviews and historical research, Ellamonique documents and preserves the history of communities in public art that celebrates community strengths and leaves a legacy for future generations.
https://artspartnerswichita.org/our-staff/
https://www.kmuw.org/post/district-1-artist-ella-baccus
Park Information: https://www.wichita.gov/ParkandRec/CityParks/Pages/Fairmount.aspx
