SculptureTour Salina 2024 kicks off with UNwrap Party
The 2024 SculptureTour Salina is almost here and downtown visitors can have a chance to see all of this year's pieces of art after they are unwrapped over the weekend.
The UNwrap Party begins at 11 a.m. May 4, with all 22 sculptures simultaneously unwrapped throughout downtown Salina.
After the unwrapping, people are encouraged to find a walking tour ballot and taking a walk on the full Sculpture Tour, seeing all 22 of this year's pieces.
Ballots can be found at one of the silver boxes at the mid-block pedestrian crossings on Santa Fe Ave., inside several downtown merchants and, on the day of the unwrapping, at the Visit Salina information trailer, located at the City Lights Stage plaza on the southwest corner of Ash Street and Santa Fe.
After seeing all the sculptures, tourgoers can vote for their favorite and return the ballot to one of the silver boxes or the trailer. For those who can't make the UNwrap Party or want to take more time to decide their favorite, ballots will be accepted through Dec. 31. with the winner chosen as the People's Choice Award, which is purchased by the City of Salina for an amount of up to $20,000 and permanently placed in public view.
Finally, the Juror's Merit Awards, which includes the Best of Show, will be announced at 1 p.m. the day of the UNwrap Party at the City Lights Stage. Following the awards, the Llew Brown Band will have live music beginning at 2 p.m. on the stage.
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SculptureTour Salina 2024 dedicated to memory of Sylvia Rice
This year's SculptureTour will be special in its own way, as it will be the first since the death of longtime Visit Salina Director Sylvia Rice.
In a Facebook post the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, which oversees Visit Salina, said Rice worked with the organization for 33 years.
"Sylvia championed many local and statewide tourism programs and initiatives, advocated for small business and non-profit organizations and was a pioneer in creating the vibrant cultural arts environment that we all enjoy and love today," the chamber said. "Sylvia will be greatly missed not only for her professional capabilities but also for her kindness, camaraderie and sense of humor. She was a mentor to many of our staff, as well as many in the community. Her absence truly leaves a void that cannot be filled."
The chamber said to "reflect on the impact she made" it encouraged people to "enjoy a stroll downtown among the public art of the SculptureTour."
Visit Salina announced it will dedicate the 2024 tour to Rice's memory.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: SculptureTour Salina 2024 kicks off with UNwrap Party
