Mural in downtown Wichita marks transition for museum

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Drivers and pedestrians in downtown Wichita may notice a new mural that went up this week at First and Main Street.

The temporary mural decorates the west side of the future home of The Kansas African American Museum, also known as TKAAM.

The message on the artwork is, “Tell the story, the stories that have not been told.”

“Storytelling is the foundation of African and African American culture!” TKAAM Executive Director Denise Sherman said in a news release. “This mural project provides imagery, statements, and Adinkra symbols that encourage the entire community to join in with their own stories! Shared stories provide a conduit to better understanding, thus a deeper connection that enhances our lives!”

TKAAM and Harvester Arts worked together on the “Sankofa-Tell the Story” project. It is designed to bridge the museum’s past, present, and future.

The museum is currently at 601 N. Water. It will move into the building at First and Main next year. Project artist Aaron Asis calls the mural a transition piece.

“The piece is really just a visual manifestation of a relationship … and just really trying to look at what it means to transition from a past into a future,” he said. “In this particular case, TKAAM is occupying their current home, and they are looking to move into this home next year. So we really wanted it to not just be about, you know, the past and the future moments, but what can we do to really build relationships and highlight storytelling during that transition year.”

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TKAAM says Sankofa is an expression in the Twi language of Ghana whose literal translation means “to go back and get it.” It evokes the past as a teaching tool: in order to find our way forward, we must look to our past to inform the future.

In addition to the mural, there is a Sankofa exhibition at TKAAM’s current location, 601 N. Water. Visitors are invited to view the mural and the images of the past in the exhibition and engage in Sankofa, reflecting on pasts, presents and futures.

Asis explained why the mural is designed the way it is. The symbols and words at the bottom of the wall reflect meaningful pieces of programming for the museum and statements that were collected from museum stakeholders.

“The image itself has one bold statement that talks about telling your story, not just the stories we expect to hear but the stories that are really real,” he said. “And not just for one particular community, but for all communities to share. With two figures, two boys in this case, kind of walking into the future, so their backs are deliberately to us because they’re moving into the new museum which is a symbol of them moving into their new home.”

Asis said drivers on First Street will see the image and the words.

“They will take interest in things that are going on, not just in the future but also what’s happening right now,” he said. “For the museum itself, it’s a daunting task to be transitioning. So, to slow down and actually realize that this is a moment in time to really celebrate where you’ve been and where you’re going.”

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Asis said the mural is designed to be temporary.

“The mural will be up for a year,” he said. “It’s sort of designed to kind of weather with that year so that it will be ready to be removed when the museum moves in. So that was also one of the selling points, is to really mark this moment of transition with intentionality and not be too precious with this image, but really have it be about the statement.”

He said they will revisit what it looks like in a year and decide if it should be replaced with something more permanent or another temporary mural.

“But it’s important for everybody to know, the mural was deliberately and intentionally designed to be a temporary thing, to really capture this moment of transition.”

The public is invited to a reception at TKAAM, 601 N. Water, on June 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., to see the exhibition and share stories with the creative and community team that worked on the project.

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