Art Every Day

You don't need to visit an art museum to appreciate and experience art. There are lots of opportunities to make art part of your everyday life. Topeka has many works of art that could be overlooked as you busily move through the city.

Freedom Bird

by Jim Bass

Gage Park: Freedom Bird by Jim Bass

Gage Park is a popular location for picnics and leisurely walks. While enjoying the Reinisch Rose Garden, take a look near the south entrance and you will see the sculpture Freedom Bird by Topeka artist Jim Bass. This work is remarkable to me for the artist’s ability to create a cubist bronze statue that feels both light and graceful. Look for other works by Jim Bass throughout the city and you may begin to recognize his characteristic style.

12th and Lane, SW corner: Aaron Douglas Mural

The mural Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery through Reconstruction was reproduced here by a team led by Kansas artist Dave Lowenstein. The original oil on canvas work by Aaron Douglas is on permanent display in the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Aaron Douglas Mural Project

Aaron Douglas, a native Topekan and Topeka High School graduate, became famous for his contributions to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. This mural always makes me think about our local roots that reach out and connect with other places around the world.

Washburn University, Mulvane Court: Corridors of Time by Rex Replogle

Corridors of Time

by Rex Replogle

Washburn’s campus is a treasure trove of public art thanks to its large permanent collection and the annual sculpture exhibition that has been taking place on campus since 1996.

The statue Corridors of Time by Rex Replogle is a part of the Mulvane Art Gallery’s permanent sculpture collection and is currently displayed in the Mulvane Court, located between the Mulvane Art Gallery and White Concert Hall. The Mulvane Court is a wonderful place to stop - cool in the summer and protected from the wind in the winter.

Tiffany Stained Glass Windows at First Presbyterian Church

Detail from

Christ and Nicodemus

, Tiffany Studios

One of Topeka’s most unique art treasures is available to the public at the First Presbyterian Church, 817 SW Harrison St. In the late 19th century Louis Comfort Tiffany reinvented the art of stained glass, introducing new glass-making processes and beautiful art nouveau designs. You can view the windows from the outside of the church, but the view from inside is more vibrant. The church is currently open from 8:30am - 4pm Mon-Fri to allow visitors to view the windows with the sunlight streaming through them.

Find more information on public art in Topeka at ARTSConnect and Visit Topeka. Below is a list of books you can checkout on public art, and the artists and art styles I mentioned.

Elizabeth Paris

Art