The Keeper of the Plains was removed in 2005 from its original base at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers, for repairs of corrosion and broken welds. Renovations to improve the Keeper included cleaning and reinforcing the statue. It returned to a modified pedestal that elevated the statue 30 feet higher than it was before, to be seen over the treetops.
The Keeper is now facing due east, as the artist had originally intended. The Keeper Plaza incorporates the history of the Native Americans and embodies a “sacred hoop” and the 4 elements that make up life (Earth, air, fire and water). Each of the five manufactured boulders has a fire feature, and the grouping makes up the “Ring of Fire.” The Keeper was replaced on the 30-foot high base in March 2006. The Keeper is a key element of a $20.6 Million riverbank improvement project that includes two pedestrian bridges that are suspended from uprights that suggest giant arrows. They have been under construction since summer 2005. The project was developed to create a unique experience that is fun, educational, and inspirational for the community and visitors of Wichita.
Renovating the Keeper of the Plains was a part of the overall project that includes the creation of two cable-stayed, suspended pedestrian bridges, riverbank landscaping, and the creation of bike/pedestrian paths along both sides of the Arkansas River for easier walking access and landscaping.
The River Corridor Improvement Project was a collaboration led by the architectural design firm of Law/Kingdon. The bridges were designed by HNTB. Dondlinger and Sons Construction Company is the entire project contractor. Tom Washburn and the original fabrication company, Metalpros LLC, completed the restoration work on the Keeper.
Here are interviews with six people who were involved with the project:
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