Sculpture Installed at New KWU Stadium

The Graves Family Sports Complex on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan University continues to evolve.

The much anticipated new multi-million dollar stadium, over a year in the making, officially opened on Saturday, October 3rd, during the school’s homecoming weekend. Since that time, the school had continued to add to it.

On Tuesday, a piece of artwork donated by a KWU alum became a permanent part of the stadium. According to the school, artist Tim Chapman brought a Coyote sculpture he created for installation at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

Chapman is the President and CEO of the Fort Hays State University Foundation in Hays. He completed his bachelor’s degree at KWU in 1999 by taking his last nine credit hours while he was on staff at the school in Salina.

Chapman continued his interest in art all these years. His sculpture, named “Spiritus”, took more than 100 hours to complete.

Chapman had a little help installing the sculpture onto its pedestal Tuesday morning. Brad Botz, former director of Institutional Advancement for KWU, along with Bill Grevas, outgoing KWU vice president of Institutional Advancement and soon-to-be president and executive director of the Greater Salina Community Foundation, helped make “Spiritus” a permanent part of the KWU family.

The Graves Family Sports Complex stadium project began in January of 2014 with the demolition of the 73-year-old Glenn L. Martin sandstone stadium. Because of its condition, the stadium had not been utilized for KWU games since 2007. The stadium, which opened back in 1940, was demolished to make way for the new sports complex.