It was a bit of a treasure hunt in Downtown Salina Saturday. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the biggest construction project in the city’s history sixteen new sculptures were unveiled.

This year’s sculptures did not disappoint crowds who gathered to be the first to see them. Sculpture including things like a life-sized child doing a hand-stand, a silhouette of a man that reminds some of an infamous MTV cartoon character, giant orange slices, and a pig wearing a jet-pack were just some that made made onlookers stop and stare.

Sculpture Tour board chairman Mike Hoppock told KSAL News because of the construction the tour this year is a true treasure hunt.

New Salina Area Chamber of Commerce President Eric Brown told KSAL News things like sculpture tour, which is nearly 100 percent privately funded, are good for the community.

New this year was a live symposium held on the new plaza just north of Ad Astra Books and Coffee House. Local artist Corey Haden will welded a metal sculpture from scrap to create a three-dimensional sunflower. It remain on display in that plaza.

This is the 9th year of the sculpture tour project in Salina. Since the tour began 42 sculptures have remained permanent in Salina. That number includes eight which were purchased by the city. The city’s only financial obligation is to each year purchase one sculpture, chosen by the people, at a cost of no more than $20,000. The other 34 sculptures have been privately purchased.

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