By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
If you build it, they will come. The famous line from "Field of Dreams" is often applied to any development project. In Great Bend, it can actually apply to baseball. Considerable renovations have been made to Al Burns Field at Veterans Park, home of the Great Bend Bat Cats. Barton Arts Movement (BAM) Co-Chair Andrea Bauer said the new dugout at the baseball field was a perfect spot for the next mural.
"We have a list of potential canvasses across Barton County," she said. "With any mural project, it's just a mixture of getting the funding, the artist, and the canvass to make all the magic happen. In talking with (Bat Cats General Manager) Roger Ward and just all the excitement around the Bat Cats, we felt like Al Burns Field was a great place to put a mural this season."
The mural will be located on the back of the visitor's dugout facing 17th Street Terr. Manhattan-based artist Layne Stafford will do the work. One mock-up of the proposed mural also includes a line from the classic Kevin Costner movie, though BAM is still working on a final design of the mural. Renovations at the field have included new outfield walls, a new scoreboard, and netting for a better fan experience. New dugouts were constructed in June 2022.
"That concrete is new, it's freshly primed and painted," said Bauer. "A mural will have a good amount of longevity there. We feel like the sun, it's just going to be a perfect way to highlight the vibrant activity that's happening at Vets Park and just really get people excited. It's 'Baseball Americana,' so it's not specific to any team. We feel like it's a theme that everyone can rally behind and get excited about."
The Great Bend City Council approved the project during last Monday's meeting. Bauer said BAM has applied for a Rural Murals Program grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce, though they will not know if they will be awarded funds until June. The grant does require a 50-percent match of local funds, and Bauer said donations of any size will gladly be accepted.
Donations can be made online through the Golden Belt Community Foundation by CLICKING HERE and selecting BAM.