Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that Baxter Springs is one of 12 communities and organizations will receive state funds for new public art projects.

 Baxter Springs will receive $7,500 from the Office of Rural Prosperity's Rural Mural Public Art Grant Program. The awards are specifically designed for communities with a population of under 15,000 people. Each project requires a one-to-one match from the community, with the smallest of communities allowed to match the grant with in-kind donations. Seventy-five percent of the grant funding will be gifted upfront as several projects plan to start in the next few weeks.

Since 2021, the Office of Rural Prosperity has funded 77 murals in 38 communities.