Women’s suffrage memorial in Kansas Statehouse is one step closer — but could face a delay

More than a century after securing the right for women to vote, the Kansas Statehouse is one step closer to having a memorial honoring suffragists.

The Capitol Preservation Committee last month approved the selection of Manhattan artist Phyllis Pease and largely approved of her plans for a painting. But the final design has not been approved, which could risk a yearlong delay to the project.

Kansas Legislature authorized a women’s suffrage memorial

During the 2022 legislative session, Senate Bill 479 was passed unanimously and signed into law. It tasks the Capitol Preservation Committee with approving plans for “a permanent memorial in the state capitol commemorating the decades of work of Kansas suffragists toward achieving the right of women to vote in Kansas in 1912 and the passage of the 19th amendment to the constitution of the United States in 1920.”

A request for qualification sent to artists elicited 25 applications, from which five finalists were chosen to create plans for their proposed artwork and interview with a committee, which ranked their choices.

Pease won over a subcommittee, as well as the full committee.

Pease’s proposed oil painting was 18 feet by 8 feet, depicting 13 historical women and images of various suffragist activities while also showing the historical opposition to women voting. The plan also calls for a plaque with a brief history on suffrage in Kansas and a QR code linking to an explainer.

The banner at the top of the painting has the words used when Kansas gave women the right to vote, Merrill said.

The plan is for the painting to be hung from the wall across from the cage elevator on the first floor of the Statehouse

“That’s prime real estate there,” said Patrick Zollner, the committee chair and executive director of the Kansas State Historical Society.

Fundraising is needed to cover the cost of women’s suffrage painting

State law established a fund to accept donations while prohibiting any public funding for creation or construction of the memorial. Such prohibitions on public funding are typical for art at the Statehouse.

None of the cost, including any costs associated with installation or lighting reconfigurations, can be paid by the state, said Frank Burnam, deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration.

Marlene Merrill, of the League of Women Voters, said the artist cost estimate was roughly $70,000, including the cost of installation. About half of that has been raised so far. They are also drafting fundraising letters and pursuing grants.

“I know there’s work to be done, but I’m optimistic as well that it won’t be a terrible ordeal to raise the money,” Merrill said.

Painting could be delayed. Here’s why.

While the committee approved the artist, the general content and the location, the final design of the Painting remains subject to review.

That could risk a lengthy delay, as has happened to other projects.

Zollner and Merrill said Pease has already worked with a subcommittee to address some “historical concerns.”

“This was the best mural, but it needed some tweaking,” Zollner said.

He said the original design had “some current political sentiments expressed in the background, and so the League of Women Voters asked to alter that.”

Merrill said the people on the far right of the proposed design will be replaced, indicating one person holding a megaphone and another holding a sign that reads “you will never have the comfort of our silence again.”

“What she did is to take history and bring it forward,” Merrill said. “So this actually is an immigrant person. I can’t remember what the words are, but these people on the far end are current, so they’re going to be replaced.”

Some members on the full committee, especially Sen. Chase Blasi, R-Wichita, expressed a desire to see the final design before approving it.

But the Legislature typically only authorizes the committee to meet once a year. That prompted Rep. Valdenia Winn, D-Kansas City, and Will Lawrence, the governor’s chief of staff, to raise concerns that waiting for a final design could cause a yearlong delay.

“I’m not suggesting in any way that we’re going to wait an entire year to do this,” Blasi said. “I just think it’s important that if we’re going to put some piece of art that depicts history and it’s in the Capitol forever, we want to ensure that it’s right. … I just don’t think we should rush something when we don’t exactly know what it’s going to finally look like.”

Blasi said he would ask legislative leadership to give the committee permission to meet again.

Even if another meeting is authorized, it was unclear how long the artist would need to make the design modifications.

“It’s a fair point to want to know exactly what we’re getting,” Zollner said. “Because those points are correct. This will be up here, and it’s in a very prominent spot. I also would not like to wait another year.”

Once approved, when will the painting be done?

Merrill said Pease estimated it would take about 10 months for her to complete the painting on canvas in her studio.

“We would like to make it a celebratory event,” she said. “She would do the installation, and then shortly thereafter we would have a grand unveiling and celebration.”

Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.