Three Wichita-area candidates for office discussed the arts in a public forum. Their opponents didn’t show up.
In a friendly conversation at the Orpheum Theatre, Democrats Esau Freeman, Sarah Lopez, and Celeste Racette emphasized the importance of the arts as an economic driver and source of civic pride.
The Arts Council invited candidates for three Wichita-area elections to attend a public forum at the Orpheum last night, but only one side showed up: Sedgwick County District 3 candidate Celeste Racette, Sedgwick County District 2 incumbent Sarah Lopez, and U.S. House of Representatives candidate Esau Freeman.
About two dozen attendees were present for the mostly agreeable but occasionally revealing conversation about why each candidate favors public funding for the arts and culture sector.
The forum was moderated by KMUW’s Tom Shine, who noted that the Republican candidates were offered the opportunity to submit a written statement to be shared with the audience. None did so.
One topic covered during the panel was a proposed county sales tax increase to make up for the approximately $1 million in cuts to arts and culture in the 2025 Sedgwick County budget, which commissioners passed in August.
Lopez and Racette both expressed reservations about the proposal, which is intended to offset the county’s property tax cuts.
“My biggest concern with that (is) I'm representing the south part of town is we have a lot of renters” who may not benefit from the reduction in property tax, Lopez said. She said she worried that might mean that low-income residents of her district would see an overall tax increase.
“I would have to see exactly what that would look like and what that would mean for renters, not just homeowners, and go from there,” Lopez said. “I wouldn't say no to anything before I saw the numbers and see what that would really mean.”
Racette said she wanted to look at the county budget with a “fine-tooth comb” before considering the sales tax plan. She also expressed concern about the diversion of arts and culture dollars to what she described as wasteful economic development projects.
“I have seen elected officials that absolutely don't support the arts, but they will give a handout to a developer or one of their friends who’s special interest,” Racette said. “If you're not going to give 100% to represent the taxpayer interest, which includes quality of life and the standard of living and the cultural environment, then why are you running for office?”
The county is a major funder of Exploration Place and the Sedgwick County Zoo. It also pays for parks and helps fund smaller organizations such as the Kansas African American Museum.
Arts Council president Matthew Broderick said the organization hosted the forum because it’s important to know where candidates for office stand on arts issues.
“Arts and culture are an important part of community pride, community identity and need to be viewed as equal to other budget and economic decisions,” he said. “They deserve strategic foresight, and we should be educated before someone gets elected (about) where they're leaning.”
During the public question period, John Foster asked about the candidates’ views on censorship, pointing out that some Sedgwick County commissioners cited concerns about content when they voted to deny Dam Jam music festival organizers access to Lake Afton. Lopez said that the primary concern with the festival was safety.
Each candidate stressed their support for free speech, and Foster said he was satisfied with the response he received.
Ann Ediger, another attendee, said she appreciated the conversation but wished it hadn’t been so one-sided.
“I was hoping the other candidates would show up,” she said.
Throughout the discussion, which lasted a little more than an hour, each candidate established their credentials as supporters of the arts. Lopez, who was elected to the county commission in 2020, serves on the board of Exploration Place and discussed her enthusiasm for its EP2 project, which she said will add 300 jobs to the local economy. She also discussed her involvement in planning the new regional psychiatric hospital, a collaboration between Sedgwick County and the state of Kansas, which will be located in her district.
“We've made sure that we have included art and we have made the design as beautiful as possible, so it's a conducive environment to healing,” Lopez said.
Lopez said her oldest daughter is on a full-ride scholarship to the University of Kansas, where she is studying art education.
“We talk a lot about how to attract and retain young talent, and now I think about how do we bring my daughter back to Wichita?” Lopez said. “I know for her, personally, it's going to be a strong arts and culture scene, and so this is important to my family.”
Raccette, the founder of the advocacy group Save Century II, ran for mayor of Wichita last year but didn’t advance past the primary. Her accounting background is at the heart of her pitch to voters, but Racette also touted her experience on the board of Wichita Wurlitzer and role as a Wichita Symphony Orchestra ambassador. The candidate, who played violin at East High School, spoke at length throughout the evening about music’s role in brain development, as well as research about its potential as a vehicle for treatment, including for dementia.
Union representative Esau Freeman, who lost the Democratic primary for a Senate seat in 2012, studied studio art at Wichita State, where he also worked as a custodian in Henrion Hall. He went on to study art therapy at Emporia State, although he didn’t complete his degree. During his allotted time, Freeman mentioned art collective the Fisch Haus and artist Chris Gulick, and he said he attended a production of the musical adaptation of “9 to 5” at Bethel College last weekend.
Racette discussed the importance of public art such as the Keeper of the Plains, Babs Mellor’s sculptures outside Century II, and the Joan of Arc statue outside the old Central Library.
Lopez said she’s proud of festivals that celebrate cultural arts, such as Latin Fest ICT, held last month, and the Wichita Asian Festival, which will take place this Saturday at Century II.
The opportunity to infuse art into public spaces is important even if we don’t always agree about its appeal, Freeman said.
“Sometimes when I find myself in traffic, I'm really happy that local artists worked with the city to decorate the bridges a little bit and give us something to look at,” he said. “I even thought some of the art they're putting on the side of Kellogg was pretty blasé and bland. But to be honest with you, it's grown on me, and it's just something else that kind of ties our community together.”
The deadline to register to vote in Kansas is Tuesday, October 15.
Emily Christensen is a freelance journalist and news entrepreneur based in Wichita, Kansas. She is a co-founder of the SHOUT.
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