Voxel Clouds: A Monument to Play, Imagination and Public Art in Wichita
Towering 20 feet above the ground in Clapp Park, Voxel Clouds is a striking new sculpture welcoming visitors to the city’s first adaptive playground. Designed by Brooklyn-based artist Osman Akan, the piece draws inspiration from the pixelated world of Minecraft and the jungle gyms of decades past. Crafted from steel, stainless steel, colored glass and dichroic glass, the monumental artwork isn’t just something to admire — it’s a beacon of play, possibility and progress.
A Colorful Collaboration
Greteman Group served as public art consultant on this transformative project, partnering with Confluence and the City of Wichita to bring a bold creative vision to life. Our role? Just about everything that ensures public art makes the right kind of impact: writing the scope, sourcing inspiration, creating a visual RFP, leading the artist selection team and securing references from others who had worked with the artist. We presented concepts and addressed concerns from the Wichita Design Council, and worked diligently with Conco, the construction firm and TenWorks, the fabrication company to align expectations, timelines and contracts. Throughout the project we conducted site visits, and oversaw fabrication to ensure everything came together — beautifully.
More Than a Sculpture
Voxel Clouds isn’t just an entry feature. It’s an experience. The steel and dichroic glass structure refracts sunlight throughout the day, casting a kaleidoscope of color and shifting shadows across the concrete path below. It’s the kind of installation that stops you in your tracks — drawing kids and grown-ups alike to look up, wonder, take a selfie and play.
The city describes Akan’s design as “influenced by multi-generational play” — a thoughtful nod to both the jungle gyms of the past and the blocky aesthetics of Minecraft, today’s favorite digital playground. The sculpture celebrates imagination in every form — from hands-on physical play to the virtual worlds kids build online.
Reimagining Clapp Park
Located on the former site of a golf course, Clapp Park is undergoing a major transformation. This adaptive playground, the first of its kind in Wichita, is just the beginning. The park also includes an on-site dog park, projected to open this April, adding another layer of accessibility and community engagement to the space.
Public Art That Matters
At Greteman Group, we believe public art should inspire, invite interaction, and enhance the spaces we share. Voxel Clouds delivers on all three. We’re proud to help add this dynamic new piece to the City of Wichita’s growing public art collection — and even prouder to know it’s already sparking imagination and delight in everyone who walks beneath it.
This isn’t just art. It’s a symbol of where Wichita is headed — colorful, inclusive, and full of creative energy.
Greteman Group is proud to add this piece to the City of Wichita’s public art collection.
