Hutchinson Sports Arena

About the Project



The Hutchinson Arena Renovation Project involves the construction and renovation of the Hutchinson Sports Arena, a multi‐use, city-owned indoor basketball arena.The 6,500 seat arena was designed and built in the 1950’s as a basketball arena, home of the men’s and women’s Blue Dragons basketball teams of Hutchinson Community College. The arena also hosts the annual National Junior College Athletic Association’s men’s basketball tournament, each year drawing thousands of visitors from around the country.The facility is also regularly used by the community for the Dillon Lecture Series, area high school graduations, banquets and other types of sporting activities and community gatherings.

In 2013, Schaefer, Johnson, Cox & Frey Architects, a Wichita-based firm renowned for designing state-of-the-art public facilities, was hired as the lead architect. SJCF teamed with Denver-based architects, Sink, Combs & Dethlefs, also renowned for their creative designs of sports and entertainment venues. Following an in-depth study that involved stakeholder input, the architectural team developed a conceptual design to renovate existing spaces and construct building additions to expand use of the facility throughout the year with air conditioned comfort. In 2015, the City hired construction contractor JE Dunn as the Construction Manager at Risk. The project budget for planned improvements was set just over $29 million. 

About the Public Art



The Percent for Public Art for the Sports Arena project was established at $230,000. Following an open and juried competition involving a call for artists that attracted 168 entries from artists residing in the United States, the Public Art Design Council and Sports Arena Building Committee together recommended to the City Council the selection of public artist Koryn Rolstad of Seattle, Washington. Her artwork is titled Illuminated Community Spirit.
Hutch Sports Arena Public Art_Exterior View Day_Rolstad
Exterior Day Perspective
Hutch Sports Arena Public Art_Exterior View Night_Annotated Perspective_Rolstad
Annotated Exterior Night Perspective
Hutch Sports Arena Public Art_Interior View Day_Rolstad
Interior Day Perspective - Suspended Artwork
Koryn Rolstad

About Koryn Rolstad 



Koryn Rolstad of Seattle, Washington, has earned an international reputation as a public artist since 1975. She established Koryn Rolstad Studios (KRS) after graduating from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts, with studies in Environmental Design and Architecture. Her holistic approach integrates visual and physical identity while achieving goals for community education and interaction.

Rolstad's works and vision have influenced the Seattle waterfront's identity and development. Her commitment to building the 1996 AIA Honor Awarded Banner Building initiated Belltown's transformation into a very desirable neighborhood. Her concept to provide creative and self-employed individuals the opportunity to own and build out their units was the first of its kind, bringing art and commerce together, rejuvenating a distressed neighborhood. The Banner Building was recognized globally for this innovation, winning several awards.

Throughout Rolstad's career as a public artist, her criteria for successful project collaboration is supported by her community stakeholder background and can best be described in her own words: "the enjoyment and impact of the installations must relate to the people who support, work and interact within their environment." Rolstad's installations include numerous projects over $100,000 throughout the United States and can also be found in Canada, Aruba, The Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Armenia, and Uzbekistan. 

Rolstad has been recognized with many awards for her work, and has provided many publications regarding architecture and designing public spaces. She is an Affiliate Assistant Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington and Affiliate Lecturer at Howard University in Washington, DC. Rolstad holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the School of Environmental Design/Architecture of the University of Washington, and also holds a Certificate in Russian Language, Literature & Culture from the University of Moscow, Russia.
www.krstudios.com