Entry No. 9 — the Wichita file — filed under: outdoor
Chainlink Gallery Place
An experimental, artist-run sandbox built on a once-vacant downtown lot and facilitated by Harvester Arts. Free to enter, it centers on an always-changing community painting wall you're encouraged to add to yourself, plus a rock garden, ping pong, and rotating exhibitions, food trucks and pop-up markets in warmer months.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but one of downtown Wichita’s best public art spaces exists precisely because nobody built a building on Douglas Avenue. In July 2021, local arts non-profit Harvester Arts—working alongside Bokeh Development, the Wichita Community Foundation, and Lifeboat Creative—took over the paved, fenced lot at 121 East Douglas where the old ICT Pop-Up Urban Park used to sit. Instead of letting the mid-block slab gather dust while awaiting commercial redevelopment, they strung up some chain-link fencing, rolled out ping pong tables, and turned the footprint into an open-air, low-stakes creative sandbox.
The core engine here is a massive, constantly evolving community painting wall. There are no docents, no velvet ropes, and no curated pretense; if you show up during an active session, you pick up a paint brush and leave your mark directly over whatever was painted the week before. Rounding out the lot are rotating exhibitions, a rock garden, ping pong, and seasonal pop-up markets and food trucks. It functions as part neighborhood living room, part public canvas, and part tactical urbanism experiment.
What it's like
Walking down Douglas Avenue between Main and Market, you'll spot the open-air lot framed by industrial chain-link fencing. Walk straight in—there's no door to knock on or ticket booth to clear. On a warm Thursday or Friday evening around 5 p.m., the lot comes alive with folks grabbing brushes, batting ping pong balls back and forth, or grabbing food from parked trucks. Since the entire operation is outdoors, winter and bad weather put the space into hibernation. Go on a clear, dry evening, paint a section of the wall, and hit the nearby downtown bars or Old Town on foot when daylight runs out.
The move: Show up on a Thursday or Friday evening (5 p.m. to sundown) and paint on the ever-changing community mural wall together, then play a round of ping pong on the lot.
📍 Before you go It sits right on Douglas Avenue downtown, on the open-air lot between Main and Market where the old Pop-Up Park used to be, so there's no door to find. Just look for the chain-link enclosure mid-block and walk in. Downtown street and garage parking is a short walk away. It's free and genuinely all-ages, so bring kids if you like. Because it's outdoors and runs on seasonal programming, the warmer months are when the food trucks, markets and mural sessions actually happen. Dress for the weather and go on a dry evening. Afterward, you're steps from Douglas Avenue's restaurants and bars and a short stroll to Old Town.
- 📍 Downtown Wichita (Douglas Ave)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 121 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67202
Hours: Roughly 5 p.m.-sundown Thu/Fri and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat; seasonal programming. Verify before going.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Fisch Haus — Continue your downtown independent art tour at this long-running artist co-op housed in a three-story warehouse.
- The Wichita Troll — Head west toward the Arkansas River to peer through a sidewalk grate at a hidden seven-foot bronze troll.
- Stonehenge Jr. (Solar Calendar) — Swap downtown paved lots for Riverside Park to check out a circle of limestone megaliths and colored glass.
Good to know
Is there an admission fee to enter or paint?
No, Chainlink Gallery Place is completely free to enter and open to the public, including access to the community mural wall and ping pong tables.
Where is the gallery located, and how do I find it?
It sits directly at 121 E Douglas Ave in downtown Wichita, occupying the outdoor lot between Main Street and Market Street where the former Pop-Up Park was located.
What are the hours?
Active programming typically runs 5 p.m. to sundown on Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays during warmer months. Because it is an outdoor space, hours depend heavily on weather and season, so verify before visiting.
Is this an all-ages venue?
Yes, the space is entirely open and family-friendly, so kids are welcome to paint on the wall and explore the lot.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: harvesterarts.org · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-06