(Leavenworth, Kansas) – The University of Saint Mary will dedicate a Spirit of the Buffalo sculpture on Dec. 4 at 12:10 p.m. outside Xavier Hall on its Leavenworth Campus – 4100 South 4th Street.
The Spirit of the Buffalo is an outdoor art exhibit sponsored by the Leavenworth County Historical Society and Kansas Tourism. The exhibit includes a herd of hand-crafted metal buffalo that are individually painted and placed at sites across Leavenworth County. The sculptures serve as a canvas for artists to explore diverse historical themes related to Leavenworth County, the Old West, and the State of Kansas.
The sculpture at Saint Mary was hand-painted by students in USM’s spring 2025 Sculpture and 3D Design course taught by Associate Professor of Art and Graphic Design Tom Wallestad. USM’s buffalo “Artistic License” highlights the history of Kansas license plates.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work our students put into this sculpture,” Wallestad said. “They approached the project with professionalism and enthusiasm, and the result is a vibrant piece that celebrates both Kansas identity and the power of student creativity.”
The students who contributed to the project are:
Daniel Black
Allena Collins
Bralei Criss
Torrien Dilworth
William Douthard
Caitlin Faut
Gustavo Freitas
SaNiya Glover
Caroline Griffin
Emilio Gutierrez
Otto Huff
Alexsys Jacquez
Joseph Jernegan
Dalton Lewis
Trevion Morris
Mikala Owens
McKenna Thorne
Kendall Thorne
The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM-Johnson County, at 11221 Roe Ave., offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.