In 1981, Japanese American Sachio Yamashita painted one of Salina’s first large-scale murals on the side of the First National Bank building at Iron and Santa Fe. The remnants of the “Golden Wave” have recently been uncovered as new murals were being added to the downtown.

Salina Arts & Humanities commissioned the work as part of their visiting artist program. In addition to the mural on the bank, he also worked with community members to paint abstracted flowers on the floor of the skating pond in Oakdale Park in preparation for the Smoky Hill River Festival.

Yamashita’s completed painting was received with mixed reactions. The bank president loved it and praised the mural, but some citizens were strongly opposed to the abstract work. Like many pieces of public art, there were passionate opinions regarding the piece. “Why did he paint wheat to look that way?” was a common question. Other community members were thrilled to see something modern and new, especially when the only other public art at the time was a small number of bronze sculptures.

A neighboring community paid a local artist $100 to paint sunflowers on the side of their bank building, causing some Salinans to ask, “Why do we have to have this expensive abstract work instead of sunflowers?” The work was only on display for six years before being covered with new “aesthetic enhancements” for the bank in 1987.

Golden Wave won’t be restored or preserved. The new plans for the building call for architectural restoration, new windows, and other enhancements for apartments and a youth activity center. The brief look back to 1981 is another reminder of how far Salina has come in its acceptance of an array of forms of human creativity. May the journey continue!