Blackbear Bosin Mosaic

In 1948, the Hotel Broadview added an event space called the Crystal Ballroom. In 1958, hotel president R. C. McCormick commissioned Blackbear Bosin, noted local artist of Kiowa and Comanche descent, to design and craft a mosaic that would adorn the ballroom walls. Bosin took up the challenge, and his masterpiece “Advance of Civilization of in Kansas” was completed in 1961.

The mosaic mural is made up of small glass tiles sourced from Mexico. It spans all four walls of the ballroom, covering about 1,500 square feet. The mural has scenes set against a beautiful blue Kansas sky, including native animals, tribal (nation unknown) men on horses, Coronado’s exploration, soldiers in the Civil War, the advancement of the railroad, and the Santa Fe trail. It was refurbished in 1979 by Bill Dwayne Allen.

For more information, check out Kansas Murals: A Traveler’s Guide by Lora Jost and Dave Loewenstein, available through the Wichita Public Library