HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The future of the Hutchinson City Sculpture Walk program is still unknown and its future may exist only if changes to the program are made.

This comes after a proposal between the City and the Hutchinson Art Center of a take over was turned down. The art center stated that they simply had too many other things they needed to support to take on another project.

Assistant City Manager Meryl Dye, says a decision where the program goes from here could come during the city art design council in September.

One way the program could continue is to establish a sculpture loan program and have the Hutchinson Parks Department run it. Dye says a stipend to offset costs to the artist would be made available, and such sculptures would be on loan to the city for a period of one year.

Anyone interested in a piece of art could still purchase it, but that would be between the artist and the buyer. The stipend would cost far less than the incentive and cash awards program that was in place at the start of the program.

The arts program was spearheaded by Dye, starting in 2012 to bring artwork to the downtown area.