KANSAS TEAM

Harvester Arts & Wichita State University

Jump!Star’s strongest roots are in Kansas, where the project first took shape through the engagement and talent of a remarkable community. At the center of that story are Harvester Arts and Wichita State University—two partners whose faith and energy helped turn a far-fetched idea into a full-blown initiative.

Based in Wichita, Kansas and directed by co-founder Kristin Beal, Harvester Arts nurtures experimental projects and artist–community collaborations. They have a deep and genuine relationship with the Wichita and WSU communities—one that continues to energize an incredible arts ecosystem. Harvester gave Jump!Star its first platform, organizing early Kansas Constellates—gatherings where artists and neighbors co-created rituals to welcome future North Stars—and rallying community support. Through their openness to experimentation and their care for artists, they transformed an idea sparked by the stars into a decade-long collaboration that now spans hundreds of participants across the country.

At Wichita State University, that early momentum found an academic home. Students, faculty, and staff joined in to design, build, and invent Jump!Star’s first Constellates—laying the groundwork for everything that followed, while Chamber Music at the Barn and Symphony in the Flinthills offered support along the way.