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Explore 13 compelling stories of how art has transformed Kansas City’s spaces

Stories by Kansas City Star journalists, with AI summarization

Kansas City's public spaces reveal a rich tapestry of art-driven transformation.

Arthur Kraft's iconic, now-relocated circus mosaic once filled the Main Library with vivid energy, while roadside tributes like Jeff Parson's larger-than-life Chiefs cutouts on Northwest Gateway Drive turn neighborhoods into open-air galleries.

The upcoming Parade of Hearts will debut a redesigned heart sculpture in 2026, woven into the city's preparations for the World Cup and growing tradition of displaying public art across local counties. Elsewhere, the mystery of Thomas Hart Benton's "Forward Pass" — a painting inspired by the Chiefs' Super Bowl win — reflects how art and sports memories continue to shape the city's visual legacy.

These stories show how lost mosaics, traveling paintings, and bold new sculptures keep Kansas City's spaces vibrant and engaging for locals and visitors alike.

Barney Allis Plaza, seen from the southeast corner near 13th and Wyandotte streets. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 1: WHO WAS BARNEY ALLIS? AND WHY IS A ‘FORLORN’ KC PLAZA NAMED AFTER THIS BELOVED MAN?

He “came from nothing and he just excelled. It’s the typical self-made man story.” | Published June 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Lisa Gutierrez

A hippo eats a truck in concept art for a mural at the Independence Ave. truck-eating bridge in Kansas City. Alex Eickhoff of Eye Cough Art created the design.

NO. 2: KANSAS CITY’S TRUCK-EATING BRIDGE WILL GET A PSYCHEDELIC NEW LOOK. SEE THE MURAL DESIGNS

An artist and former driver said, “I have a lot of sympathy for these truck drivers.” | Published June 27, 2024 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

The Place of Peace Veterans’ Art Exhibit started in 2019. This month it opens in Lenexa.

NO. 3: AT THIS JOHNSON COUNTY EXHIBIT, VETERANS’ ART SERVES TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY

The Place of Peace exhibit will be on display from Oct. 29 through Nov. 24 at the Lenexa City Hall Art Gallery. | Published October 23, 2024 | Read Full Story by Debra Skodack

“Nothing Can Come Between Us” by textile artist Aleah Washington is on display at the Nelson-Atkins as part of the Charlotte Street Visual Artist Awards winners exhibition.

NO. 4: THESE 3 LOCAL ARTISTS HAVE JOINED MASTERS WITH SHOW AT KANSAS CITY’S ICONIC MUSEUM

It’s the first time that the 27-year-old program for local artists has an exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins. Here’s what you can see. | Published November 14, 2024 | Read Full Story by Dan Kelly

Arthur Kraft’s vibrant circus mosaic greeted visitors to the former children’s department in Kansas City’s old Main Library.

NO. 5: THIS ARTIST WAS BEHIND FAMOUS KANSAS CITY MOSAIC, OTHER WORKS. BUT WHERE IS IT NOW?

You might recognize several of this artist’s whimsical pieces. But one of the most-seen now sits in storage. | Published January 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Patrick Salland

Artist Jeff Parson is dwarfed by a towering Kansas City Chiefs display he created in his front yard on Gateway Drive in Riverside, Missouri. Parson designs and creates the cutouts to reflect happenings among the players on the team. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 6: RIVERSIDE ARTIST CREATES ROADSIDE ART GALLERY OF KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SUPERSTARS

Jeff Parson’s larger-than-life Kansas City Chiefs display is a fan favorite, featuring over-sized cutouts of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, and Chris Jones. | Published January 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tammy Ljungblad

Thomas Hart Benton in his studio next to his home at 3616 Belleview in 1951. By File

NO. 7: AN ICONIC CHIEFS WIN INSPIRED A FAMOUS ARTIST’S PAINTING. ITS WHEREABOUTS ARE A MYSTERY

This famous painting was sketched from the sidelines of Kansas City Chiefs games and practices. Now, there’s a mystery around it. | Published March 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vahe Gregorian

Parade of Hearts, a biannual tradition in Kansas City, unveiled its new redesign for 2026 on Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2025 in Kansas City. This is the prototype, which will be a base white color that will be primed for paint when artists get their hands on it. By Dominick Williams

NO. 8: PARADE OF HEARTS WILL HAVE A NEW LOOK IN 2026. SEE THE SHAPE SET TO POP UP ALL OVER KC

The 2026 display will coincide with the FIFA World Cup and the visitors expected to pour into the city. | Published March 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joseph Hernandez

Junie Brown, 19, paints images depicting the variations and complexities of femininity that as a trans woman of color, she sees as missing from Kansas City’s art scene.

NO. 9: KC ARTIST CREATES WORK REVEALING THE JOY AND FEMININITY OF TRANS WOMEN’S JOURNEYS

“My art is a reflection of who I am, just in a tangible form.” | Published March 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by J.M. Banks

A miniature version of the Nelson Gallery and the Shuttlecocks makes up the ninth-hole Art Course, an art-themed miniature golf course on the south lawn of the Nelson Gallery on Saturday, March 20, in Kansas City. The course, featuring nine artfully-designed holes, will be open for play through October 24. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 10: FROM LOATHED TO LEGENDARY: THE KC ARTWORKS THAT SPARKED A NEW ERA OF PUBLIC ART

Dive into the history of the Nelson-Atkins’ famous Shuttlecocks and the way they’ve influenced contemporary sculpture across KC in the 20 years since their unveiling. | Published April 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Courtney Lane

Crowds flooded the Brookside Shops for the 39th annual art fair in the Kansas City neighborhood on Saturday, May 3.

NO. 11: ARTISTS COME FROM ALL OVER TO KANSAS CITY FOR BROOKSIDE FAIR. MEET A FEW OF THEM

The popular art fair is a Kansas City tradition. | Published May 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Courtney Lane

A section of a mural designed by Sike Style Industries commemorating the new Buck O’Neil Bridge is seen near the intersection of Broadway Avenue and 3rd Street on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Kansas City. By Emily Curiel

NO. 12: SEE MURAL HONORING HALL OF FAMER BUCK O’NEIL TAKING SHAPE UNDER NAMESAKE KC BRIDGE

See how this mural honors Hall of Famer Buck O’Neil under the bridge that bears his name. | Published May 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Emily Curiel

Christo and Jean-Claude’s ‘Wrapped Walk Ways’ at Loose Park in 1978

NO. 13: FAMED ARTIST WHO WRAPPED KC PARK IN ‘SAFFRON’ GIFTS WORKS TO NELSON-ATKINS

For two weeks in 1978, a project that wrapped Loose Park’s walkways in fabric “helped to put Kansas City on the contemporary art world map.” | Published May 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Eric Adler

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.