Creating Community through Art, One Heart at a Time
The Parade of Hearts showcases regional artistic talent while strengthening industries most affected by the pandemic.
Photos Weston Owen
About 20 years ago, a public art exhibition made its way across the globe. From Brussels to Boston, Prague to Paris, the Cow Parade was world-renowned and internationally recognized. Massive fiberglass cow models created a canvas for artists to showcase their talents and raise awareness for the causes that meant the most to them. The exhibit traveled from city to city and when the parade concluded, the art was auctioned and funds were donated to various charitable organizations.
Many long-time Kansas Citians remember when the Cow Parade made its way through our community because it left quite an impression. For those who experienced it first-hand, there are fond recollections and favorite stories about the colorfully-curated cows. But 20 years feels like an eternity and many of our newer residents never experienced the exhibit, or even one of its magnitude, in real life.
Enter the Parade of Hearts.
In many ways, the Parade of Hearts is a modern take on the Cow Parade but is uniquely representative of and dedicated to our diverse and eclectic community. Instead of a fiberglass cow, the canvas is a very recognizable local symbol — the KC Heart. The artists showcasing their artistic abilities are passionate about the betterment of Kansas City and each installation embodies a uniquely different viewpoint and perspective, all with the goal of bolstering our community.
So, how did the Parade of Hearts come to be? Well, as we collectively navigated our way over through the last two years of the pandemic, numerous people and industries felt the brunt of COVID’s blow — healthcare, the arts, tourism, childhood education, small and minority-owned businesses and many more. Understanding that something needed to be done in order to help support these causes, leaders within the community came together and founded the Parade of Hearts with that specific goal in mind.
Hundreds of local artists submitted concepts for how they’d bring their unique vision to life on a five-foot-tall, heart-shaped canvas. The result? 154 designs by 123 artists were selected, and that’s when their incredible work began. Those chosen to showcase their talents across the metro were provided a stipend and a timeline — the public unveiling would occur at the beginning of March, with each heart finding its temporary home in time for Spring. Then, once the community had a chance to enjoy the art around town, each installation would be auctioned off, with proceeds going to four different local organizations — The University of Kansas Health System, Mid-America Regional Council, AltCap and Visit KC Foundation. Again, focusing on some of the industries in our area that suffered most during the pandemic.
Fast forward to today (last week, actually), the buzz has generated and the hearts have begun finding their homes around town. From Independence to Bonner, Weston to Olathe, the hearts create unique photo opportunities in a metro-wide scavenger hunt of sorts. Residents are already searching for their favorites, sharing on social and eagerly tracking down the next on their list.
The amount of talent and creativity in Kansas City is surreal but what’s more inspiring is our ability to band together, as one community, around a common cause. That’s what the Parade of Hearts is truly about — supporting one another through the toughest of times, sticking up for those who put their health on the line to restore ours, and helping those workers and communities who were affected so deeply.
To learn more about the Parade of Hearts, visit their webstie for a full list of artist bios, heart locations and merchandise. Happy heart hunting!
