Hearts Across the Southland · Part One of Three
South of the City: Parade of Hearts From Red Bridge to Raymore
Eight sculptures by local artists stretch from Red Bridge to Raymore, tracing the city’s deep past, its small-town neighbors, and one family’s century of Kansas City roots.
By Kristina Light
The Parade of Hearts turns five this year, and for the first time, the sculptures feature a new design: a circular silhouette with a heart-shaped keyhole cutout at the center, just in time to welcome the FIFA World Cup to Kansas City in the summer of 2026. Across the metro, 149 hearts are installed at local attractions, small businesses, parks, and schools. Eighteen of the hearts have found a summer home in the Southland.
In this series, we explore three routes in South KC and meet the artists behind the designs.
This first route runs due south from Red Bridge through Grandview, Belton, and Raymore. Discover eight hearts hiding in plain sight.
RED BRIDGE & MARTIN CITY
BEFORE THE PRAIRIES
by Lindsey Robson
433 E Red Bridge Rd, Kansas City, MO · In front of Wonderscope Children’s Museum
Before the Prairies by Lindsey Robson for KC Parade of Hearts 2026
Lindsey Robson’s second Parade of Hearts sculpture predates this city by an almost incomprehensible stretch of time. Her subject is the Western Interior Seaway, the ancient ocean that split North America in two during the Cretaceous period and left behind a fossil record still embedded in the bedrock beneath Kansas City’s streets. Sharks, mosasaurs, crinoids, and ammonites lived and died here long before the first blade of prairie grass took root.
“I want the heart to be a launching point to be curious about what’s in their own backyard,” Robson said. “Sometimes we forget what is right under our noses.” The idea grew out of her previous heart, which celebrated aquatic life, and took sharper focus once her young daughter became passionate about fossil collecting. The two of them started researching local fossil history together, discovering crinoids and mosasaurs along the way.
Translating that discovery into a three-dimensional sculpture was a new challenge. Robson’s previous heart was a fully painted two-dimensional design with no added relief. This time, she wanted texture and depth. She built a miniature version of the heart first, sculpting tiny creatures to evaluate what would work structurally, and used that small-scale model as her submission to the jury. Once accepted, she scaled everything up: carving shapes from pink insulation foam, gluing and bolting the foam forms to the fiberglass heart, laying fiberglass over everything for strength, then finishing with epoxy clay to pull out the fine details that paint alone cannot achieve. The small crinoids she added near the end were her daughter’s favorites, because they matched the ones in her collection at home.
Robson is primarily a 2D artist who sells her work and pops up at Strawberry Swing, KC Art Garden at City Market, and First Fridays. She considers three-dimensional work to be her private fun.
“My main inspiration was my own daughter’s interest in fossils,” she said. “It was kind of a fun gift to my daughter and other kids with an interest in natural sciences. I was thrilled to see my heart at Wonderscope, where many children will enjoy it.”
Robson sells prints and original work at LindseyRobsonArt on Etsy.
Visit Nearby:
- Wonderscope Children’s Museum. The heart is installed right outside this 30,000-square-foot STEAM museum with a half-acre outdoor adventure space. Fully accessible. Families may check out up to six free passes to the museum through Mid-Continent Public Library; regular admission applies without a pass.
- Caleb’s Breakfast & Lunch A nearby neighborhood staple for a satisfying, no-fuss breakfast or lunch before or after heart-hunting.
- MCPL Red Bridge The Red Bridge library offers free programs for all ages, from storytime for children to educational programming for adults.
- Made In KC The local shop features products by local artists, authors, and culinarians.
CHROMATIC UNITY
by Dawn M Wilson
411 E 135th St, Kansas City, MO · Across from Martin City Brewing Co.
Dawn Wilson built Chromatic Unity from the inside out. “My heart was created as a reflection of the places that have shaped my life,” she said, “locations that hold deep personal meaning, fostered lasting memories, and supported my mental health journey.” Each landmark on the sculpture represents a chapter of healing and growth that began after she moved to Kansas City.
The landmarks are specific and quietly loaded with meaning. One carries a tribute most visitors would never notice: her father-in-law helped build it, and within its layers, her husband’s name is written. “A quiet but powerful tribute to family, legacy, and belonging,” she said. Another represents a place where plein air painting became a bridge to a loved one navigating their own mental health challenges. “Through the process of creating art, they found a sense of healing and experienced a meaningful shift during a difficult season in their life.” A third element is the logo of her elementary school, placed there as an expression of gratitude for her work as a special education paraprofessional. “This work has allowed me to build impactful relationships, provide comfort and support, and serve as a safe, consistent presence for students through meaningful connection.”
The reverse side opens outward. Large bubbles of varying sizes and colors fill the surface. “No matter our differences in shape, size, color, or background, we all have a place,” she said. “Together, we can form a collective expression of hope, beauty, and inclusion.” The title names what both sides are reaching toward: the idea that difference and unity are not opposites.
“It is here, in Kansas City, that I have been able to grow and thrive artistically, professionally, and personally,” Wilson said. “I am profoundly grateful for the support, encouragement, and abundance of opportunities this city provides for artists of all mediums and skill levels.” Being selected for the Parade of Hearts, she said, was something she does not take lightly. “It is a true honor to stand alongside so many talented artists, each pouring their creativity and passion into their work.”
While you’re there
- Martin City Brewing Co. Try the rotating seasonal ales and the wood-fired pepperoni pizza, a south-side staple. The taproom patio is pet-friendly; happy hour runs weekdays 3–6 pm.
- Martin City Ice Cream Co. Order the Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan, a house signature that regulars swear by.
- Rosehill Winery Patrons are invited to enjoy wine tastings and live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening.
GRANDVIEW
HOME SWEET HOME
by Hillary Watts
12301 Blue Ridge Blvd, Grandview, MO · In front of Truman Farm Home
Hillary Watts’s Home Sweet Home is installed in front of the Harry S. Truman Farm Home in Grandview, a National Park Service site that most Kansas Citians have driven past without stopping. The farm was where Truman lived and worked from 1906 to 1917, before his career in politics began. It is one of the few surviving examples of the agricultural landscape that shaped him, and it is free to visit.
Watts’s design leans into the warmth of that placement. The title announces what the work is about: a cross-stitched visual vocabulary associated with domesticity and welcome, rendered at the scale of a public sculpture.
While you’re there
- Harry S. Truman Farm Home:e The Truman Farm opens on Friday, May 22, 2026. According to the NPS, the farm will be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tours of the home will be offered on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 am to 4 pm. The home closes from 12 pm to 1 pm for lunch. Tours are free and first-come, first-served. The grounds are open year-round from sunrise to sunset for self-guided tours. Audio tours are available on the National Park Service App.
- Truman’s Marketplace Stores, restaurants, and grocery stores.
AROUND TOWN
by Tim Hogan
724 Main St, Grandview, MO · Next to Arthouse 808
Tim Hogan’s Around Town sits on Grandview’s Main Street, next to Arthouse 808 and across from The Housewife, inviting visitors to explore Grandview’s revitalized Main Street. Hogan’s design celebrates Kansas City’s most iconic landmarks.
While you’re there
- Arthouse 808 A community gallery and event space featuring rotating local artists. Check their calendar for opening receptions, often free and open to the public.
- Housewife KC A favorite local eatery serving made-from-scratch dishes.
- Main Street Grandview A small-town commercial district with many independently owned shops. New Farmers Market coming summer 2026.
ONE WORLD, ONE CITY
by Michelle Cormack
14501 White Ave, Grandview, MO · In front of Transparent Brewing Co.
One World, One City by Michelle Cormack for KC Parade of Hearts 2026
Michelle Cormack grew up in the Kansas City area and has lived in Johnson County her entire life. For 19 years, she has worked at Garmin as a recruiter, spending her days talking technical requirements with engineers and computer programmers. Her passion for art runs equally deep. After paint-and-sip parties rekindled her love of color, she converted a bedroom into a studio and spent time creating. “My art took off in 2023, when I had the space and time to make messes,” she said. She now sells through CormackArt on Etsy and Made in KC. Her second Parade of Hearts submission, One World, One City, is installed in front of Transparent Brewing Co. in Grandview.
With the FIFA World Cup coming to Kansas City in 2026, Cormack chose to create a design that celebrated the international event and welcomed visitors to Kansas City, highlighting our city’s reputation as a friendly and hospitable community. The flags of the World Cup nations ring the sculpture, with the state flowers of Kansas and Missouri on opposite sides. The KC skyline runs along the base alongside Arrowhead Stadium, rendered in its FIFA conversion. At the center, a green globe is cradled by open hands. “The globe represents KC welcoming the entire world with open arms,” she said, adding that she chose green specifically to represent everyone. “Not any one race, but everyone.”
Getting those hands and globe right consumed roughly 16 of her 70 total hours of labor on the piece. She consulted fellow artists on how to approach the dimensional elements, then attached sequins to the globe one by one using a toothpick. Much of that painstaking work happened on New Year’s Eve in the living room as the ball dropped. The heart itself never fit inside the house, so she worked through winter in a cold garage, running heaters and wearing a heated vest. “It was close to the deadline,” she admitted, “but I’m not a procrastinator.” She finished it. “I don’t give up,” she said.
“I hope that when people visit the heart, they feel welcomed and loved in Kansas City, as I do,” Michelle said.
While you’re there
- Transparent Brewing Co. The heart is parked right out front of this neighborhood craft brewery. Known for hazy IPAs and a lager brewed with Missouri-grown grain, flights are the best way to sample. The locally owned business also sells pieces by local artists, hosts trivia, bingo, and live music nights, and serves a fabulous taco.
- Meadowmere Park is a nearby green space with a woodland playground theme, skate park, and Grandview’s Outdoor Amphitheater for summer concerts and movies.
- The View is a local dining and event venue with river views, a fitting backdrop for a heart built around welcoming the world.
BELTON
KANSAS CITY KINDNESS
by Ellie Druten
506 Main St, Belton, MO · In front of City Hall
Ellie Druten has lived in Stillwell, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Fairway, and Lawrence. She is proud to call the Greater Kansas City area home. She studied Strategic Communications with a minor in Visual Art at the University of Kansas, and today she works as a graphic designer at Made in KC, creating products that celebrate the city she loves. Her grandfather taught her to draw, which she counts among the more important things that ever happened to her.
When Druten was selected as one of the artists for the 2026 Parade of Hearts, the news caught her off guard. “As a self-taught designer and artist, I was so flattered to be included in a group of artists that I admire,” she said.
Her heart is called Kansas City Kindness. “I believe the Midwest Nice stereotype is so real,” she said. “The people in Kansas City are so kind, it amazes me every time I have an interaction with a stranger. Kansas Citians will laugh with you in the grocery store line, help you with what restaurants to try, or chat it up about how our sports teams are doing. Kindness is so important for so many reasons. I have had short conversations with a neighbor, and it’s changed my outlook on the entire day. You never know how much your kindness could mean to someone, and it’s free to give. It costs you nothing to just be kind. I hope my Heart is a reminder to smile at someone you’re passing by or to give someone grace.”
The sculpture is covered in wildflowers native to Kansas and Missouri. Druten loves how the native ecosystem sustains itself, with bees pollinating the flowers, seeds spreading and taking root, and flowers blooming. She sees kindness working the same way. “A small gesture travels further than anyone tracks. Somehow that kindness makes its way back to you,” she said.
Woven into the design is the phrase Give Kindness and Flowers Abundantly. Nobody gives flowers out of anger or spite. They mean love, gratitude, congratulations, and apology. They tell someone they have been seen. “All in all, I want the phrase to be another reminder to give kindness and gratitude as much as you can to those you love,” she said.
The hardest part of the process was not the painting itself but the decision that came before it. “There are so many things I love about Kansas City,” she said, and narrowing a six-foot canvas to a single subject felt almost impossible. She eventually settled on two: the kindness of the people and the nature surrounding the city. She chose bright colors because, “I wanted the heart to stop people in their tracks, so the message would have a chance to land.”
Druten’s work can be found on Instagram at @ellies.brain, and her designs for Made in KC are available at locations across the city.
While you’re there
- Belton Historic Main Street A charming strip with antique shops and locally owned businesses.
- Broken Hatchet Brewing Co. A local craft brewery serving up small-batch beers.
- Tara’s Cafe & Malt Shop: A nostalgic neighborhood gem serving up classic malts, shakes, and old-fashioned soda fountain favorites
RAYMORE
HEART OF THE GAME
by Sharyl Salmonson
900 W Foxwood Dr, Raymore, MO · In front of Johnny’s Tavern
Sharyl Salmonson has lived in the Kansas City area since 1991. Her first son, born in 2009, became passionate about baseball around age four, and the whole family followed. “My husband and I learned to love the game,” she says. “We go to games all the time, we have all the souvenirs and gear, we try to go to games with promotions, we have bobbleheads, Slugger dolls, hats, jerseys.” By the 2015 World Series, she knew the players and the team deeply. Her son now plays for Olathe South and dreams of suiting up for the Royals someday.
When the Parade of Hearts opportunity came around, the subject was never in doubt. “I knew I had to create a baseball,” she said, surprised it was the only one in the program. The 2015 World Series was a defining family moment, and that feeling is what she wanted the sculpture to carry. “I wanted a dirty, well-loved baseball. I wanted it to represent the Royals,” she said. She couldn’t use official logos, but was determined to “represent our team best I could.”
Salmonson is a full-time watercolor artist, and the Parade sculpture was unlike anything she had ever created. When the piece was delivered, it was too large for her backyard shed, so the garage became the studio. Working through a cold winter, she ran space heaters and threw the door open on warmer days. “The weather was the biggest issue,” she said. “The paints could be thick and frozen, so that was a challenge.”
Her favorite player for the past few years has been Kyle Isbel. “He just makes me smile,” she said. Her son, wanting to surprise his mom especially, helped arrange for Isbel to call her during a meet-and-greet. She painted a watercolor portrait for him in return. “He has my signature on a painting,” she said, “And I have his signature on a ball and a poster.” As for the bigger picture: “I hope everyone loves baseball and knows KC is a baseball town, even when we aren’t winning. Baseball is my favorite, it is many people’s favorite, and it doesn’t always get the love it deserves.”
The experience left such an impression that she’s already thinking ahead. “I decided if I have a chance to do this again, I will continue the baseball theme, which will be my signature from now on,” she said.
Beyond the Parade, Salmonson has expanded into murals, with a growing list of Olathe businesses among her clients. She also paints custom doors and Royals-themed commissions. Find her original watercolors at artbysharyl on Etsy.
While you’re there
- Johnny’s Tavern is a KC sports bar institution with burgers, cold beer, and plenty of TVs tuned to the game.
- Price Chopper. Stock up on game-day essentials and pick up Royals tickets right next door to the heart.
BLOOMING AFTERNOON
by Ian Barbaglia
214 S Washington St, Raymore, MO · T.B. Hanna Station Park
Ian Barbaglia’s Blooming Afternoon is installed at T.B. Hanna Station Park, a Variety KC park in Raymore, designed so children of all abilities can play together. Barbaglia’s floral design feels at home here: bright, open, and made with community in mind. It is one of the warmest placements on the entire route, and one of the most accessible.
While you’re there
- T.B. Hanna Station Park A 3-acre park featuring a Variety KC inclusive playground in Raymore’s Original Town area, built around The Depot, a covered pavilion that transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink each winter. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, children enjoy the outdoor sprayground. The park also features an outdoor stage, concession stand, picnic tables, green space, and year-round ADA restrooms.
BONUS HEART
Rhythm & Harmony by Patty Laird in front of Peculiar Winery, 20709 Harper Rd, Peculiar, MO
In the Series:
- Route 1: Red Bridge, Martin City, Grandview, Belton and Raymore
- Route 2: Waldo, Brookside & South KC
- Route 3: Southern Johnson County
The Parade of Hearts runs through August. An online auction follows in early autumn. Find the full map at paradeofhearts.org.