Whimsy in Waldo

By Kathy Feist

A bright pink, 20-foot tall lamp post with circular seating has been installed on a circular plaza at the northeast corner of 75th and Wornall. The project is part of Kansas City’s Missouri One Percent for Art program that often follows a large city project. On Wednesday, June 17, city dignitaries and Waldo merchants celebrated the installation with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

In this case, the art piece complements the $45 million Wornall Road Streetscape Project that began in 2019, and included 85th Street to Gregory. The project included water main and sewer replacements, road reconstruction, and closure and improvements of Broadway and 75th Street. The official ribbon cutting was held October 16.
R and R Studios out of Miami, FL, was selected for their winning art design out of four finalists and 165 applicants. R and R has a similar design installed in Princeton, NJ.
The selection process involved a panel of community members and artists who made a recommendation to the municipal art commissioner.

“I believe they were drawn to how whimsical it is,” says James Martin, the City’s public art administrator. “I’ve heard Waldo described as the city’s last Bohemian neighborhood. It’s an artsy part of the city, so I believe it fits right in.”
The circular seating that surrounds the lamp post is designed for seating. At night the luminous sculpture is eye-catching to all who visit Waldo’s entertainment district.

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