Across the street from our office is a bright, bold mural of women painted on the side of a shop that sells fair trade, handmade goods from around the world. The artist, JT Daniels, said he wanted to reflect the shop’s commitment to selling goods that help women break out of generational poverty. It’s my favorite mural in downtown Overland Park for a lot of reasons, mostly because it represents – and makes public – the often overlooked contributions of women in a community.
Of course, not everyone agrees.
When the Downtown Overland Park Art Project launched in 2019 and the public saw a rendering of the mural, featuring eight women of color from around the world, the complaints rolled in. Is this “our” heritage? Does this picture really represent “us?” Actually, a mural depicting women from around the world represents our future and should be embraced! What’s more, imagine how empowered young girls feel when they see that mural – when they see the work of women elevated and celebrated. They see someone who looks like them. They see the possibilities of their future.
Today there are more than 23 million female immigrants in the United States, and they are a formidable presence in U.S. society and the economy. Female immigrants come from every corner of the globe and outnumber male immigrants. Nearly a third of immigrant women age 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more education. The trend of highly educated women of color moving to the US will continue as the world becomes less democratic.
Cities like Overland Park need to be prepared to take advantage of this influx of talented workers who will help drive innovation and economic prosperity. In fact, the Overland Park Comprehensive Plan will be an opportunity to talk about how we can make our community more diverse and inclusive.
Public art is one way we can do that. It provides a commentary about our culture. It tells us how we see ourselves.
It can also tell us how we might be limiting our thinking – simultaneously opening us up to new possibilities. I hope we continue to use it to tell the story of our future.
It shows us who we really are and who we can be.
Public art on the rise
Urban planners know that public art plays a critical role in a community’s identity. It creates a sense of pride and belonging. Art beautifies a city. It even contributes economically, attracting visitors and additional foot traffic.
Demand for public art has been skyrocketing since before the pandemic. In the last decade, a half a billion dollars has been spent on public art projects in the U.S. In the last 20 years, public art programs have more than doubled across the country.
Public art was a critical component to the designers building the new Kansas City airport. When the new airport is complete, 19 area artists will have their work displayed – including JT Daniels.
Find your art
This summer, I’ll be checking out public art across the KC metro area and on any travels. If you’re stuck on where to start, here are a few ideas:
- Murals in Kansas City
- The Arts Council of Johnson County, Kansas, lists an array of museums and more.
- Midwest Explored’s list of interesting area museums
I’m incredibly proud of Overland Park’s commitment to public art. Just around the corner from our offices is the Interurban Arthouse, which is committed to helping art and artists thrive. We support the Arthouse as business members.
And, the Downtown Overland Park Art Fair, which starts Friday, June 24, at 5 and runs through Saturday at 4 p.m., will take place just outside our office.
It says a lot about the tenacity of artists – and our community – when we don’t let the haters stop the creators from making. In fact, we hope they partake and keep sharing their perspectives. Because, as the artist Keith Haring said, “The public has a right to art. Art is for everybody.”
