Art for all

If you’ve read any of my posts here, or follow me on Instagram, you likely know that I love street art. I don’t know when I first became enamored with this art form. But however it began, my enjoyment of this medium drives me to continually look down side streets and alleys, searching for a splash of color, an interesting design to draw me in.

What’s even better than finding a new piece of art? Seeing the artists at work! I had the pleasure of watching the creation of many art installations recently during Kansas City’s mural festival, SpraySeeMo.

Artists from all over the country (and even outside the U.S.) converged in Kansas City for three days to spend time together and create new works of art on designated walls near downtown K.C. In the sweltering heat–90s plus degrees and high humidity–they worked tirelessly to bring their visions to life.

It was fun to watch the artists at work, and then to return a week later to see finished pieces. There’s a lot of planning and thought that goes into making such large works of art: sketches,  color renderings, and roughing out the designs on the walls are part of the process.The “before” and “after” shots tell a story of progress and hard work! It’s also inspiring to see the distinctive style of each artist come to life through their creations.This is the second year for the mural festival (I wrote about last year’s event in this post) and I’m hopeful that another such gathering is already in the works! I love that street art really is art for all–anyone can find it, enjoy it, and interpret it in his or her own way. I’m proud that our city embraces art and gives artists a platform from which to speak.

If you’re ever in the Kansas City area, I hope you’ll take time to seek out some of these works of art. And I’d be happy to play tour guide if you’re game for an art excursion!

~Leslie

P.S. This is just a sample of some of the newly-created art! Check out the #sprayseemo hashtag or follow @sprayseemo on Instagram to see more and learn about the artists who participated.