Kansas City, Missouri – A small circle of ground in south Kansas City could become the canvas for the city’s next public art landmark.
The opportunity carries a budget of at least $270,000 and a long-term challenge: create a permanent, three-dimensional artwork that welcomes people to historic Martin City while standing up to years of weather, traffic and daily life.
Kansas City’s One Percent for Art program is seeking qualifications from professional visual artists or artist teams for the Holmes Road Streetscape Project. The selected artwork will be installed within a reserved 20-foot-diameter area at the southeast corner of Blue Ridge Boulevard and Holmes Road.
The broader streetscape project will improve Holmes Road between Blue Ridge Boulevard and 135th Street. Plans include widening the existing two-lane road to three lanes with a center turn lane, adding a five-foot sidewalk on the east side, building a 10-foot multi-use trail on the west side and installing new curbs, gutters and street lighting.
The public artwork is intended to serve as a gateway and reflect the character of Martin City, a former unincorporated community annexed by Kansas City in 1963. The neighborhood sits near the Missouri-Kansas border in southern Jackson County.
Eligible professional artists must be at least 18 years old and based in the United States. Although the opportunity is national, preference will be given to artists from the Kansas City Combined Statistical Area.
Applicants must submit their materials through the CaFÉ Call for Artists system by 11:59 p.m. Central on Monday, August 10, 2026. Required materials include a résumé, letter of interest and five to 10 images of completed work. Applicants may also submit up to six videos. Models, sketches and proposed designs will not be accepted during the initial qualifications stage.
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A selection panel will choose between two and five semifinalists. Each will receive a $4,000 stipend to prepare a design proposal and budget. Proposal presentations are tentatively planned for October, with the finalist’s concept expected to go before the Municipal Art Commission on November 6.
The project budget may cover artist fees, fabrication, materials, travel, insurance, permits, lighting, foundations, shipping and installation. Artists using artificial intelligence tools in portfolio materials or later proposals must disclose that use with each affected image.
Fabrication is expected to begin in January 2027, with completion targeted for November 2027. Recordings of the July informational sessions are available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rRTjxOW4Rm_Tav7R3kUTSMNR4o7w_Z1k?usp=sharing.
Questions may be directed to Public Art Administrator James Martin at [email protected] or 816-513-3422.
