SpraySeeMO Mural Festival

Crossroads Arts District, KCMO

A B I T A B O U T U S :

If you've ever taken a trip to Miami, you've more than likely seen Wynwood and its walls. You may also be familiar with the Bushwick area in Brooklyn or the mural-covered city of Philadelphia. These street art destinations are world-renown and draw hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, inspiring and engaging each person that walks by.  Kansas City has a rich history of art, especially painting, as well as an incredible focus on art for the public, for everyone.  From world-class museums with free-admission, the countless galleries and pop-up spaces supporting artists with a thriving First Friday Art Walk, to decades of murals gracing buildings throughout our neighborhoods; we embrace it all.  

Our goal is to continue to grow and propel Kansas City into a similar mural destination that promotes creative expression and exploration on a massive scale for each and everyone to enjoy all day everyday.  We are celebrating this truly incredible Arts District and furthering its presence as an art-rich destination with a strong public art element through large-scale public art murals.

We select our muralist based on merits of creative individuality and technical prowess.  We choose artists from varying backgrounds, geographical locations, and artistic styles in a manner that promotes and mimics the inclusiveness and strong, untamed individuality of the Crossroads Arts District.

**SPRAYSEEMO IS AN INVITATION-BASED EVENT**

Who We Are & Why We Do What We Do:

SpraySeeMO is the premier mural festival in Kansas City. Founded in 2017 by artists living and working in the Crossroads Arts District, a primary goal of this small, grassroots organization is to nurture and provide opportunities for our local, homegrown KC artists, while also bringing world-class talent to Kansas City to share the power of large-scale self-expression through public art murals with the people of KC and beyond. By combining local artists with visiting artists from across the country and its borders, we are able to facilitate a beautiful cross-pollination of ideas, styles, and abilities which wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Another purpose of hosting this extraordinary week-long mural festival each year is to allow the participating artists to have the creative license to express themselves fully (something artists in the public realm rarely get to enjoy!) and to continue to grow and propel this city’s dynamic public arts culture through spectacular and immersive fine art murals.

Part of our budgetary goal of $100,000 this year is to raise enough funds through donations and Sponsorships to give each artist a fair compensation for their work while also taking care of all their needs while participating.  In addition to covering all material and equipment expenses, funding also directly goes towards travel and housing for visiting artists, as well as three square meals a day, water, and entertainment. We strive to give all our participating artists the very best of our midwestern hospitality, regardless of where they come from - even if it’s just down the block! We are also accepting in-kind donations, so if you would like to donate a hotel room, AirBnB, meals, event space, etc, please email us at SpraySeeMO@gmail.com or learn more on our Get Involved page.

Since launching in August of 2017 during the Great American Eclipse, SpraySeeMO has hosted artists from across the globe including 4 different countries and 17 different states. The festival has featured over 65 different artists and facilitated over 130 murals throughout 7 of Kansas City’s great neighborhoods.

Over the years, the festival has had the opportunity to expand its vision of facilitating and promoting world-class murals beyond KC through its sister-festival in Miami, AWall Mural Projects, and the SpraySeeLA offshoot in 2021. Both coastal festivals focus on revitalizing bare walls at low income schools with bright and inspiring murals for the students.

We are ever grateful to our community of businesses and property owners here in Kansas City who understand and support the artists in bringing their purest creations to life! This event would not be possible without their continued support. We are also incredibly grateful to all Kansas Citians who share in our vision and contribute to making this city a truly world-renowned place for the arts to thrive.

Follow along on Instagram to see what we're up to:
@sprayseemo

SpraySeeMO is part of SpraySeeGLOBAL:
Bringing vibrant murals to walls across the US and beyond.