Mural festival teams with West Bottoms developer for World Cup-inspired transformations

A partnership with a leading West Bottoms developer this spring is putting more than a fresh coat of paint on buildings across Kansas City’s urban landscape as fans and visitors hit local streets for the FIFA World Cup.

The annual SpraySeeMO mural interactive cultural and artistic experience teamed up in May with SomeraRoad — an opportunistic real estate investment and development firm working to transform the historic West Bottoms neighborhood through a multi-phase, $525 million-plus overhaul — for a collaboration on seven large-scale painting projects in the resurgent district.

It’s all part of SpraySeeMO’s initiative to launch 100 murals across Kansas City to mark the World Cup’s momentous time in the metro. (SpraySeeMO is an invitation-based artist activation. Click here to learn more.)

Michelle “Mr. B Baby” Guerrero, a Mexican American muralist and public artist, adds detail to her mural in the West Bottoms as part of a collaboration between the SpraySeeMO mural festival and SomeraRoad; photo by Morgan Yeates, Startland News

Among the visiting artists joining the SomeraRoad-backed effort: Michelle “Mr. B Baby” Guerrero, a Mexican American muralist and public artist who has already completed more than 150 large scale murals across the U.S. (and around the world), transforming architecture into community landmarks.

“I’ve been doing a lot of World Cup stuff,” she told Startland News as she worked on her piece in early June at 1100 Sante Fe. “It’s been cool to see the excitement behind it and what it’s bringing to each individual city.”

Growing up in a border town, Guerrero experienced firsthand how sports can bring people together across cultures, languages, and backgrounds, she said.

“There’s nothing quite like the pride and sense of community that sports create,” Guerrero said. “As an artist, creating is often a very solitary experience, but being a muralist has allowed me to turn that into something shared, creating work for people, neighborhoods, and communities to connect through.”

Caratoes, a visiting Belgian/Hong Kong artist and performer, works on her SpraySeeMO piece at 1100 Sante Fe in Kansas City’s West Bottoms; photo by Morgan Yeates, Startland News

A mural in the West Bottoms by visiting artist JEKS; photo by Morgan Yeates, Startland News

In addition to Mr. B Baby, who returned this spring for her second SpraySeeMo mural event, other artists tapped for the project include JEKS and Caratoes, alongside Kansas City-based creatives like Femme9, Phybr, Rif Raf Giraffe and CHUE.

Click here to see some of the finished murals.

“I feel this is one of, if not the biggest, moments ever for Kansas City,” said Jason “Rif Raf Giraffe” Harrington. “A town of this size to be able to bring in the world’s largest sporting event, and host some of its most recognizable teams and stars, will be the crowning achievement in the legacy of KC’s history.”

A West Bottoms soccer-themed mural by Kansas City artist CHUE near 1209 Union Ave. sits about a half-block away from a trio of murals by visiting artists as part of a project between SpraySeeMO and SomeraRoad; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

For SomeraRoad, the mural project helps put its reimagined West Bottoms neighborhood center stage as the world arrives — and ahead of a project that’s expected to bring sprawling office space, residential units, hand-selected local and nationally acclaimed retail tenants, boutique hotel rooms, and a public green space built for community gathering, events and connectivity.

The first phase of the project is expected to be unveiled later this year.

“Public spaces play a critical role in creating vibrant neighborhoods, and this initiative is an exciting opportunity to celebrate both Kansas City’s creative community and the global moment the World Cup will bring to our city,” said Grant Hromas, vice president of development at SomeraRoad and head of the firm’s Kansas City office. “As we continue to drive forward the revitalization of the West Bottoms, we’re committed to creating experiences that bring people together and contribute to the neighborhood’s deep cultural identity.”

“SpraySeeMO is an incredible local partner that we’re proud to work alongside to create a meaningful creative moment for both locals and visitors to enjoy throughout this moment of international excitement,” he continued.

Guerrero expressed gratitude for both the opportunity to join SpraySeeMO again in Kansas City, as well as World Cup creative efforts across the country.

“It’s been actually quite a blessing, I feel like, for the artist community,” she said. “It’s really kept me busy.”

Click here for a map of SpraySeeMO mural locations.