Local artist shares her vision at Parade of Hearts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A philanthropic effort that was supposed to be a one-time thing is back this year.
The Parade of Hearts premiered in 2022 with 160 large-scale, painted hearts and raised $2.5 million for charitable causes. Organizers never meant to make it an annual event. They said area leaders urged them to continue it, so they expedited a scaled-down version for 2023.
Forty artists were selected from 526 who applied. One of the artists whose heart will be on display was the subject of a KCTV5 report in 2022, when a theft threatened her livelihood. She’s now back on her feet and sending thanks.
Katheryn Krouse paints from the perspective of visual impairment.
“If you were to squint your eyes and experience the whole world in that higher contrast, that’s really kind of what I experience,” she described. “Also, my central vision is a little bit blurry. My peripheral vision is quite a bit stronger than my central vision.”
Krouse has a condition called Stargardt disease.
“I like to kind of communicate how I see things by using a lot of texture and a lot of really vibrant colors and metallic paints,” Krouse said.
The double-sided heart she created this year is titled “A City United.”
It features the Royals World Series parade on one side and the Chiefs Super Bowl parade on the other. She moved downtown 10 years ago when her vision degenerated to the point where she could no longer drive. She’s now seen three celebration parades from her window.
“A City United” also describes what happened after KCTV5 did a report last year about someone stealing a trailer filled with her paintings and display materials for a spring art fair. She created a GoFundMe page. She received donations and got offers for commissioned artwork, an outpouring that got her back on her feet in less than two months.
“I just am so grateful for the help and of the community,” Krouse said.
Each “heartist” gets paid $2,000 for their work.
Krouse is honored to be a part of the project and share her optimistic vision.
“I just think bright colors make the world more beautiful and more interesting,” she remarked.
You can find more of her artwork on her website. She also has a solo show coming up at First Friday in the Crossroads on May 5 at Apex Art Space inside Crossroads Dentistry.
On Monday, the hearts will be placed downtown and on the Plaza. The locations were selected to reach the national audience expected for the NFL Draft. In May, they will be moved to more spread-out locations in the region. In August, the hearts will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting local nonprofits.
This year’s selected beneficiaries are The University of Kansas Health System, the Children’s Miracle Network and The Family Conservancy.
For the first time, the hearts will be on display to the public in a single place to view before they get spread across the region.
Details for Saturday’s preview event are below:
- 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- American Royal Hale Arena - Upper Exhibit Hall
- 1701 American Royal Court
- $5 per person
- Children ages 2 and under are free
The location can be a bit tricky to find, as the American Royal is underway in the same building. The best point of access is at the far south entrance to the building. The event is on the second level.
Next year, they’ll be back up to having 100+ hearts.
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