See our video announcement on YouTube  which includes pictures of the winners. University of Missouri Extension has announced the winners of the 2026 Show Me Neighborhood Art Month, celebrating a record-breaking year that brought together artists, neighborhoods, businesses, and communities across Missouri. Now in its third year, Show Me Neighborhood Art Month encourages residents of all ages and artistic abilities to create and display artwork that strengthens community pride, enhances public spaces, and helps neighbors feel more connected to the places they call home. The program's vision is simple: promote creative expression and public art created by residents as a way to build a stronger sense of place and belonging. The 2026 event established new participation records with 118 registered art sites across Missouri and 1,324 public votes cast on the art. In addition, 82 percent of participants reported that participating increased their sense of belonging and love for their comm...

Sometimes a national conversation confirms something you've suspected all along. I recently listened to an NPR interview titled The Safety and Power of Knowing Your Neighbors . While the discussion covered everything from loneliness to neighborhood gatherings, two guests in particular stood out to me.  Marc Dunkelman, author of The Vanishing Neighbor , and community builder Sam Pressler offered insights that should matter to anyone who cares about stronger neighborhoods. Their observations did not feel abstract or academic. They described many of the same changes I have seen across Missouri and the same opportunities that continue to emerge when ordinary people choose to become engaged neighbors. Perhaps the biggest lesson is this:  Neighboring did not disappear by accident. It slowly changed as our culture changed. Dunkelman explained that earlier generations generally assumed they would know the people living nearby. Somewhere during the late twentieth century our definition...

One of the greatest challenges facing neighborhoods today is not that we disagree. It is that we have forgotten how to stay in conversation with one another. A new report from the Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) offers an important lesson for anyone who cares about building stronger neighborhoods.  How to Talk Bridgey 2.0 isn't really about politics. At its heart, it is about communication. It explores how certain words invite people into conversation while other words unintentionally push people away. The report argues that thoughtful language helps people remain connected even when they see the world differently. That idea fits perfectly with what I have learned from studying neighboring over the past decade. Healthy neighborhoods are not built because everyone agrees. They are built because people choose to keep talking. Neighboring Is About Building Bridges, Not Winning Arguments One of the report's strongest messages is that "talking bridgey" do...

Senior housing communities are full of life stories, talents, and quiet wisdom — yet they can also become places where residents feel alone or unnoticed. Recently, residents here experienced the shock of learning that a neighbor passed away and went unmissed for days. That experience shook people — not only because someone died, but because no one knew. No one wants that to happen to them. And the good news is: it doesn’t have to. Strong neighboring is not about being nosy or intrusive. It’s about making sure no one disappears, no one suffers alone, and no one feels like they have to sleep in a lobby to be seen. What Is Neighboring? Neighboring is the art and skill of building positive relationships with the people who live closest to you. Essentially it is a reminder to learn the names of the people living around us, use the names of those around us, and host small gatherings. It’s made up of small gestures that say: “You matter here.” “Someone sees you.” “You won’t go thr...