Show Me Neighborhood Art Month Announces Record Participation and 2026 Award Winners


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 community. 

"Those numbers represent significant growth over previous years and demonstrate the growing impact of neighborhood based public art throughout the state," said David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

Show Me Neighborhood Art Month traces its roots to LAWN (Lawn Art With Neighbors), a grassroots initiative developed started in Springfield in 2020 that demonstrated how neighborhood art could spark conversations, friendships, and community pride.

Regional winners for 2026 include:

Northeast Region: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Art Collage by Amy Parris of Columbia.

Northwest Region: Rosie the Riveter by Ray Harvey of Concordia.

Southeast Region: Patriotic Dinosaurs, organized by Becky Trehy of Marble Hill.

Southwest Region: Love Your Neighbor by Janelle Patterson of Springfield.

Urban East Region: Rock Flower Garden by Amanda Lovell of Wentzville.

Urban West Region: Fairy Garden by Jenni Edwards of Lee's Summit.

West Central Region: Barrel of Monkeys by Jim Cox in Sedalia.

East Central Region: Artsy Alley by Deaneal Mcafoos of Washington.

This year's Judges' Choice Awards were presented to Mark Walter of Excelsior Springs for Please Remove Your Shoes and Kristina Tilley of Goodman for Wind Horse.

The Youth Art Award was presented to 14-year-old Hector Garcia of Princeton for his collection of community murals.

The program's highest honor, the Best of Show Award, was presented to the Route 66 Sculptures, a collaborative collection of works by various artists produced by Heidi Herman Bacon of Springfield.

"Public art does much more than beautify neighborhoods," said Burton. "When neighbors create something together or display artwork that invites people to stop, look, and talk, they strengthen relationships and build a deeper sense of belonging. That's what Show Me Neighborhood Art Month is really about."

The program is coordinated by University of Missouri Extension and invites communities of every size to participate. Organizers hope the growing interest in neighborhood art will continue inspiring communities to use creativity as a tool for building stronger neighborhoods throughout Missouri.

For more information about Show Me Neighborhood Art Month or next year's participation opportunities, visit MU Extension online.

Check out this special blog post that includes links to our statewide map, the voting link, and eight different blog posts about some of this years art!


WRITTEN BY

David L. Burton

For more information, visit the Engaged Neighbor website. Take our pledge and become part of a movement! Or subscribe to our newsletter. Access some of the research documents written by David Burton, the author of this blog. Or better yet, purchase one of his books off Amazon. Contact David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.

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