Arts Council of Johnson County

06/18/2026

The Arts Council of Johnson County is excited to announce the 2026 Fine Arts College Fair! This college fair istaking place on September 23 from 6pm to 8pm at the beautiful Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center.

The Fine Arts College Fair is designed to connect students with colleges, universities, and conservatories that offer programs in visual arts, music, theatre, dance, design, and related creative fields. Through one-on-one conversations with admissions representatives, students can learn about portfolio requirements, audition processes, scholarships, campus resources, and career pathways in the arts directly from the source.

There will also be additional presentations covering topics such as financial aid.
Mark your calendars! Student registration will be released soon.

06/12/2026

🎨🗳️ The Johnson County Election Office is excited to announce the winners of our first-ever “I Voted” Sticker Contest! Students and residents from across Johnson County submitted designs celebrating voting, civic engagement, and community pride. The Election Office was proud to partner with the Arts Council of Johnson County, whose members assisted in reviewing and selecting this year's winning designs.

Congratulations to our 2026 winners:

🏆 Ages 5–10: Kaliyah
🏆 Ages 11–14: Kiera
🏆 Ages 15–17: Helina
🏆 Ages 18+: Justin
🏆 Overall Winner: Ian

Yesterday, the winners were recognized during a special ceremony, where Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab presented each winner with a challenge coin in recognition of their outstanding artwork and civic spirit.

The winning sticker designs will be distributed randomly to voters who cast a ballot in Johnson County throughout the year. You never know which design you might receive when you vote!

We're also excited to announce that the “I Voted” Sticker Contest will become an annual tradition, featuring a new set of winning designs each year.

Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations again to our winners! We look forward to seeing what Johnson County creates next year.

06/10/2026

Canvas Collective, led by art therapist Kaley Wajcman and artist Justin Border served as an introduction to the world of air-dried clay!

From animal figurines to tiny magnets, participants could create anything their imagination dreamed of!

Our last Canvas Collective happens this Friday, June 12! Join us and explore different artforms with us!

06/02/2026

At our last Canvas Collective workshop, we had a great time exploring the art of needle felting!

Needle felting is an art where you sculpt wool into 2D art pieces or 3D objects by poking the wool with a special barbed needle.

This was many of our participants first time engaging with needle pringing and it was a hit! If you would like to join us and explore different artforms in a safe and friendly come join us at Canvas Collective!

Our next workshop will be held this Thursday, June 4th from 2pm-4pm at the Sunset Building. This is a free activity for the community and all materials are included! Register at the link here: https://form.jotform.com/artsjoco/2026-canvas-collective

05/31/2026

Artists, we’d love to share your work with our Merriam community. 🎨 Apply now to be part of the 2027 exhibits at the Tim Murphy Art Gallery and help brighten our welcoming, tight-knit city with your creativity.

Apply by July 29, 2026, and learn more at merriam.org/TMAG

05/21/2026

This week, The Arts Council of Johnson County was able to enthusiatically participate in the unveiling of the 2026 Juneteenth Design.

In partnership with Johnson County, we worked to create an open call for artists that celebrates Juneteenth through the unifying language of soccer. Artists were encouraged to interpret Juneteenth not only as a historical moment, but as a living and evolving story that connects local Black American history to the global community.

Daniel Montoute answered the call. His belief that Juneteenth represents not only a historical moment of liberation but an ongoing story of movement, progress, and collective identity. This inspired his piece "Field of Dreams". This work of art will be featured on buses, bus shelters, as well as be featured at community events. To learn about Daniel and his work, head to this link: https://www.jocogov.org/juneteenth

05/18/2026

A new collection of art is now on display in the Johnson County Administration Building, through the county’s partnership with InterUrban ArtHouse on a rotating art exhibition.

05/05/2026

Canvas Collective, our bold community initiative designed to foster connection, combat social isolation, and strengthen personal well-begin had its first community workshop.

With guidance from local art therapist Kaley, Wajcman and local artist Justin Border, participants were able to try their hand at gelli plate printing.

Our partners at Johnson County’s Aging and Human Services department even joined in on the fun!

Our next community workshop will be held May 20 and we have a few slots open. To register, please click the link in our bio.

See you at the next workshop!

04/28/2026

Get to know Canvas Collective!

Canvas Collective is a community development project that harnasses the power of collective artmaking to inspire strength , connection, and well-being.

This is a FREE opportunity for local creatives. These workshops will be led by arts professionals and culminate in a self-curated exhibit. Anyone can participate and you do not need to be a professional or working artist to join us! All workshops are 18+.

Learn more and register by May 1st here: https://form.jotform.com/artsjoco/2026-canvas-collective

04/27/2026

Tomorrow! Our friends at Artskc - Regional Arts Council are hosting a free Public Aart Readiness program - 5:30 - 7 pm

Public Art Readiness Program

ArtsKC is launching a new public-facing session as part of the Creative Leaders Program – Civic Practice Track, designed to help artists better understand how to navigate public art opportunities and engage with municipal processes.

📅 Tuesday, April 28
🕠 5:30–7:00 PM
📍 ArtsKC Gallery + virtual option

This session is designed to remove common barriers that prevent artists from pursuing public art opportunities, especially confusion around city processes, eligibility requirements, and application expectations. Through a practical, plain-language discussion, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of how public art systems work and how to prepare before opportunities arise.

We’ll cover:
• How Calls for Artists and RFPs function within municipal systems
• Common eligibility and compliance requirements
• What it means to remain eligible with KCMO and other municipalities
• How proposals are reviewed and evaluated
• What to expect after being awarded a public art commission
• Where to go for clarification and support

Featuring perspectives from across the public art ecosystem:
▪️Phil Shafer (local artist & muralist),
▪️James Martin (Public Art Administrator, City of Kansas City, Missouri)
▪️Ann Holliday (Executive Director, Art in the Loop)
Tiffany Meesha Thompson (Founding Director, Petrichor Projects & public art consultant),

Part of the Creative Leaders Civic Practice learning series focused on building civic readiness for artists. More sessions coming soon, including:
• A policy-focused discussion on Missouri’s state budget and its impact on arts funding
• A practical workshop on contracts and agreements for artists

❣️This program will be relevant to all artists, whether or not you live in Kansas City, Mo. All artists welcome!