First look at 2024 Parade of Hearts: 100+ artists paint Kansas City with a harmony of colors

Kansas City artist Skiggity lives his life in vivid color, he shared, so it was only natural for his art — and his Parade of Hearts entry — to reflect that bright-eyed perspective.

Skiggity with his piece “Blurring Together” at the 2024 Parade of Hearts unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“I like vibrancy,” the muralist and digital artist explained. “I don’t really have a style. I like vibrant colors. I also like making people take a second look, no matter what I do. I just like the geometrics of everything.”

Skiggity’s “Blurring Together” heart was one of the 100 Parade of Hearts entries for 2024 that were unveiled Friday at American Royal Hale Arena. The five-foot heart art pieces are set to be on display across the city April 27 through August.

This is the third year for the Parade of Hearts, a community engagement initiative to inspire the region through art and philanthropy.

Click here to check out a gallery of 2024 Parade of Hearts designs and artists.

Parade of Hearts entries are seen during an unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“More than 475 unique submissions were received for consideration this year,” said Jenn Nussbeck, executive director for Parade of Hearts, in an October news release. “Our artists to date have done such incredible work and we’ve been honored to bring their designs to life.

From the archives: These iconic hearts are blank now, but a parade of artists is set to bring the KC landmarks back in 2023

Skiggity hand-mixed more than 400 colors for his heart, he noted, which is his first time being selected for the event.

“Blurring Together” at the 2024 Parade of Hearts unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“I love color,” he continued. “My friend is colorblind, and when we did his tests, I found out I have hyper-color sensitivity. So I see more colors than most people do. I just love color. I also dress colorfully.”

Skiggity with his piece “Blurring Together” at the 2024 Parade of Hearts unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

His heart, he shared, reflects his interpretation of Kansas City and the diverse backgrounds of its residents.

“The further you get away, it’ll flow together and be a gradient and harmony of colors,” he explained. “You can see the individualities of it, but the further you get away, it just becomes one Kansas City.”

Growing up in Kansas City, Skiggity said, he remembers the painted cow art pieces that previously dotted the city. And now he’s excited to be part of this newer public art installation.

“It’s cool to do our generation’s version of the cows, essentially,” he added. It’s very cool to be a part of it.”

John Pannell with his piece “Alley-Oop” at the 2024 Parade of Hearts unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“Alley-Oop” at the 2024 Parade of Hearts unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

KCK-based mix-media artist John Pannell’s entry — “Alley-Oop” — also evoked nostalgia. His pop art, graffiti-inspired heart is an ode to his childhood, especially playing basketball. The heart includes his birthdate on the marker, the Chicago Bulls’ three-peat years, and his daughter’s signature.

“As a child, I would doodle all over my desk, textbook, any and everything I could find,” he explained. “So I ran with that idea to just doodle and freehand the entire thing. And then to top it off, I put the giant, five-foot permanent marker on top, just to set off the entire design.”

Like Skiggity, this is Pannell’s first entry in the Parade of Hearts.

“It feels amazing,” he noted. “It’s my first time ever doing anything this big. So I’m really excited about that.”

Laura King and Dani Romay with their piece “Once Upon A City” at the 2024 Parade of Hearts unveiling event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Muralist and designer Dani Romay, however, is no stranger to the event, participating for her third year. It is the first time, though, she reeled her best friend — writer Laura King — into the “Once Upon A City” entry.

“We joined our two loves,” Romay noted of the heart, which features a story on the back about Kansas City that is written by King and illustrated by Romay, plus books that represent the six major genres of fiction, with KC-inspired titles and summaries done by King and covers designed by Romay.

“I love the community it builds and the way it gets the public involved with local artists,” Romay continued about the Parade of Hearts. “Very rarely do we actually get to meet people and see the community be so involved. So for me that’s a big deal.”

Check out a photo gallery below from Friday’s Parade of Hearts reveal.