Muralist Sike Style tapped to bring Buck O’Neil’s legacy to life along bridge honoring KC baseball icon

A new mural project honoring legendary baseball player Buck O’Neil not only helps capture the spirit of a Kansas City icon, artist Phil “Sike Style” Shafer said; it bridges a cross-generational legacy for the barrier-breaking sports icon.

Phil “Sike Style” Shafer, Sike Style Industries

“Meeting Buck O’Neil at the K was a moment I’ll never forget,” said Shafer, a renowned Kansas City muralist and lifelong fan. “My father made sure we understood that Buck was more than a baseball legend — he was a gentleman, a leader, and a bridge for our community. It’s an honor to celebrate his legacy and contribute to Kansas City’s public art landscape.”

Shafer recently was selected by the The Missouri Department of Transportation District (MoDOT) Buck O’Neil Bridge Project Team, Massman Clarkson Joint Venture — in partnership with Art in the Loop Foundation — to create a mural on the new Buck O’Neil Bridge in downtown Kansas City.

The artist’s work — known for its vibrant depictions of life in Kansas City — already is under way on a retaining wall at the south end of the bridge at the intersection of Broadway Ave. and 3rd St.

Click here to learn more about Sike Style.

Renamed in 2016, the John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Memorial Bridge (Buck O’Neil Bridge), carries U.S. Highway 169 over the Missouri River and serves as a key regional connection between downtown Kansas City and communities north of the river.

Phil “Sike Style” Shafer and a team from Sike Style Industries work on a mural along the south end of the Buck O’Neil Bridge; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

MoDOT and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum — located not far away in Kansas City’s historic 18th & Vine Jazz District — had the opportunity to collaborate throughout the process of the naming, groundbreaking, and opening of the Buck O’Neil Bridge.

Buck O’Neil in 2006; file photo courtesy of KCUR

“Buck O’Neil embodied the heart and soul of Kansas City,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “While his legacy plays on at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, projects like his new bridge and now this exciting artistic tribute, makes a generational connection that is tremendously important in our ongoing efforts to ensure that he will never be forgotten.”

Click here to read more about Buck O’Neil — who played, managed, coached, scouted and served as a baseball executive for nearly eight decades — from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The artist selection process was led by Art in the Loop and began in the Spring 2024. As part of the selection process, a panel of artists, curators, and community members reviewed proposals from twenty-three local artists and selected four finalists to present their concepts.

Sike Style was selected for his ability to blend historical significance with modern vibrancy.

“The Art in the Loop Foundation is proud to facilitate a process that elevates the voices of local artists and reflects the creativity and diversity of Kansas City,” said Ann Holliday, executive director of the Art in the Loop Foundation. “This mural will not only beautify the new Buck O’Neil Bridge but also serve as a powerful symbol of unity and progress.”

John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Memorial Bridge (Buck O’Neil Bridge), photographed in February 2024; image courtesy of MoDOT

The new Buck O’Neil Bridge was opened in late 2024. It is anticipated to last for 100 years or more and will require much less costly maintenance, according to the Downtown Council of Kansas City, Missouri. It will provide direct connections from I-35 to U.S. 169, dedicated lanes to downtown Kansas City, a new bike/pedestrian lane, access improvements at the downtown airport, and a scenic overlook with benches.

“The completion of the bridge provides better connectivity to the entire region, as well as commuters and others driving on the city streets,” said James Pflum, MoDOT project director. “The unique opportunity to add a mural highlighting the legacy of Buck O’Neil and the community is a representation of the connection of transportation and art in real life, both designed to add to the betterment of those who use and see it every day.”