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Day: June 19, 2026

Meet Melissa Ferrer Civil, KC’s first poet laureate who’s putting community first

Kansas City poet laureate Melissa Ferrer Civil will perform at Reclaiming The Canvas. Photography by Jeremy Theron Kirby.

(This story was originally published on January 24, 2025) Although she initially wanted to be a rapper like Missy Elliott, Kansas City’s first poet laureate, Melissa Ferrer Civil, discovered the magic of the written word through Maya Angelou’s poem, “I Will Rise.” Civil lost her older sister at 12, and it was in the wake… Continue reading Meet Melissa Ferrer Civil, KC’s first poet laureate who’s putting community first

Local Artists Put Their Creative Touch on the World Cup

Phil Shafer Lawn Design.

From posters, T-shirts and street murals to sculptures, yard art and stickers to, well, a ton of cool stuff, Kansas City artists have turned the world’s biggest sporting event into a citywide canvas for creative endeavors. A few artistic highlights: