Kanbe’s Markets and Kansas City Art Institute Unveil WELLUSTRATIONS: A Public Art Collaboration for Community Nourishment

KANSAS CITY, MO — On June 20th, 2025, Kanbe’s Markets and the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) will debut the inaugural installation of WELLUSTRATIONS, a new community-centered initiative that brings together public art and wellness. The first piece will be displayed on a billboard at the corner of 63rd Street and Holmes in Brookside, adjacent to Billie’s Juicery.

WELLUSTRATIONS is rooted in the belief that food and art are powerful agents of connection. Whether through a shared meal or shared experience, these universal languages have the ability to break down barriers, spark dialogue, and foster collective wellbeing. In these moments of togetherness, we not only feed one another, but nourish what it means to truly live in community.

Led by Mary Kemper Wolf, WELLUSTRATIONS is envisioned as an ongoing series that celebrates collaboration and civic creativity among Kansas City’s institutions.

“I am honored to partner with KCAI and Kanbe’s on the inaugural WELLUSTRATIONS project. This initiative seeks to center well-being and community uplift through visual storytelling, emphasizing that access to both art and fresh produce is not only essential but profoundly transformative for individuals and communities alike.” – Mary Kemper Wolf

The debut billboard was created by Lynn Hopkins, a senior Illustration major at KCAI, through the school’s Micro Agency Program—an immersive professional development course that connects students with real clients to develop purpose-driven campaigns. Hopkins’ vibrant, expressive work brings the mission of Kanbe’s Markets to life: to provide fresh, affordable produce to communities with limited access to healthy food.

“Kanbe's mission to provide accessible produce and mitigate food waste informed my process as I focused on the joy that healthy meals and a sense of community provide. I filled the children's faces with curiosity to encourage viewers to seek out fresh produce for themselves and their loved ones. I infused every brushstroke with color and expression to reflect the vibrancy of community life. It was a true pleasure collaborating with Kanbe's Markets, whose passion for the neighborhood reinforces my own.” – Lynn Hopkins

Founded in 2016, Kanbe’s Markets is a Kansas City-based nonprofit reimagining our food system by transforming food loss into food access. In 2025, Kanbe’s will rescue over 1.25 million pounds of fresh produce to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for more than 250,000 residents through a unique network of fresh food access points and hunger relief organizations across the Kansas City metro area.

This installation is more than art—it’s a love letter to Kansas City. It stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when organizations rooted in purpose come together in the name of access and community. Through WELLUSTRATIONS, Kanbe’s and KCAI invite the public to celebrate the beauty of collaboration and the promise of a more nourished, interconnected city.

This Project Is Kindly Made Possible By:

Butch Rigby and Byron Pendleton/Screenland Real Estate Services

Kerry and Matthew Adam

Mary Kemper Wolf

Kansas City Art Institute MICRO Agency Program
If you would like additional information about the MICRO Agency Program click here!