Join us for the 2022 Art Annual Friday April 29th through Sunday, May 1st, 2022!
The Art Annual is celebrating its 36th year in 2022 and returns to its regular spring schedule. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate one of the KC metro’s largest annual attractions right here in Brookside. Located in an eclectic neighborhood in the center of Kansas City, Brookside is just minutes from downtown, the Plaza and the southern suburbs. This is the first art show of the year and draws thousands of people from across the region. The focus of the show is on ART! This community loves art shows and it consistently ranks in the top 25 shows according to Art Source. Art Source quote “This is a very pleasant, national caliber event attracting an affluent, enthusiastic and knowledgeable clientele.”
The Brookside Art Annual is hosted by the Brookside Business Association (BBA). The BBA is a non-profit organization of merchants working to promote and improve the community in the heart of Kansas City. Dominated by quaint neighborhoods, the Brookside neighborhood becomes the center of the Midwest art community each May. The Brookside Art Annual is known for its festive atmosphere, hospitality, and convenience, and has become a must-attend event for artists and art seekers alike.
The show is located at 63rd and Brookside Boulevard (one block east of Wornall) between 63rd Street and Meyer Boulevard. The annual show includes children’s activities on Saturday and Sunday, including face painting, arts and crafts, balloon animals and more. And while you’re at the show enjoy some of the best Brookside has to offer at our Art Annual food booths – local restaurants serve up a variety of delicious food and drink options ranging from savory burgers to street tacos, kettle corn to ice cream, and wine to fresh-squeezed lemonade. There’s something for everyone!
2022 Featured Artist, Jennifer Cavan
Each year an artist is selected to prepare featured artwork that will represent the Brookside Art Annual. The 2022 featured artist is returning artist Jennifer Cavan of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jennifer is a crowd favorite and was a 2021 Drawing & Pastel category award winner. Her oil pastels are bright, vibrant, and captivating. Although the 2022 artwork isn’t of a rural Missouri or Kansas skyline, the timeless night scene draws you into what many could easily envision as home.
“Relying on photographs, sketches, and memories of places I have found along the back roads of the American West, I use vibrant, saturated colors, bold compositions, and slightly altered perspectives to present, rather than represent, this special place. My “rose-colored glasses” interpret the scenes with heightened color. Mine is a contemporary depiction of an ageless place.”
After spending the early part of her adult life in the corporate world, Jennifer followed her love of art when New Mexico’s clarity of light, rich feeling of tradition, and strong sense of place pulled her “home.” She and her husband quit corporate jobs and moved to the mountains of northern New Mexico. “Shortly thereafter, I began working with oil pastels. Twenty years later, they are still my favorite medium. The buttery feel and the directness of applying the pigment without the go-between of a brush continue to fuel my love for these buttery crayon-like sticks.”
Visit Jennifer at Booth #52 near the intersection of 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard to see her magnificent original works. Her work is also featured on the 2022 show poster, shirts and cards which are available to purchase at the merchandise booth nearby, or at the information Booth at 63rd and Brookside Plaza. Learn more about Jennifer and her work here.
2022 Art Annual Show Hours:
Friday, April 29th, 5pm – 9pm
Saturday, April 30th, 10am – 9pm
Sunday, May 1st, 11am – 5pm
More Art Annual Info
Children’s Activities:
The show includes children’s activities all weekend long. Starting Friday night the kiddos can have their face painted, and request their favorite balloon art for a nominal fee. The fun continues Saturday and Sunday with more face painting and balloons, and free arts and crafts hosted by Research Medical Center, Cosentino’s Price Chopper, APLOMB Martial Arts, and others. Come join the fun north of the tennis courts in Brookside Court Park, and just steps away from the information booth at 63rd and Brookside Plaza.
The Culinary Arts:
While you’re at the Art Annual we encourage you to take a break and enjoy some of the best food Brookside has to offer at our Art Annual food booths – local restaurants serve up a variety of delicious food, drink, and dessert options. From favorites like burgers and fries to vegetarian offerings like falafel, adult beverages to fresh-squeezed lemonade, and ice cream to kettle corn, no matter what your tastes, there’s something for everyone! Food booths are open during show hours and generally take cash or credit card, but see booths for details. Need cash – see our list of local banks and ATMs below.
Art Annual Commemorative Items
Visit the information booth near the corner of 63rd and Brookside Plaza (near Starbucks) or the merchandise booth near the intersection of 63rd and Brookside Blvd. Shirts, hats, posters and note cards are available with the 2022 featured artwork by oil pastel artist Jennifer Cavan. Shirts are $20, hoodies are $40, hats are $20, note cards are $10, and posters are $5. Jennifer will be on site in booth #52 to sign 2022 Brookside Art Annual posters. Limited quantities of commemorative items from past shows will also be available including posters, cards and shirts. Quantities are limited so grab them while you can. Unless sold out, items are available during Art Annual hours: Friday, April 29, 5pm-9pm; Saturday, April 30, 10am-9pm; and Sunday, May 1, 11am-5pm.
Volunteer at the Art Annual
The Art Annual is a top KC attraction and takes a lot of volunteers to operate. If you’ve spoken with anyone who has volunteered in the past, you’ll hear about how much fun the show is and how volunteering is a great way to meet and connect with others while helping out. We’d love to have you join us for 2022. During the show, volunteers help us make the artists and patrons feel welcome, make sure everything runs smoothly, and help ensure we have a first-class experience. As a thank you, volunteers receive a commemorative Art Annual shirt. Interested? Email staff@brooksideKC.org(link sends e-mail) or call 816-523-5553. Limited spaces are available.
Restrooms & Hand Washing:
Portable restrooms and handwashing stations are located at the north (63rd Street) and south (Meyer Blvd) ends of the show. Accessible restrooms are located at the north (63rd Street) end of the show, next to the bus stop.
Banks & ATMs:
Brookside is home to three major banks, all with ATMs.
- Bank Midwest, 6249 Brookside Blvd (63rd and Brookside Blvd)
- Commerce Bank, 6336 Brookside Plaza (Meyer and Brookside Plz)
- BOK Financial, 7 W 62nd Ter (62nd Ter and Main)
ATMs are also available at the following:
- Cosentino’s Market in Brookside, 14 W 62nd Terr
- Cosentino’s Price Chopper, 6327 Brookside Plaza
- CVS Pharmacy, 6244 Brookside Blvd
Mail & Shipping:
Purchased art but aren’t sure how to get it home safely, or what to send it to someone special. No worries. Brookside has plenty of options to mail or ship your new treasures.
- Country Club Post Office, 108 W 63rd St
- Mail Pkgs Etc., 6300 Main St
- The UPS Store, 6320 Brookside Plz
Framing & Matting Services:
Need your new artwork framed before you take it home? Do it in Brookside. Many artists carry unframed works and prints, and the Brookside Art Annual also sells commemorative show posters and cards suitable for framing. Good news – Brookside can help prepare your art for display at home or work.
- Brookside Gallery and Framing, 114 W 63rd St
- a store named STUFF, 316 W 63rd St
Other resources in the Brookside Shops:
Need anything else while you’re at the show? Brookside likely has what you need. From wrapping paper to gift cards, and sunglasses to organic sunscreen, you’ll likely to find just what you need while you’re visiting Brookside. Looking for something? Use the following links for a directory of businesses by category.
Explore Brookside:
The historic Brookside Shops are a favorite Kansas City destination, a star of the greater Brookside area, and home to many unique and wonderful shops, restaurants and services. Be sure to stroll through the shops while you’re in Brookside. From children’s clothing and toys, hand-made candles, the latest fashion, personal care products and services, to your everyday needs from the pharmacy, grocery store or hardware store, you can find almost anything in the Brookside Shops. A diamond in the city for over 100 years, the historic Brookside shops have served the community since 1919. Hundreds of business owners have started their dreams in Brookside and served thousands of customers with a friendly smile and the kind of customer service only a neighbor can provide. The boundaries of the Brookside CID are Wornall Road to the west, Main Street to the east, 62nd Terrace to the north, and Meyer Blvd to the south. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
2022 Brookside Art Annual Title Sponsor:
HCA Midwest Health – Research Medical Center Brookside Campus
2022 Brookside Art Annual Supporting Sponsors:
Cosentino’s Price Chopper
Cosentino’s Brookside Market
First Washington Realty
