05/18/2026
🌍✨ BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ✨🌍
JuneteenthKC is incredibly excited and honored to officially announce our partnership with Johnson County, Kansas for the 2026 Juneteenth Artist Amplification & Transit Campaign! 🙌🏾🎨🚌
This historic collaboration represents an amazing opportunity for our region to come together across state lines to celebrate culture, creativity, community, and Black excellence while proudly showcasing Kansas City before an INTERNATIONAL audience during the FIFA World Cup 2026 season! ⚽🌎
As part of this exciting initiative, commissioned artwork from featured artist Daniel Montoute will be displayed across Johnson County Transit buses, bus shelters, and high-traffic transit corridors throughout the region beginning June 1st! His powerful artwork reflects themes of resilience, identity, culture, and community—and we are proud to help elevate his work on such a major platform. 👏🏾🔥
Even more exciting… JuneteenthKC will OFFICIALLY host a promotional booth space at Union Station during the FIFA activation periods:
📍 June 11th–14th
📍 July 2nd–5th
📍 July 9th–12th
During these activations, our organization will proudly promote:
✨ Official JuneteenthKC Celebration Activities
✨ Community Partner Events
✨ Cultural Activations within the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District
✨ Regional Tourist Attractions & Experiences
✨ Kansas City’s rich African American history, culture, and legacy
To be able to proudly represent our community, our culture, and the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District in front of thousands of visitors and international guests is truly an incredible opportunity—and we do not take this moment lightly. ❤️🖤💚
The campaign will feature:
🚌 7 Bus Exterior Wraps
📍 25 Interior Transit Placements
🚏 Bus Shelter Placements at Oak Park Mall, 75th & Metcalf, and locations throughout the Metcalf corridor
📲 Dedicated QR Codes connecting audiences directly to JuneteenthKC programming, community events, and cultural experiences
This partnership is a powerful example of what can happen when culture, creativity, tourism, and community engagement come together to create regional impact.
📣 INTERESTED IN PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES?
Businesses, organizations, tourist attractions, cultural institutions, and community partners interested in being featured or sharing FIFA-related activations are encouraged to connect with us!
📧 Email: [email protected]
Kansas City… WE’RE ABOUT TO SHOW THE WORLD WHO WE ARE! 🌍🔥
Daniel’s Artwork Description:
Field of dreams
Acrylic on Canvas
36x48
This piece centers on a young Black child seated at the edge of a soccer field, positioned at the halfway point toward the goal. That placement is intentional. The field becomes a metaphor for the ongoing journey of freedom. Juneteenth marks a real and historic liberation, but it also points to the work that continues beyond that moment. We are no longer where we were, but we are not yet where we are meant to be.
The lines of the field remain crisp and clearly defined, representing the systems and structures we still move within. They create order, but they also mark boundaries that must be understood and navigated. In contrast, the surrounding landscape opens into a field of wild growth. That space reflects resilience, expansion, and the ability to endure and grow even in conditions that were not designed for us.
The child sits within both of these realities. The white garments remain intact despite the environment, symbolizing dignity, identity, and a sense of self that is not diminished by circumstance. The soccer ball rests in their lap as a quiet but important presence. It speaks to something often overlooked, that freedom is not only survival, but the ability to rest, to play, and to exist fully in everyday life.
The child’s gaze is directed upward toward the light, where a single sunflower rises above the rest. It stands as a symbol of strength and endurance, but also of direction. It draws the eye forward and upward, reinforcing a sense of hope, movement, and purpose.
The piece is meant to hold that tension. It acknowledges what has been gained, honors what it cost, and points toward what is still being built.
