06/01/2026
I'm going to get a little personal today. I’ve been keeping a secret from you for the past few months and I think it’s time to share… ☺️
As some of you know, last October we were unsure of the future of The Collective Heart. Owning a brick and mortar small business is HARD and sharing a business is even harder. We originally started with 3 woman-owned businesses sharing the home and vision of The Collective Heart. After a year of business, it was clear we needed to make some changes (for the better) for everyone involved.
The changes started in October with the hunt for additional partners and the possibility of becoming a nonprofit. But what you don’t know, is that at the very same time, I (Dawnua) had just been notified that I was one of 150 artists chosen, out of 500 submissions, for the 2026 Parade of Hearts art installation.
The design was submitted in July, announcements of artists shared in October and we picked up the heart in November! And at the same time, we were reworking everything tied to The Collective Heart. We closed our doors in December and with a new structure and plan in place, we started new partnerships, new layouts, new merchandising and pretty much painted every surface in the store!
One day would be spent at the store painting and reorganizing for 12 hours and the next day I would spend 12+ hours painting my heart during the coldest days of the year. Back and forth for several weeks. The Parade of Hearts project was very therapeutic for me as it gave me another chance to put something positive out into the world.
The design celebrated the diversity of our Kansas City region by featuring the word "Welcome" in 88 languages, along with American Sign Language and Braille. I wanted everyone who encountered the heart to feel seen, valued, and welcomed.
What makes the project even more meaningful to me is that the hand-drawn heart at the center of the design was originally created by my mother, a lifelong art teacher who spent more than 30 years encouraging creativity in others. That same heart element was integral to The Collective Heart Creative's logo and remains a reminder of why creativity matters so much to me.
It feels fitting that I finished the Parade of Hearts project THE SAME DAY that we relaunched the store as The Collective Heart Creative, Inc. While these were two separate milestones in my life, they are really a part of the same journey.
Watching people experience my Kansas City Has Heart piece was moving in ways I never expected. I got emotional watching parents introduce their kids to ASL and practice the letters that spelled "Welcome." Another teenager checked my Braille to read “Welcome” and several people stopped to search the heart for their native language. The joy they experienced once they found it was contagious.
It was a good reminder for me that art has the power to help people feel seen.
Today, Kansas City Has Heart is on display at Knuckleheads in Kansas City as part of the Parade of Hearts exhibition and auction. If you'd like to learn more about the story behind the heart, I've shared the full story on our website and will link in the comments. And if you are interested in bidding on my heart or any of the other amazing hearts, I will share that link too.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this creative journey—from my family who helped paint it, to every artist, student, volunteer, and supporter who has become part of The Collective Heart Creative's story. ❤️
