Raymore, MO
Greetings from Raymore, Missouri! This is our first official postcard mural in Missouri, marking our 28th state. Raymore, a suburb just south of Kansas City, is the fastest-growing community in Missouri (2024.) Melissa Harmer from the Raymore Arts Commission reached out to us in 2022, and after a long process, we’re excited to finally get paint on the wall.
Raymore’s own Harmon Tire Co. generously provided the wall for this mural. As the longest-running local business, this family-owned company has been serving the community since 1957. They also operate a gas station and convenience store in the same building. Working in the humid weather, we appreciated taking breaks in the store’s air conditioning and for their clerks keeping us hydrated throughout the week. Thank you, Harmon Tire Co.!
The official Greetings Tour all-star, David Wang, kicked off the project with help from local artist Brandon Epstein (Lovespac3). Together, they completed the background and much of the lettering before Victor arrived directly from a back-to-back project in Chicago. We are incredibly grateful for our dependable team and the opportunity to collaborate with new local artists everywhere we go.
Here’s a little bit more about the content that we included in the letters:
RA - Hawk Ridge Park is a nationally award-winning park spanning 79 acres. It features the fully accessible Hawk’s Nest Inclusive Playground, Johnston Lake, and various accessible amenities, including an amphitheater showcased in the mural's letters. Our Airbnb was just a few minutes from the park, so I had the opportunity to visit and enjoy the peaceful space.
Y - This letter is a collage of a few elements that includes the ADA accessible boardwalk at Johnston Lake, The Raymore-Peculiar Fathers (high school football) as well as some native flowers, Black-eyed Susans.
M - “The Seed” is a kinetic sculpture by artist Chet Redmon. It was one of the first public art pieces we saw in town while picking up paint from the local Sherwin Williams across the street. It’s always great to pay tribute to other artists in our art!
O - We made sure to feature Harmon Tire in the mural, along with the owner's old Chevy Chevelle, which used to be a familiar sight parked at the shop for years.
RE - As a subtle nod to history, we included the splash pad at T.B. Hanna Station Park, located at the site of the former Raymore train depot. This splash pad is the first universally accessible one in Missouri and one of the few in the country designed for people of all abilities.
Within hours of completing and clear-coating the mural, we held an official reveal ceremony. We were humbled by the strong community turnout to appreciate the artwork. The parents of Hunter Gibreal, who we painted in the “RE,” surprised him with his appearance in the mural. It was a lovely moment, and we are thrilled to have him included in this piece that will remain on the wall for a long time. Many people mentioned how the mural positively transformed the area already, which made us feel like we accomplished our goal.
Melissa Harmer speaking to the community at the mural reveal event
Bill Harmon of Harmon Tire Co.
Hunter Gibreal - Featured in RE of letters!
Samm Baughman Photographer
Thank you to everyone who made this project possible: Harmon Tire Co.; The Raymore Arts Commission; Melissa Harmer for coordinating and the final photos; Samm Baughman for documenting the process and event; David Wang and Brandon Epstein (Lovespac3) for helping with the painting; and Sherwin Williams, Lowe’s, and Montana Cans for their support with supplies that we couldn’t travel with.
“Our Greetings Tour mural has been received so well throughout the Raymore, Missouri, community. It perfectly represents some of the things our residents are most proud of and also showcases the community pride we’ve been wanting to share in Raymore. Victor did a wonderful and thorough job with planning, getting every detail right and communicating throughout the process. As this was the first mural project the Raymore Arts Commission was commissioning for the wall of a private business, rather than in a public park, our members knew we really had to hit it out of the park to please not only our residents, but the owners of Raymore’s longest running business – and Victor and his team did just that. We love our mural, we love what it represents and we love how it is bringing people together. ”
Letter Guide:
RA — Hawk Ridge Park Amphitheater
Y — Johnston Lake, Raymore-Peculiar Panthers, Black-eyed Susan
M — “The Seed” Sculpture by artist Chet Redmon
O — Harmon Tire, serving Raymore since 1957
RE — Variety KC Inclusive Sprayground at T. B. Hanna Station
Year: 2024
Mural Size: 11'H x 20' 6”W
Location: Harmon Tire @ 101 S Madison St, Raymore, MO 64083