Kansas City Art Institute students work to complete a mural that helps identify this trailer as the home for the Cliff Drive goat herd. This project began on April 24 and should be completed this week. | Photo by Dorri Partain

Dorri Partian

Managing Editor

Along the serene roadways of Kessler Park’s Cliff Drive, a neighborhood mural project has expanded its boundaries as Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) students complete two projects prior to graduation.

Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association’s Fairy Lights & Murals project has previously focused on providing art, improving lighting and offering a sense of security to neighborhood alleyways. This spring, in a partnership with Pendleton Heights , KCAI Illustration students and Jerusalem Farm, a new mural has enveloped a more three dimensional item — a trailer that houses a herd of goats.

Jerusalem Farm’s Goat Local program — introduced in August 2023 — oversees a herd of goats to help eradicate invasive plant species in Kessler Park, namely along the roadways of Cliff Drive. This trailer provides 24/7 protection for these goats, especially during inclement weather. The goats have access to the trailer during the day, then are safely locked inside from dusk until dawn.

The sight of this trailer parked inside the gates of Cliff Drive, which has been closed to vehicular traffic for multiple years, has caused speculation on social media that perhaps someone is camping there and has spawned multiple inquiries.

Hector Casanova, Pendleton Heights (PH) resident and KCAI Illustration associate professor, noted in an interview the irony that he wasn’t aware of the trailer — or goat herd — at one time but now he’s overseeing these students as they design and complete this mural.

KCAI seniors Jay Williamson, Caroline Cramer and Ella Hourigan said they submitted several designs in February, which were modified to the final motif. They began the project on April 24 and expect to add the final touches on May 15. This design includes the Jerusalem Farm logo and leaves space for additional signage that will outline the Goat Local program.

In an on-site interview, Thursday, Williamson stated that the leaves and flowers within the design were taking longer than anticipated. The trio also has to contend with flies, mosquitos and the occasional goat jumping around inside the trailer.

Jerusalem Farm founder Jordan Schiele said in an interview that approving the project and design was an “of course” moment.

“It’s a blessing to have Hector and these students working to beautify the neighborhood,” Scheile said. “This makes it (the trailer) more special and beautiful.”

Included in this project, Williamson, Cramer and Hourigan were asked to design a motif for the Hackberry Stage in Maple Park (1832 E. Missouri Ave). Nestled between shady Hackberry trees, this concrete pad was poured last summer, with the intent to create an interactive area for children.

This black-and-white design motif — resembling a stained glass window where children can color inside the “window” spaces — will cover both the 16 by 16 foot “stage” and an 18 foot pathway that leads from the roadway to the stage. Text painted on the walkway denotes that area as “Hackberry Stage.”

In an email, Linda Fleishman, coordinator for the PH Fairy Lights & Murals project, said, “In addition to identifying the stage area, the mural will feature a design encouraging children to engage with it using sidewalk chalk. This interactive element offers a constructive activity for little ones, potentially allowing parents and older siblings to relax at the adjacent picnic tables or participate in sports nearby without constant worry about wandering children. Our observations during brainstorming sessions confirmed this need, as we noted parents occasionally interrupting their gatherings to attend to bored young children.”

In the past year, Maple Park has experienced various improvements — including new trees and picnic tables- making this park a more pleasant area to visit.

“The ongoing progress in Maple Park has been made possible in part by a generous grant from Community Capital Funds. Arthur Curiel, on behalf of the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association, spearheaded the proposal that secured this crucial funding, which is truly a cornerstone of the park’s ongoing evolution,”  Fleishman said.

Completion of Hackberry Stage and the goat trailer murals will be the final project for Williamson, Cramer and Hourigan as they graduate from KCAI on May 17.

For more information about Jerusalem Farm’s Goat Local project and previous Northeast News coverage, visit https://northeastnews.net/pages/munching-goats-to-assist-with-cliff-drive-overgrowth/.

For more information about PH Fairy Lights & Murals and previous Northeast News coverage, visit https://northeastnews.net/pages/sage-alley-to-expand-mural-collection-accepting-suggestions/.