Artsy Alley

09/29/2026

The seasons are changing, but Artsy Alley is still buzzing with life! 🌸🦋 Butterflies and other pollinators keep stopping by the flowers, making the alley even more beautiful. We love seeing all the life these blooms bring! ❤️

09/28/2026

Artsy Alley is still a pit stop for pollinators! 🦋

You can tell the season is winding down. The flowers are losing some of their luster, but they’re still busy with monarchs, other butterflies, bees, and even pollinating flies stopping by. 🌼🐝

Some of the monarchs have worn wings, and a few are even missing pieces. They’ve already traveled so far, with more miles to go on their way to Mexico. It’s amazing to watch them soak up the last bit of sunlight in the alley while the other pollinators make the most of what’s still blooming. 🧡

09/08/2026

Two more little adorable cans for the Riverfront Trail!!! 🐦🎨🌼

Things like this just make me smile. ❤️ It’s funny how the smallest things can bring you so much joy… because I definitely never thought trash cans would be one of mine. 😂

So now I have to know, what’s one random little thing that makes YOU smile? 😊

Apparently mine is painting ridiculously cute trash cans. Lol!

09/04/2026

🐦🎨 A Little Bird Art Is Landing Along the Riverfront! 🎨🐦

It’s probably no secret that I LOVE finding fun little ways to add art to our community. 🥰 And one idea I’ve been obsessing over for quite a while is turning our plain blue trash cans along the Riverfront Trail into a Birds of Missouri series!

I’m an absolute bird fanatic, and the riverfront just felt like the perfect home for this project. ❤️ Sitting along the Missouri River and right in the middle of a major migration pathway, our riverfront is such an important habitat and stopping place for so many different birds throughout the year. It’s truly one of the gems of our community, and I thought it deserved some cute trash cans to match. 🐦

I actually dreamed up this project before Theo (my 4 yr old) was diagnosed with cancer back in March. Needless to say, life took a pretty big detour, and my little bird cans sat on the back burner for a while.

But lately I’ve finally been able to sneak in some time and get back to painting them, and it feels SO good to see this idea finally coming to life. ❤️

My hope is that these little pops of art will be sprinkled all along the trail, each featuring a different bird you might spot right here in Missouri. Nothing too fancy… just something a little prettier than a plain blue trash can and hopefully something that makes you smile while you’re out enjoying the riverfront. 🥰

So if you’re walking the trail and spot one of my little bird cans, take a picture, say hello to your favorite bird, or just enjoy the unexpected splash of art. 🐦🌼

They’re cute. They’re fun. And hopefully they make our already beautiful riverfront just a tiny bit more colorful. ❤️🎨

Because apparently even trash cans deserve a makeover. 😂

08/15/2026

Wait… our little neighborhood alley just won an AWARD?! 🥹🎨🌻

Artsy Alley was named the 2026 East Central Region winner for Show Me Neighborhood Art Month by University of Missouri Extension! 🏆

What started as a little creativity tucked into an ordinary alley has turned into something so much bigger, neighbors connecting, people stopping to look, conversations starting, and our little corner of Washington becoming a place people actually come to see. ❤️

And one line from the media release says it perfectly: public art can do so much more than beautify a neighborhood, it can bring people together and create a sense of belonging.

That’s exactly what Artsy Alley has become. 🌻🎨

Pretty cool for “just an alley.” 🥹

07/13/2026