When The Guild KC first opened its freshly-updated doors in the Crossroads Arts District in 2012 as a community hub and venue founded by and for creative spirits in our community, the neighborhood looked a lot different than it does now. In the ten that we’ve been here at 1621 Locust St., many amazing new creative endeavors and culture-minded local businesses—including our incredible neighbors and collaborators at Paradise Garden Club—have blossomed and thrived.

Local arts and culture have played a major role in that invigoration. In the time we’ve been here, the nearby Art Alley has transformed from a nondescript beige back alley to a vibrant corridor showcasing some of the best street art our city has to offer, while creator studios, gallery spaces and other cultural offerings have flourished from one block to the next. These streets have grown more lively and inspired as a result, with more people, more vents, more arts and murals, and more excitement than ever.

The Guild KC couldn’t be happier to see our neighborhood prosper. But even as the Arts District has grown in exciting and unbelievable new ways, from the perspective of a longtime neighbor, the Crossroads hasn’t changed as much as it might seem—because, to us, this this community has always been a shining example of the community, conviviality, creativity and the upstart spirit of Kansas City and its people. We’re just excited to be around to help our neighborhood live up to that amazing potential.

Since our founding by Kansas City Preservationists and full-time creators Lyndon & Lindsey Wade and Judy Rush, The Guild KC has embodied the unique local character of the Crossroads Arts District at the very heart of who we are. We’ve upheld our ethos of building up the Kansas City creative community through accessible, integrative programming at every turn. The Guild KC has hosted and funded hundreds of arts- and culture-centric events, while at the same time offering support and opportunities to local businesses and individual makers, performers, and community builders alike.

Just this year, our team and space have hosted art shows, ceramics and apparel pop-ups, creative chats, live music, meditation classes, photo shoots, craft fairs and more. As part of our community-building mission, we’ve also worked to introduce the arts to new audiences and foster culture in every part of our experience; through a many-faceted approach to event planning and community organization, we’ve incorporated arts and cultural experiences into the farm, food, retail and service vendors we’ve featured, the wedding and commercial gatherings we host, and more.

In that creativity-cultivating, community-building endeavor, The Guild KC is thankful for the guidance of the Crossroads Arts Advisory Committee and the support of the PIEA through the Crossroads Arts PIEA General Development Plan. We look forward to a continued and ever-evolving program of arts, culture, opportunity and development in our Crossroads Arts District community and beyond in our beloved home of Kansas City.