Someone once told me a community’s quality of life can be measured in the spaces it chooses to build beauty into, not just the ones it’s required to. One of my favorite spaces that grows more beautiful every time I visit is the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

The Chamber proudly invested in building the LongHouse Visitor Center, and it’s become exactly what our community envisioned: a gathering place that welcomes weddings, meetings and quiet Saturday strollers. But a building is only the frame. What fills it, and surrounds it, is what makes a place unforgettable.

That’s why I’m so pleased to share that artwork, sponsored by our Chamber’s Economic Development Council, has recently been installed at the LongHouse: a triptych by artist Chris Dahlquist titled “Mile Marker.” The piece celebrates the Kansas landscape we sometimes take for granted, the rolling fields and big skies that shaped our values of hard work, resilience, and neighborliness and built our region.

Later this month, the Arboretum will dedicate a remarkable piece: “Growing Kindness,” a 30-foot stainless steel sculpture of poppies honoring the late Overland Park artist Jeff Hanson. Hanson turned low vision and childhood cancer into a painting career that raised millions for charity before his death in 2020. His parents have spent years bringing his joyful mission to life, and soon these stunning poppies will greet visitors walking toward the LongHouse, a permanent reminder that kindness, like art, is worth investing in.

None of this happens by accident. Our community’s quality of life, consistently ranked among the best in the country, is built deliberately, through public and private investment in the places where people gather, reflect and connect. Art at the Arboretum does that work quietly but powerfully, amplifying the strength of our schools, public safety, healthcare, parks and business community.

Join me on August 21 to discover the late-summer splendor of the Arboretum’s trails, take in “Mile Marker,” and celebrate the official unveiling of “Growing Kindness.” This event brings us together and reminds us why we do what we do to make Overland Park not just a good place to build a business, but a beautiful one to call home.