Horizons Art Installation at National WWI Museum and Memorial

As thousands of people are expected in town for the NFL Draft, the National WWI Museum and Memorial will light up the Kansas City skyline each night.

On April 25, be among the first to experience the Museum's special ephemeral art installation, “Horizons,” on the iconic Liberty Memorial Tower and the North Terrace wall. Using projection mapping technology, the Tower will be illuminated over five nights in tribute to our nation's veterans.

The installation is commissioned by the Museum and Memorial in conjunction with the NFL Draft. A field of poppies will be depicted on the lower half of the Tower, representing the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on the battlefields. The upper half of the Tower will show poppies floating over a blue horizon, representing the hopeful transition towards a more peaceful future. Flanking the Great Frieze will be silhouettes of soldiers on the march and standing at attention – ordinary experiences which hold special significance. These silhouettes were drawn from WWI-era photos in the Museum’s collection.

Poppies became the flower of remembrance and a symbol of resilience thanks to the most famous poem to emerge from WWI, “In Flanders Fields,” by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. He worked within sight of poppies blooming across old battlefields and fresh graves when he crafted the poignant testament to the sacrifices of all who were fighting in the war. The Museum’s powerful entrance displays 9,000 poppies beneath the clear, Paul Sunderland Bridge, each representing 1,000 combatant deaths during WWI.

WHEN:         Tuesday, April 25, 2023

                        Lighting will occur at sunset, between 7:45 and 8:15 p.m.

WHERE:       National WWI Museum and Memorial, Liberty Memorial Tower