INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village will soon have a new public art installation in the shape of a sunflower.

Artist Amie Jacobsen was selected from a national contest to create a sculpture for the park.

The project, called “Gateway” is inspired by the Kansas sunflower. It’s meant to be a giant arch that people can walk through.

“It’ll feature cast glass in the center of the petals and the petals will actually light up and it has a walkway beneath the flower itself so that you can walk into the arch and there will be illustrated panels that go up the inside of the archway that will represent the history of Prairie Village and Meadowbrook Park,” she said.

Jacobsen is working on the project with her assistants in her Independence studio. This is her first public art installation in the metro.

“This is my first large-scale piece really in the area. I have a piece that went to Coral Springs, Florida, one that went to Fremont, California, one that went to Oklahoma. I’ve got a piece that went to Crested Butte, Colorado.”

“Gateway” is set to be installed in Meadowbrook Park this summer. You can learn more about the project and see artist renderings here.