Jeff Parsons spent 18 straight hours painting in his Riverside, Missouri yard this week, completing a black-and-white tribute to Dolly Parton. The artist, known locally as Fearless Jackrabbit, began work after learning of her death, and the piece now stands outside his property for neighbors and strangers alike to see.
Parton died on August 25, 2026, at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer, according to KCTV5. Her death was announced publicly by her nephew Brian Seaver, and The Guardian notes her six-decade career made her a global figure across country music, acting, and philanthropy. Parsons learned of her passing earlier that week and, per the station's report, went straight to work designing the piece as a black-and-white portrait of a younger, more serene Dolly Parton.
“I call myself Fearless Jackrabbit,” Parsons said. “Dolly Parton was fearless.” The artist works out of a basement studio in what is regarded as the oldest house in Riverside, a detail that has circulated among neighbors following a Facebook post about the tribute's creation.
A Familiar Yard Becomes a Local Landmark
A Familiar Yard Becomes a Local Landmark This is not Parsons' first time turning his property into a neighborhood attraction. His lawn installations previously drew regional attention for large-scale yard art. During the summer's FIFA World Cup festivities, Parsons also transformed his property into a welcome display for the Netherlands men's national soccer team and its fans, creating large-scale murals of soccer stars for World Cup watch parties.
The Dolly Parton tribute sits outside Parsons' property near the intersection of NW Riverside Drive and NW Gateway Avenue and will remain visible to the public for the next two weeks, according to the same account. The timeline gives area residents a limited window to see the piece in person before it comes down in early September.
A State Funding Fight Resurfaces
[b7] The tribute arrives amid renewed attention to a Missouri policy fight tied to Parton's own philanthropy. In June 2026, Governor Mike Kehoe signed a state budget that cut funding for Parton's Imagination Library from $6 million to $2 million, forcing the program to stop accepting new child enrollments as of July 1, according to Governor Mike Kehoe's office. Missouri had previously been the first state to fully fund statewide enrollment in the free book delivery program, as Newsweek reports. The FY2025 budget request describes a $5,844,191 core reduction as an adjustment to the remaining balance of available EANS II funding.
Following Parton's death, Kehoe released a statement honoring her legacy. State education officials have confirmed that children already enrolled will keep receiving books as long as funds remain, though the program remains closed to new sign-ups.
Riverside's Wider Moment in the Spotlight
Riverside's Wider Moment in the Spotlight Parsons' yard tribute joins a broader wave of memorials that emerged across the country following Parton's death, as Hoodline reported in its coverage of Memphis lighting its Hernando de Soto Bridge pink and a petition to rename Nashville International Airport that has surpassed 54,000 signatures. Separately, no connection between the tribute's unveiling and a storm named Dolly is established.
The tribute also lands as Riverside continues to draw attention within the Kansas City metro area. Kansas City's One Percent for Art program adds to the region's public-art landscape.
-4.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
