West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition ent
itled “THE GREAT AMERICAN WEST – 250 years on the road” Photographs by Den
nis Crider. As part of activities celebrating America’s 250th anniversary
the exhibit will be displayed at the Gallery at the Center\, West Plains C
ivic Center from January 17 through February 21\, 2026. The Gallery\, on
the mezzanine\, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.\n
\n\nThere will be a Meet-the-Artist even
t February 7\, 2:00-4:00 PM
\n
\nDennis Crider is an award-winning photogra
pher who has had an interest in photography since early childhood in his h
ometown of Wichita\, Kansas. He was yearbook and newspaper photographer in
both high school and college. While a senior at Wichita High School South
\, he entered his first photography contest and gained a measure of confid
ence when he was named winner of an honorable mention award. It was the Ko
dak National High School Photo Awards Contest\, and he was one of 125 HM A
ward winners. He received a certificate and $10.\n
\nSimple things lik e wide open spaces appeal to Dennis\, as well as diversity of scenery. “Wh ile driving through Colorado\, Utah\, New Mexico and Arizona\, the scene c hanges with every turn. I have come to love the vastness of the prairie\, the beauty of the Flint Hills\, and geologic wonders such as Little Jerusa lem Badlands and Monument Rocks in my home state”.
In 1969 he became a reporter/photographer at The Daily Q
uill Newspaper in West Plains\, Missouri. By the time he retired in 2008 h
e was head photographer and sports editor. In October 2023\, he was induct
ed into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Columbi
a\, Missouri. He was the 77th person to receive this honor.
\nTrips to the magnificent American West have been we
lcome endeavors since retiring. But what is it that has him returning year
after year? Growing up in Wichita\, Kansas was at times a bit boring\, bu
t things changed when the family ventured west and south into northwestern
Oklahoma where Dennis’s father was born. Visits to Buffalo\, Oklahoma wer
e usually around Thanksgiving and Christmas\, and Dennis couldn’t wait to
go rabbit hunting. During visits in the summer months\, he spent a lot of
time going after bass\, bluegill and catfish in Sand Creek\, a spring-fed
oasis about a mile from where his father was born. A favorite fishing spot
.
\nHorace Greeley is credited with the
phrase “Go West\, young man\,” and that is what Dennis says he will do as
long as he can. And here is how a good cowboy friend puts it…”When your d
og runs off in the prairie\, you can watch it go for three days.”
\n<
div class='x_elementToProof'>This is just a sampling of why Dennis is in l
ove with THE GREAT AMERICAN WEST. WP
CA will host a Meet the Artist event on Saturday\, February 7\, from 2:00-
4:00 p.m.\, in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend\, meet
the artist and discuss the work. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West
Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts\, with partial fu
nding provided by Missouri Arts Council\, a state agency and Missouri Huma
nities.
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