The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Healthcare Behavioral Health Center (OZH) have partnered to bring a themed collection of submissions by area residents to the West Plains Civic Center. WPCA will host the exhibition of works in the Gallery at the Center from May 22, 2023 – May 31, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Coordinator Janey Hale says, “WPCA is honored to facilitate this art show during Mental Health Awareness Month. Art has long been considered an excellent outlet for one to express themselves.”
The 2023 Mental Health month’s art show theme is “Pieces of Me”. This competition invites area adults (18+ years of age), High School students (9-12th grade) and youth (8th grade and below) to provide their artistic interpretation of what that means. All media types are accepted.
Students from Caulfield, Licking, Mansfield, Mountain Grove, Mountain View- Birch Tree, Winona and West Plains will be participating in this exhibit.
“There is a positive correlation between art and mental health,” says Richard McGee, former Director at Ozarks Healthcare Behavioral Health Center. “Art activity is known to lower stress levels. Creating art for this project is a way to experience this and to shine a light on the importance of mental health.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Friday, May 26th from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Gallery at the Center. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact OZH coordinator Lora Moulds l.moulds@ozhcare.com or WPCA Administrator, Paula Speraneo info@westplainsarts.org
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Healthcare Behavioral Health Center (OZH) have partnered to bring a themed collection of submissions by area residents to the West Plains Civic Center. WPCA will host the exhibition of works in the Gallery at the Center from May 22, 2023 – May 31, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Coordinator Janey Hale says, “WPCA is honored to facilitate this art show during Mental Health Awareness Month. Art has long been considered an excellent outlet for one to express themselves.”
The 2023 Mental Health month’s art show theme is “Pieces of Me”. This competition invites area adults (18+ years of age), High School students (9-12th grade) and youth (8th grade and below) to provide their artistic interpretation of what that means. All media types are accepted.
Students from Caulfield, Licking, Mansfield, Mountain Grove, Mountain View- Birch Tree, Winona and West Plains will be participating in this exhibit.
“There is a positive correlation between art and mental health,” says Richard McGee, former Director at Ozarks Healthcare Behavioral Health Center. “Art activity is known to lower stress levels. Creating art for this project is a way to experience this and to shine a light on the importance of mental health.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Friday, May 26th from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Gallery at the Center. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact OZH coordinator Lora Moulds l.moulds@ozhcare.com or WPCA Administrator, Paula Speraneo info@westplainsarts.org
Silent Auction open beginning May 17. For more information, call 417-256-4055.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) has extended the Art and Words in Motion exhibit by Shane Baker through the end of May. The exhibit is available for viewing on the second floor of OzSBI during business hours, between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Shane Baker, an Ozark native, was born and raised in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. As an undergraduate at Arkansas State University, Shane took art classes and explored his artistic side, but decided that teaching was his calling. After graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, he taught for 32 years. He became an Elementary Reading Specialist, curriculum director, college professor and education consultant. Throughout his career, Baker maintained his interest and love of art and the artistic process.
In 2010, while visiting a local furniture dealer, Baker saw a pile of corrugated cardboard. The cardboard was to be thrown out, but Baker asked if he could take the cardboard and recycle it. He took it home and began experimenting. Using some of that recycled cardboard, and other recycled items, Shane created his first mobile. During the years that followed, his technique for creating objects from cardboard, hot glue and paint has improved and he now creates items full of detail and nuance. In this exhibit, you’ll see kayaks, french fries, jester hats, fish, roses and much more.
Each mobile has a theme and they range from darker subjects like hate crimes and COVID-19 to words of endearment and even floating on the river. Some mobiles look at the lives of well-known personalities such as Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Others consider the reincarnation of diabetics, political pumpkins and even a celebration of our humble shoes.
The mobiles will be available for viewing in OzSBI’s upstairs gallery through May 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
Local indie musician.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
Tickets on sale, 10 a.m. February 10.
Three great days of music! 7 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. show on Saturday. Camping available. For more information: https://hobabluegrass.wixsite.com/mysite/june-2021-festival
The Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival will celebrate Missouri culture Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3. The annual event celebrates Ozarks music and culture. Admission to all festival events is free. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. each day, with music scheduled to begin at noon.
Old-time cooking – the stories, recipes, and dishes will be featured both days at this year’s What’s Cookin’ Stage at the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival, along with a healthy dose of Dutch Oven cooking. This is the 18th year for the Cooking Stage. Aid’s Downtown Antiques is again sponsoring this event. This Friday’s theme is “Church Potluck,” and Saturday will feature “Dutch Oven Cooking.”
Attendees will find activities at the Cooking Stage (in the Brush Arbor on St. Louis St.) from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. Demonstrations will include classic church potluck dishes, squirrel and dumplings, venison chili, and apple and blackberry cobblers…. All with samples offered at the end of the demos. And special pie competition samples will be offered on Saturday!
Saturday’s session will kick off with the 5th Annual Pie Competition. This year there will be a youth division and prize money! The youth division is open for any pie made by children 15 years old and younger. Thanks to our generous sponsor, prize money in the amounts of $30, $20, and $10 will be awarded to 1st through 3rd place youth bakers. The 1st place winner will also receive an inscribed pie plate.
The adult division will include three categories:
- fruit pies, such as apple, cherry, banana cream, key lime
- other dessert pies, such as pecan, peanut butter, chocolate, shoofly
- and savory pie, such as spinach, tomato, quiche.
Prize money in the amounts of $50, $30, and $20 will be awarded for 1st through 3rd places in each category along with an inscribed pie plate for 1st place winners. The grand prize baker will receive $100 and an inscribed pie plate!
To enter, bring your pie to the Redbud Room at the West Plains Civic Center on Saturday June 3 between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. Judging by a select group of experts begins shortly after, with awards announced (and samples offered) at the Cooking Stage at 12:45. PLEASE BE PRESENT FOR THE AWARDS!
Pies should be prepared “from scratch.” Homemade crust is preferred. Pies should be brought in non-returnable tins.
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to celebrate, preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands.
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at https://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
From organizers: This southern sight for sore eyes will be directed by long-time Avenue adherent Grayson Gordon! Grayson has put on a number of sensational shows at the Avenue and we are tickled pink for his return!
Performances will be held June 2nd & 3rd – 10 AM, 2 PM & 6 PM and June 9th & 10th – 7 PM
Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival on Facebook for updates.
2023 Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival Scheduled
The 2023 Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival in downtown West Plains will be held Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. The annual two-day event celebrates Ozarks music and culture and is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands. Admission to all festival events is free.
Organizers say this year’s event will feature increased programming of traditional music, lifeways, and arts. Headliners and much of the music will be inside the West Plains Civic Center, with additional music venues on outdoor stages along the route which has been expanded this year. The footprint of the festival includes from the east lawn of the Civic Center, down Trish Knight Blvd., on Washington Avenue from Broadway to Dixon Street, and up to the Commons on the Missouri State University-West Plains campus at Haas-Darr Hall.
The east lawn of the Civic Center will become an encampment, featuring living history from four eras – Native American, Colonial, Mountain Men (Rendezvous), and the Civil War era. Workshops and demonstrations on musical and traditional arts will continue to be presented at and around the Civic Center, and a Quilt Walk is planned throughout the downtown area. Digital maps for the Quilt Walk and West Plains Mural locations will be available.
Some of the new programming will include the Yellow House, where storytelling will be featured in addition to an art exhibit. The Avenue Theatre is planning a full slate of productions – live theater, showings of the West Plains Story Tour, silent films and more. Downtown Revitalization will program activities on Washington Avenue from Dixon Street to Broadway. And Trish Knight Street will be filled with vendors of all types.
Docents will be present at several downtown locations who will present the history of the buildings, and plans are underway for walking tours of locations featured in the Ozarks Deep: West Plains Story Tour around the square and down Washington Ave.
On the Missouri State University-West Plains campus, the Garnett Library will host Ozarks authors, sessions on archival methods for families and organizations, and will house a portion of the Broadfoot Collection on loan from the Harlin Museum. Jig dancing workshops and Friday night’s square dancing will take place in and around the Student Rec Center, along with children’s activities and the Bucket Brigade. An outside stage will be placed on the corner of Garfield and Trish Knight for additional music throughout the day.
The Harlin Museum will feature the Broadfoot Collection exhibit, along with quilts and other area artifacts from the post-civil war era, in addition to hosting speakers on Ozarks traditions.
Because of the increased size of the footprint, additional carts will be provided so that attendees can easily move from one location to another.
VENDOR BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE – Organizers said they welcome booths from vendors, non-profit groups, businesses, school fund-raising efforts, churches, civic groups, public officials, and individuals; however, in the event of duplicate offerings, first consideration will be given to early registrants. Final approval rests with festival committee members, organizers added.
Booth spaces measure a minimum of 10×15-feet. Space rental fees this year are $70 for for-profit vendors, $35 for non-profit groups, and $150 for food vendors.
Booth registration forms may be downloaded from the festival website, http://oldtimemusic.org. You may also contact the vendor coordinator, Jennifer Dryer – Phone: 417-256-4433 or email info@wpchamber.com
DEMONSTRATORS/ARTISANS – Demonstrators are currently being sought for this year’s event, and practitioners of traditional arts are encouraged to apply. Applications are available on the Festival website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org/?page_id=3205 Suggested demonstrator hours would be 10 a.m. -8 p.m. Coordinator – Lauren Campbell ljcampbell9145@gmail.com
Many of the area’s material arts and crafts originated for entirely utilitarian reasons and were essential for meeting the basic needs of Ozarks residents in past generations. As a result of changes in the region’s economy, especially the increased availability of manufactured goods since the mid-twentieth century, such arts and crafts are no longer practical necessities, but many talented artisans and craftspeople in the Ozarks continue to practice them both as outlets for their creativity and as means of celebrating the region’s rich cultural heritage.
Some of the artisans and craftspeople who participate in the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival practice their arts and crafts as living traditions, and their work reflects ongoing developments within those traditions, including, in some cases, their own innovations. Other participants in the festival are more historically based, and they strive to practice their arts and crafts as they were practiced generations ago. Some have products available for purchase; all of them encourage festival goers to observe their work and learn about it.
VOLUNTEERS – Volunteers come from many different areas of the community, donating their time to assure a successful event, and the festival committee spends many hours over the year preparing for it. Volunteers are needed for the information booths and helping with simple surveys (2-hour shifts); as shuttle drivers around the grounds (4-hour shifts, must be 21 or older); helping with set-up on Thursday evening and Friday morning, or tear-down on Saturday evening.
Those interested in helping in any way should contact volunteer coordinator Stacey Tune Staceyatune@gmail.com, 949-887-4185, email the West Plains Council on the Arts at info@westplainsarts.org, or an online sign-up form is linked on the festival website http://www.oldtimemusic.org/?page_id=1222
Volunteers from previous years are encouraged to call or email to confirm they will be participating again this year, organizers said.
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
From organizers: This southern sight for sore eyes will be directed by long-time Avenue adherent Grayson Gordon! Grayson has put on a number of sensational shows at the Avenue and we are tickled pink for his return!
Performances will be held June 2nd & 3rd – 10 AM, 2 PM & 6 PM and June 9th & 10th – 7 PM
From organizers: This southern sight for sore eyes will be directed by long-time Avenue adherent Grayson Gordon! Grayson has put on a number of sensational shows at the Avenue and we are tickled pink for his return!
Performances will be held June 2nd & 3rd – 10 AM, 2 PM & 6 PM and June 9th & 10th – 7 PM
Three great days of music! 7 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. show on Saturday. Camping available. For more information: https://hobabluegrass.wixsite.com/mysite/june-2021-festival
Performing in a free concert during the first night of the Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival, will be The Isaacs, based out of Nashville. Well-known in bluegrass southern gospel circles and beyond, this multi-award winning family group has recently been touring with Reba McEntire.
The Isaacs have been performing over 50 years. After performing as guests for 30 years, The Isaacs were officially inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry on September 14, 2021. In 2020 the Isaacs were inducted into the GMA (Gospel Music Hall of Fame). They have been frequent guests on RFD network’s ‘Larry’s Country Diner’ and appeared on the Gaither Homecoming Videos and Tours for over 20 years. The Isaacs have won 9 Dove Awards and their latest 3 albums have received Grammy nominations!
They have performed the National Anthem at many professional sporting events including NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games. The Isaacs and its members have been invited to perform on many gospel, bluegrass and country artist albums and stages including Dolly Parton, Paul Simon, The Oak Ridge Boys, Don Williams, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Trace Adkins, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Alabama, Craig Morgan, Josh Turner, Alison Krauss, Natalie Grant, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs, and many others.
“Oh, how I love The Isaacs. I love their hearts, their souls, and their look. And, of course, God never gave anyone more beautiful voices than the Isaacs. They have been so generous through the years singing with me on different recordings of mine. And those are among some of the greatest of my personal treasures and pleasures. To know the Isaacs and to hear them is to love them.”- DOLLY PARTON
See more information about the group at theisaacs.com.
The Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival will celebrate Missouri culture Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3. The annual event celebrates Ozarks music and culture. Admission to all festival events is free. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. each day, with music scheduled to begin at noon.
Old-time cooking – the stories, recipes, and dishes will be featured both days at this year’s What’s Cookin’ Stage at the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival, along with a healthy dose of Dutch Oven cooking. This is the 18th year for the Cooking Stage. Aid’s Downtown Antiques is again sponsoring this event. This Friday’s theme is “Church Potluck,” and Saturday will feature “Dutch Oven Cooking.”
Attendees will find activities at the Cooking Stage (in the Brush Arbor on St. Louis St.) from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. Demonstrations will include classic church potluck dishes, squirrel and dumplings, venison chili, and apple and blackberry cobblers…. All with samples offered at the end of the demos. And special pie competition samples will be offered on Saturday!
Saturday’s session will kick off with the 5th Annual Pie Competition. This year there will be a youth division and prize money! The youth division is open for any pie made by children 15 years old and younger. Thanks to our generous sponsor, prize money in the amounts of $30, $20, and $10 will be awarded to 1st through 3rd place youth bakers. The 1st place winner will also receive an inscribed pie plate.
The adult division will include three categories:
- fruit pies, such as apple, cherry, banana cream, key lime
- other dessert pies, such as pecan, peanut butter, chocolate, shoofly
- and savory pie, such as spinach, tomato, quiche.
Prize money in the amounts of $50, $30, and $20 will be awarded for 1st through 3rd places in each category along with an inscribed pie plate for 1st place winners. The grand prize baker will receive $100 and an inscribed pie plate!
To enter, bring your pie to the Redbud Room at the West Plains Civic Center on Saturday June 3 between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. Judging by a select group of experts begins shortly after, with awards announced (and samples offered) at the Cooking Stage at 12:45. PLEASE BE PRESENT FOR THE AWARDS!
Pies should be prepared “from scratch.” Homemade crust is preferred. Pies should be brought in non-returnable tins.
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to celebrate, preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands.
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at https://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival on Facebook for updates.
2023 Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival Scheduled
The 2023 Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival in downtown West Plains will be held Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. The annual two-day event celebrates Ozarks music and culture and is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands. Admission to all festival events is free.
Organizers say this year’s event will feature increased programming of traditional music, lifeways, and arts. Headliners and much of the music will be inside the West Plains Civic Center, with additional music venues on outdoor stages along the route which has been expanded this year. The footprint of the festival includes from the east lawn of the Civic Center, down Trish Knight Blvd., on Washington Avenue from Broadway to Dixon Street, and up to the Commons on the Missouri State University-West Plains campus at Haas-Darr Hall.
The east lawn of the Civic Center will become an encampment, featuring living history from four eras – Native American, Colonial, Mountain Men (Rendezvous), and the Civil War era. Workshops and demonstrations on musical and traditional arts will continue to be presented at and around the Civic Center, and a Quilt Walk is planned throughout the downtown area. Digital maps for the Quilt Walk and West Plains Mural locations will be available.
Some of the new programming will include the Yellow House, where storytelling will be featured in addition to an art exhibit. The Avenue Theatre is planning a full slate of productions – live theater, showings of the West Plains Story Tour, silent films and more. Downtown Revitalization will program activities on Washington Avenue from Dixon Street to Broadway. And Trish Knight Street will be filled with vendors of all types.
Docents will be present at several downtown locations who will present the history of the buildings, and plans are underway for walking tours of locations featured in the Ozarks Deep: West Plains Story Tour around the square and down Washington Ave.
On the Missouri State University-West Plains campus, the Garnett Library will host Ozarks authors, sessions on archival methods for families and organizations, and will house a portion of the Broadfoot Collection on loan from the Harlin Museum. Jig dancing workshops and Friday night’s square dancing will take place in and around the Student Rec Center, along with children’s activities and the Bucket Brigade. An outside stage will be placed on the corner of Garfield and Trish Knight for additional music throughout the day.
The Harlin Museum will feature the Broadfoot Collection exhibit, along with quilts and other area artifacts from the post-civil war era, in addition to hosting speakers on Ozarks traditions.
Because of the increased size of the footprint, additional carts will be provided so that attendees can easily move from one location to another.
VENDOR BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE – Organizers said they welcome booths from vendors, non-profit groups, businesses, school fund-raising efforts, churches, civic groups, public officials, and individuals; however, in the event of duplicate offerings, first consideration will be given to early registrants. Final approval rests with festival committee members, organizers added.
Booth spaces measure a minimum of 10×15-feet. Space rental fees this year are $70 for for-profit vendors, $35 for non-profit groups, and $150 for food vendors.
Booth registration forms may be downloaded from the festival website, http://oldtimemusic.org. You may also contact the vendor coordinator, Jennifer Dryer – Phone: 417-256-4433 or email info@wpchamber.com
DEMONSTRATORS/ARTISANS – Demonstrators are currently being sought for this year’s event, and practitioners of traditional arts are encouraged to apply. Applications are available on the Festival website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org/?page_id=3205 Suggested demonstrator hours would be 10 a.m. -8 p.m. Coordinator – Lauren Campbell ljcampbell9145@gmail.com
Many of the area’s material arts and crafts originated for entirely utilitarian reasons and were essential for meeting the basic needs of Ozarks residents in past generations. As a result of changes in the region’s economy, especially the increased availability of manufactured goods since the mid-twentieth century, such arts and crafts are no longer practical necessities, but many talented artisans and craftspeople in the Ozarks continue to practice them both as outlets for their creativity and as means of celebrating the region’s rich cultural heritage.
Some of the artisans and craftspeople who participate in the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival practice their arts and crafts as living traditions, and their work reflects ongoing developments within those traditions, including, in some cases, their own innovations. Other participants in the festival are more historically based, and they strive to practice their arts and crafts as they were practiced generations ago. Some have products available for purchase; all of them encourage festival goers to observe their work and learn about it.
VOLUNTEERS – Volunteers come from many different areas of the community, donating their time to assure a successful event, and the festival committee spends many hours over the year preparing for it. Volunteers are needed for the information booths and helping with simple surveys (2-hour shifts); as shuttle drivers around the grounds (4-hour shifts, must be 21 or older); helping with set-up on Thursday evening and Friday morning, or tear-down on Saturday evening.
Those interested in helping in any way should contact volunteer coordinator Stacey Tune Staceyatune@gmail.com, 949-887-4185, email the West Plains Council on the Arts at info@westplainsarts.org, or an online sign-up form is linked on the festival website http://www.oldtimemusic.org/?page_id=1222
Volunteers from previous years are encouraged to call or email to confirm they will be participating again this year, organizers said.
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
Traditional jig dancing will again be featured at this year’s Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival in downtown West Plains, Mo. The Bob Holt National Jig Dancing Competition will take place at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3, in the Civic Center Arena. Bring your dancing shoes and join in!
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to celebrate, preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands.
Jig dancing contestants will compete in four age divisions: Under age 17, age 18-50, age 51-70, and over age 70. No entry fee will be charged, and contestants can register to participate on the day, or by contacting Kathleen Morrissey at the West Plains Council on the Arts, info@westplainsarts.org or 417-293-7751. Over $500 in prizes will be awarded, organizers said. Cathy Marriott, Ava, Mo., a master artist with the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program of the Missouri Folks Arts Program, will be the competition’s emcee.
A copy of the entry form with rules is linked to the website at www.oldtimemusic.org
The competition was named in honor of the late Bob Holt, a long-time Ava resident renowned for his old-time fiddle playing for Ozarks square dancers. He received a National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999 for his music and was a master artist with the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in the Missouri Folk Arts Program.
Within the southern folk tradition, there are several styles of solo, freestyle dances, organizers said. Flatfooting and buckdancing are two of the most common forms. In the Ozarks, the term “jig” is frequently used to describe this style of dance.
Although these dances are all loosely related, they also are distinctly different. The word “jig” dates back at least to 1500 AD and is probably somewhat older in usage. It describes a solo dance that originated in the British Isles where it consisted of repeated hops on one foot while the free foot pointed patterns in the air – heel and toe, front, side or back.
The Ozark jig draws not only from British tradition, but also from American Indian and African cultures. It basically consists of movement from the hips down while the upper body is held erect, organizers explained. Emphasis is on leg rather than body movements, and the steps are individualistic and virtually limitless. The feet serve as a rhythm instrument, and the sound of the shoes striking the floor beats the time of the music.
Even though several jig dancers may take to the floor at the same time, each dancer’s steps are improvised without regard to the movement of the other dancers. When jig steps are incorporated into square dances, no effort is made to synchronize steps with other dancers in the square, organizers explained.
Another major difference in the British and Ozark versions of the jig is the rhythm of the dance, they added. In the British Isles, the jig was danced to a lilting 6/8 rhythm. Ozark dancers prefer extremely fast-paced, driving 2/2 or 2/4 hoedowns. The Ozark style of jig is a “freestyle” dance form identified with northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
This year’s event is again sponsored by The Fish Shack in West Plains.
Experienced string band musicians from south-central and southwest Missouri who are thoroughly familiar with regional jig dance traditions – guitarist Joel Hinds, fiddlers David Scrivner and Ashley Hull Forrest, and banjo player Nathan McAlister – provide live musical accompaniment for the dancing.
LEARN TO JIG DANCE WORKSHOPS
As a special feature at the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival this year, Keith Symanowitz representing the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, AR, will conduct two Learn to Jig Dance workshops.
Keith Symanowitz is an accomplished jig dancer, award-winning singer, musician, and folk percussionist. Keith plays percussion for The Creek Rocks and works as a Park Interpreter at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas where he often teaches folk dance and percussion for all ages and ability levels.
The first workshop will be held Friday, June 2, at 1PM on the MSU-WP basketball courts next to the Student Rec Center on the corner of Trish Knight St. and Garfield Ave. This workshop will be geared toward young people and promises to be an exciting time.
The second workshop will be held Saturday, June 3 at 11AM in the same location, and will be open to all ages. Come dance with us and then enter the jig dance competition at 12:30.
Musicians David Scrivner, Ashley Hull Forrest, Nathan McAlister, and Joel Hinds, provide live musical accompaniment for the dancing.
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at https://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
A demonstration of mule jumping will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3, in the parking lot near the West Plains Senior Center at the corner of East Main and South Curry Streets. The Mule Jump Competition, sponsored by Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply, will take place at 6 p.m. that day, coordinated by Richie Dement of Centerville.
Mule jumping, that most Missourian of Missouri folk arts, seems to have developed when raccoon hunters began training mules to jump over fences so that they did not have to interrupt the hunt to locate a gate. It became a competitive event unto itself, and mule jumping contests began to take place at county fairs and town picnics throughout much of the rural Southeast and Midwest, especially Missouri. “Based on the research I’ve done, it appears that there are more mule jumps annually in Missouri than in any other state,” festival committee member Matt Meacham said. “It seems safe to say that the Show-Me State is the mule-jumpingest state in the country.”
All trainers of jumping mules are invited to participate in the Festival’s mule jump competition. Prizes of $100 (first place), $75 (second place), and $50 (third place) will be awarded in each of three classes based on the mule’s height: Small – 48” and under, Medium – 54” and under, Large – over 54”. Standard Missouri rules will apply. Water and ample space for trailers will be available.
Pre-registration is recommended but not required. Contestants who wish to pre-register may contact Matt Meacham at 417-372-3177 or matt.meacham@ilhumanities.org. All participants are asked to check in on-site by 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Those who have questions about specific policies and procedures may contact coordinator Richie Dement at 573-648-2524.
The mule jump competition at the Festival in 2011 became the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal, Meacham noted. “Although we can’t guarantee that competitors will receive international media coverage again this year, we can guarantee that they’ll have the attention of an enthusiastic, supportive audience and the appreciation of the organizers of the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival.”
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
Three great days of music! 7 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. show on Saturday. Camping available. For more information: https://hobabluegrass.wixsite.com/mysite/june-2021-festival
Performing as the headliners during the second night of the Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival will be The Blackwood Brothers Quartet in a free concert.
The group was formed in 1934 with brothers Roy, Doyle, James and Roy’s son, R.W. In the late 50s Roy and Doyle retired from traveling and in 1954 R.W. was killed in a tragic airplane crash. However, the quartet with James, as the quartet’s leader and spokesman, established a new group of singers who would go on to take Gospel music to new heights as they traveled and sang in all fifty of the United States, every Canadian province as well as cities in Great Britain, Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
In 2002, James Blackwood passed awy, but his sons, Jimmy (James Jr.) and Billy have continued the 80-year tradition. Recently Jimmy retired after singing for 49 years and his younger brother, Billy now carries on the quartet which has the distinction of being the best-known name in Gospel Music history!
More information about the group at blackwoodbrothers.com.
See legitspeedway.com for full schedule and details.
Doors at 6 p.m.
Three great days of music! 7 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. show on Saturday. Camping available. For more information: https://hobabluegrass.wixsite.com/mysite/june-2021-festival
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
Heart of the Ozarks Fair on Facebook.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)