Calendar

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE “WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

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 Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 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, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton 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.

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

Free lunch available for everyone under the age of 18.

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

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@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.)

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

West Plains Second Saturday Stroll on Facebook.

Free and open to the public. Boys & Girls Club, 417-204-2582, for information.

From organizers: Come out for live music, good food, drinks, and a good time. As always, we welcome all Cars, Trucks, and Bikes regardless of age or make. We hope to see everyone there!

Cruise & Brews at Wages Brewing Company  and Roman Young w Austin Meher opening at Wages Sat July 8th on Facebook for details.

From organizers: Come check out local bands at The Yellow House: Broken Knuckle! Creek Stink! Brother Paint! The Yellow House will be rocking! Also check out the work of local Artist Kinsey Alford and her unique “Quilling.” $2.00 per person, and please no drugs or alcohol. Support your local Art community and jam out with us. See you there!

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

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE “WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

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 Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 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, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton 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.

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

Free lunch available for everyone under the age of 18.

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.)

West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host summertime writing workshops for local and visiting youth this summer in the Community Room at the West Plains Public Library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. WPCA is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

The program will span July 10th-14th and will consist of five 3-hour sessions from 1-4 PM each day. Monday through Thursday will be geared towards 9 to 14-year-olds, and Friday’s target audience will be 15 to 18-year-olds.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

To sign up, please visit the Eventbrite page “Young Writers Workshop” or call Paula at 417-293-2325. For more information email info@westplainsarts.org

Monday’s topic, Poetry, will be conducted by Dave Malone, a poet, filmmaker, and educator from the Missouri Ozarks. He received an undergraduate degree from Ottawa University and later a master’s from Indiana State, where he worked with poet Matthew Brennan. During his teaching career, Dave taught English composition at Indiana State, Ottawa University-Indiana, and Missouri State University-West Plains. He is the author of eight books of poetry, and his next book, Bypass (Aldrich Press), will be released in September of 2023. His poems have appeared in numerous journals including Elder Mountain: A Journal of Ozarks Studies, Midwest Review, Plainsongs, and San Pedro River Review. His poem “Spring Dress” was featured on Michel Martin’s NPR program Tell Me More.

Tuesday’s session will focus on Fiction and be presented by local author, Annie England Noblin of West Plains. Annie England Noblin has an M.A. in English from Missouri State University and has been teaching English, Writing, and Communications for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home since 2010. She has 7 novels published through HarperCollins Publishers. Her latest, Christmas in Blue Dog Valley, was released in September of 2022.

On Wednesday, Abby Hess will present Journalism to attendees. Abby Hess, whose first paid role in the news industry was as an assistant online news editor for the Emporia (Kansas) State University News Bulletin, began her career at the West Plains Daily Quill in January 2015. As managing editor, Abby works directly with reporters and the community to facilitate local news coverage, which includes writing her own contributions to the paper. She has written and edited for several independent publications and freelanced under both roles before joining the newsroom at the Quill.

Thursday’s offering will be Non-Fiction; Dr. Brooks Blevins will be the presenter. After brief teaching appointments at the Meridian campus of Mississippi State University and Ozarka College, Dr. Brooks Blevins returned to his undergraduate alma mater, Lyon College, initially as director of the Regional Studies Center and later as an assistant professor of history. In 2008, he came to Missouri State as the university’s first Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies. Building on a long tradition of leadership in the academic study of the Ozarks region, Missouri State created the Noel Boyd Professorship to develop and teach a multidisciplinary array of courses. As the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies, Blevins shepherded the Minor in Ozarks Studies into creation in 2010, chairs the university committee that oversees the minor, and teaches the minor’s two core courses.

Though Blevins came to Missouri State as a multidisciplinary expert on all things Ozarks, he is a respected scholar with a broad range of interests extending from the history of American higher education to agriculture, religion, and society in the U.S. South. He has written seven books and edited or co-edited two additional volumes. In addition to these works, he serves as the editor of the University of Arkansas Press’s Chronicles of the Ozarks Series and Ozarks Studies Series. Blevins also produced and co-wrote the liner notes for two collections of recordings of traditional Ozarks music: Sounds of the Ozark Folk: The 1963 Arkansas Folk Festival and Sounds of the Ozark Folk, Volume II: Middle Americana. Blevins currently serves on the editorial boards of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and the Missouri Historical Review, co-hosts regional history and culture segments on Ozark Highlands Radio, and chairs the Ozark Folk Cultural Center Commission, which oversees Arkansas’s Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Friday will be a two-part session that covers scholarship applications and resume writing. Leigh Adams from MSU-WP and Taj Singh from South Central Career Center will present information to attendees. Adams currently serves as the Dean of Academic Affairs, in addition to serving as Interim Associate Dean of Arts, Letters, and Natural Sciences and is an Associate Professor of English.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Singh came to the U.S. in 2017 and became a citizen in 2021. His U.K. background was that of an Operations Manager for a large Bus Company, starting as a driver and then progressed to be Depot Clerk – Depot Supervisor – Depot Manager and then Operations Manager. Singh gained his teaching degree (back in England they refer to them as certificates) and was approved by the Department Of Transport to teach Health & Safety, Disability Awareness and Customer Service.

Singh’s first job in the USA was working for Workforce Development assisting people looking for work and training them in online applications, interview skills and resume writing in addition to assisting them applying for tuition funding from programs such as WIOA and Skill Up.

Singh’s current role is that of Financial Aid Coordinator at South Central Career Center. He assists students with their Financial Aid and refers them to partner agencies if they would benefit from extra resources. Singh is a member of MASFAP which is The Missouri Association Of Student Financial Aid Personnel and has served on many committees.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

The West Plains Photography Club currently has 34 members and meetings are at 6:30 p.m. the second Monday of each month in the Missouri State University-West Plains Creative Discovery Center, 411 West Main Street, Suite 1. Everyone regardless of age or ability is invited to join the club which has no membership dues.

The purpose of the club is to share and support everyone’s passion for photography arts whether they are a beginner or have been engaged in photography for many years. Present members include some who do not even own a camera to professionals who make a living by selling their art. For more information on the club feel free to call Bob Cunningham at 417-257-8206 or Dennis Crider at 417-274-7101.

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE “WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

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 Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 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, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton 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.

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

Free lunch available for everyone under the age of 18.

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.)

West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host summertime writing workshops for local and visiting youth this summer in the Community Room at the West Plains Public Library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. WPCA is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

The program will span July 10th-14th and will consist of five 3-hour sessions from 1-4 PM each day. Monday through Thursday will be geared towards 9 to 14-year-olds, and Friday’s target audience will be 15 to 18-year-olds.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

To sign up, please visit the Eventbrite page “Young Writers Workshop” or call Paula at 417-293-2325. For more information email info@westplainsarts.org

Monday’s topic, Poetry, will be conducted by Dave Malone, a poet, filmmaker, and educator from the Missouri Ozarks. He received an undergraduate degree from Ottawa University and later a master’s from Indiana State, where he worked with poet Matthew Brennan. During his teaching career, Dave taught English composition at Indiana State, Ottawa University-Indiana, and Missouri State University-West Plains. He is the author of eight books of poetry, and his next book, Bypass (Aldrich Press), will be released in September of 2023. His poems have appeared in numerous journals including Elder Mountain: A Journal of Ozarks Studies, Midwest Review, Plainsongs, and San Pedro River Review. His poem “Spring Dress” was featured on Michel Martin’s NPR program Tell Me More.

Tuesday’s session will focus on Fiction and be presented by local author, Annie England Noblin of West Plains. Annie England Noblin has an M.A. in English from Missouri State University and has been teaching English, Writing, and Communications for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home since 2010. She has 7 novels published through HarperCollins Publishers. Her latest, Christmas in Blue Dog Valley, was released in September of 2022.

On Wednesday, Abby Hess will present Journalism to attendees. Abby Hess, whose first paid role in the news industry was as an assistant online news editor for the Emporia (Kansas) State University News Bulletin, began her career at the West Plains Daily Quill in January 2015. As managing editor, Abby works directly with reporters and the community to facilitate local news coverage, which includes writing her own contributions to the paper. She has written and edited for several independent publications and freelanced under both roles before joining the newsroom at the Quill.

Thursday’s offering will be Non-Fiction; Dr. Brooks Blevins will be the presenter. After brief teaching appointments at the Meridian campus of Mississippi State University and Ozarka College, Dr. Brooks Blevins returned to his undergraduate alma mater, Lyon College, initially as director of the Regional Studies Center and later as an assistant professor of history. In 2008, he came to Missouri State as the university’s first Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies. Building on a long tradition of leadership in the academic study of the Ozarks region, Missouri State created the Noel Boyd Professorship to develop and teach a multidisciplinary array of courses. As the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies, Blevins shepherded the Minor in Ozarks Studies into creation in 2010, chairs the university committee that oversees the minor, and teaches the minor’s two core courses.

Though Blevins came to Missouri State as a multidisciplinary expert on all things Ozarks, he is a respected scholar with a broad range of interests extending from the history of American higher education to agriculture, religion, and society in the U.S. South. He has written seven books and edited or co-edited two additional volumes. In addition to these works, he serves as the editor of the University of Arkansas Press’s Chronicles of the Ozarks Series and Ozarks Studies Series. Blevins also produced and co-wrote the liner notes for two collections of recordings of traditional Ozarks music: Sounds of the Ozark Folk: The 1963 Arkansas Folk Festival and Sounds of the Ozark Folk, Volume II: Middle Americana. Blevins currently serves on the editorial boards of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and the Missouri Historical Review, co-hosts regional history and culture segments on Ozark Highlands Radio, and chairs the Ozark Folk Cultural Center Commission, which oversees Arkansas’s Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Friday will be a two-part session that covers scholarship applications and resume writing. Leigh Adams from MSU-WP and Taj Singh from South Central Career Center will present information to attendees. Adams currently serves as the Dean of Academic Affairs, in addition to serving as Interim Associate Dean of Arts, Letters, and Natural Sciences and is an Associate Professor of English.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Singh came to the U.S. in 2017 and became a citizen in 2021. His U.K. background was that of an Operations Manager for a large Bus Company, starting as a driver and then progressed to be Depot Clerk – Depot Supervisor – Depot Manager and then Operations Manager. Singh gained his teaching degree (back in England they refer to them as certificates) and was approved by the Department Of Transport to teach Health & Safety, Disability Awareness and Customer Service.

Singh’s first job in the USA was working for Workforce Development assisting people looking for work and training them in online applications, interview skills and resume writing in addition to assisting them applying for tuition funding from programs such as WIOA and Skill Up.

Singh’s current role is that of Financial Aid Coordinator at South Central Career Center. He assists students with their Financial Aid and refers them to partner agencies if they would benefit from extra resources. Singh is a member of MASFAP which is The Missouri Association Of Student Financial Aid Personnel and has served on many committees.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

Singer, banjo, keyboards who performed with Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed and a host of others.

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE “WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

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 Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 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, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton 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.

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

Free lunch available for everyone under the age of 18.

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.)

West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host summertime writing workshops for local and visiting youth this summer in the Community Room at the West Plains Public Library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. WPCA is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

The program will span July 10th-14th and will consist of five 3-hour sessions from 1-4 PM each day. Monday through Thursday will be geared towards 9 to 14-year-olds, and Friday’s target audience will be 15 to 18-year-olds.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

To sign up, please visit the Eventbrite page “Young Writers Workshop” or call Paula at 417-293-2325. For more information email info@westplainsarts.org

Monday’s topic, Poetry, will be conducted by Dave Malone, a poet, filmmaker, and educator from the Missouri Ozarks. He received an undergraduate degree from Ottawa University and later a master’s from Indiana State, where he worked with poet Matthew Brennan. During his teaching career, Dave taught English composition at Indiana State, Ottawa University-Indiana, and Missouri State University-West Plains. He is the author of eight books of poetry, and his next book, Bypass (Aldrich Press), will be released in September of 2023. His poems have appeared in numerous journals including Elder Mountain: A Journal of Ozarks Studies, Midwest Review, Plainsongs, and San Pedro River Review. His poem “Spring Dress” was featured on Michel Martin’s NPR program Tell Me More.

Tuesday’s session will focus on Fiction and be presented by local author, Annie England Noblin of West Plains. Annie England Noblin has an M.A. in English from Missouri State University and has been teaching English, Writing, and Communications for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home since 2010. She has 7 novels published through HarperCollins Publishers. Her latest, Christmas in Blue Dog Valley, was released in September of 2022.

On Wednesday, Abby Hess will present Journalism to attendees. Abby Hess, whose first paid role in the news industry was as an assistant online news editor for the Emporia (Kansas) State University News Bulletin, began her career at the West Plains Daily Quill in January 2015. As managing editor, Abby works directly with reporters and the community to facilitate local news coverage, which includes writing her own contributions to the paper. She has written and edited for several independent publications and freelanced under both roles before joining the newsroom at the Quill.

Thursday’s offering will be Non-Fiction; Dr. Brooks Blevins will be the presenter. After brief teaching appointments at the Meridian campus of Mississippi State University and Ozarka College, Dr. Brooks Blevins returned to his undergraduate alma mater, Lyon College, initially as director of the Regional Studies Center and later as an assistant professor of history. In 2008, he came to Missouri State as the university’s first Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies. Building on a long tradition of leadership in the academic study of the Ozarks region, Missouri State created the Noel Boyd Professorship to develop and teach a multidisciplinary array of courses. As the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies, Blevins shepherded the Minor in Ozarks Studies into creation in 2010, chairs the university committee that oversees the minor, and teaches the minor’s two core courses.

Though Blevins came to Missouri State as a multidisciplinary expert on all things Ozarks, he is a respected scholar with a broad range of interests extending from the history of American higher education to agriculture, religion, and society in the U.S. South. He has written seven books and edited or co-edited two additional volumes. In addition to these works, he serves as the editor of the University of Arkansas Press’s Chronicles of the Ozarks Series and Ozarks Studies Series. Blevins also produced and co-wrote the liner notes for two collections of recordings of traditional Ozarks music: Sounds of the Ozark Folk: The 1963 Arkansas Folk Festival and Sounds of the Ozark Folk, Volume II: Middle Americana. Blevins currently serves on the editorial boards of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and the Missouri Historical Review, co-hosts regional history and culture segments on Ozark Highlands Radio, and chairs the Ozark Folk Cultural Center Commission, which oversees Arkansas’s Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Friday will be a two-part session that covers scholarship applications and resume writing. Leigh Adams from MSU-WP and Taj Singh from South Central Career Center will present information to attendees. Adams currently serves as the Dean of Academic Affairs, in addition to serving as Interim Associate Dean of Arts, Letters, and Natural Sciences and is an Associate Professor of English.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Singh came to the U.S. in 2017 and became a citizen in 2021. His U.K. background was that of an Operations Manager for a large Bus Company, starting as a driver and then progressed to be Depot Clerk – Depot Supervisor – Depot Manager and then Operations Manager. Singh gained his teaching degree (back in England they refer to them as certificates) and was approved by the Department Of Transport to teach Health & Safety, Disability Awareness and Customer Service.

Singh’s first job in the USA was working for Workforce Development assisting people looking for work and training them in online applications, interview skills and resume writing in addition to assisting them applying for tuition funding from programs such as WIOA and Skill Up.

Singh’s current role is that of Financial Aid Coordinator at South Central Career Center. He assists students with their Financial Aid and refers them to partner agencies if they would benefit from extra resources. Singh is a member of MASFAP which is The Missouri Association Of Student Financial Aid Personnel and has served on many committees.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE “WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

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 Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 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, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton 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.

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

The 67th annual ICGMA Convention and Awards Show will be held July 13-15 at “The Bridge Church,” formerly known as “The Barn Event Center,” located at 10105 S. 63 Highway, West Plains. Over 100 artists will perform over three days and nights, and it’s all free to the public. Artists like Barbara Fairchild and Roy Morris, James Payne, Bill Baker, Pam Blackstock, Bruce Haynes, Ray Epperson, The Tiptons, Bluegrass artists Stringed Union, The Waymasters, and many, many more will perform. Daily showcases are from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Evening concerts are at 6:00 pm. For information, call 417-372-1129.

www.icgma.org for more information about the event.

Free lunch available for everyone under the age of 18.

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

West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host summertime writing workshops for local and visiting youth this summer in the Community Room at the West Plains Public Library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. WPCA is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

The program will span July 10th-14th and will consist of five 3-hour sessions from 1-4 PM each day. Monday through Thursday will be geared towards 9 to 14-year-olds, and Friday’s target audience will be 15 to 18-year-olds.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

To sign up, please visit the Eventbrite page “Young Writers Workshop” or call Paula at 417-293-2325. For more information email info@westplainsarts.org

Monday’s topic, Poetry, will be conducted by Dave Malone, a poet, filmmaker, and educator from the Missouri Ozarks. He received an undergraduate degree from Ottawa University and later a master’s from Indiana State, where he worked with poet Matthew Brennan. During his teaching career, Dave taught English composition at Indiana State, Ottawa University-Indiana, and Missouri State University-West Plains. He is the author of eight books of poetry, and his next book, Bypass (Aldrich Press), will be released in September of 2023. His poems have appeared in numerous journals including Elder Mountain: A Journal of Ozarks Studies, Midwest Review, Plainsongs, and San Pedro River Review. His poem “Spring Dress” was featured on Michel Martin’s NPR program Tell Me More.

Tuesday’s session will focus on Fiction and be presented by local author, Annie England Noblin of West Plains. Annie England Noblin has an M.A. in English from Missouri State University and has been teaching English, Writing, and Communications for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home since 2010. She has 7 novels published through HarperCollins Publishers. Her latest, Christmas in Blue Dog Valley, was released in September of 2022.

On Wednesday, Abby Hess will present Journalism to attendees. Abby Hess, whose first paid role in the news industry was as an assistant online news editor for the Emporia (Kansas) State University News Bulletin, began her career at the West Plains Daily Quill in January 2015. As managing editor, Abby works directly with reporters and the community to facilitate local news coverage, which includes writing her own contributions to the paper. She has written and edited for several independent publications and freelanced under both roles before joining the newsroom at the Quill.

Thursday’s offering will be Non-Fiction; Dr. Brooks Blevins will be the presenter. After brief teaching appointments at the Meridian campus of Mississippi State University and Ozarka College, Dr. Brooks Blevins returned to his undergraduate alma mater, Lyon College, initially as director of the Regional Studies Center and later as an assistant professor of history. In 2008, he came to Missouri State as the university’s first Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies. Building on a long tradition of leadership in the academic study of the Ozarks region, Missouri State created the Noel Boyd Professorship to develop and teach a multidisciplinary array of courses. As the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies, Blevins shepherded the Minor in Ozarks Studies into creation in 2010, chairs the university committee that oversees the minor, and teaches the minor’s two core courses.

Though Blevins came to Missouri State as a multidisciplinary expert on all things Ozarks, he is a respected scholar with a broad range of interests extending from the history of American higher education to agriculture, religion, and society in the U.S. South. He has written seven books and edited or co-edited two additional volumes. In addition to these works, he serves as the editor of the University of Arkansas Press’s Chronicles of the Ozarks Series and Ozarks Studies Series. Blevins also produced and co-wrote the liner notes for two collections of recordings of traditional Ozarks music: Sounds of the Ozark Folk: The 1963 Arkansas Folk Festival and Sounds of the Ozark Folk, Volume II: Middle Americana. Blevins currently serves on the editorial boards of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and the Missouri Historical Review, co-hosts regional history and culture segments on Ozark Highlands Radio, and chairs the Ozark Folk Cultural Center Commission, which oversees Arkansas’s Ozark Folk Center State Park.

Friday will be a two-part session that covers scholarship applications and resume writing. Leigh Adams from MSU-WP and Taj Singh from South Central Career Center will present information to attendees. Adams currently serves as the Dean of Academic Affairs, in addition to serving as Interim Associate Dean of Arts, Letters, and Natural Sciences and is an Associate Professor of English.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Singh came to the U.S. in 2017 and became a citizen in 2021. His U.K. background was that of an Operations Manager for a large Bus Company, starting as a driver and then progressed to be Depot Clerk – Depot Supervisor – Depot Manager and then Operations Manager. Singh gained his teaching degree (back in England they refer to them as certificates) and was approved by the Department Of Transport to teach Health & Safety, Disability Awareness and Customer Service.

Singh’s first job in the USA was working for Workforce Development assisting people looking for work and training them in online applications, interview skills and resume writing in addition to assisting them applying for tuition funding from programs such as WIOA and Skill Up.

Singh’s current role is that of Financial Aid Coordinator at South Central Career Center. He assists students with their Financial Aid and refers them to partner agencies if they would benefit from extra resources. Singh is a member of MASFAP which is The Missouri Association Of Student Financial Aid Personnel and has served on many committees.

Attendees will have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to work in the form of a session-specific project at the end of each day’s offering. Students can attend one, some, or all sessions geared towards their age group. Cost of the workshops will be $10 per student per day for the Monday-Thursday sessions, or $35 for all four days. Friday’s program on scholarship prep and/or resume writing will be available at $15 per person.

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE “WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

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 Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 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, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton 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.

HONEST IMAGINATIONS DAY HABILITATION ARTWORK

TO BE FEATURED AT WEST PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 30 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Participants at Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation will provide pieces to be displayed June 30 through the end of September 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, “Honest Imaginations members bring a freshness and joy to the creation of art! It’s a must-see group of creative works.”

TJ Swift House (TJSH) is a Department of Mental Health contracted provider that supports people with disabilities. TJSH supports people in Individualized Supported Living (ISL) services where a person lives in their home. Support staff assists with daily living skills and being a part of the community. We also support people in Shared Living, where a person with disabilities lives with a family and is integrated into a family unit and community.

Honest Imaginations is a Day Habilitation facility operated by TJ Swift House, focused on helping the people we serve develop and use their artistic gifts and talents.

Honest Imaginations is a thriving gallery in the West Plains community. It serves as a place not only for people with developmental disabilities but also for community members by:

• Acknowledging and developing gifts
• Facilitating community connection through art projects, art shows, teaching classes, being taught, etc.
• Providing self-care through exercise, journaling, and other appropriate forms.
• Giving back through the skills and abilities of our participants in community projects.

The artists at Honest Imaginations range from 18 all the way to 63 years old and know no limits in life and art. Each artist has a style of their own and it shows in the art they create. Honest Imaginations has art on display at the Yellow House Community Arts Center and the Ozarks Welcome Center in West Plains. We also have art on display at the Neighborhood Tribe store in Mt. View Missouri. The sale of art on display creates a boost of confidence and feeling of acceptance in our participants. Honest Imaginations has sessions from 8:30 AM to 3pm Monday through Friday. Our goal is to create art, and to build friendships through that process.

“We create smiles at Honest Imaginations,” says Garrett Melby, the coordinator at the West Plains Location of Honest Imaginations at 23 Court Square. Melby is a local artist who is committed to the community, creating art-based fundraisers. He works with area bands, painting live while the bands play. Melby has worked with bands such as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ha-ha Tonka, and the Steel Drivers. With a degree in Art and Animation, Garrett has a passion for giving the artists of Honest Imaginations the opportunity to get exposure for their creations, and to help them grow in our community. Stop in at 23 Court Square and see the artist in action M-F until 3PM.

To find out more about Honest Imaginations Day Habilitation, please contact us. We will be happy to help you out. Contact us by phone at 417-256-1022 or email us at info@tjsh.co

WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, “The West Plains Public Library is always excited to partner with organizations, such as West Plains Council on the Arts, that wish to use art to enrich the lives of the citizens of West Plains and the surrounding area.”

A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 1-3PM, hosted by 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 Greg Carter greg.carter@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.