West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
Local artist Ann Kulpa’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of October through the end of December 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. 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, “Ann Kulpa gives the viewer multiple layers in her collages. It’s worth your time to pause and explore the various media, textural components, and use of color to create nonrepresentational art.”
Kulpa is a self-taught creative who has been working on her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband. Ann lived in Colorado for many years before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado, Ann competed in juried art shows earning numerous awards and accepting commission work as a portrait artist and mural painter. While living in Cabool she discovered the creative process of Digital Art Painting. She became very involved in digital work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings on the side. Using these mediums, she has won awards in juried art shows in this area.
Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. In the last two years she has enrolled in several educational courses which she is using as a springboard in creating her multi-media, multi-layered, intuitive artwork. As she develops this art form, she hopes to introduce portraiture into her work. “I am enjoying this challenging process which is much like working a creative puzzle. The intuitive nature of creating in this way means I am always surprised throughout the process,” says Kulpa.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Kulpa 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.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Artwork from local artist Garrett Melby will be featured October 2 through the end of December 2023, featuring some pieces from his “Tone Poets” collection. 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 1 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “With bold color and strong contrast Garrett creates for the viewer exciting interpretation of his subjects.”
Melby graduated from Willow Springs, Mo in 1998 and had success in school in art related events. His art was displayed in Willow Springs downtown and in the school art show. He graduated from Collins College in Phoenix, AZ with a degree in animation. While in Arizona, his art and animation were displayed in downtown Phoenix art galleries, first Friday’s art walk, as well as in Tempe and Mesa Arizona.
Currently Melby’s artwork is on display at Wages Brewing Company in West Plains, MO and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar music venue. Melby paints live with many area and national bands and musicians, including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Steeldrivers, Haha Tonka, the HillBenders and many more. Melby currently is the Coordinator for Honest Imaginations an art-based program for special needs individuals in West Plains, Missouri.
Melby has had art shows and benefit auctions at Wages Brewery West Plains, The Yellow House Community art program West Plains, The Queen city Shout Springfield, Q enoteca wine bar Springfield Mo, OZBI, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar. At these art auctions He has helped raise money for many local charities close to his heart such as ORC\West Plains Regional Animal Shelter, The Bridges Program of West Plains Schools, Rescue and Defend, the West Plains Optimist Club, Queen City Shout Poverty Relief, CASA, Christos House and Play it Forward to name a few.
“My mission statement is simply: You can’t move forward if you don’t give back. I paint live with bands and do a lot of cool things on a canvas, but the real art is finding a way to help someone with your art and that’s what I’m striving to do.”
WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, ‘Here at the library, our vision is that we are a space where all come to learn, create, discover, and connect. There is no better way to accomplish that vision than displaying local pieces of art for the community to peruse and appreciate. We are always proud to partner with the Council on the Arts to bring the beauty of art to our patrons.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 4-5:30 PM, hosted by the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artist, 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.
Entries will be accepted for the 2nd Annual Ozark Artery Art Show & Competition at The Yellow House on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 2-6 p.m. All mediums are welcome by artists of all ages, but youth entries will not be judged in a separate division. Work must be original, no kits and no copies.
The cost to enter is $8 for one piece and $5 for additional pieces, with a limit of three pieces. Cash prizes will be awarded, including a $100 grand prize offered by a local donor. No saw-tooth hangers, all pieces must be wired for hanging. In the case of 3D works, suitable display equipment must be provided by the artist. Organizers reserve the right to reject any work for any reason.
The show will be open for viewing during Yellow House events through Jan. 10, including an arts and crafts show* scheduled for Dec. 2, and special hours Dec. 6, 13 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A reception will be held Dec. 2 from 4-7:30 p.m. Winners will be announced at the reception which will be free and open to the public.
Artists are encouraged to offer their work for sale, but it is not a requirement. For those who do price their pieces, images of the work along with the asking price will be posted on the Ozark Artery Facebook page with the artist’s permission. A 20 percent commission will be collected from sales, with 10 percent going to The Artery and 10 percent going to The Yellow House to help cover expenses for the show and use of the facility.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
Local artist Ann Kulpa’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of October through the end of December 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. 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, “Ann Kulpa gives the viewer multiple layers in her collages. It’s worth your time to pause and explore the various media, textural components, and use of color to create nonrepresentational art.”
Kulpa is a self-taught creative who has been working on her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband. Ann lived in Colorado for many years before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado, Ann competed in juried art shows earning numerous awards and accepting commission work as a portrait artist and mural painter. While living in Cabool she discovered the creative process of Digital Art Painting. She became very involved in digital work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings on the side. Using these mediums, she has won awards in juried art shows in this area.
Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. In the last two years she has enrolled in several educational courses which she is using as a springboard in creating her multi-media, multi-layered, intuitive artwork. As she develops this art form, she hopes to introduce portraiture into her work. “I am enjoying this challenging process which is much like working a creative puzzle. The intuitive nature of creating in this way means I am always surprised throughout the process,” says Kulpa.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Kulpa 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.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Artwork from local artist Garrett Melby will be featured October 2 through the end of December 2023, featuring some pieces from his “Tone Poets” collection. 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 1 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “With bold color and strong contrast Garrett creates for the viewer exciting interpretation of his subjects.”
Melby graduated from Willow Springs, Mo in 1998 and had success in school in art related events. His art was displayed in Willow Springs downtown and in the school art show. He graduated from Collins College in Phoenix, AZ with a degree in animation. While in Arizona, his art and animation were displayed in downtown Phoenix art galleries, first Friday’s art walk, as well as in Tempe and Mesa Arizona.
Currently Melby’s artwork is on display at Wages Brewing Company in West Plains, MO and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar music venue. Melby paints live with many area and national bands and musicians, including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Steeldrivers, Haha Tonka, the HillBenders and many more. Melby currently is the Coordinator for Honest Imaginations an art-based program for special needs individuals in West Plains, Missouri.
Melby has had art shows and benefit auctions at Wages Brewery West Plains, The Yellow House Community art program West Plains, The Queen city Shout Springfield, Q enoteca wine bar Springfield Mo, OZBI, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar. At these art auctions He has helped raise money for many local charities close to his heart such as ORC\West Plains Regional Animal Shelter, The Bridges Program of West Plains Schools, Rescue and Defend, the West Plains Optimist Club, Queen City Shout Poverty Relief, CASA, Christos House and Play it Forward to name a few.
“My mission statement is simply: You can’t move forward if you don’t give back. I paint live with bands and do a lot of cool things on a canvas, but the real art is finding a way to help someone with your art and that’s what I’m striving to do.”
WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, ‘Here at the library, our vision is that we are a space where all come to learn, create, discover, and connect. There is no better way to accomplish that vision than displaying local pieces of art for the community to peruse and appreciate. We are always proud to partner with the Council on the Arts to bring the beauty of art to our patrons.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 4-5:30 PM, hosted by the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artist, 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
Local artist Ann Kulpa’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of October through the end of December 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. 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, “Ann Kulpa gives the viewer multiple layers in her collages. It’s worth your time to pause and explore the various media, textural components, and use of color to create nonrepresentational art.”
Kulpa is a self-taught creative who has been working on her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband. Ann lived in Colorado for many years before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado, Ann competed in juried art shows earning numerous awards and accepting commission work as a portrait artist and mural painter. While living in Cabool she discovered the creative process of Digital Art Painting. She became very involved in digital work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings on the side. Using these mediums, she has won awards in juried art shows in this area.
Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. In the last two years she has enrolled in several educational courses which she is using as a springboard in creating her multi-media, multi-layered, intuitive artwork. As she develops this art form, she hopes to introduce portraiture into her work. “I am enjoying this challenging process which is much like working a creative puzzle. The intuitive nature of creating in this way means I am always surprised throughout the process,” says Kulpa.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Kulpa 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.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Artwork from local artist Garrett Melby will be featured October 2 through the end of December 2023, featuring some pieces from his “Tone Poets” collection. 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 1 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “With bold color and strong contrast Garrett creates for the viewer exciting interpretation of his subjects.”
Melby graduated from Willow Springs, Mo in 1998 and had success in school in art related events. His art was displayed in Willow Springs downtown and in the school art show. He graduated from Collins College in Phoenix, AZ with a degree in animation. While in Arizona, his art and animation were displayed in downtown Phoenix art galleries, first Friday’s art walk, as well as in Tempe and Mesa Arizona.
Currently Melby’s artwork is on display at Wages Brewing Company in West Plains, MO and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar music venue. Melby paints live with many area and national bands and musicians, including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Steeldrivers, Haha Tonka, the HillBenders and many more. Melby currently is the Coordinator for Honest Imaginations an art-based program for special needs individuals in West Plains, Missouri.
Melby has had art shows and benefit auctions at Wages Brewery West Plains, The Yellow House Community art program West Plains, The Queen city Shout Springfield, Q enoteca wine bar Springfield Mo, OZBI, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar. At these art auctions He has helped raise money for many local charities close to his heart such as ORC\West Plains Regional Animal Shelter, The Bridges Program of West Plains Schools, Rescue and Defend, the West Plains Optimist Club, Queen City Shout Poverty Relief, CASA, Christos House and Play it Forward to name a few.
“My mission statement is simply: You can’t move forward if you don’t give back. I paint live with bands and do a lot of cool things on a canvas, but the real art is finding a way to help someone with your art and that’s what I’m striving to do.”
WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, ‘Here at the library, our vision is that we are a space where all come to learn, create, discover, and connect. There is no better way to accomplish that vision than displaying local pieces of art for the community to peruse and appreciate. We are always proud to partner with the Council on the Arts to bring the beauty of art to our patrons.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 4-5:30 PM, hosted by the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artist, 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.
Go to All Pet and use your own camera or cell phone to get a free picture with your pet and the Grinch.
Free admission with donations accepted.
From organizers: The twelfth annual Toys For Tots Christmas concerts will be held at West Plains Friday and Saturday, December 1st and 2nd at 6:30 pm. The shows will feature two great evenings of Christmas music, with over 30 singers and musicians performing. And it’s all for Toys For Tots. For the third year, the event will be held at The Bridge Church, formerly The Barn Event Center, located at 10105 Highway 63 South, West Plains.
Twelve of the artists on this delightful two-night celebration will be appearing on the show for the first time! This year’s program will bring together an outstanding gathering of talent from right here in Missouri, as well as singers and musicians from Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
These award-winning Artists travel from their home states to West Plains, Missouri; paying all their own travel, lodging, and meal expenses, to sing and help raise Christmas toys for the children of the Ozarks! The program is presented through the combined efforts of the United States Marine Corp League, and local television station K36NN TV, Channel 36. This Toys For Tots event traditionally helps kick off the Christmas Season, making Christmas merry for boys and girls of Southern Missouri. It has become one of the favorite events of the Christmas season for area residents.
The music performed on this two night event is entirely songs of Christmas, including traditional Christmas songs, and many which have become popular more recently. Some of the songs are original compositions, written and performed by songwriters from right here in the Ozarks. Bluegrass, Country, Contemporary, and Traditional Christmas music will be performed on a stage beautifully decorated with over fifty lighted Christmas trees. The price of admission is one new toy (unwrapped) for a child, or a donation at the door.
Among the singers scheduled to appear on this years program are The Ozark’s Christian Academy Children’s Choir, The Liberty Bells, Jeff Burns,
The Mattingly Family, Jeremy Abbott, Barbara Fairchild and Roy Morris, The Waymasters, Crystle Elam, The Howell Family, Jim Sheldon, The Tiptons, Dan Duncan and the TV 36 Band, Ray Epperson, Bill Baker, Zac Clifton, Ava Kasich, Donna Kilmurray, The Howell Family, Glenn Henry, Jaidyn LeBorde, Matt Winters, Mary Fay Jackson, The Singing Bones, Paul Winchester, Angela Seng, Sonshine Road, and many more! Additional Artists are being added daily! Some artists will be singing both nights; Others will sing one night only.
Toys collected will benefit children living in Howell County, and the counties immediately surrounding Howell County, according to Dan Duncan, organizer of the event. Those toys will be received at the door, and dispersed by the United States Marine Corp League.
The public is welcome to attend both nights of this family event. Children are admitted free! Programs begin at 6:30 pm each evening.
For additional information, you may call 417-372-1129.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
See Facebook event page for details 41st Annual Holiday Season Arts and Crafts Show and Sale. Other holiday events at the Civic Center this weekend, too, including the “Deck the Halls” holiday season art exhibit on the mezzanine. See calendar.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Artwork from local artist Garrett Melby will be featured October 2 through the end of December 2023, featuring some pieces from his “Tone Poets” collection. 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 1 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “With bold color and strong contrast Garrett creates for the viewer exciting interpretation of his subjects.”
Melby graduated from Willow Springs, Mo in 1998 and had success in school in art related events. His art was displayed in Willow Springs downtown and in the school art show. He graduated from Collins College in Phoenix, AZ with a degree in animation. While in Arizona, his art and animation were displayed in downtown Phoenix art galleries, first Friday’s art walk, as well as in Tempe and Mesa Arizona.
Currently Melby’s artwork is on display at Wages Brewing Company in West Plains, MO and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar music venue. Melby paints live with many area and national bands and musicians, including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Steeldrivers, Haha Tonka, the HillBenders and many more. Melby currently is the Coordinator for Honest Imaginations an art-based program for special needs individuals in West Plains, Missouri.
Melby has had art shows and benefit auctions at Wages Brewery West Plains, The Yellow House Community art program West Plains, The Queen city Shout Springfield, Q enoteca wine bar Springfield Mo, OZBI, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar. At these art auctions He has helped raise money for many local charities close to his heart such as ORC\West Plains Regional Animal Shelter, The Bridges Program of West Plains Schools, Rescue and Defend, the West Plains Optimist Club, Queen City Shout Poverty Relief, CASA, Christos House and Play it Forward to name a few.
“My mission statement is simply: You can’t move forward if you don’t give back. I paint live with bands and do a lot of cool things on a canvas, but the real art is finding a way to help someone with your art and that’s what I’m striving to do.”
WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, ‘Here at the library, our vision is that we are a space where all come to learn, create, discover, and connect. There is no better way to accomplish that vision than displaying local pieces of art for the community to peruse and appreciate. We are always proud to partner with the Council on the Arts to bring the beauty of art to our patrons.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 4-5:30 PM, hosted by the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artist, 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.
One day only. 20% off all purchases. Door prize Drawing. Finish your shopping and decorating needs with us! Credit cards accepted.
Go to All Pet and use your own camera or cell phone to get a free picture with your pet and the Grinch.
Photo op and treats for kids.
From organizers: Join us for our 3rd annual cookies with Santa. We will begin at 11:00 am til 12:30 pm. Bring your little ones in to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. Have them write Santa a letter as we will have a mailbox for Santa.
Admission is free with donations accepted.
Crafts and coloring pages for kids available. They call also write a letter to Santa.
West Plains Council no the Arts will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center on the mezzanine. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency and is available to view from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
From organizers: The twelfth annual Toys For Tots Christmas concerts will be held at West Plains Friday and Saturday, December 1st and 2nd at 6:30 pm. The shows will feature two great evenings of Christmas music, with over 30 singers and musicians performing. And it’s all for Toys For Tots. For the third year, the event will be held at The Bridge Church, formerly The Barn Event Center, located at 10105 Highway 63 South, West Plains.
Twelve of the artists on this delightful two-night celebration will be appearing on the show for the first time! This year’s program will bring together an outstanding gathering of talent from right here in Missouri, as well as singers and musicians from Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
These award-winning Artists travel from their home states to West Plains, Missouri; paying all their own travel, lodging, and meal expenses, to sing and help raise Christmas toys for the children of the Ozarks! The program is presented through the combined efforts of the United States Marine Corp League, and local television station K36NN TV, Channel 36. This Toys For Tots event traditionally helps kick off the Christmas Season, making Christmas merry for boys and girls of Southern Missouri. It has become one of the favorite events of the Christmas season for area residents.
The music performed on this two night event is entirely songs of Christmas, including traditional Christmas songs, and many which have become popular more recently. Some of the songs are original compositions, written and performed by songwriters from right here in the Ozarks. Bluegrass, Country, Contemporary, and Traditional Christmas music will be performed on a stage beautifully decorated with over fifty lighted Christmas trees. The price of admission is one new toy (unwrapped) for a child, or a donation at the door.
Among the singers scheduled to appear on this years program are The Ozark’s Christian Academy Children’s Choir, The Liberty Bells, Jeff Burns,
The Mattingly Family, Jeremy Abbott, Barbara Fairchild and Roy Morris, The Waymasters, Crystle Elam, The Howell Family, Jim Sheldon, The Tiptons, Dan Duncan and the TV 36 Band, Ray Epperson, Bill Baker, Zac Clifton, Ava Kasich, Donna Kilmurray, The Howell Family, Glenn Henry, Jaidyn LeBorde, Matt Winters, Mary Fay Jackson, The Singing Bones, Paul Winchester, Angela Seng, Sonshine Road, and many more! Additional Artists are being added daily! Some artists will be singing both nights; Others will sing one night only.
Toys collected will benefit children living in Howell County, and the counties immediately surrounding Howell County, according to Dan Duncan, organizer of the event. Those toys will be received at the door, and dispersed by the United States Marine Corp League.
The public is welcome to attend both nights of this family event. Children are admitted free! Programs begin at 6:30 pm each evening.
For additional information, you may call 417-372-1129.
From organizers: Fender Bender Band will be playing Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Elks Lodge for the annual Rock for Tots event. Show is from 8 p.m. to midnight. Admission is a toy at the door for Christmas for Kids. Come support a great cause and a night of great music. Fender Bender is Mark Gould, Greg Moss, Bill Provow, Jared Painter, Will Brotherton, and Rob Wurst. Sound by Doug Harris.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
See Facebook event page for details 41st Annual Holiday Season Arts and Crafts Show and Sale. Other holiday events at the Civic Center this weekend, too, including the “Deck the Halls” holiday season art exhibit on the mezzanine. See calendar.
Admission is free with donations accepted.
• All children should wear Sunday dress attire.
• Parents will not be allowed behind or on stage.
• Children will choose an Elf who will stay with child through entire pageant.
• No makeup is allowed.
• All children will be allowed the chance to talk to Santa and have their picture taken.
• All children will receive a stocking with candy and toys.
• Winners will ride in the West Plains Christmas Parade.
email to: wp.mrs.claus@gmail.com
• BOY or GIRL
• NAME:
• AGE:
• PARENTS:
• SCHOOL:
• PHONE:
• EMAIL:
• ADDRESS:
• FAVOURITE THING ABOUT CHRISTMAS: (at least one sentence)
TICKETS will be sold at the door for $5 to help pay for the civic center. There will be door prizes given away by the winners and the winners will also give each of their Elves a surprise gift. (Look out for the GRINCH!)
Little Mister and Little Miss
Boys and Girls 2-4
Junior Mister and Junior Miss
Boys and Girls 5-7
Mister Christmas and Miss Merry Christmas
Boys and Girls 8-12
1. EMBROIDERED SASH
2. STOCKING WITH TOYS AND CANDY
3. RHINESTONE CROWN
4. 8-12 group will ride in parade
5. HAVE PHOTOS DONE IN THEIR CROWN
6. COME BACK FOLLOWING YEAR TO CROWN THEIR SUCCESSOR.
************
The West Plains Little Mister and Little Miss Christmas Pageant strives to give our local children a fun time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas without fear. We help them gain the confidence they need to talk in front of a crowd which is something they will need all through life. So many times a child will not do well in school not because they lack intelligence, but because they are so afraid of getting in front of the class. Later in life if they do not overcome this, they will have trouble with job interviews and even relationships.
NO makeup and NO fancy dress attire. Just Sunday dress attire straight from Church. This way the children from the year prior, who we furnish tuxedos and gowns for, get to take their final walk feeling really special as they wave goodbye and crown the new year’s winners.
We hope you will join us this year as we enjoy another year with the children at the West Plains Civic Center on Dec. 3 at 3 p.m.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple
If you, your family, business or organization is interested in ringing, please contact Ozark Action at kmead@oaiwp.org or aberry@oaiwp.org or 417-256-6147.
Local artist Ann Kulpa’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of October through the end of December 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. 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, “Ann Kulpa gives the viewer multiple layers in her collages. It’s worth your time to pause and explore the various media, textural components, and use of color to create nonrepresentational art.”
Kulpa is a self-taught creative who has been working on her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband. Ann lived in Colorado for many years before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado, Ann competed in juried art shows earning numerous awards and accepting commission work as a portrait artist and mural painter. While living in Cabool she discovered the creative process of Digital Art Painting. She became very involved in digital work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings on the side. Using these mediums, she has won awards in juried art shows in this area.
Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. In the last two years she has enrolled in several educational courses which she is using as a springboard in creating her multi-media, multi-layered, intuitive artwork. As she develops this art form, she hopes to introduce portraiture into her work. “I am enjoying this challenging process which is much like working a creative puzzle. The intuitive nature of creating in this way means I am always surprised throughout the process,” says Kulpa.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Kulpa 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.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Artwork from local artist Garrett Melby will be featured October 2 through the end of December 2023, featuring some pieces from his “Tone Poets” collection. 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 1 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “With bold color and strong contrast Garrett creates for the viewer exciting interpretation of his subjects.”
Melby graduated from Willow Springs, Mo in 1998 and had success in school in art related events. His art was displayed in Willow Springs downtown and in the school art show. He graduated from Collins College in Phoenix, AZ with a degree in animation. While in Arizona, his art and animation were displayed in downtown Phoenix art galleries, first Friday’s art walk, as well as in Tempe and Mesa Arizona.
Currently Melby’s artwork is on display at Wages Brewing Company in West Plains, MO and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar music venue. Melby paints live with many area and national bands and musicians, including the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Steeldrivers, Haha Tonka, the HillBenders and many more. Melby currently is the Coordinator for Honest Imaginations an art-based program for special needs individuals in West Plains, Missouri.
Melby has had art shows and benefit auctions at Wages Brewery West Plains, The Yellow House Community art program West Plains, The Queen city Shout Springfield, Q enoteca wine bar Springfield Mo, OZBI, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar. At these art auctions He has helped raise money for many local charities close to his heart such as ORC\West Plains Regional Animal Shelter, The Bridges Program of West Plains Schools, Rescue and Defend, the West Plains Optimist Club, Queen City Shout Poverty Relief, CASA, Christos House and Play it Forward to name a few.
“My mission statement is simply: You can’t move forward if you don’t give back. I paint live with bands and do a lot of cool things on a canvas, but the real art is finding a way to help someone with your art and that’s what I’m striving to do.”
WPPL Director Greg Carter shares, ‘Here at the library, our vision is that we are a space where all come to learn, create, discover, and connect. There is no better way to accomplish that vision than displaying local pieces of art for the community to peruse and appreciate. We are always proud to partner with the Council on the Arts to bring the beauty of art to our patrons.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 4-5:30 PM, hosted by the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artist, 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition of works by area artists in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from November 18 through December 16, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
“Winter holidays are a wonderful time for creating and sharing. Artists will share their memories through their works, showcasing what the holiday season means to them,” organizers say.
Featured artists include:
Janey Hale – Hale’s desire to create began when as a young child a women’s group brought an exhibition of old master’s paintings to her hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Teaching art for over twenty years, she is now focusing on painting full time. Janey has benefitted from working with local artists and attending workshops of noted artists. Hale says, “Creating art is a means by which I record both emotional and visual experiences. The interaction of color, light, and textures in combination with mark making appeals to my own aesthetic, which I hope gives something to the viewer.”
“The work I selected for this show is representative of things I paint because they evoke a memory, tell a story, or present a new challenge. I paint what catches my eye. It might be the way light falls across a building or the interesting textures created by the aging process on old farm equipment. Ultimately, I hope the painting tells a story.”
Terry Hampton – Terry Hampton is a native and lifelong resident of rural West Plains who has been involved in creative endeavors and arts organizations for more than 40 years. She seeks to promote the arts as a means of economic and community development and as a way for Ozarkians to tell our own story, rather than having the narrative left to others. She is currently president of Ozark Artery, a non-profit organization on a mission to grow local art opportunities.
Artist Statement: “I am a multi-disciplinary, creative type. I enjoy making visual works – 2D, 3D, calligraphy, photography – am a published author and had a long-time involvement in live theater. I’ve loved artistic pursuits for as long as I can remember. My folks encouraged me and sent me to a neighbor lady for oil painting lessons when I was barely school age. It had a lifelong impact. Roy Hathcock, my high school art teacher, was also a big influence. My “Deck the Halls” entries are mixed media pieces consisting mostly of recycled holiday materials. Recycling and upcycling are where my creative energies have been focused recently, especially using many items that belonged to my parents, including the vintage wrapping paper featured in my entries. Art can and should convey serious themes, but sometimes, it can (and should be) just for fun, like these pieces which remind me of when I was growing up. The way my folks carefully saved wrapping paper to reuse it multiple years. Seeing the remnants of one piece that indicated a gift wrapped in the paper was from my Grandpa. A smiling little girl who didn’t have much, but in her mind, she didn’t need anything else. So many nice memories of what, in some ways, were simpler times, even though I know now the simplicity was an illusion. The world has always been complicated. It is my hope for all of us throughout the holiday season that we make joyful memories without trying too hard, have loving connections with those we care about and take a googly-eye view that through ups and downs, we should try to seek that which is worthwhile and of lasting value.”
Josie Hanson – Josie Hanson lives in West Plains, Missouri with her 8-year-old son Lincoln. Hanson has always enjoyed art and has recently started taking art classes, especially enjoying learning how to paint with watercolors!
Ann Kulpa – Ann is a self-taught creative who has been working her art since she was a child. She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband Lee. Ann lived in Colorado before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado Ann worked as a portrait artist, mural painter as well as creator and writer of craft “How To” articles for an herb magazine based in Loveland. While living in Cabool she absorbed herself in the creative process of Digital Art Painting, becoming involved in that work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child. ”My finished work is the result of completing a puzzle that is continually fluctuating. It’s always a surprise.”
Donna Lay – Donna K. Lay moved to this area from Texas in June of 2000. She was raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska on a small family farm but left to attend college and eventually earned her Master of Science Degree in Educational Counseling in 1981.
She began her career as a therapist when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 and spent most of her time living in West Germany. She was able to participate in her military community celebrations of Christmas, German Style and discovered she loved the Gingerbread cookies, the wood ornaments, the nutcrackers, and the music. These paintings portray that time as she sipped steaming mulled wine in the Christmas Market. She invites you to join her in this Weinachten celebration.
Willie Lyles – Willie G Lyles, originally from California, attended high school in San Fernando. He ran track throughout high school and was one of the fastest quarter mile runners in the world in 1980. Lyles was a conservation officer in three different counties for 18 years and recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation after 30 years’ service. Artist statement: “I also worked as an outdoor skills education specialist, where I perfected some of my art. I used to use sawdust flour and water to make my sculptures, but now I use gourds and I attended the gourd show in Springfield for the first time this year, taking first place awards. I also attended the Empire Springfield Fair and received four first places and three honorary awards as well. This will be the first time that I have attended this art program. It’s gonna be really exciting for me. By the way, I did not start doing artwork at all until I was about 45 years old, and I have gotten to the place where that’s about all I do now, and I enjoy it in my retirement.”
Judy Norton – 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 someday 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. 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.”
Diane Smithey – A native Virginian, Diane Smithey moved with her husband and sons to Missouri thirty years ago and has enjoyed photographing the Ozark region and surroundings ever since. Many of her photos have appeared in the West Plains Daily Quill through the years. Her first entry in a photo contest, titled “Rainy Stroll at Big Spring,” won first place in the People Category, as well as Best in Show, at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair in 2004. One of her favorite subjects to photograph was her beloved cat, Jelly, who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and “who loved Christmas more than anyone else.”
Cindy Temple – Temple says, “The pieces I chose for this exhibit reflect some fond memories of times gone by. My mom’s Christmas cactus, and baking cookies with my boys and arranging them by the fireplace so Santa would be sure to notice.”
“I’m actively seeking to do better and learn new skills,” says Temple. “I enjoy painting, sharing ideas, and learning with other artists in our local art groups. Being a self-taught artist and learning as I go, breaking rules doesn’t seem to matter and has given me freedom to find my own style. Honestly, I believe all artists, educated or not, are all self-taught. We retain and choose what we want to learn. Subsequently, we go with our gut and what moves and stirs our souls.”
Mark Wallen – A Missouri native currently residing in Raymondville, Missouri, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures in Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.
The Ventures in Art group meets once a week and has artists using different mediums from watercolor to oils. The goal of the group is to challenge your comfort zone; to push you to learn from different experiences and other individuals. The work exhibited reflects the input from these meetings.
The works of the artist reflect his interest in landscapes of the mid-west. His interest is in old farms and buildings, cars, trucks, trains, and equipment. He likes snow scenes, and skies of the morning and evenings. He also likes working on nocturnes of moonlit skies.
Dolores Winkler – Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.
Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, alcohol inks, and Inktense pencils on canvas. I have been in California teaching classes for a month. I love colors and different textures!”
Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one. I love teaching children and beginners in watercolors. 6 lessons are a great way to start. I am teaching at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains several days a week and Saturdays for larger groups. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel, and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.
Jaylee Yarber – Jaylee Yarber is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade. She has enjoyed drawing and painting since a young child and recently started taking formal lessons to explore more art forms such as watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics, and more advanced drawing techniques. Her favorite subjects to draw are animals, landscapes, and flowers.
WPCA will host a Meet the Artists event on Saturday, December 2, from 2-4 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, meet the artists, and discuss the pieces. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Photo of work by artist Cindy Temple