West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
See McWilliams Pumpkin Patch on Facebook for more information about activities and admission price.
The Harlin Museum of West Plains, MO will be hosting its 2023 Ozarks-Themed Multimedia Art Show, Our Ozarks In Art, and is calling for artist submissions from throughout the region.
This multimedia show is designed to showcase the works of all types of artists. Categories may include but are not limited to:
– PAINTINGS (oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor, etc.)
– DRAWINGS (pastels, graphite, charcoal, pen & ink, colored pencil, etc.)
– SCULPTURE (wood, clay, ceramic, metal, paper mâché, etc.)
– PHOTOGRAPHY (nature, landscape, astrophotography, pet photography, macro, aerial, drone photography, architecture, portrait, still life, black & white, abstract, etc.)
– PAPERCRAFT (collage, quilling, etc.)
– MIXED MEDIA (any combination of 2 or more mediums)
– MODELS (kits, original design, etc.)
Entries will need to meet the established guidelines for acceptance into the show, which can be found on the museum’s website harlinmuseum.com. The show’s final categories and any prizes to be awarded will be determined by the actual entries received.
Entry dates for submissions will be Friday, September 1, and Saturday, September 2. Entries will be taken both days, between the hours of 12-4 pm each day, at the Harlin Museum, which is located at 405 Worcester. The show will be on display to the public in the museum’s Hathcock Gallery, beginning September 8 and running through October 1.
Entry fees are $5 per entry, with a cost break at five entries; for $20.00, you’ll get four entries, plus one for free.
Entries will be evaluated for artistic quality, integrity, technique, and presentation, as well as how skillfully they represent the Ozarks by artistically conveying this year’s theme, Ozark Landmarks.
Those who are interested in entering the competition can find entry guidelines and other pertinent information on the museum’s website by clicking here on GUIDELINES or by stopping in at the museum and grabbing one of the flyers that are available in the museum’s lobby. Entry forms for submissions may be filled out ahead of time online by clicking HERE. Any questions regarding eligibility or other inquiries can be emailed to the museum at info@harlinmuseum.com or you may contact the museum directly at (417) 256-7801.
Photo by Carr Ward.
– by Carr Ward
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
Photo by Carr Ward.
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.
Missouri State University-West Plains is excited to announce the
28th Annual Grizzly Golf Classic
All proceeds from this tournament will benefit the Bo Pace Memorial Scholarship and the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Athletics program.
- Sponsorships are available.
- For a complete list of available sponsorships, visit WP.MissouriState.edu/GrizzlyGolf.
- Team slots are available with the deadline approaching fast.
- Teams are 3-person at $450 or $150 per golfer.
- Grizz passes are also available at $100 per team, which includes 4 mulligans and all side games.
- Lunch and premium Grizzly prizes are offered to all participants including a Grizzly Golf Classic t-shirt or Missouri State-West Plains polo, as well as cash prizes for all flight winners.
- To guarantee your choice and size shirt, REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 15.
- You can register your team at WP.MissouriState.edu/GrizzlyGolf or complete the attached registration form and email to WPAdvancement@MissouriState.edu.
Questions? Call the MSU-WP Office of University Advancement at 417-255-7923 or Athletics at 417-255-7990.
It’s the THIRTIETH YEAR OF GRIZZLY ATHLETICS! Want to help support all athletic scholarships? Join the Missouri State-West Plains Grizzly Club!
Thank you for your continued support.
GO GRIZZLIES!
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
Photo by Carr Ward.
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) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
Photo by Carr Ward.
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) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
Photo by Carr Ward.
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.
Award winning multi-instrumentalist John Depew, the 2022 Kansas state mandolin champion will be bringing his unique sound to the Yellow House. There is a suggested $10 donation at the door. Depew’s first self-titled album in 2021 got immediate positive attention from critics and musicians alike. A review by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers stated, ” Excellent music. One of a kind.” After putting time in on the road and the studio, Depew is touring on the release of his current album (Yellow Threads) recorded May of 2023. Both albums are available at johndepew@Bandcamp.com on vinyl, CD, or digital download. Please come and support this talented musician as he tours through the midwest and stops in our little community arts center.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
Photo by Carr Ward.
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.
For more information call 417-256-7078.
For adults and children age 10 and older. Call 417-256-7080.
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.
See Fear the Bloody Timber on Facebook for complete information, including ticket prices.
Country Express typically plays at the senior center every Friday night. Please call ahead, (417) 256-4055, for details and to make sure they will be there.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
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.
See McWilliams Pumpkin Patch on Facebook for more information.
Presenting Ozarktoberfest 2023 including live music, food vendors, and more!Ozarktoberfest returns Saturday October 7th from 2 to 6pm at the East Towne Village Pavilion next to Wages Brewing Company!
Benefits Boys & Girls Club
*Ozarktoberfest Lager 2023
*Wages Fest Bier 2023
*MANY more German-themed brews with 25+ different beers in all from Wages, MO breweries and Germany
*special homebrewers area
*food & merch vendors
*live music
*mug holding competition benefitting Boys and Girls Club
(**We’ll have a list of the beers to be served soon!)
Simplified for 2023!
$0 – non-drinkers and kids (under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian)
$25 includes souvenir taster glass for unlimited sampling**
**drink responsibly
King Size bringing the voice and modern rock/country/bluegrass sound OMG!!
Rollin’ Bayou Cajun
Conjure Coffee
…more to be announced, pending a few confirmations!
Farmhouse Uniques and Junktiques
Christian Cannabis Advocate CBD
Chloe’s Creations (tie-dye)
Jay’s Glass Flow
Cornhole Tournament is from 5-6:30 p.m. Movie “Jesus Revolution” is from 7-9 p.m. See Movie Under the Stars with Ozarks Summit Ministries on Facebook.
See Fear the Bloody Timber on Facebook for complete information, including ticket prices.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) has issued a call for submissions for their juried exhibits “Deck the Halls” as well as the exhibit to be displayed during the 2024 eclipse celebration in West Plains. WPCA will host “Deck the Halls” from November 18 through December 16, 2023; and the eclipse exhibit March 30 through May 4, 2024, in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center. Both exhibits are open to 2D and 3D artists.
“Deck the Halls” is the opportunity for you to showcase what your holiday celebration means to you. Fall and winter holidays are wonderful times for decorating and creating memories. This is a call for artists to share their memories through their work. Deadline for entries is October 15, 2023.
The eclipse exhibit will feature “all things above” – artwork created during or representing an eclipse, night skies, or other skyward representations to help celebrate during the Party in the Path West Plains Eclipse Celebration April 5-8, 2024. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2024.
Area artists and makers are encouraged to email photos of up to five (5) proposed works to info@westplainsart.org by the deadlines to be considered.
Guidelines:
- 2-D and 3-D pieces accepted
- 16”x20” maximum size of 2-D works, unless waiver granted
- All media accepted – paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking, pottery, gourd art, etc.
- Subject matter to fit the theme.
- 2-D Pieces must be framed and/or ready to hang
The exhibits are 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.
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition titled “King of the Ozarks” by Mountain Grove photographer Joyce McMurtrey in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from September 1 through October 20, 2023. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Like her photographs, Joyce McMurtrey has deep roots in the Missouri Ozarks. A native of Columbia, MO, Joyce has spent the past four decades in Wright County. Together with her husband, Joyce farmed 75 acres of grapes near Mountain Grove. After the birth of her daughter in 1986, Joyce bought a camera. What began as an attempt to capture her family’s life on the farm grew into a passion that can be seen in her powerful portraits of the people and places she calls home.
“King of the Ozarks” began from Joyce’s curiosity to discover more details about an almost mythical person, H. King Davis, and a wish to meet her neighbors. Over four years, the project evolved into a collection of portraits and profiles from interviews Joyce conducted with this multi-generational African American family who’ve farmed in southern Missouri since the Homestead Act.
“Joyce McMurtrey’s work is not about history. She is a keen observer of people and the places where they lived as neighbors and family. In order to share family stories, you must first be a part of one. Joyce’s work, ‘King of the Ozarks: Family Stories’ takes you along the roads where legacies are created and asks us to join in the journey,” says Kathleen Morrissey, President of WPCA.
WPCA will host the Opening Reception for the Ozarks Studies Symposium on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. The “King of the Ozarks” exhibit will be featured. All are invited to attend, meet the artist, and discuss her work. 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 courtesy of Joyce McMurtrey
See McWilliams Pumpkin Patch on Facebook for more information about activities and admission price.
– by Carr Ward
Photo by Carr Ward.
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 Photography Club currently has 34 members and meetings are at 6:30 p.m. the second Monday of each month in the Missouri State University-West Plains Creative Discovery Center, 411 West Main Street, Suite 1. Everyone regardless of age or ability is invited to join the club which has no membership dues.
The purpose of the club is to share and support everyone’s passion for photography arts whether they are a beginner or have been engaged in photography for many years. Present members include some who do not even own a camera to professionals who make a living by selling their art. For more information on the club feel free to call Bob Cunningham at 417-257-8206 or Dennis Crider at 417-274-7101.