West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host an exhibition entitled “Then and Now – Artistic Journey of Ann Kulpa” by area artist Ann Kulpa in the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from February 1 through March 8, 2025. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Artist’s Statement: As a child my hands were kept busy creating things. In school doodling on my papers instead of writing notes was an issue. I was a dreamer then and even today my mind wanders.
My husband and I lived in Colorado for many years before moving to the Ozarks and have lived in Cabool now for over 20 years. In Colorado I competed in juried art shows from Evergreen to Ft. Collins, earning awards and accepting commission work as a portrait artist. I worked for Interweave Press in Loveland CO, creating and writing ‘How To’ articles on herbal crafts that were published in The Herb Companion Magazine. In Missouri, I have won awards for my artwork in photography, graphite, pen & ink, digital painting and most recently, mixed-media acrylic paintings. As well, I taught classes in arts and crafts for the local art council. Because of my interest in the intuitive creative process, in 2022 I returned to the form of abstract art that I created naturally as a child and have continued this intuitive experiment in the multimedia process.
I am inspired by lines and patterns I see all around me and colors in nature, how they change in hue and move over a surface. When I draw lines and swirls that meet and part, intersections, thick lines and thin, there’s an intuitive connection to explore. It is through this process that a painting eventually tells me what it wants to be.
WPCA will host a reception for the exhibit on Saturday, February 15, 2025, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Gallery at the Center. 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.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Students from West Plains schools, along with Southfork students, will contribute to the display to be featured early January through mid-March 2025. 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.
Displayed works will include pieces from the classes of Tiffany Bryce, Madyson Callahan, Kathy Grigsby, Mary-Louise Grisham-Nash, Jamie Pendergrass, and Audrey Scott.
WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott says, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display these young artists’ work! It is inspiring to see their technical skill level and commitment to their work, as well as their fresh perspective on artmaking and their unrestrained imaginations at play.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the young artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Dianna Locke Dianna.Locke@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host a “Color-In” color pencil workshop led by artist Lee Copen. The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the Walnut Room at the West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St., West Plains, MO.
The workshop is called Color-In. Students will create a realistic drawing of birds in this workshop and learn about color pencils drawing techniques and processes. Paper and images will be provided. Students need to bring a set of artist quality color pencils. Prismacolor or any artist quality pencils will work. Not watercolor pencils.
Copen says, “I have always been drawn to the diversity and beauty that landscape has to offer. Painting is absolutely my most favorite thing to do. I have been painting all my life and painting is simply how I like to spend my time. For me painting is capturing a fleeting moment of beauty and sharing what I see with others.”
Growing up in South Africa and Chile, Lee was always an artist. She spent her High School and College years in Colorado, where she excelled in art and earned a degree in Fine Art from the University of Northern Colorado. She worked as a graphic artist and architectural illustrator before going back to school to become a certified teacher. Living on a small farm in the Ozarks, she taught art at the local high school for 22 years, while raising her family. Through all these years she continued to paint and draw. Now retired Lee gets to combine her love for painting and the outdoors, as a plein air painter. Whether on location or in the studio, her light and color filled paintings reflect her love for the land and realistic landscape painting. Working in both watercolor and oil paint, she has received many awards and honors. She is also known for her color pencil drawings of birds. Her art can be viewed on her website and numerous regional galleries.
Cost for the workshop is $75, all supplies provided. Pre-registration is required. Register via email info@westplainsarts.org or text 417-293-2325. Space is limited for this workshop. For more information, you may contact WPCA at info@westplainsarts.org
From organizers: Women in Healthcare: Pioneering Change, Inspiring Tomorrow.” Join us for a morning of insightful conversation with Dr. Karen Johav, Dr. Julie Hart, Catherine Pearson, NP! More information on Facebook Women’s History Month Brunch or message Lincoln School Project to RSVP.
– Craft brewers, area distributors, and local restaurants will highlight the annual West Plains BrewFest, set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March, 2025, in the Exhibit Hall at the West Plains Civic Center. Doors will open promptly at 5:30.
Tasting glasses, sponsored by Southern Bank, will be available to the first 500 patrons. All attendees will be eligible for door prize giveaway items supplied by the vendors, which will include t-shirts, glasses, gift certificates, and more.
Attendees will have the opportunity to sample craft beers, specialty drinks, and special food offerings organizers said.
Confirmed are Craft Breweries: Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City; Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City; Piney River Brewery, Bucyrus; Rapp’s Barren Brewing, Mtn. Home; and Springfield Brewing, Springfield. Great Rivers Distributing (sampling Beatbox, Budweiser, Carbleiss, Golden Road, Goose Island, Hoop Tea, KC Bier Co, Kona, Logboat, Nutrl, Shaken, Sierra Nevada, Stella, Ultra Zero, Wave’s Cider and more). Grellner Sales & Service (sampling Boulevard, Smirnoff, Truly, White Claw, Yuengling, and more).
Restaurants include Colton’s Steak House & Grill, KC’s Sports Bistro, Rockbridge Rainbow Trout Ranch, and The Grizzly Bite at the Grizzly Lofts. Twin Lakes Homebrewers of Mountain Home will have homebrew samples, and Pepsi provides soft drinks and bottled water.
BrewFest T-shirts, printed by Ink Monkey, will be available. Gary Maupin Sound Company will provide DJ services and emcee the event.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the West Plains Council on the Arts’ efforts to promote arts organizations in the West Plains area, as well as fund the Gatewood Family Fine Arts Scholarship. The event is sponsored by the West Plains Council on the Arts, Brewer’s Ice Co., Great Rivers Distributing, Grellner Sales & Service, Southern Bank, and West Plains Daily Quill.
Admission is $30 per person in advance and $40 on the day of the event. All attendees must be over 21 and have a valid photo ID. Advanced tickets are available and may be purchased through Ticketmaster online. Credit card phone-in orders (no added fee) can be made through the Civic Center box office at 417-256-8087. In person ticket purchases can be made at KC’s Sports Bistro, Washington Ave., Ozark Nutrition & Energy, 8th Ave., The Nail Shop, 8th Ave., or from the West Plains Civic Center box office.
More information about the West Plains BrewFest can be found at http://www.westplainsarts.org or at the event’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WestPlainsBrewfest
Email inquiries may be sent to wpartscouncil1@gmail.com.
From organizers: THE OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY OF BREWFEST 2025!!! So, call yer D.D. and tell them to crawl up the hill from the West Plains Civic Center once you are finished tasting all of the finest craft brews the area has to offer and treat your ears to the sublime, homegrown rock originals and tried-&-true cover tunes with Jared, Will, & James!
Tickets here.

Check the Country Express Band Facebook page for cost and other details, including potential cancellations due to weather, holidays or other unforeseen circumstances.
From Country Express: Two step, Cha Cha, Waltz, Electric Slide, Charleston, Foot Boogie, River Waltz, Sweetheart, Around the Room, Tennessee Waltz, Neon Moon Cha Cha, and many more. Or just come listen to some good ole country music. Old country, new country, southern rock music. No alcohol allowed. Family fun for all ages.
Tickets here.

Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Students from West Plains schools, along with Southfork students, will contribute to the display to be featured early January through mid-March 2025. 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.
Displayed works will include pieces from the classes of Tiffany Bryce, Madyson Callahan, Kathy Grigsby, Mary-Louise Grisham-Nash, Jamie Pendergrass, and Audrey Scott.
WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott says, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display these young artists’ work! It is inspiring to see their technical skill level and commitment to their work, as well as their fresh perspective on artmaking and their unrestrained imaginations at play.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the young artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Dianna Locke Dianna.Locke@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
Join us 11 a.m. March 10 at the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center for a birthday party in honor of a special past resident of West Plains, Jim the Wonder Dog! Mayor Mike Topliff will proclaim March 10-14 as “Jim the Wonder Dog Week,” we’ll have a brief presentation about Jim, and will celebrate with birthday cupcakes. We also have a gift for your own “wonder dog” if you tell us about your special pup.
For those who might not be familiar with the incredible story of Jim, he was a Llewellyn setter born March 10, 1925, in Louisiana. Brought to West Plains when he was a few months old by his human companion, Sam VanArsdale, manager of the Arcade Hotel, Jim lived in town for three years before he and Sam moved to Marshall, Missouri, where Jim has his own museum.
Jim not only displayed extraordinary skill as a hunting dog, at one point being named by Outdoor Life Magazine as “The Hunting Dog of the Country,” but furthermore he possessed skills and talents which defied reason, logic, and explanation for a canine to accomplish, and which were put on display for thousands of amazed individuals over the years before his death in 1937.
He was the subject of a multitude of eyewitness accounts, has had books written about his mind-boggling feats, and was declared “Missouri’s Wonder Dog,” an official state symbol, by the state legislature on June 23, 2017.
If you want to learn more about Jim – or are already a fan – be sure to mark your calendar and stop by!
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.
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Students from West Plains schools, along with Southfork students, will contribute to the display to be featured early January through mid-March 2025. 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.
Displayed works will include pieces from the classes of Tiffany Bryce, Madyson Callahan, Kathy Grigsby, Mary-Louise Grisham-Nash, Jamie Pendergrass, and Audrey Scott.
WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott says, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display these young artists’ work! It is inspiring to see their technical skill level and commitment to their work, as well as their fresh perspective on artmaking and their unrestrained imaginations at play.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the young artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Dianna Locke Dianna.Locke@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
Preregistration required: info@westplainsarts.org. More information on Facebook, West Plains Council on the Arts.
West Plains Women’s Acappella Community Chorus Rehearsals, Every Tuesday, 7pm to 9pm, West Plains Boys and Girls Club. Women singers always welcome. Get more information at 661-303-8686
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Students from West Plains schools, along with Southfork students, will contribute to the display to be featured early January through mid-March 2025. 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.
Displayed works will include pieces from the classes of Tiffany Bryce, Madyson Callahan, Kathy Grigsby, Mary-Louise Grisham-Nash, Jamie Pendergrass, and Audrey Scott.
WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott says, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display these young artists’ work! It is inspiring to see their technical skill level and commitment to their work, as well as their fresh perspective on artmaking and their unrestrained imaginations at play.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the young artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Dianna Locke Dianna.Locke@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Students from West Plains schools, along with Southfork students, will contribute to the display to be featured early January through mid-March 2025. 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.
Displayed works will include pieces from the classes of Tiffany Bryce, Madyson Callahan, Kathy Grigsby, Mary-Louise Grisham-Nash, Jamie Pendergrass, and Audrey Scott.
WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott says, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display these young artists’ work! It is inspiring to see their technical skill level and commitment to their work, as well as their fresh perspective on artmaking and their unrestrained imaginations at play.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the young artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Dianna Locke Dianna.Locke@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Students from West Plains schools, along with Southfork students, will contribute to the display to be featured early January through mid-March 2025. 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.
Displayed works will include pieces from the classes of Tiffany Bryce, Madyson Callahan, Kathy Grigsby, Mary-Louise Grisham-Nash, Jamie Pendergrass, and Audrey Scott.
WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott says, “We are incredibly excited to be able to display these young artists’ work! It is inspiring to see their technical skill level and commitment to their work, as well as their fresh perspective on artmaking and their unrestrained imaginations at play.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the young artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Dianna Locke Dianna.Locke@westplains.gov at the library or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The American Legion hosts a breakfast on the third Saturday of every month as a fundraiser. All you can eat and lots of options at a bargain price!
Cystic Fibrosis of West Plains on Facebook.

Check the Country Express Band Facebook page for cost and other details, including potential cancellations due to weather, holidays or other unforeseen circumstances.
From Country Express: Two step, Cha Cha, Waltz, Electric Slide, Charleston, Foot Boogie, River Waltz, Sweetheart, Around the Room, Tennessee Waltz, Neon Moon Cha Cha, and many more. Or just come listen to some good ole country music. Old country, new country, southern rock music. No alcohol allowed. Family fun for all ages.
The 24th Annual Art Around Town exhibit features two- and three-dimensional artwork created by kindergarten through eighth grade students in the region. Free admission. Reception is Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. in Civic Center Theater.
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The 24th Annual Art Around Town exhibit features two- and three-dimensional artwork created by kindergarten through eighth grade students in the region. Free admission. Reception is Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. in Civic Center Theater.
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
From the Library: Local author Annie England Noblin will be signing copies of Spring Fling, her latest published novel, on Tuesday, March 18 from 6-7 p.m. in the WPPL Community Room. We hope to see you there!
West Plains Women’s Acappella Community Chorus Rehearsals, Every Tuesday, 7pm to 9pm, West Plains Boys and Girls Club. Women singers always welcome. Get more information at 661-303-8686
The 24th Annual Art Around Town exhibit features two- and three-dimensional artwork created by kindergarten through eighth grade students in the region. Free admission. Reception is Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. in Civic Center Theater.
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The 24th Annual Art Around Town exhibit features two- and three-dimensional artwork created by kindergarten through eighth grade students in the region. Free admission. Reception is Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. in Civic Center Theater.
Local artist Barbara Williams artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from early January through the end of March 2025. 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.
Artist Statement: “Always the Ozarks: frequently family, often rock buildings” – Rural Ozarks family images in their environment–drawings, etchings and mixed media collage have been the major thrust of my work for fifty years. Portions of these etchings have been reconfigured and are displayed alongside the original etchings. The mother and child theme appears frequently in this exhibit. These pieces are of my own family, though not taken from actual photographs, they are imagined, could-have-been snapshots.
Barbara Williams was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and earned art degrees from Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University), Springfield, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, graduating with an MFA. After graduation she spent one year traveling and working in Europe visiting countries of favorite artists. In 1997 she returned to Europe taking a class in monotype printmaking in Florence, Italy.
Her work has been included in international juried printmaking exhibitions in England, Italy, Poland, USA, Yugoslavia and numerous juried national and regional shows in the USA, including one held at the Smithsonian Institution, which was also included in a year-long traveling exhibit. Williams’ prints and mixed media collage paintings are included in permanent collections in Little Rock, AR (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts); Boulder, CO; Swannanoa, NC (Swannanoa College) and in private collections in the USA and Italy and has been in four Watercolor USA, Springfield, MO, exhibits. Influenced by impressions from an Ozarks 1940s-50s childhood the prints and mixed media paintings are personal expressions and help preserve the history of that time and place. Williams served as an adjunct art faculty for 30 years at MSU, West Plains, MO.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Williams 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 Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org
The Harlin Museum will accept entries for its upcoming Spring Art Show on March 20-23. This year, the High School Art Show will be integrated into the Spring Art Show, expanding the event to showcase a diverse range of local talent. The exhibition will feature two-dimensional artwork only, with a separate three-dimensional show planned for June. Categories for the show will be determined based on the entries received, but may include: painting, drawing, mixed media/collage, and printmaking.
Eligibility and Submission Guidelines: Artwork must be original, completed within the last two years, and never previously shown in any of the Harlin Museum’s competition art exhibits. All work must be framed or mounted on 1.25” gallery-wrapped canvas with wire and eye screws for hanging. Please note that saw-tooth hangers and snap-together plastic frames are not compatible with the museum’s hanging system.
Acrylics and oils must be dry at the time of submission. Watercolor, ink, graphics, and pastels (all works on paper) must be presented under glass or Plexiglas. The subject matter must be suitable for viewing by children. Prizes and Awards: Each category will feature awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, including cash prizes of $75, $50, and $25, respectively, along with ribbons. A People’s Choice award will also be determined by attendee voting. The Best of Show award will include a $100 prize. In addition, Memorial Awards, Purchase Awards, and Artistic Encouragement Awards may be presented by local West Plains businesses and community members.
For those interested in sponsoring youth entry fees or contributing other prizes, please contact Cleo, president of the Harlin Museum Board, at 417-293-9534 or via email at C.Cockrum@HarlinMuseum.com. Meet and Greet and Awards Ceremony: A special social event for artists and their families, as well as the general public, will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will begin at 3:00 p.m., with awards presented by a member of the Harlin Museum Board of Directors. Artwork will be available for pickup after the ceremony. For those unable to attend the event, paintings can also be collected from the museum the following week, Thursday through Sunday, between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing the incredible talent our community has to offer and invite all local artists to participate in this exciting event!
From organizers: Southern Missouri Technical Institute is celebrating the 55th year anniversary of providing Career and Technical Education by offering training to adult and high school students in West Plains and surrounding counties of Missouri and Arkansas. This Showcase Night is a public event open to anyone with an interest in our school and our programs: Auto Body and Collision Repair, Auto Mechanics Technology, Carpentry, Commercial and Advertising Art, Culinary Arts, Electric Line Technology, Health Science/CNA, Pharmacy Technician, Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, and Welding Technology.
The 24th Annual Art Around Town exhibit features two- and three-dimensional artwork created by kindergarten through eighth grade students in the region. Free admission. Reception is Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m. in Civic Center Theater.