The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
Traditional jig dancing will again be featured at this year’s Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival in downtown West Plains, Mo. The Bob Holt National Jig Dancing Competition will take place at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3, in the Civic Center Arena. Bring your dancing shoes and join in!
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to celebrate, preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands.
Jig dancing contestants will compete in four age divisions: Under age 17, age 18-50, age 51-70, and over age 70. No entry fee will be charged, and contestants can register to participate on the day, or by contacting Kathleen Morrissey at the West Plains Council on the Arts, info@westplainsarts.org or 417-293-7751. Over $500 in prizes will be awarded, organizers said. Cathy Marriott, Ava, Mo., a master artist with the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program of the Missouri Folks Arts Program, will be the competition’s emcee.
A copy of the entry form with rules is linked to the website at www.oldtimemusic.org
The competition was named in honor of the late Bob Holt, a long-time Ava resident renowned for his old-time fiddle playing for Ozarks square dancers. He received a National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999 for his music and was a master artist with the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in the Missouri Folk Arts Program.
Within the southern folk tradition, there are several styles of solo, freestyle dances, organizers said. Flatfooting and buckdancing are two of the most common forms. In the Ozarks, the term “jig” is frequently used to describe this style of dance.
Although these dances are all loosely related, they also are distinctly different. The word “jig” dates back at least to 1500 AD and is probably somewhat older in usage. It describes a solo dance that originated in the British Isles where it consisted of repeated hops on one foot while the free foot pointed patterns in the air – heel and toe, front, side or back.
The Ozark jig draws not only from British tradition, but also from American Indian and African cultures. It basically consists of movement from the hips down while the upper body is held erect, organizers explained. Emphasis is on leg rather than body movements, and the steps are individualistic and virtually limitless. The feet serve as a rhythm instrument, and the sound of the shoes striking the floor beats the time of the music.
Even though several jig dancers may take to the floor at the same time, each dancer’s steps are improvised without regard to the movement of the other dancers. When jig steps are incorporated into square dances, no effort is made to synchronize steps with other dancers in the square, organizers explained.
Another major difference in the British and Ozark versions of the jig is the rhythm of the dance, they added. In the British Isles, the jig was danced to a lilting 6/8 rhythm. Ozark dancers prefer extremely fast-paced, driving 2/2 or 2/4 hoedowns. The Ozark style of jig is a “freestyle” dance form identified with northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
This year’s event is again sponsored by The Fish Shack in West Plains.
Experienced string band musicians from south-central and southwest Missouri who are thoroughly familiar with regional jig dance traditions – guitarist Joel Hinds, fiddlers David Scrivner and Ashley Hull Forrest, and banjo player Nathan McAlister – provide live musical accompaniment for the dancing.
LEARN TO JIG DANCE WORKSHOPS
As a special feature at the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival this year, Keith Symanowitz representing the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, AR, will conduct two Learn to Jig Dance workshops.
Keith Symanowitz is an accomplished jig dancer, award-winning singer, musician, and folk percussionist. Keith plays percussion for The Creek Rocks and works as a Park Interpreter at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas where he often teaches folk dance and percussion for all ages and ability levels.
The first workshop will be held Friday, June 2, at 1PM on the MSU-WP basketball courts next to the Student Rec Center on the corner of Trish Knight St. and Garfield Ave. This workshop will be geared toward young people and promises to be an exciting time.
The second workshop will be held Saturday, June 3 at 11AM in the same location, and will be open to all ages. Come dance with us and then enter the jig dance competition at 12:30.
Musicians David Scrivner, Ashley Hull Forrest, Nathan McAlister, and Joel Hinds, provide live musical accompaniment for the dancing.
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at https://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
A demonstration of mule jumping will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3, in the parking lot near the West Plains Senior Center at the corner of East Main and South Curry Streets. The Mule Jump Competition, sponsored by Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply, will take place at 6 p.m. that day, coordinated by Richie Dement of Centerville.
Mule jumping, that most Missourian of Missouri folk arts, seems to have developed when raccoon hunters began training mules to jump over fences so that they did not have to interrupt the hunt to locate a gate. It became a competitive event unto itself, and mule jumping contests began to take place at county fairs and town picnics throughout much of the rural Southeast and Midwest, especially Missouri. “Based on the research I’ve done, it appears that there are more mule jumps annually in Missouri than in any other state,” festival committee member Matt Meacham said. “It seems safe to say that the Show-Me State is the mule-jumpingest state in the country.”
All trainers of jumping mules are invited to participate in the Festival’s mule jump competition. Prizes of $100 (first place), $75 (second place), and $50 (third place) will be awarded in each of three classes based on the mule’s height: Small – 48” and under, Medium – 54” and under, Large – over 54”. Standard Missouri rules will apply. Water and ample space for trailers will be available.
Pre-registration is recommended but not required. Contestants who wish to pre-register may contact Matt Meacham at 417-372-3177 or matt.meacham@ilhumanities.org. All participants are asked to check in on-site by 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Those who have questions about specific policies and procedures may contact coordinator Richie Dement at 573-648-2524.
The mule jump competition at the Festival in 2011 became the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal, Meacham noted. “Although we can’t guarantee that competitors will receive international media coverage again this year, we can guarantee that they’ll have the attention of an enthusiastic, supportive audience and the appreciation of the organizers of the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival.”
2023 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center, West Plains Civic Center, and Missouri State University-West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities and Missouri Department of Tourism.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at http://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
Three great days of music! 7 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. show on Saturday. Camping available. For more information: https://hobabluegrass.wixsite.com/mysite/june-2021-festival
Performing as the headliners during the second night of the Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival will be The Blackwood Brothers Quartet in a free concert.
The group was formed in 1934 with brothers Roy, Doyle, James and Roy’s son, R.W. In the late 50s Roy and Doyle retired from traveling and in 1954 R.W. was killed in a tragic airplane crash. However, the quartet with James, as the quartet’s leader and spokesman, established a new group of singers who would go on to take Gospel music to new heights as they traveled and sang in all fifty of the United States, every Canadian province as well as cities in Great Britain, Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
In 2002, James Blackwood passed awy, but his sons, Jimmy (James Jr.) and Billy have continued the 80-year tradition. Recently Jimmy retired after singing for 49 years and his younger brother, Billy now carries on the quartet which has the distinction of being the best-known name in Gospel Music history!
More information about the group at blackwoodbrothers.com.
See legitspeedway.com for full schedule and details.
Doors at 6 p.m.
Three great days of music! 7 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. show on Saturday. Camping available. For more information: https://hobabluegrass.wixsite.com/mysite/june-2021-festival
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
Heart of the Ozarks Fair on Facebook.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
Final Authority and The Lesters in concert. Seating in the grand stands or bring lawn chairs for close seating. Fair admission is $5. Come enjoy gospel music, rides, concessions, and more.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”
About the artist:
Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor. Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees. The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023.
Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.
A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
Robinette artwork – “Singing at the Met”
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
Kiwanis Club of West Plains on Facebook for information.
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
Doors at 6 p.m. Ticket info here.
From organizers: This southern sight for sore eyes will be directed by long-time Avenue adherent Grayson Gordon! Grayson has put on a number of sensational shows at the Avenue and we are tickled pink for his return!
Performances will be held June 2nd & 3rd – 10 AM, 2 PM & 6 PM and June 9th & 10th – 7 PM
Clover Leaf is the once stately mansion owned by Colonel Beauregard ”Lucky” Sweetwater, and his late wife, Merry May. She’s not dead… just never on time. Alas, their ownership of this magnolia shrouded domicile is in great danger unless regularly monthly mortgage payments are resumed within twenty-four hours. If not, Clover Leaf will be auctioned off, no matter what condition it or its owners are in. This predicament may also mean the beginning of the end of finishing school for the Colonel’s attractive, but socially awkward daughter, Truly Sweetwater. What will become of the family as they face the possibility of losing their dilapidated, ante-bellum mansion to bankers with seeming hearts of stone? Is there no way to stop the tide of misfortune from coming in their front door? Is there no one to jump in and save the day before 2 p.m. on Friday, the 13th? This melodrama is truly a Southern (sigh)t for sore eyes!
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and West Plains Public Library (WPPL) will partner to bring quarterly art displays to the library. Art teachers from West Plains R-7 schools will be featured March 9 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the library during open hours, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale says, “West Plains is fortunate to have art teachers that excel in drawing out their students’ creative abilities. WPCA is excited to showcase the teachers’ artwork. This is an opportunity to view what they do that inspires them to inspire their students.”
WPPL Director Shawnie Kennedy shares, “We are so excited to have the art teachers of our community displaying their work in the library. Not only are they artists, but they use their talent and love for art to inspire our youth. They are true masters!”
About the Artists:
Mary-Louise Grisham Nash – West Plains based artist/art teacher, Mary-Louise Grisham Nash has been passionate about art for the majority of her life. Originally from West Plains, Mary-Louise attended Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s in design arts, emphasis in photography, with a minor in art history. During her studies, she traveled and studied at the Santa Reparata International School for the Arts in Florence, Italy, where she was influenced and inspired by the art history, architecture, and landscapes of the region. Upon graduation, she went on to receive her Master of Arts of Teaching at Missouri State University. After earning her Masters, she returned to West Plains to start a career in Art Education at West Plains R-7 school district. She is currently in her 11th year as the middle school visual art instructor. She is passionate and inspired by student’s love and drive to learn new creative things, and also by the beautiful colors that she is surrounded by every day right here in the Ozarks.
Kathy Grigsby is a retired West Plains R-7 Art Teacher. While enjoying retirement she also teaches part time at South Fork Elementary. Kathy has painted many murals over the years for businesses and homes. Her most recent being the murals at The Truck Patch she and artist Cindy Temple collaborated with together. She also has donated many paintings including Santa’s as auction items for various fundraisers and events.
In her retirement she has found more time to be in front of her easel with opportunities to take many workshops with Regina Willard exploring painting techniques. As a result, she has carried this over to her teaching which has enlightened her instruction in the process of art. She states that “art is a process of mark making” and enjoys her students’ art more with that perspective. Kathy is married to Rick Grigsby and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren.
Karen Pitts is currently in her third year of teaching art at West Plains High School and spent thirteen years teaching art at Willow Springs Middle School. She also teaches art at the Harlin Museum in West Plains and is the owner and operator of a painting party business “Treat Your Palette” teaching adult painting. Karen started her lifelong love of the arts at the early age of seven. Her first acrylic paints at the age of nine started her love for painting and have continued that love to today. Her goal after retirement is to continue teaching art, hosting painting parties, and starting an online kid’s art program. Karen has three daughters and seven grandkids and enjoys visiting family and grandkids back home in Oklahoma City.
Audrey Scott is a painter and art educator from West Plains, MO. “I have been painting since I was a child, always entranced by color and the emotional depth it is able to capture and evoke. In high school I developed a keenness for working in a more abstract approach, and that style has continued to evolve over the years. After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Minor in Art History from Missouri State University, and have had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries including Cottey College in Nevada, MO and Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO. I currently have the privilege of teaching art at West Plains High School.”
A Meet-the-Artists event will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, 4-6 p.m. at the library, 750 W. Broadway, in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet the artists, view, and discuss the pieces on display. Partial funding for this exhibit is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Shawnie Kennedy Shawnie.Kennedy@westplains.gov
at the library or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.
In case of bad weather, the event will be moved to 3rd Saturday. (Message Conjure Coffee House if interested in bringing a truck.)
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)
This exhibit is the one time of the year that the museum displays its Pioneers Of The Ozarks collection by L.L. Broadfoot in its entirety* ; a series of eighty-eight charcoal drawings and oil paintings depicting actual people, places, and events of the Ozarks that the artist captured in the late 1930s-late 1940s.
*due to a minimum of current gallery space
West Plains Second Saturday Art Stroll on Facebook for information.
This is event is FREE (with the option to purchase food and merchandise at the event), and all are welcome.
Trio plays pop, rock, and jam tunes, plus orginals.
From organizers: This southern sight for sore eyes will be directed by long-time Avenue adherent Grayson Gordon! Grayson has put on a number of sensational shows at the Avenue and we are tickled pink for his return!
Performances will be held June 2nd & 3rd – 10 AM, 2 PM & 6 PM and June 9th & 10th – 7 PM
Clover Leaf is the once stately mansion owned by Colonel Beauregard ”Lucky” Sweetwater, and his late wife, Merry May. She’s not dead… just never on time. Alas, their ownership of this magnolia shrouded domicile is in great danger unless regularly monthly mortgage payments are resumed within twenty-four hours. If not, Clover Leaf will be auctioned off, no matter what condition it or its owners are in. This predicament may also mean the beginning of the end of finishing school for the Colonel’s attractive, but socially awkward daughter, Truly Sweetwater. What will become of the family as they face the possibility of losing their dilapidated, ante-bellum mansion to bankers with seeming hearts of stone? Is there no way to stop the tide of misfortune from coming in their front door? Is there no one to jump in and save the day before 2 p.m. on Friday, the 13th? This melodrama is truly a Southern (sigh)t for sore eyes!
The City of West Plains Aquatic Center is open for the 2023 summer season. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. daily with an evening swim Thursday from 5-8 p.m. The cost of admission is $5 for children ages 3-11 and $6 for ages 12 and up. Children under three are free. The Parks and Recreation Department requires that children under 12 be accompanied by an adult. (The pool typically closes for the season in mid-August.)