Joplin Metro, Art, Sept 2014 by Joplin Metro Magazine

volume 5

issue 5

september 2014

22 54

14 profile: Arts and Crafts festivals on The cover:

on The cover conTinued: 46 TANK: Public Art

18 Joplin Art Walk

48 Taylor Kubicek

22 Carthage Art Walk

50 phoTo paGe: Art in Joplin

26 Pittsburg Art Walk

52 TasTe: Art pieces in downtown restaurants

28 37th Annual MGA

54 healTh: Kristi Seibert

36 Connect2Culture

58 Music To The ears: Milton Patton

38 RSVPaint

60 Music To The ears: Musical venues

42 Joplinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Feeds chapter in Carthage

62 TasTe: Craft beers

The J TeaM ediTor Kevin McClintock Phone: 417.627.7279 Fax: 417.623.8598 E-Mail: kmcclintock@joplinglobe.com MaGazine WriTer Ryan Richardson conTribuTinG WriTers Michael Coonrod Bobbie Pottorff Andra Bryan Stefanoni Amanda Stone

conTribuTinG phoToGraphers T. Rob Brown Bobbie Pottorff Michael Coonrod Ryan Richardson Drew Kimble Andra Bryan Stefanoni Roger Nomer Laurie Sisk

The Joplin Globe presidenT and publisher Mike Beatty Phone: 417.627.7291 Fax: 417.623.8450 E-Mail: mbeatty@joplinglobe.com

sales ManaGer Janette Cooper Phone: 417.627.7236 Fax: 417.623.8550 E-Mail: jcooper@joplinglobe.com

conTribuTinG arTisTs Brian Huntley Lindsey Gregory Allison Ezell Emily Smalley Regina Carnahan

ediTor Carol Stark Phone: 417.627.7278 Fax: 417.623.8598 E-Mail: cstark@joplinglobe.com

circulaTion direcTor Jack Kaminsky Phone: 417.627.7341 Fax: 417.623.8450 E-Mail: jkaminsky@joplinglobe.com

direcTor of adverTisinG Brent A. Powers Phone: 417.627.7233 E-Mail: bpowers@joplinglobe.com

direcTor of MaGazines Julie Damer Phone: 417.627.7323 Fax: 417.623.8450 E-Mail: jdamer@joplinglobe.com

cover phoTo T. Rob Brown cover desiGn Brian Huntley Graphic desiGn Publications Press, Inc.

6 THE SCENE 10 THE 10-SPOT 65 THE J LIST 66 THE PARTING SHOT

J MAG is a publication of Newspaper Holdings Inc. and is published monthly. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter. The publisher assumes no responsibilty for return of unsolicited materials.

from the editor

Writing, of course, would eventually become my calling card. But at an early age, I spent hours doodling away with crayons on thick Indian pad paper. I guess my inspiration came from my brother,

So, while I will forever be hopelessly and uselessly unskilled at the ways of the brush and canvas, I still have mad, mad respect for those who do have those skills. Which probably explains why this particular issue of J MAG has been so much fun to put together. Inside, we take detailed looks at the growing artistic revolution taking place not only here in Joplin, but down the road in Carthage. From the Third Thursday Art Walk in Joplin to Art Feeds branching out to Carthage, from the Joplin Little Theater celebrating its 75th anniversary to a new downtown studio offering relaxing painting classes for adults, from 25-year-old Emily Frankoski educating the local populace about local art opportunities to a country singer making it big at nearby Downstream Casino, we believe these examples clearly demonstrate why

We’ve also received an overwhelming thumbs up from you guys for the August restaurant edition, and we want to thank the Red Onion for that scrumptious steak and mushroom gravy with veggies dish gracing the front cover. One of the best received stories was our “gone but not forgotten” 10-Spot feature. Several of you contacted me and asked about one restaurant that I failed to mention in the story — Keller’s Barbecue. It was located on Seventh St. and was a favorite among locals as well as Route 66 highway travelers. And speaking of covers, we wanted to thank the “Storyteller,” the great Andy Thomas, for taking the time from his busy schedule to grace our front cover. Don’t forget, you can reach us with comments or story suggestions at letters@j-magazine.com, by mail at J MAG, 117 E. Fourth St., Joplin, Mo. 64801, call us at 417.627.7279, or look us up on Facebook.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

I think I felt that way because both my father and my older brother, Brad, were gifted artists.

We also wanted to give a shout-out to Brad Belk. He has done a tremendous job with our monthly history section, which we launched at the start of the year. It has also become one of our most-read features in the magazine. And if you know Brad, you know he’s going a mile a minute, juggling 20 different projects at once. Because of his work load, we postponed this month’s history lesson. But no fretting — the Glossary of History and Architecture will be back up and running in our next issue.

grew up wanting to be an artist.

Alas, it wasn’t until I was almost 10 years of age that I realized I just didn’t have it in me — not a single ounce or sparkle of artistic talent. None. Zilch. I would scrawl out uneven lines and deformed shapes and leave them on the kitchen table for my dad to see after he labored through a double-shift at Atlas Powder Co. And I’ll give the old man credit, he would always ink a note of encouragement on the paper, even though he knew his youngest son couldn’t draw himself free of a wet paper bag.

Jasper County is rapidly becoming a viable mecca for artists and art enthusiasts.

Kevin McClintock Editor J MAG

M A G

who as a student helped design and paint a scuba diver mural which I believe (I hope!) still graces an interior wall of the Buck Miner Swim Center at Webb City High School. He also won a contest in the mid-1970s that nabbed him a television set. I was jealous... until I realized we now shared a television in our bedroom.

the scene

M A R I A N DAYS I N CA RT H AG E PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROGER NOMER

Monica Wang, of Sacramento, California, views names at the Our Lady of the Queen Peace Garden on the 28-acre campus of the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix in Carthage.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

A gathering of Catholic priests hold a candle-lit procession at dusk during an evening mass.

Hanny Nguyen, of Temple, Texas, looks over a collection of religious statues during the 2014 Marian Days held last month in Carthage. More than 60,000 visitors descended on the town of 12,000.

SAVE NOW On Your Energy Bills

Install Solar Control Window Film

❖ Up to 81% heat reduction compared to untreated glass. ❖ Prevents sun damage to furnishings & interiors. ❖ Adds privacy without restricting visibility. ❖ Blocks 98% or more of harmful UV rays. ❖ Diminishes up to 95% of glare.

Not available w/$6.49 lunch specials

FREE CUP OF QUESO WITH PURCHASE OF ANY ADULT ENTRÈE*

*CANNOT BE DUPLICATED OR COPIED. NOT VALID WITH A LA CARTE MENU ITEMS OR ANY OTHER OFFER, SPECIAL OR DISCOUNT EXPIRES 10/31/14

e g a h t r a C p sho i r u o s s i M

10-spot BY KEVIN MCCLINTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY JLT AND FILE PHOTOS

A Walk Down Memor y Lane

JOPLIN

featuring an LT in Concert,” “J ll e Th rs be cast members, wi anniversar y, mem ented 57 all-star ed ec zens pr do un m fro elebrating its 75th ng es nce routin r are preppi da te dea -an Th e ng ttl so Li ht in highlig he Wizard of the Jopl ranging from “T s, likes of which al e ic th us al m ic r us la m pu a of po to launch Music.” re. to “The Sound of has ever seen befo z” ea O ar e of th in dy nobo we’ve done undertaking, but ie Fritz, a special ge ec C hu n a ia en or be ist s H “It ha lebration According to JLT a (spectacular) ce ll take place wi ed ” nt rt wa ce on we e C us in ca it be Fritz says. tribute called “JLT ay, Sept. 75th anniversar y,” ginning Wednesd r be ou , r th fo on m is is th later pt. 28. It up on Sunday, Se go and get 24, and wrapping icals that us m s why you should e on th l as al re to 10 s e rt ar so e Her a tip-of-the-hat of rformance. e musical for this special pe since the first liv ts T ke JL tic at ed ay pl have 50. performance in 19

R LITTLE THEATE

ADMIT ONE

A special production for a very special Joplin theater

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

In JLT’s long history, the all-volunteer cast members have performed nearly 100 musicals — “always the most popular shows for people,” Fritz says. “We had to really pare that number down, though. We finally decided on 16 shows” that will be represented in the performance, she says. “It was the only way we could handle it.” Understand, while there will be 16 musicals represented, more than one song will be lifted from each show.

cie Fr itz

M A G

More than 90 people auditioned for “JLT in Concert,” Fritz says. It was an overwhelming response, she admits, and it was a fantastic collection of talent. “Of course, backstage could not handle 90 people, so there had to be an elimination process, which is one of the hardest things to handle when casting a show,” she says. “A final count of 57 was decided upon, including 21 children. That’s still a big cast.” The oldest member is 85 years old, who performed in the JLT production of the “Oklahoma” musical in 1963. The youngest cast member is just 6 years of age. “It’s a nice collection of veterans and new people.”

o eM Th

us etr a

is ud Lo

d Tod

There are too many cast members in the play to list in this story, however, “one of the ideas presented when this production was in the formation stage was to use as many veterans of past musicals as possible,” Fritz says. “Some of these are Gene Hays, Rebecca Kanan, Chet Fritz, Rebecca Luebber Ensor — these are considered the real ‘veterans.’ Many members of the cast have performed in recent years and a few are on our stage for the first time.”

Ch et Fri tz

wa rd

Joh nson ’s

p Gy

M A G

tt ra rde Mu he

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

The play will be directed by Bill Perry and assisted by Carolyn McGowan, with Fritz serving as musical director. The show’s choreographers are Angela Lowe and Heather Briley. Shawn Irish oversees the set and light designs of the stage.

eo Miracl

eet Str h t n 34

So how were the songs chosen, and the plays whittled down from 93 to just 16? According to Fritz: “Each member of the production staff wrote down their favorite five musicals and these lists were compared. Then another five were listed, and on and on until it was narrowed down to the 16 shows, featuring almost 60 songs. Then came (the process) of choosing which songs to feature from each show, how the choreography would be designed, what kind of set would enhance the performances, what kind of lighting would complement it all. And the costumes — will it be done in all black, or would actual costuming from each show be feasible? So many factors go into the end product.”

sal ear h e R JLT

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

So which shows made the final cut? “The Boy Friend,” “My Fair Lady,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Nunsense,” “Crazy For You,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Cabaret,” “Oklahoma,” “West Side Story,” “The Sound of Music,” “42nd Street,” “Annie,” “South Pacific” “Chicago” and “A Chorus Line,” Fritz says. Interestingly, “the Boy Friend” was the first Broadway musical performed at the JLT in 1960.

p Gy

M A G

Actually, the very first musical performed by JLT members took place in 1950, more than a decade after JLT had opened. It was called “Ms. Calico Comes to Town,” and it was an original musical written by three JLT members. After that, no musicals were performed until the beforementioned “The Boy Friend” during the 1960 season. Based on the popularity of these two musicals, each JLT season after 1960 had two or three scheduled musicals per year. There would probably be more, Fritz said, “but musicals are very expensive to produce.”

he tt ra rde Mu

Probably even more amazing than the fact that the JLT is the oldest H ow continuously operating community theater ard west of the mighty Mississippi, is that the Joh nson entire operation is run by volunteers. Yep — the ’s actors, the dancers, the board members, the directors, the set and lighting production members: all of it is voluntary. “That’s just amazing to me,” Fritz says.

Interested in seeing this truly special performance? “We are anticipating a sellout audience for all five shows and are highly recommending getting your reservations in early,” Fritz says. “You may call 417.623.3638, or make your reservations online at www.joplinlittletheatre.org. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors/students and $7 for children age 12 and under. This show is sure to sell out, so get your reservations early.”

M A G

p Gy

The remaining 2014-2015 JLT shows are: • “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” — Dec. 10-14, 2014 • “Eleemosynary” — Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2015 • “The Fantastics” — March 25-29, 2015 • “Bertha, The Beautiful Typewriter Girl” — May 27-31, 2015

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

The special “JLT in Concert” is the first regular show of the 2014-2015 season. Originally, JLT board members thought about performing the original first five shows played at JLT, but that idea was quickly discarded. “We got to looking at them and some of them were pretty dated, plus there were no musicals,” says Fritz. So in a nod to the past, JLT members will be re-performing the theater’s first-ever show, “Bertha, The Beautiful Typewriter Girl” next May. The play, she says, is a melodrama. Don’t know what that is? It’s okay — most folks don’t. It’s a sensational dramatic piece, complete with over-exaggerated characters. Think of villains with the twisty-end mustaches, and heroes that stand in pose, hands on hips. Audience members are encouraged to boo or hiss the villain and cheer when the hero finally saves the damsel in distress. “It’s very over-acted, very corny and very funny,” Fritz says.

profile

A R T S & C R A F T S F E S T I VA L S BY KEVIN MCCLINTOCK

& A Listing of North

west Arkansas A rts & Crafts Festi v

als

ike sports fans counting down the days to the start of a new football season, enthusiasts of everything arts and crafts are doing the same thing for the fall festival months — sans the face paint, of course. “This is our Super Bowl,” says Cami Daniels, who visits between 15 to 20 festivals of all shapes and sizes each fall. When the temperatures take a dip and the color of leaves on the limb turn, that’s when men and women begin circling dates on calendars.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Northwest Arkansas has become a mecca of sorts for many arts and crafts makers and buyers from the Joplin area. In fact, just a twohour drive separates them from more than a half-dozen festivals found between Bella Vista in Benton County, Arkansas and Fayetteville in neighboring Washington County.

In all, there are more than 1,000 individual booths that can be viewed within a 40-mile radius in Northwest Arkansas in October. “We save up money for those weekends,” Daniels says, who formerly lived in Springdale, Arkansas before moving with her husband and two boys to rural Jasper County. “This is my vacation.” Below is a listing of the “big and popular” festivals found in Northwest Arkansas. How many will you visit this year?

Spanker Creek Farm Arts & Crafts Festival On Spanker Creek Farm What: Celebrating its eighth year, this popular festival is one of the largest, affordable arts and craft fairs in Arkansas. Featuring clothing, leather goods, basket-makers, woodworkers, ironworks, jams and jellies, pickled veggies, furniture and sculptures. Holiday-themed gifts are in abundance, as well as seasonal decorations. Food, snacks and beverages are convenient and reasonably priced. How many: More than 100-plus exhibitors expected. Where: 8250 W. McNelly Road, between Bentonville and Bella Vista, Arkansas. When: October 15-19; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Who: 479.685.5655

Frisco Station Mall Arts & Crafts Festival What: One of the few “large” festivals found in Northwest Arkansas where weather is never a problem. That’s because this festival is held inside the air-conditioned comfort of the Frisco Station Mall. How many: More than 150 booths Where: Frisco Station Mall in Rogers, Arkansas. When: October 16-19, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday Who: 479.631.0006

How many: More than 100 exhibitors expected. Where: 11045 War Eagle Road (10 miles east of Rogers, Arkansas).

On the War Eagle Mill grounds, professional craft men and women offer original, handmade work such as country decorative items, folk art, watercolor and oil painting, pottery, stoneware, wreaths, potpourris, dried arrangements, quilts, miniatures, country clothing, wearable art, candles, homemade soaps, country furnishings, antique broken china jewelry, bird

houses and feeders as well as collectables. There will also be cooking demonstrations with delicious samples and live music played throughout the weekend.

When: October 16-19; 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

M A G

What: Celebrating its 41st year in 2014, this fair is one of several located on the grounds of the Historic War Eagle Mill at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Visitors can enjoy an early 6:30 a.m. breakfast inside the Bean Palace Restaurant on the third floor of the Mill. Cornbread is a favorite during lunch, which is ground on a 150-year-old stone buhr mill on the structure’s first floor.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

War Eagle Mill Craft & Culinary Fair

Who: 479.789.5343 15

Sharp’s Show of War Eagle What: The third of three completely separate craft shows held on the War Eagle site. Stained glass, leather, basket makers, woodworkers, oil and acrylic painting, sculpture, and lots of other hand-made arts and crafts are available. Holiday theme gifts will also be in abundance, as well as seasonal decorations. How many: There will be 250 booths offering a wide array of hand-made crafts from skilled artisans from around the country. Where: 11045 War Eagle Road (10 miles east of Rogers, Arkansas). When: October 16-19; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Who: 479.789.5683

Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

What: In its 46th year, more than 200,000 visitors descend on Bella Vista for this premiere festival, which offers some of the highest quality art and hand-made craft work. In fact, “always hand-made, never buy-sell” is a commonly heard mantra here. Since it was first established in 1969, the Bella Vista show has also had the distinction of being one of the “friendliest” festivals found anywhere in Northwest Arkansas, according to fair officials. The Festival is sponsored by the Village Art Club, a non-profit organization that uses the profits to sponsor arts scholarships and the local arts club. Best of all, parking and admission is free. There will also be trams available to transport visitors from the parking area to the festival location. There is also a wide variety of great foods available during the weekend. A unique “See and Sample” tent has been set up for patrons to taste before buying. How many: There will be nearly 300 booths housed beneath five circus tents. Where: 1991 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Arkansas. When: October 16-18; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Who: 479.855.2064 16

Jones Center Arts & Crafts Festival What: If you’re an avid craft collector or admirer, you’ll enjoy being able to find some of the best crafts in Northwest Arkansas with little hassle. Baskets, woodworkers, potpourris, wreaths, oil and acrylic painting, sculpture and lots of other hand-made arts and crafts are available. Holiday theme gifts are in abundance, as well as seasonal decorations. Free admission and parking. Where: 922 E. Emma, Springdale, Arkansas. When: October 16-18, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Who: 479.751.9313

The War Eagle Fair What: The largest crafts fair in the Four-state area, located on the banks of War Eagle River and alongside the Historic War Eagle Mill. It draws 180,000 visitors each year. This makes it one of the largest fairs in the region. Despite the size, it is still a dedicated effort “of little people, by little people, for little people.” The War Eagle Fair was first established in 1954. Exhibitors undergo strict screening prior to acceptance, fair organizers say, and there’s always the opportunity for visitors to watch and visit with the artisans at their booths or even as they work. Exhibits include stained glass items, leather, basket makers, woodworkers, oil and acrylic paintings and sculptures. Holiday-themed gifts can be found in abundance, as well as seasonal decorations. Food, snacks and beverages are convenient and reasonably priced.

Parking: While parking assistance will be provided on-site, there is a $3/car parking fee. How many: More than 260 exhibitors expected. Where: 11045 War Eagle Road (10 miles east of Rogers, Arkansas). When: October 16-19; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Who: 479.789.5398

Because of this, the Ozark Regional Fest is the largest indoor craft fair found anywhere in the Natural State. The festivals are represented by the most talented artisans and craftsman found either locally and nationally, even coordinators say.

When: October 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the locations in Rogers and Springdale; October 16-18, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the location in Fayetteville.

Items offered include a unique blend of health and beauty related products and services, home decor and antiques, ladies and children’s fashion and apparel, as well as original home spun arts and crafts.

Where: NW Ark Convention Center, 1500 S. 48th St., Springdale, Ark.; John Q Hammons Convention Center, 3303 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, Arkansas.

Who: 479.751.8300 for NW Ark Convention Center; 479.254.8400 for John Q Hammons Convention Center; 479.587.0847 for the Washington County Fairgrounds.

While the shows in Rogers and Springdales are two days, the show in Fayetteville is a three-day event. Organizers encourage patrons to visit all three locations during the weekend. Free admission and parking. .

M A G

What: This 23rd annual event is nationally known and recognized as one of the top 100 craft fairs found in the United States. It’s so big that it has to be split up into three venues: the John Q Hammons Convention Center in Rogers, Arkansas (3303 Pinnacle Hills Parkway), the NW Arkansas Convention Center at the Holiday Inn in neighboring Springdale, Arkansas (1500 S. 48th St.), and the Washington County Fairground in Fayetteville, Arkansas (2536 N. McConnell Ave.).

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Fest

cover story A R T WA L K

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY RYAN RICHARDSON

JOPLIN

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Artistic Revolution Taking Place in Downtown Joplin

“There are so many different forms of art and it is refreshing to see people finding beauty in it.” Joplin couple Karen and Gary Ames have bought items from many local artist, including Vickers. During their years of attending the Art Walk together, they have purchased items to put on display inside their home. “I get ideas from these artists of what I want in my home and there are a lot of things I purchase to go in (there),” Karen said. “You can always find something here that you know you want to put up somewhere in your house.” “You’re not going to find home purchases like this at Wal Mart,” added Gary Ames with a smile. “We like finding the stories out of their process, on how they made these items. It’s one of those things to add to the home that is going to be unique for us.”

s I walked up and down last month’s Joplin Art Walk for this first-person peek into Joplin’s art scene, I was reminded of the words of the ever-elusive street artist Banksy: “Without ‘Art,’ Earth is just ‘Eh’”’ From the murals now adorning Joplin’s downtown area to the ever-expanding desire by local people to see art up close and personal, Joplin has become an unlikely artist’s haven. In doing so, Joplin has certainly moved away from Banksy’s infamous “Eh” zone. And the Art Walk during Third Thursday festivities has certainly played a huge part in this.

One of the oft-forgotten aspects of the Joplin Art Walk is the amount of musicians and street performers in attendance. Most of the focus goes to the artists inside the make-shift galleries, but the quantity and quality of the performers on the street has increased greatly over time. One of the most eye-catching performances I witnessed that night was a group of Native Americans from the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, conducting dances to drums. Dressed in full tribal regalia and incorporating members of neighboring tribes, the dance drew a considerable crowd in the middle of Main Street. Jennifer Lunsford, who performed in the dance, said that this was the tribe’s first participation in the Art Walk.

Vickers certainly doesn’t fit the traditional mode of an artist — he’s big, burly and studded with tattoos. But art isn’t about looks or appearances, but about the emotion churning inside. In Vickers’ case, his passion comes from his 20-year job as a welder.

“I didn’t consider myself an artist at first, but now I do,” Vickers said. “This is all done in my shop in my house. It’s a lot of refurbishing of old metal products and making my own yard art.”

M A G

As I approached the line-up of artists peddling their wares, I was enamored with a tent filled to the brim with pieces of metal, of varying sizes. There were giant birds, coffee tables and abstract pieces. Within a few moments, Carthage-based artist Jason Vickers was detailing me about his work and why he became an artist.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

One of my first stops was at the Gryphon Building near 10th Street. A few years ago, it was a pipe dream that Third Thursday events would stretch this far south. Now, the renovated building serves as a hub for artists and their works of art. There is even a shuttle linking up the Gryphon with other off-the-beaten-path locations throughout Joplin.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

| M A G

“A lot of the dancers here have performed together during different pow wows, (but) this is a definite change of pace for us,” Lunsford said. And while their outdoor performance was artistic, it goes much deeper than that, she said. “Everything we are wearing is handmade and there is a story and an artisan art to making this. But a lot of our culture is tied to what we wear and that is expressed during the dances, too. It is almost educational art.” Education also plays a big role for many artists. Take, for example, Burt Bucher. An art teacher for Missouri Southern State University, he has helped expose student art to the public at a permanent spot. It’s good for students of the Missouri Southern Art Club to “put all of their different mediums on display. They all pitch in and put together what they want up and you get a great cross of what we do in our department. It is kind of a microcosm of the whole idea of the Art Walk as a whole.”

By putting students in direct interaction with the public, and potential buyers, it has helped the students grow as artists, Bucher said. “Putting them right in the community is an excellent way for them to have that immediate, pure feedback. But that has come over time and from the evolution of the acceptance of art in this town and with what goes on downtown on Third Thursdays.” Public feedback can also help influence the art, even while it is being created right there before the eyes. Joplin-based painter and pottery-maker Christina Lorenzen spent her Third Thursday inside Mystery Church, working on a painting of Jesus Christ. Everything about it was traditional, except for the face. In its place was a mirror. “I think when you are demonstrating your art, you have to have your own personal feedback and that is what this piece is about,” Lorenzen said. “We’re supposed to see ourselves in our work and we are supposed to see the work of Christ in all of us. Everyone that walks by and looks at this painting and catches themselves in the mirror are now part of this work.” That kind of interaction and that kind of influence on their own work is what Lorenzen said has been fostered by Third Thursday and the Art Walk festivities.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“A lot of us grew up here inside of the community. We went to school here to work on our craft,” Lorenzen said. “But now, that community is growing with us and we are now helping our community grow.”

cover story A R T WA L K

BY AMANDA STONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY T. ROB BROWN

CARTHAGE

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

History and Art Come Alive in Downtown Carthage

Renowned Carthage artist Andy Thomas helps paint for a local fundraiser inside Cherryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Emporium on the Square.

entertainment options in Carthage. They remembered times when the square was once a place for friends to gather and enjoy each other’s company. In recent years, residents have sought their kicks outside Carthage. The Art Walk is bringing that hustle and bustle of by-gone days back to the heart of the city. And word is getting out — participation has tripled since last year. Carthage has a thriving art community, with galleries showcasing numerous local artists’ work. Cherry’s Art Emporium, 311 S. Main, is a large space which hosts several forms of entertainment. Dr. Fly’s Salon sells colored hair extensions with all proceeds going to Art Feeds, accompanied by a free photo booth complete with photographer. Potters can be found throughout the gallery, sculpting and performing throwing demonstrations on pottery wheels. One of the events that makes the Carthage Art Walk unique is round-robin painting, which takes place at Cherry’s. Several artists bring a picture, set up their easels and paint in the middle of the gallery. Every 20 minutes, the artists rotate to the right and continue to paint using the next artist’s canvas, brushes and easel. Angel Brame, a skilled potter from Joplin, is hard at work on a bowl during a demonstration for curious onlookers, while the slogan on her shirt keeps them chuckling.

The Art Walk came about from a group of friends that had a mutual desire for more

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“The Carthage Art Walk has more of a smalltown, intimate feel. You know you’ll run into neighbors and familiar faces,” said Wendi Douglas, who heads the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Almandingers, Abi, Hank, 8 and Charlie, 9, performs a violin trio during the most recent Art Walk at the UMB on the Square.

Situated in the middle of the Historic Carthage Square is one of the most photographed buildings in the country. The Jasper County Courthouse makes a stunning backdrop as the sun sets on a Carthage Art Walk festivities. Entertainment surrounds the ancient limestone building, from live music and dancing to painting and carriage rides.

M A G

arthage is known for its historic architecture and friendly, small-town feel. The Carthage Art Walk adds to this community charm by showcasing local artists, food and live entertainment on the square each fourth Friday from April through September.

“Each artist is challenged with a beginning painting and they must evaluate and problem solve on the fly (by) choosing colors and deciding what to keep,” said Tom Jones, Steadley Elementary’s art teacher. “Changing or adding to enhance the artists’ painting is always challenging. The participating artists are professional friends whom I admire and respect. Those fantastic artist friends along with the smiling crowds of onlookers bring a new level of energy and excitement.” The round-robin painting results are then framed and put into a monthly silent auction, with all proceeds benefitting Art Feeds Carthage.

Donna Cole, Joplin, views a selection of pen & ink and charcoal sketches made by Andy Thomas.

The Woodshed, located in the back of Cherry’s, hosts live bluegrass music every Friday night for an entry fee of $7, but it’s free on Art Walk night. The Woodshed offers a dance floor and serves beverages, including wine and beer, which can be enjoyed outside (but only in the proper cup) during the Art Walk hours. Koka Art Gallery, 409 S. Main, is owned by artist, accountant, athlete and computer whiz Koral Martin. Her jack-of-all-trades mentality allows her to help emerging artists by assisting them with web design, promotion and presenting their art, while having a space to display her own art as well. Infusing technology with art is Martin’s medium. “I love the combination of computers and creativity,” she said. Koka is a hot spot along the Carthage Art Walk; live music and face painting can often be found, as well as wine and refreshments.

Kara Hardesty, who owns Mother Road Coffee with husband Ed, said, “We have gallery space where we rotate art every month or two, but we open our shop for a pop-up gallery as well. We love the sense of community that the Art Walk provides.” The Carthage Art Walk can be a full night out for the family with entertainment and food. Rumor Has It, 319 S. Main, promises a shrimp boil and buffet each fourth Friday, The Carthage Deli is a retro-themed diner with an extensive sandwich menu and numerous Hispanic restaurants and bakeries surrounding the square offer authentic cuisine.

Friday, Sept. 26, will be the last Art Walk of 2014. The theme will be “Paint the Town.” Participants can look forward to

| M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Retail shops around the square host pop-up galleries. The Screen Door, The Carthage Deli, UMB and Mother Road Coffee, among others, open their doors to present artists’ work.

“Haunted Homecoming” live performances from the talented Dream Theatre Troupe. Art Walk committee members encourage people to enjoy art at the galleries over the winter and to anticipate an entertaining 2015 Art Walk season. Art Walk committee meetings are usually held weekly at Mother Road Coffee and are open to the public, with feedback and suggestions welcomed. Check the Carthage Art Walk Facebook page for times or details.

HOMETOWN DIRECTORY HEALTHCARE

FAMILY PHARMACY

32nd & Indiana • Joplin, MO • 417-623-3800

Family Pharmacy

3202 Indiana Ave • Joplin, Mo 64804 417-623-3800

4402 E. 32nd St. Suite B Joplin, MO 64804 417-781-2900•www.JoplinDental.com

Joplin Family Dentistry 614 E. 32nd St. • Joplin, Mo 64804 417-781-6322

Optical Outlet

2002 E. 20th • Joplin, Mo 64804 • 417-782-6985

AUTOMOTIVE

HOME IMPROVEMENT HOME WINDOW TINTING

417-438-0427

www.tintnmore.net

Barney’s Quick Lube 1020 E 32nd St • Joplin, Mo 64804 417-781-0502

Tint N More

2230 S. Main • Joplin, Mo 417-623-TINT (8468)

cover story A R T WA L K

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANDRA BRYAN STEFANONI

PITTSBURG Art Flourishing in this Sunflower City

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Dex Miller, a balloon artist with the Joplin-based Balloon Guyz, hands over a creation to six-year-old Quorynn Harris, of Pittsburg, at Pittsburg ArtWalk in August. The event, which draws a range of artistic talents, will be held again in October.

od Dutton, who moved to Pittsburg in 1972, intended to stay just two years. He never left.

“I love what Pittsburg became,” he said. “There is an energy from both the youth and the older people, and I think that creativity is the common bond — the connective tissue.” Creativity shows up in this community in a myriad of ways, from art galleries and performances at Pittsburg State University, to theatrical productions at Pittsburg High School and Memorial Auditorium, to murals and public art installations downtown.

display right next to her a bright yellow 2003 GT Mustang ustang owned by her mom, Nancy Thoennis. “It’s fun,” Thoennis said. “We’re doing something together. Coming to this is a mother-daughter thing. Although she has a newer car than me!” With other highlights that can range from tarot card readings to henna paintings to puppet shows to short film screenings, Horton said the quarterly festival’s best attribute is its variety.

A few local art advocates began the twice-yearly event in 2006. It has grown to feature in the neighborhood of 40 artists and musicians, spanning Broadway from Third to Eleventh streets. Artists utilize business windows to display their work, and many of them sell their wares at sidewalk tables out front. Musicians perform at various locations ranging from stages with speaker systems to street corners with hats for donations, and food vendors set up in an area roped off to traffic. At August’s event, Dex Miller from Joplin’s Balloon Guyz was wowing six-year-old Quorynn Harris, of Pittsburg, by twisting and turning a blue balloon until it resembled a kangaroo — or maybe it was a dinosaur. Dutton, along with several friends, sipped beer in the beer garden at Europe Park with the tunes of area bands in the background. And at the event’s car show, three-year-old Johanna Darnaby, of Arma, Kansas, sat in the driver’s seat of her 2009 Barbie GT Mustang, ustang, on

Next up: The next Pittsburg ArtWalk, to be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 31, is the last one of the season. It will be Halloweenthemed. Also that evening in downtown Pittsburg, Midwest Regional Ballet will open its performance of “Nightmare Before Christmas,” an original, Halloween-themed performance based on Tim Burton’s animated film of the same name. With her mom’s 2003 GT Mustang as a backdrop, three--year-old Johanna Darnaby, of Arma, Kansas, shows off her 2009 Barbie GT Mustang to a young spectator at the “Start Your Engines Car Show,” part of Pittsburg ArtWalk in August.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“Pittsburg ArtWalk is ever-changing and always evolving. But there is always something for everyone and art in many forms is on full display,” says Heather Horton, who by day designs cakes and in her off hours organizes ArtWalk.

“It’s about art, in all its various forms, which is the thing that makes us who we are.”

But four times a year, it’s especially evident in a very public, very accessible way.

Dutton agreed, noting that ArtWalk “is not about business as usual.”

M A G

Local cake designer Heather Horton turns her artistic talents to Henna tattoos at Pittsburg Art Walks. Here, she adds one to the arm of Stacey Struble, of Joplin.

“I absolutely love the variety you can find, from art on display to music in the air to the smell of food and the look on peoples’ faces as they watch activities like the Human Canvas take place,” Horton said.

cover story

MIDWES T GATHERING OF THE ARTIS T S IN CARTHAGE BY KEVIN MCCLINTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY SANDY HIGGINS

An Unprecedented

MGA is One of the Area’s Most Prestigious Art Shows

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Gathering

MGA 14 poster painting by Tricia Courtney 28

37th Annual

MIDWEST GATHERING OF THE ARTISTS F

or a majority of its 37 years, the Midwest Gathering of the Artists in Carthage has featured a satisfying blend of up-and-coming artists and seasoned veterans. The 2014 version is no different. Carthage resident Patty Johnson is one of several new-comers to the MGA, billed as one of the region’s most prominent art shows. And like the majority of the show’s nearly 40 participants this year, Johnson wanted nothing more than to be a professional artist.

all of them have eaten my rainbow cake,” Johnson said with a laugh.

“I so want to honor Bob Tommey for doing this. He is the most kind, generous person and the greatest teacher there could ever be,” Johnson said. “He’s an amazing, amazing person.”

“Bob has been giving me tools of the trade, an easel, giving me tips and pointers; he critiques my paintings. He (recently) gave me two canvases and told me to paint, paint, paint. He knows the more you paint, the better you get.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

But it has been Tommey who has directly helped with her art career. In fact, Johnson shares a birthday with Tommey.

M A G

“When I was a child, in school, I was fairly good at art. Later, when I got married and my children were in school, I decided to try my hand at it,” said Johnson, who was born in Kearney, Missouri and moved to Carthage in 1985. “I had a big old “Mama’s Cardina l” - Patty Johnson cottonwood tree and I set up my easel in a field, I painted — and my ex-relatives made fun of me. They were asking, ‘What is she “I went and painted a butterfly picture,” doing out there?’ and ‘She’s crazy, sitting Johnson said. “I thought it was hideous, out there in a field.’” but (Lowell) loved it. And when I showed it to other people, they really thought it The words were so hurtful, had so deeply was good. So I just continued on my own wounded her, that she decided to shelve after that.” her pursuits. She threw away the acrylic painting she’d begun in the shadow of In less than a year’s time, she has painted that big cottonwood tree, and turned her nine pieces — a female Cardinal, a barn back on art for the next 40 years. scene with a rooster on a fence post, a hummingbird — many of which will be It wasn’t until late last year, after tons of available for viewing during MGA. encouragement from both her husband and nationally-known painter and sculptor Johnson has been friends with both Bob Tommey, that she decided to once Davis and Tommey for decades. For years, again pursue her passion for art. she cooked for many of the artists now showing at this year’s MGA. She would Last October, the 63-year-old attended cook lunch, desserts and a big Sunday an art class put on by the great Lowell dinner for the artists when they visited Davis, creator of the unique Red Oak II. Tommey at his Carthage home. “Almost

Other new artists joining the MGA ranks this year, according to MGA director Sandy Higgins, is Brenda Pollreisz (back after a 20-year hiatus), Diana Harvey, Jeffery Jones, Kim Taylor, Mischell Riley and Sam Butcher. Yes — that Sam Butcher. “Sam Butcher is doing only an auction piece, but he’s never been in the show before,” Higgins said. “We’re real excited about having all the artists, the first-time artists, and Sam Butcher, of course. I have no idea what he’ll put in there — it’s what makes doing this so exciting.”

“Waiting for His Queen” - Patty Johnson

Hall at 407 S. Garrison Ave. will be eight pieces from each artist. That’s more than 300 art pieces available for viewing and purchasing. MGA, Higgins said, is often a stepping stone for many artists and their careers. Artist David Libby agrees. This is his second year in the MGA.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“Letters from Home” - Patty Johnson

Overall, 38 artists will be displaying their work at either the art auction on Friday, Sept. 19 or the art show and sale on Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21. The auction, $20 per person, will begin at 6 p.m. with wine and hor d’oeuvres. Following a mayor’s presentation at 7 p.m. and the awards presentation at 7:15 p.m, the art auction officially launches at 7:30 p.m.

what is always a charged and exciting atmosphere, gets to take home a fine piece of art, Higgins said.

Each artist will be contributing one piece to the auction. The highest bidder, in

On display to the public throughout the day Saturday and Sunday inside Memorial

The auction is often the highlight of the evening. The high seller in the MGA history is the original titled “Four of a Kind” by Tommey. It sold for $16,500 in 1992. In 1998, Thomas’s auction art, “Spirit of the MGA,” sold for $15,000.

“Being selected to participate in this prestigious art show is most definitely a highlight of my artistic career,” the 52-year-old said. Higgins, he continued, “has been a big influence on getting my artwork exposed and her advice and opinions have not only furthered my career, but helped me grow as an artist.” Libby has been making pen-and-ink drawings for nearly 50 years, drawing since the age of four. “I commissioned my first professional artwork at nine,” Libby said. “I enjoy the challenge of giving the art world a different view in a color-dominated market.”

“Ghost in the Forest” - David Libby

“I remember when Andy Thomas came to see us,” Higgins said with a smile, “and he tells Bob and I, ‘I just quit my job at Leggett & Platt.’ And so Bobby asked him, ‘Why did you do that?’ And Andy said, ‘I want to become an artist.’ And from that moment, Bob taught him for a long time.” Without Tommey, Higgins continued, “MGA wouldn’t be here. And I wouldn’t be here.”

ART AUCTION

Friday, Sept. 19

ART SHOW & SALE Saturday, Sept. 20 Sunday, Sept. 21

Cost: $20 per person Auction will begin at 6 p.m. with wine & hor d’oeuvres. Following a Mayor’s presentation at 7 p.m. & the Awards Presentation at 7:15 p.m, the Art Auction officially launches at 7:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Like Peggy Johnson, Tommey has taught and encouraged many of the artists in this year’s show, including Pollreisz, Doug Prine, Martha Sparlock and Thomas.

MIDWEST GATHERING OF THE ARTISTS

“That (MGA) has lasted this long, with the support of our buyers, new buyers and all the artists who have come for years from all around the country — it’s all because of Bob Tommey,” Higgins said. “And that is the truth.”

37th Annual

M A G

MGA was founded in 1977 by Davis, who had just settled down in Missouri after moving from Texas, and Tommey. They joined a coffee-shop acquaintance, Danny Hensley. The first show took place on Tommey’s back porch.

37th Annual

MIDWEST GATHERING OF THE ARTISTS Sam Butcher

April Davis

Sam Butcher, creator of the teardrop-eyed children of Precious Moments, much of it on display at the Carthage-based Precious Moments Chapel built in 1989. For the first time in 1937, Butcher will be included in this year’s MGA by having an original piece up for auction. Butcher was the guest speaker during the MGA in 1988.

A sculptor and painter, April’s paintings and detailed floral sculptures are inspired by nature. Currently living near Red Oak II in Carthage, she is the daughter of renowned painter Lowell Davis.

| M A G

Lowell Davis

Living in Pierce City, Robyn prefers the pencil over the paintbrush and black and white over color. Little, humorous moments of life with people or animals are among the main targets of her eye.

Often referred to as the “Normal Rockwell of Rural Art,” Lowell Davis’ work — oil paintings, figurines and bronze sculptures — reflects the simple life of times past, usually depicting rural life of America. Lowell is one of the founders of the Midwest Gathering of the Artists and created Red Oak II in Carthage.

Tricia Courtney

Doug Hall

McAuley High School graduate and Joplin resident, Tricia is an art oil painter who paints landscapes and floral works with a style that’s bold and bright with highly textured strokes.

Secluded inside a log cabin in Huckleberry State Forest in McDonald County where he can focus 100 percent on his paintings, Doug’s work reflects the admiration and respect he harbors for the culture of the early Eastern Woodland Native Americans.

Robyn Cook

Jason Inman A professional oil and pastel artist living in Monett, Missouri, with an emphasis in portraits, Jason grew up in nearby Pierce City. In 2009, he won first place in the emerging artist’s category at the Thomas Hart Benton Art Show.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

ARTIST BIOS

Here are biographies of roughly half of the 38 artists appearing in this year’s Midwest Gathering of the Artists in Carthage. The first listing are local artists; the second are artists located outside the region.

MGA 14 poster painting by Tricia Courtney

“Alivia” - Jason Inman

“The Magnificent Seven” - Bob Graham

Patty Johnson

Dan McWilliams

Debbie Reed

Jeffery Jones

Dan, who lives in Jasper, Missouri, works in oils to capture the essence of his subjects, which can range from the last glow of a sunset to a child at play. McWilliams characterizes his style as a blend of impressionistic realism. He was born in Sheldon, Missouri.

For Debbie, art is a celebration of life, full of joys, wonders, sorrows and despairs. “Painting has become my chosen means of expressing our common interests.” Born in Lubbock, Texas, she has lived in Joplin since the early 1980s, and uses watercolors and oils as her favorite mediums.

Robin Putnam

Bill Snow

Robin’s sculptural works in alabaster and Indiana limestone feature contrasts of warm, earthy colors with the coolness of touch. She lives and works in Carthage, Missouri and has work included in private collections throughout the states of Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon and Texas.

Tempered by a life that stressed the basics, the works created by the hands of Bill Snow are from a skilled craftsman and insightful artist. Bill Snow has gained a wide reputation for his unique interpretation of the world around him. “My work has gone from the representational to the interpretive.” He lives in Carthage, Missouri.

FREE FRIES OR TROPIX TATORS

w/meal purchase *Must present coupon. *Not valid with any other offer.

“Escape” - Andrew Knez, Jr.

“Opening Day” - Raymond Popp

Jack Sours Jack Sours is an accomplished sculptor, stone carver and potter. Living on a farm near Neosho, Missouri, he has concentrated his artistic talents into stone carving since 2008. Over the years, he has chiseled beautiful sculptures from marble chunks weighing tons.

Andy Thomas Many call Andy the “storyteller,” because each of his paintings, most of them actionfilled western art, details so much in a single snapshot. In the past, Andy has painted many subjects from a picnic by the river or kids playing sports to a brutal bear fight. Andy resides in Carthage.

Bob Tommey Bob Tommey, nationally known painter and sculptor, was born March 2, 1928 in Ozan, Arkansas. He is best known for his western art and is an admired and respected art teacher with a long list of successful artists who credit Bob’s expertise for their achievements. Since 1978, he has been a founder and driving force behind the Midwest Gathering of the Artists show. He lives just outside Carthage.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Living in Neosho, Missouri, Jones has been a professional commercial sculptor for more than 25 years, making prototypes for manufacturers and even sculpting action figures for the toy industry. Today he sculpts from his home.

Born in Hollywood, California Theresa knew she wanted to be an artist at six years old. “I have always believed that art should speak to everyone. Capturing a place in time, an event or moment and infusing it with emotion... are my highest priorities.” She resides in Carthage, Missouri.

Theresa Rankin

M A G

Moving to Carthage in the mid-1980s from northern Missouri, Patty had always harbored a love for art but never had the confidence to pursue it until late last year. This is her first year being showcased in the MGA.

Other artists available at this year’s MGA for viewing: Garnet Buster

Kim Taylor

New Braunfels, Texas

Higginsville, Missouri

Larry Case

Richard Thompson

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Murchison, Texas

Doug Graham

Roy Lee Ward

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Hunt, Texas

Diana Harvey

Steve White

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Maysville, Kentucky

Bobby Hunt Arlington, Texas

Andrew Knez Jr. McMurray, Pennsylvania

John P. Lasater IV Siloam Springs, Arkansas

Jeff Legg Estes Park, Colorado (born in Joplin)

David Libby Higginsville, Missouri

Gail McArgel St. Peters, Missouri

Brenda Pollreiz Fair Grove, Missouri

Raymond Popp Mountain Grove, Missouri

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Doug Prine Nemo, Texas

Martiena R. Richter St. Joseph, Missouri

Mischell Riley Carson City, Nevada (spent time in area)

Jason Sacran Fort Smith, Arkansas

Martha Spurlock Fort Worth, Texas

“Kindred Spirits” - Steve White

cover story

E M I LY F R A N KO S K I

’ e f i l y m s i t r ‘A

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY BOBBIE POTTORFF

Emily Frankoski educating Joplin about art

f you ever tell Emily Frankoski there is nothing to do in Joplin, you better be ready to receive an earful.

“Oh my gosh — it drives me crazy,” says the 25-year-old Community Arts Coordinator for Connect2Culture. “I was that kid who would say there’s nothing to do in Joplin.” Frankoski now knows better. It isn’t a lack of possibilities or opportunities, it’s just that people don’t know where to go to find the information, she says. “They don’t know about all of the other opportunities out there. What Connect2Culture does is it bring it all into one place so you can see Spiva, but you can also see the Post Memorial Reference Library, which a lot of people don’t ever go into because they don’t know where it is.”

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

It seems fitting that Frankoski’s office is located inside the Joseph Newman Innovation Center. Because she is an innovative, vibrant young lady who lives, sleeps, eats and

“On a daily basis I collaborate and try to become the collective voice for 30-plus arts organizations,” Frankoski says. “This collaboration has allowed me to gather the stories that need to be told in order to see the big picture. And it is a very big picture! No one needs complain there’s nothing to do in Joplin.”

breathes art, she has helped create an equally-vibrant interest throughout the Joplin community in only a short period of time. “I’m the kind of person where it’s not really work,” she gushes. “It’s my life. I’m always thinking of something to do. I can never turn it off. I’m just a huge lover of the arts, and Joplin arts in particular. “As a new position, and being the only staff member, my job has often been like wrestling with jello,” she jokes. “While C2C had a mission to ‘enhance community through culture,’ the tools to accomplish this were not in place. (It) became my personal challenge. Through much research and innumerable personal interviews to ferret out the pieces of the arts puzzle in Joplin, I began to format and develop a weekly calendar of events, exhibits and educational opportunities.” This calendar — which can be found at Connect2Culture.com — organizes Joplin’s arts organizations into an online encyclopedic, all-in-one, one-stop-shop for all things related to Joplin Arts. The website includes the calendar, links to all arts businesses and organizations, photographs of public arts projects and a healthy dose of Joplin Arts news that changes weekly.

Frankoski graduated from St. Louis University in 2011, and actually made her way back to Joplin the day of the May tornado. Like others in the area, she got busy with the physical clean up while putting her job search on hold. “I really enjoyed that experience,” Frankoski remembers. “Working with a bunch of people and seeing how, even though there’s a lot of different ideas and a lot of different and strong personalities, we could work together and come up with a good design.” Frankoski was chosen as the Community Arts Coordinator for Connect2Culture because she was well known in the Joplin arts community, and had even worked as an interim education coordinator at Spiva Arts Center. “There’s so much to do and it’s great that we live in a city where we actually have more than one choice of things to go to at any given time,” she says. “With the arts calendar that we have developed, we always tell arts organizations we want you to use it when you’re planning things so you don’t unintentionally compete for the audience.” Joplin residents, she continues, “are definitely catching on to this and getting involved in the arts offerings in our community.”

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“I am Joplin” mural

Relax. Sip. Visit. Paint. Unique studio offers ‘relaxation painting’

ver envy the kids when they splash paint over canvas with a dozen others during a kid-friendly art session? An adult version of those Saturday afternoon painting get-togethers is now available inside the downtown Columbia Traders building, complete with a glass of red wine or foam-topped beer.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

According to General Manager Coleman (he only goes by his last name), there are numerous kid classes centered around painting and pottery in Joplin, but no real alternative for adults to do the same type of activities. For adults, it’s either dinner and a movie, hitting the bar scene or simply staying at home to watch reality TV.

“RSVPaint (Relax, Sip, Visit, Paint) is an opportunity for adults to have that alternative night life, but it’s not going to a bar where it’s loud and smoky, or where you have to listen to loud music,” says Coleman. “You can go out and have dinner, then come here and paint. And you can do that while having a real nice conversation with your partner without having to sit there (without speaking) during a movie or scream at each other over music or boisterous people inside a bar.

“We really try to focus on that mantra of relaxing, sitting, sipping (wine or beer) and painting.” RSVPaint opened in mid-March. It’s the second RSVPaint location; the original opened on Campbell Ave. in Springfield. That first store opened in early 2012, and Coleman worked there as manager. A year and a half later, the owner wound up selling the business to Coleman’s business partners, Fred and Amanda Carper. Coleman manages both locations. There are two-hour evening classes, 7 to 9 p.m., held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There are also Sunday classes, held from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost for these sessions are $35 per person. They are themed classes. Back on Aug. 23, for example, guests were instructed to paint fireflies during a session dubbed the “Essence of Summer.” Other August themes were “Soar Like an Eagle,” “Colorful Orbs,” “Cherry Blossoms” and “Birds on a Wire.” Launched earlier this month, there are now afternoon sessions held every other Saturday, from 1 to 3 p.m., which are dubbed “family” sessions. “It’s one of our few ‘all-ages’ sessions,” Coleman says.

RSVPaint instructor Jordan Murdock helps paying customers work on a painting.

Painting can be a messy but exhilarating experience.

The important thing to remember for any of these sessions is that no artistic experience is necessary, Coleman says. Beginners are welcome. In fact, they are encouraged. “Most of our people have never painted before, or it has been since junior high since” they picked up a paint brush,” he says. “Or the last time they tried it is when they were finger painting with their kindergartner.”

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

There are also special events held throughout the month with art themes — painting a wine glass, for example, or painting your pet — which run for three hours at a cost of $45 per person.

There are also walk-in sessions held each Wednesday, when the studio is open from 1 to 9 p.m., where people are free to paint whatever they desire, with minimal teaching instruction. All ages are welcome to attend. Costs are $25 per person.

M A G

And during Third Thursdays festivities, Coleman hopes to have “date night” sessions, where couples can relax and paint together.

RSVPaint is an opportunity for adults to have that alternative night life, but it’s not going to a bar where it’s loud and smoky, or where you have to listen to loud music. – Coleman

Painters Matt Wright, Andy Bolton, Andrew Reed and Lucas Woodruff are hard at work on their individual paintings at RSVPaint in downtown Joplin.

RSVPaint paying customers are “people who have always wanted to paint, but for one reason or another they decided to pursue a career that wasn’t art-related, so this gives them a chance to get back into it.” Right now, there are only 20 open spots per session, though Coleman hopes that will soon grow to 50. Costs include the canvas, the acrylic paints used, brushes, aprons and instruction. Paying customers are allowed to take home their completed artwork. And because RSVPaint has its own liquor license as well as several wine and beer brands on-hand, adults can sip spirits while they create art. Coleman, who is a professional painter and sculptor, draws daily inspiration from the people who come and paint.

Painted signatures and initials from numerous happy painters. 40

“...Especially from those who haven’t made any art before,” he says. “And then to see those big grins on their faces when they’re done — it’s just really great to see.” For more information, contact Coleman at 417.413.4331.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Kim Crowder, left, and Abby Carter work on a painting du jour during a Saturday night session at RSVPaint. The business offers individuals the opportunity to sip wine while painting in a relaxed environment. Fees include materials and instruction.

cover story ART FEEDS

BY AMANDA STONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY T. ROB BROWN

Comes to Carthage

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

The popular Joplin-based program begins branching out

Macy Sanders, 4, of Carthage, rolls some tissue paper with help from Art Feeds founder and CEO, Meg Bourne-Hulsey.

directly helping children cope after the 2011 tornado. Using art therapy and creative education, the various Art Feeds programs help children learn to express themselves by utilizing painting, dancing, photography, music, sculpture and so much more.

Art Feeds was designed to cultivate creative healing in children as well as enabling cognitive and developmental growth. The program started five years ago in Joplin, proving instrumental by

Art Feeds has gone national and beyond by working with communities from Moore, Oklahoma to Ghana, West Africa, among others. Art Feeds founder Meg Bourne-Hulsey said, “Carthage was the perfect fit for everything we look for in a

rt Feeds has made its way to Jasper County’s second largest city.

The organization’s staff is set to launch its innovative art programs inside Carthage’s Fairview Elementary school this fall.

The easily recognizable Art Feeds bus parked in front of the Historic Carthage Square.

community as we grow: a thriving arts culture, a volunteer base, a community that is deeply invested in their children and a high need.” Fairview Elementary will host the launch of Art Feeds Carthage, with the objective to add the school district’s other four elementary school buildings — Columbian, Steadley, Mark Twain and Pleasant Valley — during each of the following semesters. School administrators chose Fairview because it has the most needs, due to an 89 percent free and reduced lunch rate as well as a Hispanic population of 70 percent. “Art Feeds programming will be greatly beneficial in providing non-verbal expression for ESL (English as a Second Language) students,” Hulsey said. “It will be an outlet for expression for students that may experience chronic trauma due to poverty, as well as an all-inclusive and equalizing experience between all students.” Art Feeds Carthage workers will partner with artists, volunteers and teachers, giving them the tools to integrate creativity and expression with a positive influence and attitude.

Mia Hartley, five, of Carthage, makes a green tissue paper flower as she receives help from Johanna DeLong, director of creative education for Art Feeds. 43

Rylie Peterson, nine, of Joplin, adds yellow and red to make a colorful tissue paper flower.

“I love art and I love sharing that passion with kids. Being an educator with Art Feeds is a perfect fit,” said Sarah Huntley, the organization’s lead educator. Chelsea Hardy will serve as program director. Said Hulsey about Hardy’s leadership skills: “We couldn’t be more excited about her because she’s been working with us for two years and (she) knows all about running the programs.”

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Art Feeds is always easy to spot at community events, thanks to the brightly-painted Mobile Arts Center. The vehicle is always jam-packed with art materials.

One of the true benefits of Art Feeds is that it comes free of cost to students. Programming for the Art Feeds Carthage chapter depends on investments from the community. “With community events and murals offered in Art Feeds, we hope to be a catalyst in involving young students by participating in community events such as Carthage Art Walk, Maple Leaf Festival and more,” Hulsey said. “We believe that children are the most important piece of a thriving community. By investing in creative and expressive children, we are building a future that is powerful beyond measure.” For more information, or to donate to this program, go on the Art Feeds Carthage Facebook page.

Joplin’s only full service gallery and teaching clay studio offering:

PHOENIX

FIRED ART

• Locally produced pottery, art glass and jewelry for gift giving • Clay and supplies for hobbyists and schools • Beginner and advanced classes and workshops • Project single session parties for adults, teens and children 8 and up • Firing services BEGINNERS ALWAYS WELCOME! HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

OPEN TUESDAY AND DW WEDNESDAY EDNESDAY 1 10 0A AM-9 M-9 P PM M THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 9 AM-4 PM CLOSED SUNDAY AND MONDAY

1603 S MAIN STREET, JOPLIN, MO 417-437-9281 phoenixfiredart@gmail.com

Joplin’s 3rd Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser JOIN US NOV 20TH AND FILL UP A NEW BOWL WITH SOUP TO FIGHT LOCAL HUNGER. LUNCH 11-1:30 DINNER 5-7:30

cover story

TANK: PUBLIC ART WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY RYAN RICHARDSON

A Different Take on

Art

TANK: Group Art group shot.

LOCAL ART GROUP MAKING FOLKS THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT ART

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

ith the ever-increasing amount of murals going up around town, it would be easy to overlook some of the more subtle designs that have worked their way onto walls throughout Joplin. Local art collective TANK: Public Art has become known for its geometricallyinspired murals on buildings such as the Spiva Center for the Arts. While the group’s mission is to keep public art in the community’s consciousness, this small group is finding new ways to expand on their long-term goal.

“TANK is a group of creative minds that come together just to create public art,” said Emily Frankoski, one of the founders of TANK. “Originally, we started from the Butterfly Effect mural on 15th street and we grew from our original core there. We’ve taken in new artists and we’ve just grown steadily through different projects. We know what we are doing and it is getting those people together who want to work together.”

shaped designs, with a penchant for black and white shading. “We have really tried to go in a different direction than some of the other murals in town,” Frankoski said. “We noticed that a lot of the murals have been more pictorial, and we wanted something that makes someone think about the art in a different way. That’s why we go with our geometrically-inspired designs.”

The group’s mural résumé so far has been a bit of a departure from the traditional mural. The group has embraced sharp,

While some of the members worked on projects together, TANK was officially formed in the fall of 2011, to continue

TANK member Oliver Zerkel adjusts a wire sculpture of a deer near the entrance to Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center.

While the group has primarily focused on large murals downtown in previous ventures, the wire sculptures added to Wildcat Glades helped challenge the group to a new medium.

the group’s efforts together under a single umbrella. That confederation of members has led to new work throughout town, such as adding wire sculptures to Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center. “With our membership, that introduces contacts throughout the community, it has led to more work for the group,” said TANK member Oliver Zerkel. “We have the ideas in the group and those shapes and sizes have made an impression on the community. They give us the opportunity to put our ideas into reality.”

introduce that dynamic and validation into the work, we wanted to focus on the exchange of ideas. We have a great structure together and what we have going on works for us.” That structure is already leading to new work to close out the year. “We’re ready for more,” Frankoski said. “We also think that the public is too.”

But with an expanding roster of artists ready to work across town, group members have decided to abandon a hierarchy inside the group. While it may seem chaotic to have no one in charge, Zerkel said that has had an opposite effect on the group’s development.

| M A G

Group member Rebecca Perry does a last minute adjustment to a wire sculpture at Wildcat Glades.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“We try to keep the collaborative experience the focus while leaving out the hierarchy,” Zerkel said. “We didn’t want to

cover story

TAYLOR KUBICEK

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

BY RYAN RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY 12 EIGHTY-ONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Artist Spotlight...

Murals — by — Taylor A paint-spattered Taylor Kubicek, faithful paintbrush in hand, stands in front of the mural he recently completed on the side of a building near the downtown YMCA on South Wall Street. Kubicek is trying to push for more independent Joplin artists to express themselves in creative and beautiful ways.

Taylor Kubicek intended his blue mural, which almost matches the blue sheen of the sky high above, to represent the formation of ideas. “How they peel off and form, how ideas have their own reach,” Kubicek said. The independent artist is planning more public wall murals in the future.

The following is a Q/A session with Kubicek, who lives in Joplin.

J — How did you get involved in the Joplin art scene? TK — I think there’s a lot of people in the art scene, but not (in) the Joplin art scene, so we all really have crossed paths and interacted a lot. I had been around for a long time. Recently, I’ve been involved with some collaborative art groups like TANK: Public Arts and now I am working on my own.

J — What kind of projects are you working on right now? TK — With school kicking back up, I’ve been kind of limited on what I can do now. I do have some murals planned for downtown, but nothing has been set in stone right now. My work at 5th and Wall

there been a lot of feedback from it? TK — I wanted to do a mural that is very specific to that location. I designed it that way, so when you drive by it, you see it (a) specific way. The wall was kind of my inspiration for the mural. The mural itself, I have a lot of people asking me what it means and they tell me what it meant to them, which is fantastic. What I meant it to mean is to show the formation of ideas. How they peel off and form, how ideas have their own reach. How they all have their own target destination, (though) some ideas don’t always make it.

J — That’s a lot to convey with a mural! TK — I tried to keep it simple. I didn’t want to beat any idea over the head.

J — Do you see your work as a collaborative effort between you as the artist and the general public? TK — The mural itself ceases to belong to me once it is up (on the wall) and I walk away from (it). It is done. I have no ownership of that wall. It is for the people of Joplin to enjoy or not enjoy, and to make up their mind on what it means.

J — There seems to be a shared dynamic with the movement of public art in Joplin. The public has been receptive and the artists have been really busy. TK — I hope it stays this way. For a long

J — Do you feel like we’re seeing a Joplin renaissance, of sorts? TK — I never have really thought about it that way. I think it is possible. I think this town may have went through periods of creative flux. Whatever the mode of the people, whether it be music or public art, it grows and then people grow with it. We can’t have them run by institutions and organizations. There is good art coming from there, but we need individuals who are able to make things happen independently.

J — How do you find the balance between your personal life and your public art? TK — I’ve heard the cliché of the artist at 21 who has time just for their art. I don’t like that misconception. I’m married, I have kids, but I can produce creatively. I want to be an example of how that works. I think that’s kind of normal in the scene. There are people of all ages doing art here. My stability from my family helps me produce and I find a lot of other artists who have the same deal and it helps them grow.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

He is 32-year-old full-time student studying graphic design and he’s married with two children. Despite the demanding commitments of a family and school, he is nonetheless making a “beautiful” impact on the Joplin art scene.

J — Tell me more about that mural. Has

time, there have been individual artists that haven’t had a voice. It is not a blame thing on anyone, but there just wasn’t (any) avenues (for them) to express that voice. Some people acquiesce to that negativity and sit on the sidelines. But I hope what I do is a catalyst for other individuals to create on their own. That’s what Joplin hasn’t had for so long.

As an artist, he has been involved in several different groups, including the TANK: Public Art.

got other businesses interested in what can be done (on the) outside of their building.

M A G

aylor Kubicek is known for his lavish, thought-provoking work on several murals found throughout Joplin, including his most recent one near the downtown YMCA building on S. Wall.

Art in Joplin PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CONNECT2CULTURE

T R A N I L P O J 1

1) Spiva Art Center 2) TANK Spiva art mural 3) Stacey Barelos Concert 4) Spiva Kids Mural 5) Joplin House Concert Series 6) Jesse McCormick 7) CAC Mural Reveal 8) Post Memorial Art Reference Library 9) Polyphony Marimba concert 10) MSSU Spiva Art Gallery 11) Midwest Regional Ballet 12) Margie Moss 13) Empty Phoenix Fired Art Bowls

taste

P U B L I C A R T I N P R I VA T E WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL COONROD

RT on the Dish, RT on the Walls

Downtown Restaurants embracing local public art

t takes vision to combine items that seem incompatible.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“We do just some of the craziest things you’ve ever seen,” says Jason Miller, owner of Joplin’s Instant Karma. “We’ve done a Ramen noodle burger, where we made buns out of Ramen noodles. There’s almost nothing we haven’t tried.”

Jason worked in restaurants while studying art in New York City. His wife Suzanne also had experience in local eateries. “We both had been in the restaurant business,” Jason says. “It was almost all we were good at, but the art side of it is something we are always going to support in any way we can. That was something we were going to do regardless of what else happened.” They’ve been doing just that since the day Instant Karma opened its doors five years ago.

“A lot of the art in there is my art. The big, black painting on the brick wall is mine, and a lot of the stuff in the kitchen,” Jason says. “We dedicate the other side of the restaurant all to rotating (art). We try to make sure we always have a different display before Third Thursday and we’ve even done crazy stuff: we covered the whole restaurant in tinfoil once like Andy Warhol did in his factory. That was amazing: it just changed the whole restaurant. Things like that are things we try to get involved in, and it’s been great for us. “Now you see public art, they’re starting to make murals, and it’s just incredible what’s happened from the time we opened five years ago until now, the change is amazing. Artists are here. People are either playing music or they’re in a play at Joplin Little Theater, or they’re painting,” says Jason. “I think it was always here, but it was something that people wouldn’t necessarily come out and tell you. Now it’s become

something to be proud of. I worked and lived in Greenwich Village, and it might sound crazy, but these little three to four blocks here feel a lot like that sometimes. It’s amazing.” Others have joined the art movement the Millers started. “Jason and Sue are really great people,” says Drake Grey. “It’s my favorite food downtown. There’s a lot of art in there and it’s just a warm and comfortable place to be. You feel welcome when you go in there.” Drake and business partner Jason Revel own JB’s Piano Bar just a few blocks away. They took art décor into consideration when opening Central Station, a gay friendly, top 40’s dance club inside JB’s.

“The artists get the push as well, because people are coming into our bar and they’re seeing it,” says Drake.” That’s kind of the idea behind it. People see it and they buy it, hopefully.”

The relationship benefits both the club and the artists. While patrons get to enjoy the atmosphere, they can also buy the artwork.

M A G

“It’s just like musicians. Musicians just want to be heard. Artists are no different; they just want to be seen. They just want their artwork seen.”

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“I really appreciate artists and I don’t think they get enough gratitude; a lot of them have to work second jobs, and they just do the art as a side passion sort of thing,” Drake says. “I feel like if we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing and we’re bringing in enough people, their art’s getting seen and recognized.

health

KRISTI SEIBERT WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN MCCLINTOCK

Overcoming

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

ADVERSITY

Joplin woman survives strikes from No. 1 and 2 killers of women

risti Seibert’s triumphant victories over adversity have been much publicized over the years — and rightly so. After discovering a nearly hidden and sunken spot beneath a breast in late 2007, she underwent 10 surgeries to overcome the No. 1 killing cancer among women worldwide. Since then, she has taken up the pink

ribbon flag to help motivate other girls, young women, mothers and grandmothers fighting the disease. Serving as the outreach director for the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, she has become the de facto poster child for breast cancer awareness in the area, whether it’s organizing the popular Race 4 Hope charity run, splashing Joplin pink during the month of October or handing out husband Mike’s delicious peanut

brittle because, as she says, “candy makes people feel better.” It’s a big reason why she was nominated for an Everyday Hero award from the American Red Cross in March, due to the positive impact she’s had on the community, particularly her beloved “Pink Sisters.” But only close friends and family know the details about the latest bouts with

Most doctors would have worried that it was cancer-related, but test results showed Seibert was clean of cancer, and had been for years. Because her cancer had been ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common type of breast cancer, she had opted for surgery, bypassing both radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Due to the fact there had been no radiation to her chest back in 2007, the possibility of her discomfort being heart related was quickly ruled out. Besides, tests indicated that her heart was fine. Following additional tests, doctors discovered a slight blockage in Seibert’s gallbladder. She was scheduled for an evening procedure at Freeman Hospital on Oct. 2. “It was just another bit of adversity (for me) to overcome,” Seibert said with a chuckle. During that afternoon, while visiting a beauty salon to get her nails done, the symptoms worsened: the pain in her back increased sharply, and she broke out into a cold sweat and was violently nauseous. “I knew I was not feeling well that day,” Seibert said. “I was having vague symptoms. My back was hurting. And as people with gall bladder disease knows all too well, gall bladder problems can be so painful it can (mimic) the symptoms of a heart attack.”

The Widow Maker Even today, Seibert calls it a miracle. At that moment, while Seibert was inside the hospital, surrounded by doctors, already “prepped” with IVs in her arm, she suffered what has been dubbed a “widow maker” heart attack. It’s named that because only a rare few survive. “That’s when my left artery finally closed off. That bundle of arteries below it just collapsed,” she said, illustrating what happened by closing her opened hand into a fisted ball.

Kristi Seibert received the Everyday Hero award from the American Red Cross in March

“Everything just went off, doctors came running in and two great physicians worked on me, Dr. Douglas Stewart and Dr. John Nicholas. I got nine stents (small mesh tubes) put into my heart, from the base of the bundle of arteries all the way on up. “I have in me now what (doctors) call ‘a full metal jacket.’” It hadn’t been cancer. It hadn’t been her gall bladder. It had been a heart attack — a big one, the worst kind — and the symptoms she had felt, particularly the back pain, was due to the blockage of the artery high above her heart. “Heart symptoms in women are very vague,” Seibert said. “I want ladies to know that. It is not what men typically feel — you know, that strong crushing pain in the chest. That wasn’t what happened to me at all. My (main) symptom was my back hurting. My husband asks me now, ‘Don’t you remember you complaining about your back?’ I didn’t realize it then. My heart was doing fine at the time. But it wasn’t fine. My heart was not happy.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

A Hidden Monster Seibert’s local doctors were a bit perplexed when, over a series of months leading up that fateful Oct. 2 day, she had been complaining about a number of small discomforts, primarily a weariness in her body and a throbbing pain in her back.

“And that’s the moment I coded,” Seibert said.

Had events last year taken a slight turn for the worse, this Joplin native’s award may have been handed out posthumously.

During her procedure, her doctor inserted a common shunt into Seibert’s gallbladder. Procedure done, and with Seibert resting in the ER, the physician went to the waiting room to brief family and friends, telling them the operation had gone smoothly.

M A G

adversity Seibert’s fought over the last 10 months, and just how lucky she was to be there, in person, to receive the prestigious award.

machine gave her stunned heart the chance to re-learn how to circulate blood again. Luckily, because work to her heart had begun within minutes by the Freeman heart surgeons, she had suffered no permanent heart muscle damage. The damage to her brain, however, was a slightly different matter. Even in that short amount of time her heart had stopped pumping blood, she had suffered anoxic brain damage. It only takes four minutes without oxygen, she said, for brain cells to begin dying.

“I’m just a lady full of bad genes,” she said. “The breast cancer and then my coronary heart disease, it’s all genetic.”

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

What saved her life, of course, was the fact that she was already at Freeman Hospital when the artery collapsed. Had this occurred at home the night before, or even that day at the nail salon, it’s likely she would not have survived the trauma.

Thus began long months of re-learning what she had lost, memory wise, from the heart attack. She looked at pictures of people, memorizing names and faces. She re-read letters and postcards, thumbed through books and family albums, read and re-read e-mails from friends and acquaintances — “I was remembering people again, remembering processes.” But there are still gaps. Memories leading up to and during the heart attack are a “white haze.” A lady came up to her last week and talked about a meeting they’d

“After that, I had some memory loss,” Seibert said. “I will tell you this — the heart attack was one thing, but the anoxic brain damage I sustained, I don’t know which is worse. The good thing is, I was left with enough brain cells to save my brain.”

“To me, it was truly a blessing,” Seibert said. There’s really no other word to describe the timing, she added. “What are the odds? Astronomical. I have known from the very beginning this was a divine intervention. As difficult as my recovery has been, I hang on to that fact, that I have a further purpose here (on Earth), and that keeps me moving forward.” Back from the Brink Having survived the widow maker, and now sporting a medical ‘full metal jacket’ in her chest, Seibert was placed on a ventilator for a week. That’s a long time for a person to be on a machine, she admitted, but because of the severity of the attack, it was the right thing for the doctors to do. The time spent on the

Area Hearing & Speech Clinic 2311 S. Jackson Joplin, MO 64804

Still, like before, when she’d faced cancer, Seibert says her latest run-in with adversity has only made her stronger.

2014 Four States Heart Walk

“It’s just reinforced my fight against cancer and heart disease,” she said.

Saving Lives & Raising Awareness on September 27 – From J MAG Staff

Steve Roark, who serves on the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozark’s Board of Directors, said he is now insisting that his sister, a breast cancer survivor who received radiation treatments, go see a heart specialist for evaluation solely based on what Seibert experienced last year.

So far this year, that total from two years ago has already been shattered, with more than $35,100 collected as of Aug. 27. The goal for the race, set to take place on Sept. 27 at Missouri Southern State University, is more than $100,000. Beginning at 9 a.m., the two-mile walk is designed not just to raise money for the American Heart Association but also awareness. The top team so far is “Team Oakley.” This makes sense, since the family is walking for 2-year-old heart disease warrior, Oakley Powell.

Seibert’s ability to once again bounce back from a serious medical situation clearly shows why she is so valuable in her position as outreach director.

Lauren and Ryan Powell said when their son was born on Sept. 20, 2012, he seemed perfectly healthy. When he left the hospital, he had a heart murmur. A week later, an echocardiogram showed he had atrial and ventricular septal defects. Though his doctor said the holes in his heart were small and likely to close, his heart soon was so enlarged it was close to heart failure.

“After we’d been waiting forever to go in and see her, and all of us were scared to death, we were finally let in and (I) said, ‘we’re so sorry’ and I remember Kristi saying, ‘Oh Steve, it’s just what us girls go through.’

Following successful heart surgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where the narrowing of his aorta was corrected, the little boy, described by his parents as being an “ornery, rough and tumble toddler,” is now doing well.

“Well, I knew exactly what she meant,” Roark said. “The ‘us girls’ were the breast cancer survivors... (and) she was thinking of them.”

“All through this process, we were terrified,” the parents said in an American Red Cross statement. “Before Oakley’s surgery, we were running on no sleep, stressed about making the right decisions for his care, not knowing what would happen next. After his surgery, we were still scared. It’s hard enough being first-time parents, but when your infant has had emergency surgery, you question everything. We went to the doctor for every stuffy nose, every little fever. If he slept too much we worried, if he didn’t sleep enough we worried. “We were just so thankful,” they said. “So many babies (are) born with heart defects that don’t live to see their first birthday.” Oakley’s future, they said, “looks great. He’s one of the ‘lucky’ ones.”

Kristi Seibert among American Red Cross Every Day heroes award winners

The American Heart Association is the largest voluntary health organization working to prevent, treat and defeat heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. These diseases, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers, claim more than 813,804 American lives a year.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“I read an article four years ago where they were trying to figure out if there was any correlation between breast cancer and heart disease,” Seibert said. “Now, we know there is. While my heart disease was not related to my cancer, I run into an awful lot of ladies who are breast cancer patients who do end up with heart disease, and that’s because the radiation hardens the arteries. Cancer just wrecks havoc on our bodies.”

Two years ago, the annual Four States Heart Walk raised about $27,000.

She wants cancer survivors to realize the connection between radiation/chemotherapy treatments and possible heart damage that could lead to future heart problems or even attacks.

M A G

had prior to the Oct. 2 heart attack. Seibert admits she still has no recollection of that meeting.

Young country artist Milton Patton, who works at Downstream Casino, warms up before a live performance back in August. Patton is pursuing a career as a country singer after being exposed to stardom on “America’s Got Talent.”

music to the ears M I LT O N PAT T O N

BY KEVIN MCCLINTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE SISK

M SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

He would write songs. And he would sing those songs. And God willing, he would leave behind his hometown of Forest City, Arkansas and make a

M A G

As he listened to the words — “She put him out / like the burnin’ end of a midnight cigarette / she broke his heart / he spent his whole life tryin’ to forget” — he realized what he wanted to do with his life.

ilton Patton was driving to work one morning, his emotions still tattered from a breakup with a woman he’d dearly loved, when the mournful lyrics of Brad Paisley’s hit “Whiskey Lullaby” came across the airwaves.

successful foray into the country music scene. “The song reminded me of what had been going on in my life, and I liked it,” Patton said. “The music just spoke to me. It was just something completely different. From then on, I’ve been into country.” Every Tuesday night, Patton performs at the Legends Sports Bar stage inside Downstream Casino and Resort. It’s a unique collaboration between Downstream’s public relations manager, Sean Harrison, and the 23-year-old Patton, who formerly worked as a chainsaw operator at Arkansas Electric Cooperatives.

But Patton wouldn’t be at Downstream, or anywhere in Missouri, if it hadn’t been for that lone Brad Paisley song. And a popular national music show. “America’s Got Talent” Last year, Patton was introduced to millions as a country singer from Season 8 of “America’s Got Talent.” Sporting work boots and a straw cowboy hat, he sang “Whiskey Lullaby,” and all four judges -Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel -- voted him to move on to the next round during the San Antonio auditions. Mel B, a former member of the Spice Girls, remarked “I don’t

think anyone was actually expecting that. You have a very unique voice.”

songs and catchy tunes. I wanted to stay true to me. I’ve got to keep it country.”

“I thought you were really good,” said shock jock Howard Stern after his initial performance.

Looking for gigs, a friend of Patton’s contacted Harrison. Harrison watched a video of Patton’s performance and immediately recognized both the young man’s talent and his potential stardom.

Patton knew he’d knocked the ball out of the park with his once in a lifetime performance. “I was pretty confident. I just knew I would get past (the round).” Yet he never fully knew what the judges had liked about him. “Did they like me because I was a black man singing country, or did they truly like my voice? And I still don’t really know the answer to those questions,” he said. Though he was eliminated during the “Vegas round,” he was soon contacted by music agents in New York City and, according to Patton, offered a $500,000 music deal. He turned down that contract. “I had a lot of music industry people coming at me after AGT,” Patton said. “But they had their own ideas of what I should sound like, with a bunch of rap and R&B. They thought because I’m a black man I should just jump on the latest country music trend. But what I really like is the classic country sound -- just good solid

“It made a strong impression,” Harrison said. That’s where the singer (Patton) first met the songwriter (Harrison), and a unique partnership was born.

“But we both felt like something brought us together because it’s also more than music. We think it’s a good collaboration and a good “...I really like is partnership, and it’s been a the classic country real interesting experience becoming close friends.”

sound -- just good solid songs and catchy tunes. I wanted to stay true to me. I’ve got to keep it country.”

Brought together “We’re both from Arkansas,” Harrison said. “When Patton arrived here at Downstream, I set up a live show right up here on the Legends stage, And Milton and I met, had lunch, started talking, and we just liked each other.” When Harrison asked what Patton needed help with, the 23-year-old said he needed original songs -- “real” songs, he emphasized to Harrison.

Luckily for him, Harrison happens to moonlight as a songwriter and had inked quite a catalog of country and R&B songs. “But I wasn’t born with a voice like his,” Harrison said. “I have written quite a few songs, and some of them are good.

Patton now lives in Joplin, has a job at Downstream and performs once a week at Legends. It’s an acoustic show made up of roughly 20 or so songs, and he shares the stage with Bobby DeGonia and Corey Shultz of Livewire fame.

He mostly sings covers from artists he most admires -- Charlie Pride, Alan Jackson, Chris Young, George Strait and George Jones. But soon, perhaps as early as this month, Patton will begin slipping in original songs that were written in collaboration with Harrison. Songs such as “Keep it Country,” “Hard” and “Long Black Leather Coat.” The phrase “Keep it Country” has become the young artist’s motto. It’s also the first song he has written by himself. “It’s a song about that record company in New York and how they wanted to turn me uppity,” Patton said, laughing. “I’m down south, so I have to keep it country.”

Milton Patton is just minutes from singing to a live audience while being introduced by Sean Harrison, who is working as Patton’s manager.

Country artist Milton Patton, left, warms up with his manager and Downstream Casino Public Relations Director Sean Harrison before a performance at Downstream Casino.

“He’s just a uniquely talented man,” Harrison said of Patton. “That’s what’s so special about him: He’s just a really great young man.”

M A G

Soon, with Harrison’s help, Patton hopes to have his first independent CD released, to be filled with his special country blend of blues, rock and a “little old-school Memphis.”

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Added comedian Howie Mandel: “You are a diamond in the rough.”

People around here know me as the public relations guy, the spokesman for Downstream, but in my younger life, I played music all my life. And I’ve been a closet songwriter. I write them and record them. It’s my artistic outlet.

music to the ears

REGIONAL MUSIC VENUES WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY RYAN RICHARDSON

cal amazing lo e m o s s a nh itical hile Jopli hit the cr ’t n e v a h t e to suppor venues, w d e d e e n n mass acts. populatio in bigger g in r b ld cou enue that a larger v elves nd thems fi s n a f ic us their ny local m rip when t d a o r Sadly, ma g his forces ntially lon e T t . o s p ie a it c g facin earby come to n s t c s. a e it r favo iar venue il m a f n u ttend them to a idge oks to br lo ” s r a E the best “Music to he area’s ’s t h f t o n o e e m r h This ailing t r y by det o it r r e t nues. t tha oncert ve c r o o d t u indoor/o rt cal conce lo e r o m ok at taking a lo e b l il w We issue. our next in s e u n ve

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Kansas City, Missouri

CROSSROADS KC

align themselves with a certain genre of music, Crossroads books arguably the best variety of big-named artists found in the Midwest.

Crossroads KC is part of Grinder’s Pizza and Deli in downtown Kansas City and over the past six years, it has now become the place to be for live music venues in the city. There is no other place that you can get jambands one night, reggae the next and finish the weekend off with a hip-hop show. While most other venues tend to

The best part of this venue is that it offers a viable outdoor stage that harkens back to the big amphitheaters of the 1990s. While the crowd capacity caps out at nearly 3,000 seats, having a place to see an outdoor concert is a much-welcomed addition to our regional concert choices.

If you are an University of Arkansas graduate, they have an extensive library of Arkansas yearbooks dating back to 1911, which they encourage alumni to sign.

venue’s draw of musicians. This past year, guitar hero Jack White kicked off his tour at the venue, citing it as one of his favorite places to play, despite being the smallest on his tour.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Also, you can get some of the best barbeque in the Midwest there now that Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ has set up shop there.

M A G

In addition to the amazing indoor stage, the venue boasts an outdoor stage that they utilize for dual stage entertainment.

In 2003, the building was added to the National Register of Historic places, but it didn’t slow down the

Fayetteville, Arkansas

The self-proclaimed “King of Dickson Street” doesn’t disappoint any night of the week. Recognized as the oldest music venue in Arkansas, it was also the first to integrate in the 1950s. This venue has received countless national accolades for both its music and its atmosphere.

While the building has been a fixture in downtown Tulsa for nearly 100 years, it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became known for its top-notch music. It was a landing spot for many of the decade’s best punk bands, like the Sex Pistols and The Clash.

GEORGE’S MAJESTIC LOUNGE

Tulsa, Oklahoma

CAIN’S BALLROOM

Amazing pizza? Check. Great touring bands? Check. Location in a growing art district? Check.

taste

ART CRAFTED BEERS

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

ew w er i es in downto

M A G

t craf

siasts tou rO z

Jo plin

t hu n re

k ar

r a e t

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVE WOODS

f cra

Beers, as you can see, comes in different colors and consistencies. Your taste buds will tell you which one it likes best.

oug Musick appreciates the art and science it takes to create craft beers.

“I think that brewing is a craft,” Musick told me, following an afternoon sampling Ozarks’ craft beers in downtown Joplin. “You can get into the science of brewing or you can say, ‘If I add malted barley, yeast and some hops to water, I’m going to come up with beer.’” Brewing beer isn’t a new art or science. The craft of brewing beer is more than a millennia old. Beer recipes — or versions dating thousands of years — have been discovered around the planet. “We’ve been brewing beer for over 2000 years,” Musick, a home beer brewer himself, said. “I guarantee the Egyptians were not testing the quality of their water or the level of IBUs (Imperial Bitterness Units, for you non-beer drinking geeks out there) of the hops that went into their beers. They just knew that if you put them together and let it ferment, they got beer.”

Making beer, Musick said, it’s not rocket science. It’s so much more than that. “It is a combination of art and science,” the local actor, arts supporter and former member of the Joplin Little Theatre board of directors said. “It’s like cooking. You just make something you like and know the ingredients. There is a lot of trial and error in making good beer, but when it works, it’s outstanding.” WALKING BEER TOUR Doug and I spent a couple of hours touring Ozarks craft brew offerings, and the establishments that serve them, on a recent Saturday afternoon. We sampled small servings of a dozen, or more, ales and lagers from around the Ozarks without ever leaving downtown Joplin. At Club 609, Instant Karma and Blackthorn Pizza and Pub, we sampled more than a few brews. I checked out Old Broadway Club and Whiskey Dick’s later in the day, just to make sure I hadn’t left any brew stones unturned.

Doug Musick, a home beer brewer and fan of craft and micro beers, eyes samples of local craft beers (these from Instant Karma) found in downtown Joplin. 63

Within easy walking distance of Sixth and main Street in Joplin are 75 beers — craft, imported and micro — on tap. Many of which are produced within a few hour’s drive of Joplin. Beers from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company and Mother’s Brewery in Springfield dominate local tap heads, but many smaller brewers are represented as well, including Core Brewing Co. from Springdale, Arkansas and Old Piney Brewing from Buckyrus, Missouri. Most regional craft breweries are on the grow and attracting larger segments of the local beer-drinking market. That makes beer fans like us smile.

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

“It’s amazing the amount that (craft beers) have grown over the last three or four years,” Musick said, following our tasting session. “I think Americans were taught for years that beers should taste like sparkling water with a little taste of yeast.”

A glass is being topped off with Boulevard Wheat beer, which is made and distributed from Kansas City, by Club 609 bartender Caitlin Stayton.

A lot of that, in my opinion, was driven by the -beer industry race in the 1970s for low calorie and carb “Lite” beverages. They had great appeal, but in dropping cals and carbs, some contend, the beer lost their unique flavor.

kitchen saying, ‘I want to make a beer.’ The hard part about making beer is being able to replicate the recipe over and over again and making it taste the same way every time.”

“With the craft beer rage, people are learning that beer should actually have flavor,” Musick said. “There are many different flavors of beer. Beer can be very malty (smooth and often chocolaty) or it can be very hoppy (differing levels of bitterness). People who like hoppy beers don’t necessarily like the malty stuff. There are so many kinds of beers today. There’s something for every taste.”

Much like traditional crafters such as painters, sculptors and quilters, it’s not so much about the consistency as it is about creativity. It’s about the process, the companionship, the creativity, the art and the challenge of crafting a goodtasting beer. It’s a learning process, whether you are a commercial brewer or a beer fan brewing a few gallons in your basement at a time.

ART IN A GLASS Musick contends there is a good reason why brewers adopted “craft” as the name of the beverage segment’s name.

“As brewers learn more they are able to make the same beer and flavor time after time,” Musick said. “It was a craft that people did for generations in their kitchens or basements long before we could buy them. That’s what made it a craft.”

“There is an art to craft-brewing beers,” he said, a passion spicing his words and voice. “It all started with some guys in a garage or

TYLER’S CARPET OF NEOSHO Residential • Commercial

• Carpet • Vinyl • Hardwood • • Area Rugs • Laminate Flooring • • Ceramic Tile • For Rent Host Dry Carpet Cleaner

tylerscarpetmo.com

417-451-2712

OPEN 8-6 MON-FRI 8-1 SAT. 737 W. Harmony • Neosho, MO

The

List:

resident John F. Kennedy once said, “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free...” To that end, some of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements should be free for the public to view, as well. Thank goodness we have the opportunity to do that. Below are five Missouri-based art museums that have free admission. Better yet, all five are located within a day’s drive (or less) from Joplin.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

“The Eruption of Vesuvius” — Sebastian Pether, dated 1825, oil on panel — found inside the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City.

Saint Louis Art Museum Address: 1 Fine Arts Drive City: St. Louis, Missouri Phone: 314.721.0072 Admission: Free to the public Did you know? This museum’s original three-story building was constructed as the “Palace of the Fine Arts” for the 1904 World’s Fair, which was also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Museum collection: The collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum contains more than 30,000 art works dating from antiquity to the present, broken up into 11 sections. Notable work: The museum features numerous 20th Century German paintings, including the world’s largest Max Beckmann collection.

Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Address: 1 Brookings Drive City: St. Louis, Missouri Phone: 314.935.4523 Admission: Free to the public Did you know? Founded in 1881 as the “St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts,” it is the oldest art museum found west of the Mississippi River. Museum collection: Mildred Lane Kemper contains strong holdings of 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century European and American paintings, sculptures, prints, installations and photographs. Notable work: The collection also includes some Egyptian and Greek antiquities, Old Master prints and the Wulfing Collection of approximately 14,000 ancient Greek, Roman 65 and Byzantine coins.

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Address: 4420 Warwick Blvd. City: Kansas City, Missouri Phone: 816.753.5784 Admission: Free to the public Did you know? When it opened in 1994, Kemper became Missouri’s largest contemporary museum. Museum collection: The Kemper collection includes more than 1,000 works from 1913 to the present day. Notable work: The core of the museum’s permanent collection is the Bebe and R. Crosby Kemper Jr. Collection, encompassing works by such renowned artists as Dale Chihuly, Georgia O’Keeffe, Wayne Thiebaud and Andy Warhol.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Address: 600 Museum Way City: Bentonville, Arkansas Phone: 479.418.5700 Admission: Free to the public Did you know? Crystal Bridges is the first major art museum to open in the United States since 1974. Museum collection: The museum’s permanent collection features American art from Colonial to contemporary. All of the featured artists are United States citizens, though some spent most of their art careers in Europe. Notable work: Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of President George Washington.

“Water Lilies” — Claude Monet, oil on canvas — found inside the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City.

“Hollywood” — Thomas Hart Benton, a Tempara with oil on canvas, mounted on panel — found inside the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City.

M A G

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Address: 4525 Oak Street City: Kansas City, Missouri Phone: 816.751.1278 Admission: Free to the public Did you know? The Nelson-Atkins was named one of 30 “must see” art museums in the U.S. by The Art Career Project a few years ago. It also houses four shuttlecocks (think badminton), each one rising 19 feet into the air. They are the largest found in the world. Museum collection: There are 30,000 works of priceless art here, with oil paintings ranging from Italy’s Michelangelo to America’s own (and Neosho, Missouri-born) Thomas Hart Benton. Notable work: The Nelson museum has the largest Rodin sculpture collection found anywhere in the country — that’s Auguste Rodin, by the way, one of Europe’s most successful and well-known sculptors. Three of his sculptures at the Nelson are “Adam,” “Study of a Seated Man” and, located near the museum’s south entrance, the famed “The Thinker.”

parting shot R I B BO N DA NC E R

M A G

SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 4

PHOTOGRAPH BY T. ROB BROWN

Andrea Rosenbaum, a Joplin dancer for Dream Theatre Troupe, performs with a ribbon during an “Elanor Rigby” dub-step at a recent Carthage Art Walk.