“In the Dew of Little Things” – Photos by Karen Eubank
West Plains Council on the Arts will host a photo exhibit by artist Karen Eubank – “In the Dew of Little Things” – at the Gallery at the Center. The exhibit will be displayed at the Gallery at the Center, West Plains Civic Center from January 30 – March 5, 2017. The Gallery, on the mezzanine, is open to the public during regular Civic Center hours.
Karen Eubank is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, with a double major in English and journalism. She spent 30 years in the Gainesville R-V schools, teaching high school English and journalism before re-focusing her efforts into administration, first as an A+ Coordinator and then junior high principal. She has three grown sons with degrees in art, photography, and film production; it was their creative endeavors and adventurous spirits that encouraged Eubank to expand her own horizons.
In 2010, when Eubank’s youngest son graduated high school and left home, she began writing a blog as a way to fill the void. As she approached retirement two years later, she realized she needed more than her blog writing to occupy her time, and photography seemed the perfect complement. When she started looking for photographic opportunities to enhance her writing, she found true joy behind the camera lens. In 2012 she also began writing a day tripping column for the Ozark County Times, supplementing her articles with photos of her journeys. It was that exposure, perhaps more than anything else, that created a following for her work. She continues to provide columns and photographs for the newspaper, and she has also had her photos featured in 417 Magazine and on various websites.
“Photography has been a calming, soul-satisfying experience for me,” said Eubank. “I love capturing Nature’s beauty and charm, especially in the early morning light. Looking at the world through the lens has forced me to slow down, to breathe deeply, and to focus on all the little details I never noticed before. Like so many other moms and teachers, for years I was focused on fulfilling everyone else’s needs and overwhelmed by the weight of the world. But wearing a camera around my neck has reminded me to stand in quiet reflection before blazing sunsets, to gaze in silent wonder at thundering waterfalls, to smile in sheer delight at tiny, trembling wildflowers—and in doing so, I’ve found the elusive peace I didn’t even realize I’d been searching for.”
Eubank’s exhibit, “In the Dew of Little Things,” references her favorite Khalil Gibran quote: “For in the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” Those little things in nature, she believes, have brought her not only peace but also joy and rejuvenation in this second stage of her life.
In addition to photography and writing, Eubank enjoys traveling, hiking, and cycling with her husband, Norman. Examples of her photography can be seen at https://facebook.com/KarenSEubank; her blog can be found at http://www.icedteawithlemon.wordpress.com
WPCA will host a Meet the Artist Reception on Saturday, February 18, from noon till 2 p.m., in the Gallery at the Center. All are invited to attend, view and discuss these wonderful pieces with the artist. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the West Plains Civic Center and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
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