Select Page

Art at OzSBI

OzSBI To Host Area Art Displays with West Plains Council on the Arts

The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator throughout the year. Local artists’ work will be featured throughout OzSBI’s first floor.

2025

Apr-June 2025 – Cindy Temple

Jan-Mar. 2025 – Barbara Williams

2024

9/1/24 – 12/31/24 – Lee Copen

7/1/24 – 9/30/24 – Rhonda Richter

4/1/24 – 6/30/24 – Angela Bullard

1/1/24 – 3/31/24 – Janey Hale

2023

10/1/23 – 12/31/23 – Ann Kulpa

7/1/23 – 9/30/23 – Judy Norton

4/1/23 – 6/30/23 – Barbara Robinette

1/1/23 – 3/31/23 – Melissa Smith

2022

10/1/22 – 12/31/22 – Marc Brannan

7/1/22 – 9/30/22 – Garrett Melby

4/1/22 – 6/30/22 – Karen Pitts

1/3/22 – 3/30/22 – Joyce France

2021

12/30/20 – 3/30/21 – Rhonda Richter

4/1/21 – 6/30/21 – Laura Bales

7/1/21 – 9/30/21 – Dolores Winkler

10/1/21 – 12/30/21 – Kelli Albin

2020

12/27/19 –  3/26/20 – Joyce Stewart

6/26/20 – 9/24/20 – Mark Wallen

9/25/20 – 12/28/20 – Nanci Harlin

Lee Copen

October – December 2024

Local artist Lee Copen’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of October through the end of December, 2024. The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator.  Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. 

Lee Ann Copen writes, “I have always been drawn to the diversity and beauty that landscape has to offer.  Painting is absolutely my most favorite thing to do. I have been painting all my life and painting is simply how I like to spend my time. For me painting is capturing a fleeting moment of beauty and sharing what I see with others.” 

Growing up in South Africa and Chile, Lee was always an artist. She spent her High School and College years in Colorado, where she excelled in art and earned a degree in Fine Art from the University of Northern Colorado. She worked as a graphic artist and architectural illustrator before going back to school to become a certified teacher. Living on a small farm in the Ozarks, she taught art at the local high school for 22 years, while raising her family. Through all these years she continued to paint and draw.  Now retired Lee gets to combine her love for painting and the outdoors, as a plein air painter. Whether on location or in the studio, her light and color filled paintings reflect her love for the land and realistic landscape painting. Working in both watercolor and oil paint, she has received many awards and honors. She is also known for her color pencil drawings of birds. Her art can be viewed on her website and numerous regional galleries. 

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 30, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Copen and view and discuss the pieces on display.  

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org.

Rhonda Richter

July- September 2024

Local artist Rhonda Richter’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of July through the end of September 2024. The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator.  Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Rhonda Richter enjoys painting from life. Directly engaging with her subject matter requires navigating rapidly changing light. The challenge of painting quickly in changing conditions contributes to an expressive style. Bold color and brushwork emphasize visual movement within emotionally structured compositions.

Richter completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Missouri, extensive course work at Johannes Gutenberg University/ Mainz and a Master’s degree at Southwest Baptist University. During the past 12 years, Richter has won numerous awards at Plein Air events throughout the Midwest. Her works can be viewed on the website at https://www.rhondarichter.com/

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 8, 2024, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Richter and view and discuss the pieces on display.

A virtual slide show of this exhibit is available here.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott audrey.scott@zizzers.org

Angela Bullard

April – June 2024

Local artist Angela Bullard’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of April through the end of June 2024. The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator.  Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Bullard grew up in the beautiful rolling hills of the Ozarks and always had a love of the arts from an early age, taking art classes all through high school and college. She moved to Chicago to pursue an acting career and had an active stage theatre career, taught acting classes at Second City and was on the NBC T.V. Show Chicago Fire. But she still created visual art in her spare time, taking classes with the nationally known Chicago artist Ingrid Albrecht. After moving back home to the West Plains in 2015, Angela wanted to focus on her work in the visual arts, so she set up a studio space at home and started taking classes with a locally renowned artist, Regina Willard. In less traditional forms of art, such as needle-felting, acrylic pouring, alcohol inks, and encaustics, Angela is self-taught. Angela enjoys working and experimenting in oils, watercolors, pastels, pencils, gouache, acrylics, wax, ink, and fiber.

Angela has been awarded multiple awards for her art in the spring show at the Harlin Museum in West Plains, Missouri, as well as in the professional juried fall show. She has also been awarded top ribbons at the Heart of the Ozarks Fair, also winning the People’s Choice Award for her abstract piece “Metamorphosis”.  Angela teaches various workshops at the Harlin Museum and for the West Plains Council on the Arts, from needle felting to acrylic pouring to crochet. Angela also previously served as the President of the West Plains Artist’s Guild in West Plains. Angela was awarded an Honorable Mention Broadening Opportunities Scholarship from the Broad Ideas art group, based in Galena, Illinois, from their 2021 Virtual Art Show. Her most recent art exhibit at the Harlin Museum, entitled “Out of This World”, was funded by that scholarship and was met with great local success.

Artist Statement: “I have loved all things creative and artistic since I was a child, getting colored yarn or a painting kit was my idea of heaven! I loved fiber art-crocheting clothes and blankets for my dolls, creating everything from latch hook rugs to God’s Eyes with popsicle sticks, and pom poms for my classmates. I experimented with clay; making clay pots from the red clay found in the riverbank on the farm I grew up on and letting them dry in the sun. I would go on “photo shoots” with my instant camera to take images of the world around me- the fields, the trees, old barns. I colored in coloring books, fascinated by all the names and colors in the Crayola assortment.  It was the joy of my life to create and make something new that had never existed before, to see how the experiments I took would turn out and what I could try next. But most of all, how did my artwork make me feel, how did it make others feel? I wanted to have an impact with what I was creating.

This show is an eclectic assortment of my work from needle-felted landscapes to encaustic florals to acrylic abstracts. It is a show about my journey as an artist and all the experiments I have done, some more successful than others, but still a part of the evolution of my artistic eye. Abstract work can be difficult for some viewers to wrap their minds around, so I like to think that the secret to viewing abstract art is not to think of it as a traditional painting, it’s more a painting of “feeling”.  What does the painting evoke in your memory or emotions when you look at it? Colors can affect this feeling as well as the shapes and lines within a piece. Try looking at an abstract piece with your inner emotional eye and see what you can find. Everyone’s experience is different, it doesn’t have to be like anyone else’s experience. Abstract work can seem otherworldly or surreal, like something in a dream but it is also tethered to what we know and experience in our everyday lives.  Come, take a look, and see what images speak to your imagination!

Thank you for joining me on my artistic journey!”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, 3-4:30 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Bullard and view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott <audrey.scott@zizzers.org>

A virtual slide show is available at this link.

Janey Hale

January-March 2024

Local artist Janey Hale’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of January through the end of March 2024. The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator.  Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Artist Statement:

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in creating. My earliest memories are of making things out of everyday objects, matchboxes became covered wagons, doll beds and treasure chest.  Going to school in the 50’s and 60’s I didn’t have formal art lessons.  A touring show of Old Master Painting was my first experience with “real” art. That show and an older high school student were the encouragement I needed to want to learn more. 

Fast forward to college I majored in business because I didn’t know one could teach art much less make a living painting.  I married, had three boys, and worked various jobs that utilized my business background. When my sons were in school, I returned to college to major in art education.  College was a wonderful opportunity to experience and be exposed to artists both past and present.

I spent the next 28 years teaching high school students that art is what makes our life richer.  I was fortunate to have several gifted students along the way that I believe encouraged me as much as I did them.  I retired from teaching in 2016 and have since devoted my time to painting both in the studio and en plein air.  I still can’t imagine a time when I won’t be creating.  Art has truly made my life richer, through the friends I’ve made, the places I’ve been, and of course the process of creating.

I don’t have just one thing I like to paint. Could be the sun shining through a tree behind a chicken coop or an abandoned piece of farm machinery.  I hope my works tell a story or evoke a memory.  I feel so blessed to have this gift that I hope it blesses others when they view my work.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, February 8, 2024, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Hale and view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Audrey Scott <audrey.scott@zizzers.org>

A virtual slide show is available here.

Ann Kulpa

October-December, 2023

Local artist Ann Kulpa’s artwork will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor from the beginning of October through the end of December 2023. The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator.  Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Ann Kulpa gives the viewer multiple layers in her collages. It’s worth your time to pause and explore the various media, textural components, and use of color to create nonrepresentational art.”

Kulpa is a self-taught creative who has been working on her art since she was a child.  She has lived in Cabool for 20 years with her husband.  Ann lived in Colorado for many years before moving to the Ozarks. In Colorado, Ann competed in juried art shows earning numerous awards and accepting commission work as a portrait artist and mural painter.  While living in Cabool she discovered the creative process of Digital Art Painting.  She became very involved in digital work for years while continuing her work in Photography, Pencil, and Pen & Ink drawings on the side. Using these mediums, she has won awards in juried art shows in this area. Because of her interest in the process of creating intuitively, in 2022 Ann returned to the form of abstract art that she loved to create as a child.  In the last two years she has enrolled in several educational courses which she is using as a springboard in creating her multi-media, multi-layered, intuitive artwork.  As she develops this art form, she hopes to introduce portraiture into her work. “I am enjoying this challenging process which is much like working a creative puzzle.  The intuitive nature of creating in this way means I am always surprised throughout the process,” says Kulpa.

Check out the online slide presentation of this exhibit.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Kulpa and view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.       

Watercolor Creations by Judy Norton

July-September, 2023

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE

“WATERCOLOR CREATIONS” OF JUDY NORTON

JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2023

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Judy Norton’s exhibit “Watercolor Creations” will be featured on OzSBI’s first floor June 30 through the end of September 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Judy Norton is a prolific painter of landscape, still life, and things found in nature. Whether from life or her imagination she brings a freshness to her work. A must-see show!”

Artist statement:

“Art has always been a big part in my life. It was always my favorite subject as a child, and I guess it still is. I started painting with oil but went quickly to watercolor because it was easier to transport. When my late husband was in the hospital at Little Rock with esophageal cancer, I painted a picture for every doctor and nurse that worked with him. I always joked I could have an art gallery in Little Rock for all the paintings I gave away and some day I’d be famous!

Later after he passed I met and married Tom, and he and I bought a winter place in an RV park in Texas. It was then I started a watercolor art class and got serious about painting. During COVID I had an art Zoom class five days a week with my students. It’s no wonder I have over 400 paintings in my possession. The Ozark Café restaurant was nice enough to let me hang some in their place.

I still paint twice a week now – once with the Ventures in Art group meeting at the First Christian Church on Tuesdays at 9:30, and then on Zoom on Friday mornings with my Texas students. I look forward to my showing at OzSBI and hope some of you come to view my “Watercolor Creations.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Norton and view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.       

A virtual slide show of this exhibit is available here.

Barbara Robinette

April-June, 2023

The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Barbara Robinette’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor March 31 through the end of June 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Barbara’s watercolors are loose, colorful, and nostalgic; reminding one of times gone by.”

About the artist:

Though she minored in art, Barbara Robinette dropped out of college to go to work and learn on her own. She is a member of West Plains Ventures in Art group and is self-taught in the art of watercolor.  Robinette also is a free verse poet, leaning today towards haiga art, which combines images with haiku. Daily Haiga has posted online five of her haiga, and Quill and Parchment poetry journal has featured some of her art online. Highland Park Poetry Publications has published one of her haiga in their book, The Majesty of Trees.  The Haiku Foundation has scheduled some of her haiga art to be posted online in April 2023. 

Remembering that one of her professors said that a painting should be “pleasing to the eye,” she enjoys playing with paint and water to see what might develop.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Robinette and view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.       

The virtual slide show is available here.

Melissa Wharton

January-March 2023

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF MELISSA WHARTON

The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local photographer Melissa Wharton’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor December 30 through the end of March 2023. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes the works, “Capturing the beauty of her surroundings, Melissa reveals a true understanding of all nature has to offer. Her photography presents an opportunity for the viewer to experience places they might not see otherwise.”

Growing up in West Plains, Wharton has always had an interest in the Ozarks mills and springs. Starting with her grandparents taking her on frequent visits to Rockbridge Mill, Wharton began photographing travel outings at a young age. This interest led her to a bachelor’s degree in studio art with an emphasis in graphic design and photography. A career spanning three decades has always included roles where she can be creative.

Wharton recently won first place in the People Category in a photography contest in Terrain Magazine. The photo features Wharton’s son, Sawyer Smith, in the wheel at Turner Mill.

Her current position as tourism manager for the City of West Plains embodies all her previous work into one: graphic design, photography, writing, public relations, and retail. Being able to explore the Ozarks and capture its beauty in photos is now one of her job duties. Sharing the Ozarks with others is just a perk of the job. She is embarrassed to admit that all her photos are captured on her cell phone, but it is the years of training and the artistic eye that make the difference.

Artist Statement:

“Having grown up and lived in the West Plains area most of my life, I have always had an interest in photographing the Ozarks. Two years ago, when I was hired by the City of West Plains, this passion became a part of my job. I now have the honor to photograph and promote our beautiful area that we get to call home.”

“For this show, I wanted to share some of my travels from 2022. My husband owns Bartlett Moving Services, and I am lucky enough to tag along sometimes. The show will feature a few photos of the Ozarks, but also will feature photos from a couple of moves that I went along on: Seattle and Vermont. The journey there is half the fun (especially in a moving truck).”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend to meet Wharton and view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com

 at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.       

Virtual Exhibit available here.

Marc Brannan

October-December 2022

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Marc Brannan’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor October 3 through the end of December 2022. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes his art, “Capturing moments in time, Marc Brannan’s photography shares the world, giving the viewer a chance to reflect.”

Marc Brannan grew up on the family farm near Willow Springs, MO., and currently lives and works in West Plains, MO. He started playing with cameras and taking pictures at a very young age. He loved playing in the old barn and enjoyed being outdoors as much as possible surrounded by nature. His parents nurtured his desire to travel and see new places. His dad encouraged him to learn and enjoy history, especially the history of his family and where they came from.

Artist Statement:

“I have always enjoyed the stories of my mom attending one-room schools when she was a kid, and I think that is a big reason I seek them out to photograph today. There are less of them around every year, as a lot of them slowly fall into disrepair and collapse unless they have been cared for or restored over the years. I love incorporating them into my landscape photography as much as I can, especially as a way of preserving their history. I also enjoy nature photography and have started trying to capture more shots of wildlife, both in and out of our area. I would go for a drive out in the country and notice the old townships along the way that are slowly disappearing. I would try to find an old store, or church, and if I was lucky, the old schoolhouse. Something historical that could share a little bit of that town’s history. I also strive to meet with the owners of those buildings or residents, to help provide personal accounts of their history. A lot of the time, they are stories that won’t be documented in any history books. At some point, I would like to put together a book of photos, possibly a history of schoolhouses and townships that I have searched out in my efforts.

The pictures that I have selected for this exhibition show a range of my photos that depict the history and outdoor settings that our area, as well as others, are known for—whether historic or in the natural beauty and wildlife that we see in the Ozarks .”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Brannan, view, and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield <madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com> at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

A virtual slide show of the exhibit is linked here.

Garrett Melby

July-September 2022

– The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Garrett Melby’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor July 1 through the end of September 2022. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale describes his art: “Garrett Melby uses bold brush strokes combined with saturate color to create exciting paintings of wildlife that are larger than life.”

Melby graduated from Willow Springs, Mo in 1998 and had success in school in art related events. His art was displayed in Willow Springs downtown and in the school art show. He graduated from Collins College in Phoenix, AZ with a degree in animation. While in Arizona, his art and animation was displayed in downtown Phoenix art galleries, first Fridays art walk, as well as in Tempe and Mesa Arizona. Currently Melby’s artwork is on display at Wages Brewing Company in West Plains, Mo, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar music venue. Melby paints live with many area bands and musicians, including Molly Healey of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils and her band, the Molly Healey String project, Dylan Kane, The Kursk, Brandon Moore, Patent Eyes, Eureka Strings, and many more.

 Melby has had art shows and benefit auctions at Wages Brewery West Plains, The Yellow House Community art program West Plains, The Queen city Shout Springfield, Q enoteca wine bar Springfield Mo, and Springfield Brewing Company’s Cellar. At these art auctions He has helped raise money for many local charities close to his heart such as ORC/West Plains Regional Animal Shelter, The Bridges Program of West Plains Schools, Rescue and Defend, the West Plains Optimist Club, Queen City Shout Poverty Relief, and Play it Forward to name a few.

 “My mission statement is simply: You can’t move forward if you don’t give back. I paint live with bands and do a lot of cool things on a canvas, but the real art is finding a way to help someone with your art and that’s what I’m striving to do.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, July 28, 3-4:30 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Melby, view, and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Sutterfield <madisonsutterfield@ozsbi.com> at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

VIRTUAL EXHIBIT LINKED HERE.

Artwork of Karen Pitts

April 1 – June 30, 2022

Local artist Karen Pitts’ works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor April 1 through the end of June 2022. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Karen’s ability to use the principles of design to create vibrant abstract paintings will assure the viewer of an exciting experience,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “Though her works are abstractions they create a visual emotion that any art lover will appreciate.”

Pitts was born and raised in Oklahoma City.  At a very young age, she knew she wanted to teach art. She attended Southwest Oklahoma Junior College, working towards an art degree.  She, along with her family, moved to Willow Springs in 1989.  Pitts returned to college to complete her schooling to teach in 2001 after raising her three girls.  She graduated with a B.S. degree in History from Drury University in 2006.  Karen started teaching art in 2007 for the Willow Springs School District and taught middle school art for thirteen years.  Karen moved to West Plains in 2019 and is currently working at the West Plains High School teaching Studio One Art.

Pitts is the founder, owner, and operator of  “Treat Your Palette” a business that opened in 2014, hosting painting parties in southern Missouri and Edmond, Oklahoma.  “I love teaching, especially painting and painting techniques to adults and kids,” Pitts explained. “I love it that someone that had attended a painting party was able to go home and use those techniques to create their own painting… it is so rewarding.”

Pitts enjoys working with different art media: pencil, chalk pastels, charcoal, oil paint, oil and cold wax, and clay, but her favorite is using acrylics in the abstract style. “Abstracts for me is a way to express my mood onto canvas. Sometimes, I’ll have an image in my head and I can’t sleep until I put that image onto the canvas. I also love applying texture to my paintings, using hand-printed paper, model paste, and applying the paint heavy onto the canvas,” she explained. Today, you can find Karen in her home studio creating.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, May 26, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Pitts, view, and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Hizer madisonhizer@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.            

A virtual slide show of the pieces in the exhibit can be found HERE.  

JOYCE FRANCE

January 3 – March 30, 2022

The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Joyce France’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor January 3  through the end of March 2022. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Beautiful rural landscapes and dramatic pours are signature Joyce France,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “She’s able to create the beautiful colors she sees in nature in both her representational and non-representational works.”

France came from Southern California in 1963 and has lived in West Plains ever since. She spent a lot of time in Arizona and found inspiration in the rich colors of the southwestern desert. Many of her paintings have a southwestern flavor, especially in the choice of colors. France says, “Using a pallet knife is my very favorite method of getting those vivid colors on canvas.”

With a lifelong love of photography, France operated Foto’s from France photography studio for twelve years in West Plains. “Photography taught me a lot about composition and lighting, and by doing my own printing I learned about color,” France said. She painted a bit in the late 80’s and early 90’s then set it aside to manage her business, France Fire Extinguisher Company.  

France started painting again, mostly oils, but loves art of all kinds, including abstract paint pouring, which will be represented by many pieces in the exhibit.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 13, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet France, view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Madison Hizer madisonhizer@ozsbi.com at OzSBI or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.    

A virtual showcase of this exhibit is available here.          

KELLI ALBIN

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Kelli Albin’s works will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor October 1 through the end of December 2021. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Works by Kelli Albin bring beauty to the everyday objects, people and places of life,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “No matter which media she chooses, she gives the viewer a sense of time and place.”

Kelli Albin was born in 1965 in West Plains, Missouri. She graduated from high school in 1984, and then graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1987 with a Commercial Art degree. She returned to her hometown of West Plains and earned a teaching certification in Art and Special Reading and her Master of Science in Elementary Education. She also studied photography through the New York Institute of Photography.

Albin recently retired from Dora School after teaching art for 30 years. She has photographs published in “Ozarks Magazine”, “The Ozark Mountaineer”, and in the book “Axe, Mule, Fire”, by her brother C. D. Albin. She has also written and illustrated five children’s books of her own. She enjoys reading, photography, drawing, and painting in her spare time. When not busy, she enjoys the snuggles of her feline companions. A friend once gave her a sign that says, “My therapist has paws and whiskers”. That is truth.

This exhibit is a combination of several mediums of art- watercolor, oil, acrylic, and photography. Albin finds art rewarding because it allows her to express praise for her Savior. She strives to reflect the beauty and peace that He has created. She chooses subjects that provide a calm and peaceful atmosphere, many of which are found in her own home and surroundings. Albin says, “It isn’t a choice to create. It is something an artist simply has to do.”

A virtual slide show of the pieces on display is available here.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Albin, view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact OzSBI CFO Ila Sloan ilasloan@ozsbi.com or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

  • ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE WORK OF DOLORES MERCER WINKLER

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Dolores Winkler’s works, “Designs in Art by Dolores,” will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor June 29 through the end of September 2021. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Dolores Winkler’s works cover a wide range of media,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “From them she is able to create beautiful works that make the viewer want to see more.”

Dolores Winkler was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She owned two salons in the downtown area and retired in 2018 after 47 years, moving to Pomona, MO, with her husband Grady.

Winkler says, “I have loved art since I was a little girl, taking classes all through my life. I love acrylics, watercolor, and alcohol inks, some abstract art and pour paints. I love textures!  I’m now taking classes from Regina Willard.”

Winkler has taught art for the last 20 years, in California and Missouri. She teaches private groups, as well as one-on-one, and is teaching watercolor, acrylics, and some crafts at Six Sisters Mercantile in West Plains on Saturdays. Winkler works part-time as a travel agent for Uniglobe Travel, specializing in personal and group travel. “I love to travel and it gives me inspiration for my art,” she says.

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday,  July 8 from 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Winkler, view and discuss the pieces on display.

For more information about the exhibit, contact OzSBI Program Administrator Maegan Bell maeganbell@ozsbi.com  or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

Email: hairyday@gmail.com
Cell: 909-844-3325
Home: 417-469-1669

Virtual Exhibit slide show is here.

LAURA BALES

“COLOR MY WORLD”

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE WORK OF LAURA BALES

APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2021

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Laura Bales’ works, “Color My World,” will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor April 1 through end of June 2021. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. COVID-19 safety policies are in place.

“If you are a fan of the impressionist Van Gogh and Gauguin you do not want to miss Laura Bales richly colored paintings,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “Bales is a master of intense colors that create beautiful landscapes and other subjects.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Friday,  April 9 from 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Bales, view and discuss the pieces on display.

Artist’s Statement

Bales says, “I am so happy to have this opportunity to have a show at OZSBI. I have always loved art and have always drawn.  I started painting a few years ago  and love it.  Roy Hathcock was my high school art teacher. He encouraged me and said he hoped to see my art in a New York art gallery someday.  I hope to encourage others to create,  whatever their medium is. The arts are so important to everyone, whether music, visual art, or acting. I know arts are essential to me. This exhibit focuses on color. I love to use a lot of color and am inspired by Van Gogh as my favorite artist. I also love  modern impressionistic styles.  I am thankful for my group of local art friends.  I encourage everyone to visit any art exhibit. We all appreciate it.  Thank you for visiting and I hope you are inspired in some way.”

For more information about the exhibit, contact OzSBI Program Administrator Maegan Bell maeganbell@ozsbi.com  or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

Virtual exhibit available here.

RHONDA RICHTER

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME”

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI FEATURING THE WORK OF RHONDA RICHTER

DECEMBER 2020 THRU MARCH 2021

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Rhonda Richter’s works, “There’s No Place Like Home,” will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor December 30 through end of March 2021. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. COVID-19 safety policies are in place.

“If you are a fan of the Impressionist, you will not want to miss Rhonda Richter’s work,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “Her ability to capture her impressions of landscapes and still life subjects are reminiscent of Van Gogh and Cezanne.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 14, from 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Richter, view and discuss the pieces on display.

About the Artist

Rhonda Richter earned the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Missouri and has studied painting at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. Richter taught art for 24 years until her retirement in 2019 from West Plains High School.

Painterly expression and bold color characterize the art of Rhonda Richter. Paintings with emotional structure interpreted in direct connection with nature are the intention and joy of the artist.

Richter’s recent awards include: 2018 First Place – Callaway Plein Air “Paint the Town”, 2019 – Callaway Plein Air “Hidden Gems”, 2020 – Second Place/ Steelville Plein Air, 2020 Third Place Siloam Springs Plein Air.

“The theme ‘no place like home’ expresses my gratitude (especially during the pandemic) to have the privilege of experiencing local beauty,” says Richter.

For more information about the exhibit, contact OzSBI Program Administrator Maegan Bell maeganbell@ozsbi.com  or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

A virtual slide show of the pieces exhibited is available here.

NANCI HARLIN

ART DISPLAY AT OZSBI TO FEATURE THE WORK OF NANCI HARLIN

OCTOBER THRU DECEMBER 2020

WEST PLAINS, MO – The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Ozarks Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) have partnered to bring quarterly art displays to the incubator. Local artist Nanci Harlin’s work will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor September 25 through end of December 2020. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. COVID-19 safety policies are in place.

“Images of our natural world come alive at the hand of Nanci Hardin,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “Her works create for the viewer a sense of time and place in our world we don’t often get to see.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, October 15, from 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Harlin, view and discuss the pieces on display.

About the Artist

Born in the east where her love of art began, Harlin attended a Commercial art school in Boston after high school.  She eventually moved to the Midwest where she returned to school  and acquired her BS in Art Education from SMSU (now Missouri State University-Springfield).  Harlin taught art in the public school systems in Missouri and Arizona for about 17 years, in addition to serving as judge for the Arizona Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition, President of the Colored Pencil Society-Arizona Chapter, and serving on the Museum and Cultural Advisory Board-City of Mesa, AZ.

Harlin loves drawing animals, both wild and domestic, and also does western and some Native American themes.  Her work is predominantly, but not exclusively, colored pencil. She also works in other media and has done several commission pieces. In addition, Harlin produces what is called ‘multiple originals’. These are essentially done in a numbered series.  For instance, a wolf and an eagle series of 50.   With the completion of each original requested by a client, pieces are signed and numbered like a print, i.e. 25/50.  Purchasers each receive an original piece of artwork. They are, for the most part the same but may vary slightly, to make each piece unique.

Harlin’s artwork has received many awards in Missouri, Arkansas, and Arizona art competitions. Her freelance and published works include: Logo for Arizona Draft Horse Assn.; “Cool Dip: – Defenders of Wildlife – 4 printings of Notecards; “Canadian Cruise” – Canadian Wildlife Conservation – Duck Stamp, Manitoba 2000; “Wild Born”- Black Footed Ferret Project –  Arizona Game & Fish Dept. – Prints; Cover Art – 3 years for Meadview, AZ Phone Directory; Hazelwoods – Southwest Fashion & Shirt Mfg.; and Freelance – “Print of the Year” for Furbearers Unlimited (sister organization to National Trappers Assn.)

‘My love of animals inspires me to create intimate portrayals of them,” Harlin says. “I want my viewers to sense the texture of a wolf’s fur and experience the power and intensity in the eyes of an eagle.  To create a ‘sense’ of the animal rather than a mere portrait is my goal in each piece.”

For more information about the exhibit, contact OzSBI Program Administrator Brittany Simers at brittanysimers@ozsbi.com or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

A virtual tour of this exhibit, with some added pieces, is available here.

 

 

 

MARK WALLEN

Local artist Mark Wallen’s work will be featured inside OzSBI’s first floor June 26 through September 24, 2020. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. All visitors are asked to follow OzSBI’s COVID-19 safety policies upon entering the incubator, including using a hand sanitation station, signing a login and practicing social distancing.

“Mark Wallen’s oil pastels create a feeling of nostalgia,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “The images glow, causing the viewer to want to explore more deeply.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, August 13, from 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Wallen, view and discuss pieces on display. Guests will be asked to follow OzSBI’s COVID-19 safety policies while attending.

A virtual tour of the exhibit is available here.

About the Artist

A Missouri native (a few years spent in Oklahoma and Texas) currently residing in Raymondville, Mark Quentin Wallen is primarily self-taught. His studies include time working with Wendy Ziegler at Missouri State University-West Plains; he also credits the encouragement and support of the “Ventures In Art” group in West Plains. He describes his style as somewhere between Realism and Impressionism. His goal is to move closer to realism without losing the mood present in his current works.

Wallen’s favorite artists range from the Hudson Valley school (George Inness) to Turner, to Andrew Wyeth. He says, “Like Wyeth, I could find a lifetime of work in the 25 miles around my home.” The influence of the Impressionists’ style on the artist can be seen in his “Home from the Hunt Empty Handed.” He likes color and unlike the Impressionists, feels that drawing and color are as important as light. Turner said, “If there was any color darker than black, he would use it.” The artist would agree.

Most of the artist’s work is in oil pastels on paper, and oil painting on canvas and canvas board. His themes revolve around trains, old houses, buildings, and old vehicles. Most settings are rural in nature. Inspiration comes from his drives on country roads and youthful trips to his grandparents’ home in Oklahoma. His work is from memory or impressions of places. Pictures of vehicles or buildings augment his works. While the mood of the works is of abandoned places, it is not a feeling of melancholy that drives the work – rather a fondness for history. Four years of work with the Forest Service while in college influenced the artist’s view of skies and trees. Snow is also a major theme in his creations. Each work has a story in it.

“It seems that I find out what my goal is when I get there,” Wallen said. “I sometimes feel like Robert Redford’s character in ‘The Natural’ on his late start to baseball when he is told people do not start out at his age in baseball. He replies that while other things happened in life, his mind was always on the game. That’s how I feel about painting – no matter what else I had to do in life, the desire and thought of painting was always there.”

For more information about the exhibit, contact OzSBI Program Administrator Brittany Simers at brittanysimers@ozsbi.com or WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale at jhale2129@gmail.com.

JOYCE STEWART

The work of Joyce Stewart will kick off the year’s display and will be featured through March 2020. Visitors may view the display at the incubator during OzSBI’s business hours, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Joyce Stewart’s art gives the viewer a sense of peace,” WPCA Coordinator Janey Hale said. “Her landscape and images that center around her own life are reflective and reminds one of the simple beauty and pleasures found in everyday living.”

A Meet-the-Artist event will be held on Thursday, January 9, from 2-4 p.m. in OzSBI’s lobby at 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public is invited to attend, meet Stewart, view and discuss pieces on display. OzSBI Executive Director Heather Fisher said having art displayed in the incubator will create a warm environment for tenants and guests.

“We are so excited to partner with the WPCA to feature local artists in the area,” Fisher said. “We’ve been proud to host several pieces from local artists in 2019, and their work has added a creative element to our space. Bringing the artwork of Joyce and other creators will continue to stimulate a bright and fresh work environment inside OzSBI.”

Stewart and her husband of 54 years, David, operate a cattle farm, providing inspiration for some of her paintings. Stewart says she can barely remember a time in her life that she didn’t aspire to be an artist. She drew with whatever she had, on any surface that was available (margins of schoolbooks are not a good choice). Her high school art teacher inspired her to paint and draw from life whenever possible. Through the years she experimented with many different mediums – acrylics, watercolor, pastels, oil pastel, and charcoal. Four years ago, she attended a workshop using oil paints and felt like she had finally found herself. Stewart continues to expand her skills by attending workshops with other local artists, reads art books and views original art whenever and wherever it is available. Stewart has also worked online with artists Laura Robb, Phil Starke and more. Stewart’s work has been featured in local and regional shows and is in private collections in Missouri, Arkansas and New Mexico.

“I have a driving need to create, and if I look a little distracted sometimes, it is probably because I am painting in my head, working out a solution to a painting problem, looking for the turn of a shadow on a face or just feeling the awe and the magnitude of the natural world around me,” Stewart said. “I love the feel of the paint moving across the canvas to give an impression of what I am seeing and feeling at the time. I especially like to do paintings that tell a bit of the story of the place or objects. I have always admired the work of the impressionists but tend to work in a more representational style. Becoming an artist is not a destination but a wonderful, fulfilling (and sometimes frustrating) journey!”