Arts Council looks forward to new year

By Lynn A. Wade

Herald-Tribune

Nevada, Mo. -- It's the little gallery with big dreams, and as 2008 draws ever nearer to its end, the Vernon County Arts Council is looking forward to another year, bigger and better than the one before.

Arts Council secretary Ladine Casey said, "We've had a great year. We're very pleased, because we had a good diversity of arts, a variety of subjects."

In the past year, the little gallery on the lower level of the Carnegie Building in Nevada -- the first arts council gallery the county's ever had -- has been host to many unique shows and displays from a wide variety of artists, showcasing everything from woodcarvings to jewelry to fiber art to paintings of all sorts.

This year, Gary Hawk, Linda Rinehart and several others have displayed their works in special exhibits, while many others have regularly contributed to the regular exhibits.

Paintings by Jeanne Board, who's become known for paintings featuring horses, especially, often appear in the gallery. Viewers are often amazed at Board's versatility as a painter. A prolific artist, she recently painted two paintings with a celestial theme that now hang in the gallery. She also paints on china, and she frequently displays her art at shows in other areas. She recently exhibited work in the Joplin Art Walk, and she and Linda Rinehart participated in a show at the Spiva center in Joplin. Board also has displayed work in Springfield. Casey's work has been featured in the Springfield News-Leader -- two of the holiday vests now displayed in the gallery, in fact.

Other members are regular contributors to the gallery's displays. There's Casey's own latest addition, a colored pencil still life that's displayed next to an oil painting by Casey's grandson, Cole Vittetoe of Oklahoma, and OSU graduate who covered the canvas with plaster before painting it to give the work unique texture. There's the unique works of Francis Colvin, who sees the whole world, or at least virtually any surface that catches her eye -- as her canvas. There are shell paintings, drawings and jewelry by Alice Stevenson, and works of many others can be found dotting the display cabinets and walls of the gallery from time to time.

Displays change frequently, and many of the pieces, from postcards to painted china displayed in the gallery are for sale. "A lot of people don't even know we have things for sale," Casey said. "Some of these things would make fantastic gifts."

The sale of the works is one of the things that keeps the gallery going, but much more is needed, so Casey said a fundraising campaign is in the works. "We've come a long way in the past year, and we hope to do more next year," Casey said.

The arts council is planning a judged art show and sale for 2009, and is working with the Springfield Regional Arts Council, which has been immensely helpful in generating ideas and pointing out resources to local people. The group also plans to continue to develop its relationship with arts organizations in Stockton and El Dorado Springs.

Casey hopes the community will respond favorably to the fundraising effort, because "with their help, we'll be able to keep it going. And it will be theirs. It's the only one Nevada has ever had, and I'd like to see it stay here."

The Vernon County Arts Council is always looking for volunteers and new members as well, Casey noted, and inquiring is easy.

"Just give one of us a call, or stop by," Casey said. Casey can be reached at (417) 667- 4695; Board can be reached at (417) 667-5289.