As we shared our acute awareness that we were two private people cast and navigating in rather public roles, our relationship was always framed in every dimension by our mutual inclination toward introversion tinged with innate shyness and our preferences to be still and quiet.

From our first acquaintance, I looked to Jo as my mentoring big sister in our worlds of managing non-profit art organizations. The very first week I sat at my upstairs office desk in Hyde House I received a thoughtfully penned note from Jo. She congratulated me on my new position, wished me well and encouraged me to reach out to her if she could help in any way.

I did reach out to her for help as I learned how to fulfill my role as artCentral’s executive director-curator. Jo always responded with thoughtful, positive, gracious kindness, wise counsel and continued encouragement. When I asked her how she became so comfortable speaking in public and particularly at Spiva opening receptions, she told me her gifted partner, Don Ayers, was her go-to teacher and coach. Her love, respect and admiration for Don, and their supportive relationship, set the bar high for the man I would meet and marry.

Just weeks ago emails flew through the cyberspace between Jo and me. Our conference calls vibrated with exciting exhibition plans in the making, as together with Lori Marble we began conceiving Jo’s and Lori’s P-I-E-C-E-D TOGETHER duet exhibition to fill the walls of Hyde House for this coming October and November into December. Now is too soon to understand how Lori and I will go on without Jo’s presence, but when the time is right, I know for certain Jo’s loving, guiding spirit will be with us as we carry on our creative conversation already begun.

The Colorado Christian University in Denver awarded Jo a B.S. in organizational management. Over much of her career, Jo demonstrated a passion for the arts and the business of art, filling management positions in film, dance, theater, and visual arts organizations. She directed Spiva from 2003 until her retirement in 2016. Before and between those earnest/arduous not-for-profit adventures, she worked as a telephone installer, completed a year of dental school, and twice indulged her inner Martha Stewart as a bed and breakfast innkeeper in the Northwest.

Jo was recognized numerous times for her accomplishments at Spiva and in 2016 received the prestigious statewide Leadership in the Arts award from the Missouri Arts Council. She served on the board of directors for Connect2Culture and enjoyed memberships in artCentral, Joplin Regional Artists Coalition, Spiva Center for the Arts, and Crystal Bridges. 

Jo’s joie de vivre always reflected her modesty. When she posted a delightful garden rendering on her facebook page a Denver friend inquired, “Did you do this? I LOVE it!” to which with a winking smiley face emoji Jo replied, “Yep, it's a little doodle. Thank you!”  Gifted painter of florals, Margie Moss, joined in with “Best posey caricatures I've ever seen! It's so you, Jo...sweet, colorful, and whimsical!” Yes, so Mary Jo Mueller: sweet, colorful and whimsical and always elegant, too.

Jo’s art is held in private collections and has been shown locally in solo and group exhibitions. Mark your calendars now for P-I-E-C-E-D TOGETHER, Jo’s and Lori Marble’s October, November into December exhibition at artCentral. Come see and celebrate the vibrant beauty of these two elegant artist friends.
______________________________
 
The Philip Ledbetter: PAINT in MOTION exhibition continues at Hyde House through May 15!

My husband David has gotten me in the habit of scanning the cartoons before I delve into any text. The ones in this issue do not disappoint. They are genuinely funny ones that I can understand. Then there are the whimsical drawings scattered like confetti through the pages. These show hands emerging from striped sleeves in various connections with daisy-ish posies.

Having enjoyed selected reviews from the menu on offer—art, podcasts, dance, music, movies and restaurants (no theater, yet)—I passed over Hilton Als’s critique on Ken Burns and Kim Novick’s televised “Hemingway” and went directly to Adam Gopnik’s “Reassessing Helen Frankenthaler.” Gopnik has been one of my always favorite go-tos, ever since I first became acquainted with his book about taking an assignment in Paris and moving his family there. Malcolm Gladwell raved: “Adam Gopnik is a dazzling talent—hilarious, winning, and deft—but the surprise of “Paris to the Moon” is its quiet, moral intelligence. This book begins as journalism and ends up as literature.” I have been reading Gopnik ever since I picked up his “Paris!”
 
In this New Yorker, Gopnik gives a major shout out to the new biographical work by Alexander Nemerov titled “Fierce Poise:  Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York.” Gopnik’s writing is as excellent as I always expect—astute, stylish, informative, inspiring. As he looks through Nemerov’s eyes he affords us new insights into this “woman before her time” whose beautiful color field, soak-stain process paintings, like her landmark piece “Mountains and Sea” (1952), evoked sniping criticisms from her female contemporaries in the art world.

​Gopnik highlights some of Nemerov’s numerous passages that describe Frankenthaler’s early penchant for art making—like when as a child she loved to take  her mother’s red nail polish and “spill it into the sink just to see the patterns it made,” or how she loved drawing a chalk line for blocks and blocks, all the way from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to her home on Park Avenue where she lived with her family. Frankenthaler was the third daughter and prettiest of a New York State Supreme Court Justice and her imposing mother who herself was an unfulfilled artist.
 
Frankenthaler grew up as quite privileged, attending prestigious private schools in NYC, first Brearley and then Dalton, where atmospheres of “earnest progressivism” prevailed. Afterwards she studied art and graduated from Bennington, a woman’s college where “the study and practice of modern painting was a part of the college’s intensity, not an escape from it.” Bennington “gave a “slightly unreal, or premature, sense of women’s possibilities in the world.”
 
Frankenthaler made the most of her possibilities. After graduating she returned to the city, rented a downtown studio and “set out to become a painter.” She launched into living the life of a real artist including unapologetic romantic liaisons with men such as the legendary critic Clement Greenberg followed by her eventual power-couple-marriage to and divorce from Robert Motherwell, “an older Abstract Expressionist of unimpeachable integrity” known for his “Arthur Miller-like aura of dignity and authority” until he fell into the grasp of alcoholism.

​Frankenthaler went on to paint late into her life (1928-2011). With admiration Gopnik, reviewing Nemerov’s biography concludes, “From today’s perspective, the most striking thing about Frankenthaler’s career is how much all the things that were said to belittle her, sometimes by other women, now seem to point toward her art’s larger soul.” Yes! Like the couple on the New Yorker’s cover, Helen Frankenthaler, learned to swing high as sure as the pendulum of art history has swung back to admiration for her color field paintings.
_____________________________________________ 
The green door of artCentral’s hospitality will continue to swing open for the Philip Ledbetter: PAINT in MOTION Exhibition at Hyde House through May 15!

​​As penned by Anaïs Nin, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

​Yes, artCentral Artists, the season for blooming is here! Are you ready? Now is the time to harness your spring fever, go into your studio and put your best energy into creating your newest masterpiece! Our greatly anticipated juried 2021 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP EXHIBITION will fill the walls of Hyde House June 4 through July 17, 2021. The Opening Picnic and Awards will take place June 4, Friday, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Dear artCentral Artists, Put your hearts and hands to the joy of your art-making and let artCentral celebrate your talents! McCune Brooks Healthcare Foundation is the gracious underwriter for this exhibition. 2021 Recipients of Cash Awards for outstanding contributions will be selected by Juror Beth Simmons, Executive Director, McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation, and Juror Nancy Dunaway, MFA, Summa Cum Laude, from Savannah College of Art and Design and former Art Department Chairperson at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Pre-registration is required and must include (1) your digital image of your entry and (2) a description of your entry (title, dimensions, medium, price, framed or unframed). The Registration Deadline is May 14, Friday, 6:00 p.m. Email your registration to artcentral@artcentralcarthage.org.

EXHIBITION TIMETABLE

May 16, Sunday, 3:00-5:00 pm: Delivery to artCentral of all artworks, entry fee paid and artCentral Membership Paid/Current with three completed ID labels for each entry. The ID labels may be downloaded from www.artcentralcarthage.org from the Membership Exhibition Events page.

June 4 -July 17, Exhibition: Weekend Gallery Hours: Fridays & Saturdays 12:00-5:00 p.m.
June 4, Friday, 6:00-8:00 pm: Exhibition Opening Picnic and Awards
July 18, Sunday, 3-5 pm: Artist pick up for artworks not rotating into Satellite Galleries.
July 20, Tuesday: All unpurchased works will be rotated into artCentral's two Satellite Galleries to afford artists maximum exposure and opportunities for sales.

REQUIREMENTS

Open to artCentral Members only. Paid Membership must be current. 
Only one entry per member with a digital image and three ID labels for each 2D or 3D work of any medium.
Entry Fee: $15.00 nonrefundable, paid before or at May 16, 3:00-5:00 p.m. delivery 

Theme: An open call to artCentral member artists to present their finest artworks

Entries must be original (no giclées) and created in the last three years. No works previously shown at artCentral will be accepted.

All exhibited 2D work must be professional-quality framed or gallery wrapped all sides painted, not gesso, with choice of 1) continuation of image, or 2) solid color; wired properly and ready for installation. No sawtooth hangers or clip hangers will be accepted.

All exhibited 3D work must be ready for installation and accompanied by any special display/hanging requirements. Pedestals will be provided.

artCentral provides Wall Labels for all works. No artist labels or explanations will be displayed.

Size Restrictions: Over-sized or heavy works, over 50 pounds, may require the artist's personal installation with Curator's supervision.
artCentral reserves the right to refuse a work because of unacceptable presentation.

All work must be family friendly: no explicit nudity or pornography.

All art must be for sale. No works sold prior to exhibition will be installed.

Artists will receive 75% of sale price. Artists are responsible for their own sales tax reporting. A 25% commission goes to artCentral for the fostering of regional fine arts and artists.

Liability: artCentral is not responsible for loss or damage to artwork while in transit to/from the exhibitions in artCentral and in artCentral's Satellite Galleries and while on display in any of these venues.

The artist agrees to allow artCentral, at artCentral's discretion, to utilize photographs or exhibited work.
****************
All aspiring artists, Adults and Youth 8 and up, register now for 3rd SATURDAYS artCAMP: April 17, May 22 and June 19. The fee for each 3rd Saturday class is $20.00. (Scholarships are available!) All supplies are provided. You can find registration forms on artCentral’s website www.artcentralcarthage.org. For more information contact artCamp Director, Alice Lynn, at (417) 358-4404.
 ****************
The Philip Ledbetter: PAINT in MOTION Exhibition continues at Hyde House through May 15!
​****************

​Before the Reception concluded seven paintings were purchased—a record for opening night transactions!

At the Reception the painting titled “The End of a Perfect Day” was the first to be claimed by a delighted patron. While other works were quickly spoken for, this one was a particularly popular depiction--an olive-adorned martini glass painted with fluid white latex lines on a rich blue background. At least four other guests, besides the one who spoke up first, were hoping to hang this gem in their homes. Not to be daunted before taking their leave, alas they each chose other favorites they found equally appealing.
 
If you missed this memorable evening, do not despair. All twenty-three of Philip Ledbetter’s PAINT in MOTION creations are still on display and will remain in Hyde House through Saturday, May 15, 2021. Weekend Gallery Hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Phil will be serving as the Gallery Docent for all Saturdays during the run of PAINT in MOTION. I will look forward to greeting you on Fridays.
 
Come see for yourself all these attention winning works. There are still sixteen waiting to find homes. Quite possibly one will suit you perfectly! Before your gallery visit you can preview all Phil’s PAINT in MOTION creations in photo albums on artCentral’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ArtcentralCarthage and artCentral’s website at artcentralcarthage.org under Events.
 
In addition to PAINT in MOTION other spring excitement is happening at artCentral. Sign up your young aspiring artists, ages 8-14, and/or your own grownup self for screen-free fun, exploring, learning and creating at 3rd SATURDAYS artCAMP at artCentral: April 17, May 22 and June 19. The fee for each 3rd Saturday class is $20.00. (Scholarships are available!) All supplies are provided. You can find registration forms in the red information box on the front steps of artCentral at Hyde House up the hill at 1110 East Thirteenth in Carthage and on artCentral’s website artcentralcarthage.org. For more information contact artCamp Director, Alice Lynn, at (417)358-4404.
 
Calling all artCentral artists! Now is the time to harness your spring fever, go into your studio and put your best energy into creating your newest masterpiece for artCentral’s juried ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP EXHIBITION: June 4 through July17, 2021. Delivery date is May 16 for your submission accompanied by a digital photo of your image and a $15.00 entrance fee. Don’t miss this opportunity to receive a cash award while you have your art seen and celebrated as spring rolls into summer!

Many are almost larger than life. They fill the galleries of artCentral downstairs and upstairs, too—with out-sized dimensions and pulsating energy and jazzy excitement and palpable joy. They just might cause you to want to dance or sing or maybe sway like an undulating wave. They will for sure make you smile with wonder and delight.
 
These are the artful pleasures waiting for you at Hyde House in PAINT in MOTION, Philip Ledbetter’s extraordinary collection of paintings on canvas. They will stimulate you. They will soothe you. They will satisfy you.  They are just what we need in this new spring as we step out of the long, dark months of the year just past and walk into a bright new season!
 
Now that the backstory has been told of exhibiting artist Philip Ledbetter, come meet the artist and see his amazing art. Phil’s Opening Reception is April 2, Friday, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at 1110 East Thirteenth Street where CDC protocols will be practiced to keep us all safe and healthy. Masks are required.
 
PAINT in MOTION is the perfect title for this collection. As Phil explains, “All the paintings in this portfolio were first brushed with a latex foundation color, then created by some method of dripping or throwing the paint onto the canvas. With my technique the paint leaves the brush, or whatever implement I am using, moves through the air and is actually in motion before landing on the canvas.
 
I really like that my work strays from the norm. I learn new techniques with each painting. I love to experiment with colors. I enjoy producing paintings that create a mood or give the observer a lot to consider.”
 
Reflecting on his artistic influences Phil explains, “The body of work that I have created for PAINT in MOTION was inspired by the sun and the sea, nature and artists that I love. My artistic inspirations include Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky and Andy Warhol.”
 
While influenced by well-known artists, Phil has developed a style uniquely his own. His definitive artistic voice belies the fact that some might consider him an emerging artist. Though a frequent participant in group exhibits, he is just now beginning to land regional solo exhibitions which to date include Joplin and Neosho, Missouri, as well as Columbus, Kansas, and now, Carthage.
 
Giving more insight into his approach to art-making, Phil tells us, “Some of the paintings for PAINT in MOTION were spontaneously created or inspired by the music that I was listening to while I was painting. My musical favorites are The Beatles, Mozart, Strauss, Bob Dylan, Earl Scruggs, The Dillards and Roy Clark.”
 
A musician himself, playing guitar, and five string banjo, Phil has given concerts in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas and in many a watering hole in and around Carthage and Joplin.
 
Revealing his wishes for his current painterly outing at artCentral, Phil declares, “My greatest hope is that you are thoroughly entertained. Your coming out to see my exhibit means the world to me. Thank you so much.”
 
Mark your calendar for Phil’s Opening Reception on April 2, Friday, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Weather permitting libations and a light party fare will be on offer outdoors. Though this will not be a musical gig for Phil, music will definitely be a part of the festive evening.
 
PAINT in MOTION will continue through May 15 with Weekend Gallery Hours, Fridays and Saturdays, 12:00-5:00 p.m. If you miss the chance to meet and visit with Phil at his Opening you will have more opportunities! He will be serving as the Gallery Docent for all Saturdays during the run of PAINT in MOTION. I will look forward to greeting you on Fridays.
 
In the spirit of best practices to serve our community of artists and art lovers, artCentral has been officially certified as an ArtSafe Space by the Missouri Arts Council (www.missouriartsafe.org). CDC protocols are carefully followed including face masks, social distancing, contact tracing and sanitizing. To accommodate social distancing, access to the exhibition will be by limited numbers. You may have a brief wait before your turn to enter Hyde House, meet Phil and see PAINT in MOTION. Your little wait will be well-worth the many large pleasures waiting for you inside!