​“A good omen” is how I am thinking of a very recent celestial phenomenon—a prescient prelude to artCentral’s glittering new exhibition year now waiting in the wings. The 2021 line up of exhibiting artists is totally star-studded!
 
As to the recent celestial phenomenon, did you see the Christmas Star the night of the Winter Solstice? The alignment of the two largest planets in the universe—Jupiter and Saturn—was dazzling as the two super stars came so close they looked fused into a single point of brilliant light.
 
Astronomers believe the last time humans witnessed this impressive sight was around the year 1226. The rare event possibly was also visible in 1623 though there are no records of human sightings, perhaps because the planets crossed paths right at sunset and the setting sun eclipsed their viewing.
 
Some believe the Star of Bethlehem seen by the Three Wise Men in the Bible’s Nativity story was actually what today we call the Christmas Star.
 
For our 2020 viewing of the great conjunction a little over a week ago, just before the sunset of a beautifully clear Missouri day, my husband David and I loaded up the puppies, packed a thermos of hot cocoa and a half dozen freshly iced sugar cookies, then headed east up Chestnut Street to the highest plateau far removed from the festive holiday lights glowing throughout our hometown below. Turning into the Silent City laid out on the top of the ridge, unpacking and enjoying our wintry treats, we settled in to watch the show in the heavens.

​While a gleaming crescent moon watched from above, we could almost feel the presence of the city’s silent residents resting beneath their stones outlined by the fading amber backdrop of the sinking sun. Then, as if by magic, out of the gloaming and over the serene silence, the Christmas Star began to shine brighter and brighter while the almost cloudless sky darkened moment by moment into ever deeper shades of indigo.

​​​If you did not get to witness this news making main event in the Solstice heavens, though the rare Christmas Star will not make another appearance until 2080, please be consoled. You still can see Jupiter and Saturn very close together for the entire month of December. Simply look southwest right after sunset to see this stunning sight for yourself.

Turning your gaze from December’s show-off heavenly bodies, look in January to Hyde House on the hill above Thirteenth Street. The gallery lights will be burning late and brightly with preparations getting underway to open the first of artCentral’s star-studded 2021 exhibitions.
 
Leading off in February and March will be the shining new art works made with the talents of the artists collectively known as the Joplin Regional Artists Coalition (JRAC). The JRAC Exhibition’s moniker is KALEIDOSCOPE—perfectly chosen to describe this showcase of constantly changing patterns and sequences of artworks and their elements by thirty plus amazing creative spirits.   
 
March and April will welcome spring, art star Philip Ledbetter and his gloriously animated latex on canvas paintings comprising PAINT in MOTION.
 
June through July will spangle artCentral’s galleries with the brilliant works of artCentral’s ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP EXHIBITION.
 
August and September will show off the dynamic 2D and 3D never-before-seen creations of Richard and Debbie Reed—workers extraordinaire in a diversity of media.
 
This terrific new year will wrap up with the star-studded October-November-December PIECED TOGETHER collection presented by Lori Marble and Jo Mueller taking their first artCentral exhibition star turns in conjunction with the dozens of SMALL WORKS | GREAT WONDERS made and donated by artCentral artists for the benefit of artCentral’s end-of-the-year fundraiser.
 
Blessed preemptively by the heavens, 2021 is going to be a super stellar star-studded year at artCentral! Come look and see. Amble through the galleries and star gaze with us!

​In the Christian tradition the gifts are those given by Christ, such that the “partridge in a pear tree” symbolizes Jesus and “three French hens” represent Faith, Hope and Love.
 
Faith. Hope. Love. What splendid gifts to receive in any season, at any Christmas, but especially as we draw near to the end of a year like no other we have known.
 
I so wish for you and for myself, as well, the blessings of these gifts, these three French hens, to carry forward into the New Year just before us. Faith. Hope. Love. May we receive these with open hearts and open arms. May we treasure them. Nurture them. May we share them with those we hold dear both near and far.
 
May Faith and Hope and Love be given in extra measure to you among us who are remembering loved ones who have left our company and are no longer here to celebrate holidays with us. May the heartaches of their absence be soothed—may your feelings of loss and aloneness be assuaged.
 
As I have written before, I know these holiday times—these holy days—can magnify all our emotions—joy and sorrow, too. I see your posts on Facebook. My eyes tear as I read, “Grief is like having broken ribs. On the outside you look fine, but with every breath you hurt.” I hear you. I care that you are hurting. I thank you for your honest sharing and telling us of your very real aching, your unfinished mourning—for the leaving of a precious child, a wife, husband, mother, father, sister or brother who has gone through the veil; a missed friend or lover; a pet who has crossed over the rainbow.
 
I wish for each heartache the gifts of Faith, Hope and Love that whisper their presence and promises of comfort. I wish for you peace. I wish for you a coming someday when your heartache lessens to become sweet, soothing memories that mend your aching and cause you to smile with your recalling of dear loved ones who are now departed.
 
There is an art to receiving gifts. Sometimes we must wait and weep before we can be ready for them to come whether with the Magi on the twelfth day of Christmas or maybe another day still farther before you. Come they always will like glittering stars in the winter night skies—like fireflies twinkling in summer’s dusk—like three French hens unexpectedly appearing and miraculously gathering on your lawn. Faith. Hope. Love. Come they will. Come they will. Faith, Hope and Love are here already in your holy days of aching. I promise.  

​Insomnia. For many 2020 has been a year of unrelenting insomnia providing lots of cause to keep us awake worrying and counting a plethora of concerns—personal, communal and global. When unrest and ennui seem overwhelmingly present, I try very hard to remember the counsel of my husband David’s serene 90-year-old Aunt Martha Lavern. “Count your blessings. Make sweet memories.” was her best advice when David and I sat before her four years ago telling her of our intended marriage. Ever since that day, each time we call Aunt Martha I tell her we are doing our best to count our blessings and make sweet memories.
 
Making sweet memories at artCentral over the last year has created a wonderful list of blessings to count:
 
·      The blessings of artCentral’s benefactress Katherine Hyde, as well as, her estate trustees who value artCentral’s stewardship as we carry out Ms. Hyde’s vision for Hyde House, her family home, to always provide a place to celebrate and teach fine arts;
 
·      The blessings of artCentral’s Artists and their art, Members, Docents, Friends, Guests and Patrons in Hyde House when possible and virtually online while CDC protocols are in place;
 
·      The blessings of keeping the faith with artCentral’s hardworking, visionary board of directors including Betsy Flanigan, president; Jane Ballard, secretary; Jackie Boyer; Maddie Capps; Wendi Douglas; Doug Osborn; Jason Shelfer; and Kerry Sturgis; and our dedicated Membership Coordinator Bev Sturgis;
 
·      The blessing of the designation of artCentral as an ArtSafe Space certified by the Missouri Arts Council;
 
·      The blessings of underwriters and sponsors in our community and beyond who have graciously provided support to carry on with gallery exhibitions; stop-gap funding for the operational challenges created by the pandemic; and opportunities to raise funds to sustain artCentral’s programming;
 
·      The blessings of generous donors like you who have reached into your pockets and found the dollars to contribute to artCentral’s ongoing success in the face of 2020’s challenges;
 
·      The blessings of artists who have stepped up with panache and flexibility and given their best while dancing with artCentral’s fluctuating scheduling and CDC protocol requirements: Philip Ledbetter; Member Artists contributing to the Annual Membership Exhibition; board member and artist Jason Shelfer for the installation of his SCULPTURAL SPECTACULAR; and Ina Niday and Mary Datum with their beautiful 2 FRIENDS exhibition;
 
·      The blessings of the forty-seven phenomenally talented artCentral artists who shared so generously from their hearts to raise funds through the wonderfully successful SMALL WORKS | GREAT WONDERS, 5X7 Silent Auction: Sally Armstrong, Jane Ballard, Joan Banks, Andrew Batcheller, Eric Beezley, Diana Bray, Aurelia Burr, Landon Cawyer, Stephanie Cawyer, Mary Datum, April Davis-Brunner, Nancy Dymott, Cynthia Greene, Alice Lynn Greenwood-Mathé, David Greenwood-Mathé, Al Gritten, Cindy Head, Steve Head, Diane Heisner, Barbara Hicklin, Nina Johnston, Janice Kinman, Helen Kunze, Lori Marble, Koral Martin, Jane McCaulley, Nicole Meyer-Foresman, Connie Miller, Dustin Miller, Janice Myers, Ina Niday, Mary L. Parks, Sandra Parrill, Tyla Marie Raredon, Chris Reed, Debbie Reed, Emily Rose, Brenda Sageng, Debbie Southard, Lisa Teerlink, Linda Teeter, Andy Thomas, Dan Trogdon, Jordy Vulpine, Lora Waring and Bonnie Young; and
 
·      The extraordinary blessings every day and always in my life and work with my artist husband David who shares my passionate love for the world of art, for artCentral, for artCentral’s artists and for this remarkable small town where art really does matter.
 
We are wise to remember Aunt Martha’s “Count your blessings. Make sweet memories.” We are fortunate to have Irving Berlin‘s yuletide reminder, “If you’re worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep, and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”
 
As we fall asleep at the close of 2020, there are so many blessings to be counted, for as we wake into our brand new year of 2021, there are so many sweet, new memories waiting to be made.

​Though neither of us are native Carthaginians, living here in this home we call Paradise gives us the feeling of being woven into the vintage fabric of this sweet community—especially now as we collectively celebrate the winter traditions and celebrations that have been passed down and are come round again to lift our hearts and brighten our spirits.

​Once again the season to deck the halls with boughs of holly is here! Driving through the quiet streets of Carthage the memo seems to have gone out sucessfully. Each evening there are more lights twinkling than the night before. Not only are halls inside being decked, outside porches and yards, lamp posts and trees are gloriously decorated and glowing, seeming to say no matter the challenges of 2020 ‘tis the season to be jolly, to don our gay apparel and troll the ancient Yuletide carol! In the words of Scottish musician, artist and author, Thomas Oliphant (1799-1873):

Working remotely in my home studio-office has caused me to love our old house even more. When on a recent evening I heard the back door bells jingling as David came home from work, running down the stairs to give him his usual greeting hug and kiss and “Welcome Home!” I told him again and again, “I love our house!” “I love our house!”    
 
The very next morning when David brought our coffee up to bed, he brought a new game with him. “I will ask,” he proposed, “‘What do you like about our house?’ You get to answer with the first thought that pops into your head, then you ask the same question and I get to give my answer. What do you think? Do you want to play?” “Yes!”
 
Our “What do you love about our house?” game is quickly becoming another of our favorite morning rituals. On one of my turns I answered, “I love all our Christmas decorations!” On one of his turns David told me, “I love that we have filled our rooms with art—our art, the art of our friends, the art of the artists of artCentral.”
 
David’s appreciation of our art-filled home calls to mind another old art-filled house we both love dearly—Hyde House. Now home to artCentral this historic American foursquare farmhouse was the family home of Katherine Hyde. A lover of art and an aspiring artist, Ms. Hyde bequeathed Hyde House to the City of Carthage always to be used as a showcase and teaching space for art.                       

                 AT LAST! TIME TO CELEBRATE THE MAGIC!                      

Two terrific artCentral exhibitions are ready for your viewing and browsing at their grand finale:

·         INA NIDAY & MARY DATUM | 2 FRIENDS | Oil Paintings serenely rendered lovely landscapes, exquisite florals, luscious fruits and vegetables, adoring puppies and much more with a collection of hand-painted vintage tin ornaments and fine arts notecards, too.

·         SMALL WORKS | GREAT WONDERS SILENT AUCTION FUNDRAISER: Original 5x7 canvases created and donated by 47 artCentral artists to benefit artCentral’s Fund for Art and Artists. This diverse collection celebrates the imagination and photographic memories, the beauty and passion of nature, abstracts and still lifes, as well.

A few fundraising Scarlet Amaryllis ($20.00 each) are still available for purchase in beautiful porcelain planters.

You have four ways to join in the fun and the excitement:
​

• Shop online anytime! All the art is available for viewing in the comfort of your home or office and, of course, on your digital device when you have a few extra minutes to spend. Visit artCentral’s website at www.artcentralcarthage.org and look for Ina’s and Mary’s exhibition and Small Works Auction under the Events drop-down; or check out both the Exhibition and Auction albums under Photos on artCentral’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ArtcentralCarthage/photos/?ref=page_internal.

 

• Shop during Gallery Hours: Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5, 12:00-5:00 p.m., as artCentral participates in the citywide Christmas Open House sponsored by the Carthage Chamber of Commerce.

 

• 5:00-8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 5 – Join the LIVE virtual Closing Celebrations hosted at Hyde House by Alice Lynn and David Greenwood-Mathé, Jason Shelfer and Wendi Douglas on https://www.facebook.com/ArtcentralCarthage. You will be able to view all the art in real time, make purchases and place your winning bids. For more information call (417) 358-4404.

​​​​​​​​

• 5:00-8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 5 – Pop into Hyde House—artCentral’s home and certified ArtSafe Space where CDC protocols are practiced—face masks, social distancing and sign in. A maximum of ten people will be allowed in the artCentral galleries at any one time. You will be able to view all the art up-close and personal in real time, make purchases and place your winning bids on the charming Silent Auction canvases. For more information call (417) 358-4404.

 
Coming and going to Hyde House you will discover artistic magic can be found all through our magical hometown—framed by windows of houses glowing brightly lit from within at twilight, in front yard displays scattered over lawns, with the colorful decorations draped across quite streets, at the animated displays in the Way of Salvation drive-through, up high and all around beaming from the peace star above the courthouse and the strands of lights stretching out.
 
New this year and especially exciting are the delightful decorations around our historic downtown square where Vision Carthage, supported by a grant from the Helen S. Boylan Foundation, has conjured a tunnel of light and storybook storefronts of winter wonderland whimsy to delight our eyes and raise our spirits. A cadre of energetic artists including one of artCentral’s two newest board members, Alexandra Burnside, has been seen out-on-the-town at all hours, working on sunny days and chilly ones, too. Alexandra with her gang of guerrilla window painters (Sarah Huntley, Tom Jones and Madelyn Scott) have been pounding the pavements and plying their brushes to turn all the windows around the square into a magical snowy village! WANTED: Applause for their terrific gifts!!!!
 
Yes, now is the time to Celebrate the Magic—the Magic of the Season, the Magic of Art! When you begin and end with artCentral at Hyde House, your heart will open to find magic everywhere you look!