Artists Featured In New Display At Missouri Governor’s Mansion
Hannibal, MO – Eight members of the Missouri Artisans Association/Best of Missouri Hands organization have been selected to have their work displayed at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion as part of an ongoing partnership titled Best of Missouri Hands at The Mansion.
Each year a different medium is selected to be featured. Invited to display their work in 2014-2015 are Best of Missouri Hands Juried Members and photographers Todd Tuttle of Poplar Bluff, Faith Bemiss of Sedalia, Hilary Hitchcock of St. Louis, Gary Winn of Blue Springs, Lori Purk of St. Louis/Clarksville, Martin Spilker of Bethel, Harry Enderle of Boonville, and Kim Carr of New Florence.
The Best of Missouri Hands is privileged to have a presence at the Governor’s Mansion since the organization partnered with Governor and Mrs. Bob Holden to collect and display ornaments created by Missouri artisans on the Governor’s Mansion tree in December of 2002. This project continued until December of 2004. Beginning in 2005, the ornament collection was exhibited in a one-of-a-kind display piece designed by BOMH member Heinrich Leonhard and made by Lou Swacker.
In 2010, the Missouri Artisans Association and Missouri Mansion Preservation staff revamped the display to feature selected Best of the Missouri Hands artisans creating works they are producing currently. The first to participate in the new display were Best of Missouri Hands glass artisans Gary and Judy Rice, Nicholas Philips and Lance Stroheker of New Haven, Kenneth and Julie Marine of Hollister, Peggy King of Columbia and Shawn Harris of Sedalia. The second display featured Best of Missouri Hands painters Brenda Beck Fisher of Hannibal, Miriam Krone of New Haven, Loran Creech of California, Carolyn Coffey Wallace of Ava, Alicia Farris of Springfield, Cheryl Schweitzer of Jefferson City and Shirley Eley Nachtrieb of St. Charles.
Faith Bemiss
Sedalia, MO
www.BemissPhotography.com
Faith Bemiss, a native of Sedalia, MO, is a nationally-recognized, award-winning fine art and magazine photographer. Besides photographing nature, landscape scenes and vintage images, she enjoys creating photo abstractions using her nature and still life image.
She is also a reporter/photographer with the Sedalia Democrat and often takes news photos for them.
Faith has been the President of the Sedalia Visual Art Association (SVAA) since 2012,is a juried member of Best of Missouri Hands and a board member for Spofest, a local spoken word/poetry organization. As present she is the author of a 75 page photo/poetry book filled with 30 original poems and 73 color photos, titled “Toward the Sun”
Featured Photo: The photo was shot this spring on a trip to the Kansas City Zoo with the La Monte (Mo.) R-IV Kindergarten class. It was taken in the African section in the Aviary — I believe it’s an African “blue” bird called a Greater Blue-eared Starling which is an interesting twist since the Missouri State Bird is also “blue” the (American) Eastern Blue Bird.
Gary Winn
Blue Springs, MO
Gary Winn has been taking photographs for over 50 years. Over the past 10 years, retirement has given him the opportunity to travel and pursue a more artistic approach to photography. He enjoys the ability to share his work with otheres through regional art shows and exhibits. His images are in public and private collections throughout the United States.
Primary subjects include landscapes, animals and flowers. This venue allows him to be outside, and to show the beauty of nature through photographs.
He currently lives in Blue Springs, MO and can be reached by email at garywinn@prodigy.net.
Featured Photo: The photograph featured was taken at Silver Dollar City in October 2012. For the past four years, Winn has participated in the Fall Festival at Silver Dollar City in Branson, a Best of Missouri Hands partnership.
Harry Enderle
Boonville, MO
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/harry-enderle.html
Harry Enderle is a small town banker by profession, but has been interested in photography for most of his adult life. In 1978 he bought a “real” camera, a Canon 35mm, upon the birth of his first child. As he began to travel more within the U.S., photos were taken, and a few found their way to be displayed on the walls at home. Eventually, he had his first commercial exhibit at Zuzak Wonder Store and ARt Gallery in Boonville, and now also exhibits at Boonville Tourism Office, Cooper’s Oak Winery, Kunstlerhaus Pottery and Art Gallery in Hermann.
Harry in self-taught, with his primary subject matter being anything outdoors. He attempts to convey in a photo the feeling that strikes him when the subject matter is firt observed, many times an almost instinctive reaction without much thought given to the technical aspects of the photo. Editing is then completed to help recreate that feeling. Many of his photos are taken while riding Missouri’s Katy Trail and traveling the United States.
Featured Photo: Tunnel in the lower level of Fort Clinch on Amelia Island, FL.
Hilary Hitchcock
St. Louis, Mo
www.hilary.hitchcock.com
Hilary Hitchcock lives in Saint Louis and gets out as much as she can to snap photos of all the visual treats there:at one of the country;s finest botanical gardens or in here own overgrown back yard; in front of a restored Second Empire home or at a long vacant gas station; on the banks of one of the world’s mightiest rivers or paying with the reflections in a puddle in a alley. With so much in Saint Louis to keep a photographer’s eye busy, there is almost no need to go anywhere else.
Hilary takes photographs using both digital and film cameras, including traditional 35mm single lens reflex cameras, plastic “toy” medium format cameras, Polaroids, digital point-and-shoots, and camera and tablet phones.
Featured Photo: The featured photograph was taken on one particularly beautiful foggy morning in Tower Grove Park, which is about a mile from Hilary’s house in sout St. Louis.
Kim Carr
New Florence, Mo
www.kimcarrphotography.com
Kim Carr is an avid animal lover, especially donkeys and mules, hence the name Hybrid Hollow Production. Kim has a BS in Animal Science and went on to establish Hybrid Hollow Production in 2010. Combining her love of animals, sustainable agriculture, country living and photography, you can see these passionate interests are woven together to create the beautiful photography. She knew by the age of ten that she would someday have a farm. Around this time she was also given her first camera, a Kodak 110.
Somewhere along life’s journey to become a farmer a passion for photography developed which allows her to capture the little things that give her pause and joy. With a degree in Animal Science she has enjoyed the country life as a Hobby Farmer for over twenty five years.
Featured Photo: Pat and Jane, a beautifully matched pair of Percheron Draft Mules. Photos taken on the bluffs in Hermon, MO. at the Kallmeyer Family, Century Farm during a Civil War Days eent in 2011. Pat and Jane were a part of the Civil War Days event, giving wagon rides.
Lori Purk
St. Louis/Clarksville, Mo
www.loripurk.com
Lori Purk is a self-taught nature photographer who has captured countless images since her childhood. Spending time in the field exploring nature and learning about her subjects is very important to her. She is a long-time member of the Missouri Nature and Environmental Photographers (MoNEP) and a juried member of Best of Missouri Hands. Lori recently received certification as a Missouri Master Naturalist.
Capturing fleeting moments and creating intimate landscapes that evoke an emotional response from the viewer is Lori’s goal for here work. By revealing fascinating and beautiful details found in natural settings she hopes to educate and inspire others to protect our resources.
Lori has been printing and processing her own work using the digital darkroom since 2000. She is represented by several galleries and frequently participates in gallery exhibits. She has participated in hundreds of fine art and craft show during the last 14 years. In 2006 she opened Simpatico, an Art Gallery Co-op in Clarksville, MO.
Featured Photo: Viceroy butterfly taken in a Pike County roadside field near Clarksville.
Martin Spilker
Bethel, Mo
www.martinspilker.com
Martin Spilker is a native Missourian. He hails from the rural community of Bethel in northeast Missouri. It was there, growing up on his family’s farm that he learned to appreciate the beauty of the land and the seasons.
Martin is a self-taught photographer who took up the serious art of photography in 1999 at the urging of friends who liked his photographs from his travels. Many of Martin’s photos are of his native Missouri and he has a good selection of photos from Maine to California as well. Martin became a juried members of a Best of Missouri Hands in 2004.
Marting suffers from a rare genetic muscular disorder called Myophosphorylase Deficency, known as “McArdle’s Syndrome.” He took up photography 8 years after the onset of symptoms and found that recording the beauty of God’s creation in photographs to be a great way to challenge himself to overcome the debilitating muscular spasms and fatigue that this disease produces. He feels that his disease serves to remind him of the true calling of life, reflect the glory of our creator.
Featured Photo: Missouri River Bluffs near Rocheport, MO.
Todd Tuttle
Poplar Bluff, Mo
www.natures-lenswork.com
Todd Tuttle is a nature photographer from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Completely self-taught, he draws inspiration from the aesthetic visions of the Hudson River School moement, Georgia O’Keeffe and the Impressionists.
Tod is a member of the Margaret Harwell ARt Museum’s Arts and Advisory Board and frequently exhibits with the Poplar Bluff Artist’s Guild. His work is in numerous private and corporate collections.
The bulk of Todd’s portfolio consists of nature shoots completed during his travels in Missouri, a state which is rife with geological diversity, historical richness and natural beauty. He prefers to challenge himself by creating special effects using in-camera techniques rather than using the digital darkroom. He is a trong advocate of the healing power of art and nature and prefers to be outdoors as often as possible in order to attune his eye with his artful surroundings.
Featured Photo: Amidon Conservation Area in Madison County.
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