Arts Council of Southeast Missouri / Cape Girardeau, MO

On Saturday, March 23rd the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri hosted a Best of Missouri Hands Spring Series Workshop on Social Media and Photographing Your Artwork.  Thank you to Angela Sander (Gallery Manager) and Sara Steffens (Director) for sharing your beautiful space with us for the day.  The Southeast Missouri Arts Council is also a Gallery Member with the Best of Missouri Hands.

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri was founded in 1961 by local metal-smith, Otto F. Dingeldein. We are proud to be the oldest Arts Council in the state, and even precede the Missouri Arts Council in date of origination by a few years. Our mission is to provide a forum for residents and artists of the Southeast Missouri region to explore, experience, and share in the diversity and excitement of the arts. We do this by providing approximately 150 educational programs and events to the area over the course of the calendar year.

The Arts Council also hosts many annual shows and programs. Each spring, artwork from over 20 regional elementary schools are displayed in our gallery for the Children’s Arts Festival. Each year we also host multiple juried exhibits, in addition to an annual Members Exhibit.  Local artists who might not normally have the chance to display their pieces are encouraged to participate.  Each November we hold the largest craft fair in the region-the Christmas Arts and Crafts Extravaganza-which displays the handmade wares of 300 vendors in two different locations.  In 2016, the craft boasted an attendance of 14,000, many of which came in from out of town to experience the fair.