BOMH Board Meeting – @The Art Council of Southeast Missouri – Cape Girardeau, MO
Last month the Best of Missouri Hands board members found themselves meeting at The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri’s gallery in downtown Cape Girardeau, MO. While meeting we were able to enjoy the Third Annual Members Exhibit which was hanging at the time and a tour of a few local shops/galleries. Thank you to board member Murielle Gaither for hosting us in this lovely facility.
our mission
The mission of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is to provide a forum for residents of the Southeast Missouri region to explore, experience and share in the diversity and excitement of the arts.
Gallery 100 and the Lorimier Gallery, the two other gallery spaces, feature exhibits ranging from regional arts organizations to solo exhibitions. First Friday with the Arts is a community-centered event that takes place on the First Friday of every month. Established in 2003, First Friday with the Arts is an event initiated by local galleries and gallery-owners to encourage residents of the Southeast Missouri region to engage in the arts. Currently, each of the galleries located in and around Downtown Cape Girardeau participate in the monthly event by opening for later hours (from 5pm – 9pm), hosting Artist Receptions, as well as providing musicians, appetizers, and beverages to visitors of the event.
In addition to providing a venue for artists to gather and practice fellowship with one another, we occasionally have the ability to provide educational lectures for artists about accounting procedures and business practices.
The Arts Council also hosts many annual shows and programs. Each spring, artwork from over 20 regional elementary schools hangs in our galleries for the Children’s Arts Festival. Each year we also host multiple juried ex, 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 2011, the craft fair boasted an attendance of 12,000 people, many of which came in from out of town to experience the fair. Vendors are required to be present for the duration of the show, providing a great opportunity for visitors to ask questions about the processes they go through to create their handmade pieces.
Educating the public about the arts is something that the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri believes is an important part of creating a sustainable artistic community. We strive to do this in many ways: 1) By hosting free monthly ‘Saturday Socials’ at our gallery, which feature demonstrations, lectures, and Q & A sessions with locals who are involved with the arts in various capacities, across many disciplines; 2) By partnering with local organizations who serve underprivileged and underserved youth to provide after-school, art educational programs (such as the ArtReach program); 3) By keeping our newspaper and other media outlets informed of upcoming events and projects so that they may disperse the information to others in our area; and 4) By keeping our members and patrons informed about workshops and opportunities for continuing their education in the arts.
We are always striving to bring the artistic community and the public together through new experiences. If there are any ways you feel that we could improve upon the Arts Council’s implementation of the organization’s mission, please contact us! We would love to hear your suggestions!
BOMH Thanks these supporting agencies
