Executive Director’s Letter

Long before I became Executive Director of the Best of Missouri Hands, I was well aware of  BOMH as an organization that was synonymous with a high level of artistry and craftsmanship.  As someone who planned art exhibits and events, I understood that if you wanted to draw those seeking high quality, handmade visual arts to your event, one of the best ways to do that was to find a way to get lots of BOMH juried artists to participate.

When I took my position with BOMH, almost every time I mentioned the organization in a conversation, I was greeted by remarks such as, “I love Best of Missouri Hands artists, I  go to Bluestem when I am in Columbia to see BOMH art!,”  and “We always go to the Harvest Festival at Silver Dollar City to see the Best of Missouri Hands artists.”, or “I always wanted to get more Best of Missouri Hands artists to participate in our Festival!”

The Best of Missouri Hands juried artists are featured at the Governor’s Mansion, have been selected to create prestigous awards for the Missouri Arts Council and the Missouri Humanities Council, have been featured at the White House; I could go on and on.

Danita Wood, Editor of Missouri Life Magazine put it very simply, “The Best of Missouri Hands is the best resource for finding high quality Missouri art.”   If you are a juried BOMH artist, display the logo proudly – it demonstrates that you are an artist or artisan of the highest caliber.

Thanks to all of our juried artists for representing The Best of Missouri Hands.

Juried artist membership is one of many programs of the Best of Missouri Hands.  As you can tell by this newsletter, we are keeping busy as our programs grow.  One of the most exciting developments is the growth of regional exhibits and activities.

Regional BOMH meetings were held in St. Charles at Art Glass Array Studio and in Blue Springs at the Blue Springs Arts Council Gallery.  Regional BOMH meetings are open to BOMH members as well as those wanting to learn more about BOMH.
In St. Charles, it was wonderful to visit with  new BOMH members as well as long time members.
In Blue Springs, I had the honor of  meeting Alma Owen, longtime BOMH member.  Alma worked with the Home Economics Extension, University of Lincoln, and was a member of  Home Based Business Committee, which was involved in producing the very first Best of Missouri Hands catalogue in the eighties.   Several BOMH members and new  KC area artists talked about BOMH programs, and enjoyed a lively conversation about arts related issues and concerns.
Thank you to Lisa Becker, of Art Glass Array Studio and Amy Moyer with Blue Springs Arts Council for welcoming BOMH into their space.
We are looking forward to many more partnerships that will allow us to serve our membership and artists throughout the state of Missouri.  If you are interested in hosting a regional meeting in your area, email director@bestofmissourihands.org.
Martha Greer, Executive Director

Images: Top, Kim Kenney shows off her BOMH Juried Member logo.  Bottom, longtime BOMH member Alma Owen and Executive Director Martha Greer in Blue Springs.

 

Leave a Reply