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.
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.