Madeleine LeMieux | Haircut, colored pencil on bristol paper
J. Kent Martin
| Love Unconditionally, assemblage of mixed media
reclaimed wood panels and charred timber
DJ Hyde Matheny | Beneath the Clouds , oil on canvas with silver leaf substrate
Javier Torres-Gomez | Huitzilopotchli,
colored markers
Aztec god of war and the sun
FEATURED ARTISTS PROGRAM
Explore our new Missouri Featured Artists for August—plus all our other artists
Since we founded our Missouri Featured Artists Program in 2020, we have highlighted 180 imaginative makers from throughout the state. We’ve brought you painters, pencil artists, sculptors, dancers, singers, instrumental musicians, poets, novelists, filmmakers, ceramicists, jewelry artists, glass artists, and many more who create in myriad other ways. You’ll find them all in the ever-growing gallery below our current highlighted quartet.
Madeleine LeMieux
mixed media artist and muralist
Columbia
J. Kent Martin
multi-disciplinary artist
Springfield
DJ Hyde Matheny
portrait and landscape painter
Kansas City
Javier Torres-Gomez
architect / artist
St. Louis
DJ Hyde Matheny | The Torn Veil , oil on linen panel and mixed media
dj HYDE MATHENY
portrait and landscape painter | Kansas City
My work involves an investigation of light and luminosity, as symbols of the ephemeral and transitory nature of reality. Symbolically, my paintings point to the sorrow we feel about what is happening to our world, our climate and the earth, our fragile home.
I studied psychology and art in college, but became a graphic designer. I studied at Pratt Institute in New York and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. I worked as a designer in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago before moving to Kansas City to work at Hallmark Cards. In 2023, I joined a weekend painting class that met with Philomene Bennett until 2015 when she retired. Meanwhile, I changed careers and became a hospice social worker. At the beginning of the pandemic, I started a series of portraits and atmospheric landscapes, as a way to process our collective grief. Based on this theme, in 2022 Poet t.l. sanders and I produced a collaborative exhibit entitled Beauty in the Darkness. My current work is an outgrowth of this inspiration.
Javier Torres-Gomez | Winning design in mural contest for 120th Anniversary of Grant’s Farm, St. Louis; he is currently painting the mural onsite | photo, Janelle Marie Gibson
JAVIER TORRES-GOMEZ
architect / artist | St. Louis
Some pieces of my art are inspired by the designs of my Mesoamerican ancestors, but I like to reinterpret and modernize them. In this way, the result is a completely new piece and my way of paying tribute to, preserving, and promoting my cultural heritage.
From a young age, drawing served as a way to express my ideas on paper without written words. It interested me so much that I decided to pursue a degree in architecture, a career that has allowed me to utilize my creative design skills and artistic expression. Pencils, ink, and markers are my favorite mediums, as they allow me to incorporate finer detailed into my artwork. As a proud member of the St. Louis Latinx Arts Network, I have participated in many of their art exhibitions and events held at the Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, and Washington University. My most recent award for the design and implementation of the Grant’s Farm 120th Anniversary Mural is one of my greatest accomplishments as an artist and will be there for future generations to enjoy.
Madeleine LeMieux | Mother Wound , from Frameworks series, multimedia soft sculpture
Madeleine lemieux
mixed media artist and muralist | Columbia
As an artist it is my job to cultivate sensitivity and to create meaning, if I am doing that seriously, then for me, all art is about communication and relationships. It is the foundation of connection to something outside of ourselves.
My practice engages ideas of maternity, sexuality, and feminism, in relation to bodily agency. I am interested in the overlapping space between personal experience and public persona. My work demonstrates this tension by creating chaotic scenes wherein the body is recreated through both representational and abstract forms, drawing the viewer in through tactile embellishment and lush color, only to reveal a more imperfect and sometimes disturbing undertone. I have been exhibiting my work and using art as a tool for community organizing since 2004. My work has been exhibited throughout the Midwest, New Mexico, New York, and virtually. I was featured in New American Paintings, Midwest Edition #155 in Spring 2022. At the University of Missouri, I teach, curate, and organize exhibitions across the state.
J. Kent Martin | Reconciliation , reverse painted glass
J. KENT MARTIN
multi-disciplinary artist | Springfield
As an abstractionist, I feel that I can share my story and thoughts through the work but more importantly, it is to allow the viewer to form their own interpretations that fuel their own desire for positive change.
My entire career has been in various aspects of the home furnishings business, from buyer, retailer, and wholesaler, and now to designing furniture, lighting, and home décor for the interior design and hospitality trades. As an artist, for me art has always been a way to express emotions and feelings that are often difficult to articulate verbally. Subjects such as anger and frustration with social inequality, the abuses of power by governments and entities over the vulnerable, and triumphing over an abusive relationship to find true unconditional love are all expressed through my abstract works. I hope my work might inspire the viewer to bring about positive change personally and for the betterment of all who share this planet.
OUR FEATURED ARTISTS FROM THE BEGINNING THROUGH JULY 2024
Todd Mosby
guitarist and composer
St. Louis
John Louder
painter
Warrensburg
Peggy King
fused glass artist
Columbia
CB Adams
writer-photographer
St. Charles
Justin Kidston
painter
Joplin
Mark Hurd
digital graphic artist
St. Louis
Sylvia Augustus
photographer
Kansas City
Asia Long
visual artist
Columbia
Victoria Johnson
visionary artist
Springfield
Diana Rendell
painter and sculptor
Greenwood
Allin Sorenson
educator, photographer, musician, arts advocate
Springfield
Tai Davis
multidisciplinarian: art, food, music
St. Louis
Lady J Huston
vocalist, trumpeter, songwriter
St. Louis
Katherine Martínez
painter
St. Louis
James Hall
sculptor / fabricator
Fair Grove
Benedetta Orsi
opera singer
St. Louis
Anthony Scheffler
artist-maker
St. Louis
Katarra Parson
musician, vocalist, producer
St. Louis
Ann Kynion
artist, painter, creator, teacher
Springfield
Kelly Conner
metalsmith / jeweler
Kansas City
Heidi Pitre
painter
Kansas City
John Rutkowski
painter
Springfield
Steve Snell
painter / filmmaker / adventure artist
Kansas City
I. Lynn Garriott Porter
artist / proprietor of Garriott Porter Art Studio, LLC / art instructor
Fulton
Joseph Pintz
ceramic artist
Columbia
Sharon Spillar
contemporary abstract painter
Kansas City
Andy Klein
metal fabricator and sculptor
Kansas City
Warren “Stylez” Harvey
painter
Kansas City
Ria Unson
Filipino American conceptual artist
St. Louis
Garrett Melby
painter, live-action artist
West Plains
Dana Neuenschwander
painter / teacher
Nixa
Darlene Spell
nature photographer
Scott City
Mary Silwance
imaginer, writer, educator
Kansas City
Evan Church
painter
St. Charles
Bobby Storts
painter, maker, visual storyteller
Augusta
Andrew Jones
painter
Marionville
Mee Jey
multidisciplinary artist
St. Louis
Ted Hinrichs
abstract painter
Kansas City
Jo Narron
painter
Warrensburg
Gary Staab
PaleoArtist, animalier, sculptor
Kearney
Richard Prosch
writer
Jefferson City
Linda Wilmes
artist
Wentzville
Askia Bilal
artist
Columbia
Jennifer Walker
sculptor
Kansas City
Lillian Gardner
visual artist, poet, musician, dancer, mentor
St. Louis
Laurie Van Mondfrans
artist/designer/metalsmith
Dardenne Prairie
David Borrok
professor and photographer
Rolla
Luke “Skippy” Harbur
creative producer and entertainer
Kansas City
Nicole Hanna
glass fusing artist
Billings
Ray Harvey
muralist
New Haven
Ruben Castillo
artist and educator
Kansas City
Amy S. Miller
painter, illustrator, designer
St. Louis
Dan Woodward
artist
Rolla
John Fennell
painter
Columbia
Steenz
cartoonist, editor, professor
St. Louis
Jana Dunn
paper artist, creative entrepreneus
Kansas City
Marilynne Bradley
watercolorist
Webster Groves
Aimee Fresia
visual artist, teacher, chicken-wrangler
Lee’s Summit
Lew Aytes
sculptor, curator, teacher
Aurora
Essex Garner
painter
Jefferson City
Travis Bond
artist: graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, pastel
Columbia
Rick Wright
painter
Kansas City
Jane Ballard
photographer
Shell Knob
Hayveyah McGowan
multidisciplinary artist and designer
St. Louis
Garrett SixOne Jackson
painter/muralist
Osage Beach
Jenny Molberg
poet, professor, editor
Kansas City
Gonz Jove
muralist/fine artist/sculptor
St. Louis
Michelle D. Harvey
scenic designer and visual storyteller
Springfield
Nela Navarrine
visual artist and media mixer
Joplin
Angel Brame
ceramic artist
Joplin
William Fields
nature photographer, writer, teacher, philosopher
Hermann
Cesar Lopez
artist and arts organizer
Kansas City
Lynnette Horn
painter
Branson
Douglas Dale
sculptor and fiber artist
St. Louis
Lanjiabao Ge
pianist, pedagogue
Kirksville
Steve Paul
writer etc.
Kansas City
Eddie Moore
keyboardist/producer
Kansas City
nature and wildlife photographer
Joplin
painter, muralist, interior designer
Hollister
dancer/movement scientist
St. Louis
color pencil artist
Cameron
painter
Willow Springs
portrait photographer
Springfield
visual artist and art educator
St. Louis
novelist/railroad historian
Cape Girardeau
painter
Columbia
(not your typical) singer/songwriter
St. Louis
surrealist, cement artist, innovator, career starter for other artists
Kansas City
Joshua Newth
painter
Cape Girardeau
Teri Moore
artist who draws
Augusta/Washington
Clarissa Knighten
jewelry artist/sculptor
Kansas City
Daniel Biegelson
writer, teacher, transparent eyeball
Liberty
Laurel DeFreece
painter, collage artist, photographer, encaustic artist, papermaker, printmaker, designer
Plattsburg
Paige Alyssa
singer, songwriter, producer
St. Louis
Butch Murphy
metal sculptor
Bellair & Kansas City
Steve Wiegenstein
author, speaker, teacher
Columbia
Alicia Farris
painter of life, workshop instructor
Springfield
Kirk Decker
photographer
Lawson
Kendall Hart
sculptor, illustrator
Farmington
Kim Bouldin-Jones
mixed media artist and photographer
St. Charles
JT Daniels
artist/muralist
Kansas City
Lisa Franko
print and collage artist
Columbia
Jodie Sutton
encaustic artist
Ozark
W. Mark Akin
classical guitarist
St. Louis
Benjamin Parks
artist, painter
Kansas City
Mick Byrd
original songwriter, musician
Vienna
Yolanda (YORO) Newson
jewelry designer, fashion artist, wardrobe stylist, set creator
St. Louis
Jo Stealey
fiber and mixed media artist
Columbia
BT in America
musician, instrumental solo guitarist, music arranger
Stockton Lake Area
Michael Bauermeister
sculptor
Augusta
Kelley Carman
painter
St. Louis & Paris
Sheri Purpose Hall
author, spoken word artist
Kansas City
Karen E. Griffin, Art by .E Lewis
textile and performing artist, educator, tour manager, storyteller, speaker, co-author, radio co-host
Kansas City
Kaitlyn McConnell
Ozarks story sharer
Springfield
Ken Konchel
photographer
St. Louis
Ken Nichols
painter
Columbia
Joseph Puleo
filmmaker
St. Louis
Joha Bisone
painter
Kansas City
Linda Hoover
muralist, watercolorist, portrait artist, caricaturist
Houstonia
Limmie Pulliam
opera singer, arts activist
Kennett
Lee Copen
artist, teacher
Mountain View
Melissa Donoho
mix media artist
Kansas City
Vince Martin
musician
St. Louis
Dave Walker
fiber artist
Columbia
Joachim Knill
installation artist
Hannibal
Cheryl Eve Acosta
metalsmith, sculptor, jeweler
Kansas City
Andrew Batcheller
installation artist
Kansas City
Sukanya Mani
interdisciplinary artist
Ballwin
Dana Forrester
watercolor painter
Independence
Marco Rosichelli
conceptual artist
Kansas City
Candice Ivory
musician, vocalist, composer, visual artist
St. Louis
Janey Seamans Hale
painter
West Plains
Poet t.l. sanders
language artist, author, actor, educator, consultant, filmmaker
Kansas City
Priscilla Block
visual artist
St. Louis
Andy Thomas
painter
Carthage
Brie Duey
painter, magical realist
Bucklin
Denise Thimes
songstress, motivational speaker
St. Louis
Malcolm “Airbrush Assassin” McCrae
artist, author, speaker, entrepreneur
Southeast Missouri
Genevieve Flynn
silversmith, artist, educator
Kansas City
David Spear
muralist, illustrator, graphic/exhibit designer
Columbia
Mollie Chounard
painter
St. Ann
Eric Ordway
ceramic artist, potter, teacher
Columbia
Russell Nelson
designer, illustrator, watercolor artist, educator
Kirksville
Glyneisha Johnson
poly disciplinary artist, educator, community care taker
Kansas City
Allison L. Norfleet Bruenger
mixed media jewelry and assemblage artist
St. Louis
Kyle Selley
firework artist, visual artist, art educator
Kansas City
Lisa Bartlett
mixed media artist, painter
Columbia
Ray Cardwell
singer songwriter from the Ozarks
Jefferson City
Azaria Rianne Hogans
choreographer, dancer, educator
Springfield
Greg Holden
artist, photographer, inquisitive observer, thankful human being
Eureka
Patrick Rafferty
guitarist, teacher
Affton
Barb Byrne
fused glass artist
Pleasant Hill
Gary Cadwallader
painter of acrylics and watercolor
Warrensburg
Byron von Rosenberg
poet, illustrator, storyteller
Byrnes Mill
Regina Willard
contemporary impressionist
West Plains
Hyejin Cho
concert pianist, educator
Kirksville
Grant Kniffen
painter
Dardenne Prairie
Laura Bigger
artist, printmaker
Kirksville
Ralph Hepola
musician
Springfield
Jen Everett
interdisciplinary artist
St. Louis
James Douglas Cox
metal artist
Republic
Natalie Wiseman
visual artist
Joplin
Kevin Umaña
painter, ceramics sculptor
Kansas City
Nartana Premachandra
dancer, writer, storyteller
St. Louis
Wanda K. Tyner
glass artist
Lee’s Summit
F.C. Shultz
author, poet, reader
Webb City
Lindsey Dunnagan
visual artist
Kirksville
Brian Owens
soul musician/vocalist
St. Louis
Anand Prahlad
literary author, musician/songwriter, filmmaker, teaching artist
Columbia
Brenda Beck Fisher
painter, watercolorist, interpreter of the beauty in the world
Hannibal
Anne Garney
landscape painter, fauve, expressionist
Kansas City
Jeffrey Noonan
musician: performer, teacher, scholar
St. Louis
Whitney Manney
fashion and textile designer
Kansas City
Justin Hamm
poet, photographer, citizen of the American Middle West
Mexico
Robin Van Hoozer
artist, painter, maker of unusual things
St. Joseph
Bobby Norfolk
storyteller, author, teaching artist
St. Louis
FAQS
The Featured Artists program promotes and supports individual artists and demonstrates the variety of creative Missouri talent.
We feature four artists each month. We highlight and promote each month’s artists via the homepage of the Missouri Arts Council website, the Featured Artists page on the website, monthly email, social media, and links to the artists’ websites. Artists receive a $300 stipend/license fee to feature their work online. We appreciate the administrative support of Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Individual Missouri-resident artists of any medium with online work that they have ownership to license. (Groups are not eligible.) Mediums may include (but are not limited to) visual art, literature, music, video, dance, theater, storytelling, and traditional arts.
Our aim through all of our Featured Artists promotions, from our website to social media, is to drive people to the artist’s own website, where they can then learn more about the artist and experience more of the artist’s work. This means an artist’s website must have multiple examples of their work.
For film artists, this entails videos. For performing artists, this entails videos or audio recordings. These can be hosted on the artist’s website itself or at an exterior website. If the videos/recordings are not hosted on the artist’s own website, that website must provide a very obvious element that lets people know exactly where the art can be experienced online. The link to videos/recordings’ location must be clearly given. People must be able to listen to/watch the recordings/videos without any subscription, for free, such as on YouTube.
For literary artists, this entails text versions or performances of the artwork. Text versions of poetry should include the full poem. Text versions of fiction and non-fiction prose should feature substantial multi-paragraph excerpts, and more than one artwork must be excerpted. Both text versions and performances can be published/hosted on the artist’s website itself or at an exterior website. If text versions and performance videos/recordings are not published/hosted on the artist’s own website, that website must provide a very obvious element that lets people know exactly where the art can be experienced online. The link to the location of the text or the videos/recordings’ location must be clearly given. People must be able to listen to/watch the recordings/videos without any subscription, for free, such as on YouTube.
The website of Missouri’s 2021-2023 Poet Laureate, Maryfrances Wagner, is an excellent example of both entire poems published on the artist’s own site and of links to exterior sites where her poems can be read.
Artist’s biography: It is ideal, although not required, that the artist’s “about” biography on their website make their residence within Missouri explicit by specifying the town/city or region where they live.
No; an effective website is an essential part of this program. Without it, there is nothing to promote, neither your work NOR a place to send people to benefit you.
While your Instagram, Facebook page, Twitter page etc. can supplement with social engagement, these sites do not effectively showcase your work, nor are they as easily accessed or managed as a website. Moreover, Instagram requires that viewers have their own Instagram account in order to view the content, so it is not a fully open platform. Therefore, having ONLY a social media page without ALSO having a website is not enough to be considered as a Featured Artist.
Propose your work for consideration via this online form. Support your application with links to your website and other online platforms where your work is located. No work may be sent as an attachment. Work that cannot be accessed online may not be considered. Artists retain full ownership and rights to their work. Artists will allow with their consideration a limited use right to feature their work on the Missouri Art Council website and other platforms. There is no fee to apply.
Artists should apply for the program ONLY ONCE. Applications are kept on file for future consideration.
The Missouri Arts Council staff selects artists with diverse demographics and locations throughout the state who are producing quality original work in a variety of art mediums and genres.
Artists will be contacted directly if they have been selected. If you are not contacted, do not despair! All applicants will continue to be considered as the program continues monthly.
Artists need apply for this program ONLY ONCE. Applications are kept on file for future consideration.
We will continue this program through June 30, 2022. If funding allows, this program may continue.