Photo of city street in shades of blue and green, person in foreground with back to camera, car passing out of the frame, small modern building and older building in background

Angie Jennings | Shanghai Blue Series, #7, photograph

Stylized painting in purple, white, and black of a spoonbill bird in front of a white circle

Pen Brady | Lovin’ Spoonful (spoonbill), acrylic and India ink on Masonite

Photo of man sitting, looking pensively into distance, holding baton across his lower arm

Darwin Aquino | composer, conductor, and violinist

Impressionistic painting of two women sitting together at a table in a homey room lit softly by one desk lamp

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky | Happy Hour, oil

FEATURED ARTISTS PROGRAM

Meet our new artists for March—and explore all our other artists

Since we founded our Missouri Featured Artists Program in 2020, we have highlighted more than 200 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.

FAQs

Artist application form

Angie Jennings
photographic artist
Kansas City

Pen Brady
contemporary wildlife artist
Fair Play

Darwin Aquino
composer, conductor, and violinist
St. Louis

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
artist; arts writer, educator, and advocate
Eureka

Abstract photo in mottled blue of woman's face surrounded by waving tendrils that could be hair, plants, or both

Angie Jennings | Emergance Self-Portrait, photograph

ANGIE JENNINGS

photographic artist | Kansas City

My works are rather vast; however, the overarching theme has been a sociological study of the human condition in public situations. Currently I have shifted my focus to more abstract work.

I appreciate how the modern world can encroach and inform the way humans behave either individually or in a group. Through observation I am able to capture the human response to the lens. Light, clothes, location, personality, and numerous other traits factor in how I will frame the image. However, on the street I work spontaneously and follow my instincts as I “shoot from the hip.” I have worked in many different photographic mediums, such as film, digital, and alternative processes. I am a founding board member and serve as president of the Kansas City Society for Contemporary Photography, a community of regional photographers and collectors presenting and promoting the photographic arts. My current photographic work reflects my need to create differently, drawing inspiration from Dadaism, surrealists, and abstract painters. This new work asks the viewer to see our world and everyday items differently. A kind of Rorschach.

angiejenningsphotography.com

Close-up photo of man conducting, holding his baton up in one hand and gesturing with the other; dark background, dramatic lighting

Darwin Aquino | composer, conductor, and violinist
YOAminicana for Orchestra: “A fiery folkloric overture dedicated to the Orchestra of the Americas.” (four minutes)

DARWIN AQUINO

composer, conductor, and violinist |St. Louis

My music emerges from the heart of Caribbean rhythms and chants. We are a creative mixture of cultures—an explosion of sounds, colors, and imagination.

I started playing the violin when I was 6 years old in the Dominican Republic. When I was a teenager I became a composer while obsessively playing my own creations on the instrument. Then when I was 18, I was lucky to start conducting a youth symphony orchestra. That happened by chance: the conductor could not continue with the job. I just asked him, “Can you teach me how to conduct?” The maestro said yes and I ended up conducting that orchestra. International engagements as violinist, composer, and conductor started happening for me, and I was honored to receive outstanding scholarship opportunities to study in France, Spain, German, and the U.S. Later in Miami I completed my master’s in music in orchestral conducting and also started with a completely new field for me, conducting opera. As a conductor, I’m Darwin Aquino; as a composer, DrwAq is my signature. Whether conducting or composing, music has always been my universe, my poetic vision of the world.

darwinaquino.com

Square mirror with frame made of many small ivory-colored rectangles with design of grapes and vine etched in dark ink on top

Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky | Mirror, scrimshaw on cowbone

MICHELLE “MIKE” OCHONICKY

artist; arts writer, educator, and advocate | Eureka

I love both art and history. The traditional artform of scrimshaw allows me to bring both together. In my paintings, on the other hand, I love to capture a split second of life, that one second that is not ordinary but really quite special.

My life is guided by the love of art. Through the intricate hand etching of my scrimshaw, I strive to keep this historic artform alive, using environmentally conscious natural materials. In my oil paintings, I strive to engage the viewer as a vital component of the work. Through both artforms, I explore the interaction of light and dark. My art has taken me all over the world: Art Takes Paris, Story of the Creative in New York City, Enter Into Art five-city touring exhibition in Germany. I’ve exhibited in the White House Visitor Center, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, the Missouri Capitol Rotunda as well as the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. When serving as executive director of Missouri Artisans Association and, later, of Missouri Citizens for the Arts, I advocated on behalf of artists and arts organizations across the state. Inspiring artists remains my goal through arts courses I teach at St. Louis Community College.

stonehollowstudio.com

Stylized painting of dandelions - jagged leaves, flowers as circles with designs inside

Pen Brady | A Wish in the Wind (dandelions), acrylic and India ink on Masonite

PEN BRADY

contemporary wildlife artist | Fair Play

By emphasizing strong design elements, I invite viewers to engage with the inherent elegance found in the natural world, challenging them to perceive its beauty through an expressive and abstract lens.

Throughout my life, I have embraced various roles, as a mom, a wife, an old-school draftsman, a botanical and vertebrate model builder, and a lifelong lover of the natural world. Each of these roles has influenced my journey in art. I believe that all of our experiences shape who we are today. Along my way, I became captivated by the art of the Pacific Northwest Coast peoples, drawing inspiration from their rich traditions and vibrant styles. As the years passed, this influence intertwined with my own artistic vision, evolving into a unique expression of nature. In my acrylic and India ink paintings, I strive to bring my vision of the natural world to life. My goal with each piece is to convey the uniqueness and beauty of my subjects, no matter how humble or grand they may be. By capturing the grace, attitude, and nuances of each subject, I hope to inspire viewers to gain a new awareness and appreciation for the wonders of nature.

penbrady.com

OUR FEATURED ARTISTS FROM THE BEGINNING THROUGH FEBRUARY 2025

Wall inside room, completely covered with abstract paintings in bright colors and geometric designs, overlapping each other

Laura Nugent
painter
Kansas City

Black and white photograph with dramatic lighting contrast, of an abandoned wagon, close-up on a large wheel, up against a fence in a grassy corner

Mark Polege
fine art photographer
St. Louis

Close-up of man holding trumpet while gazing pensively upward

Alberto Racanati
musician
Kansas City

Horizontal abstract, two landscapes layered on top of each other, the sun rising over hills

MaryJo Clark
mixed media collage artist, pastel painter, art educator
St. Louis

Large abstract sculpture in park, rust-colored S-curved upright with blue circle handing from the middle

Ben Pierce
artist/sculptor
Cape Girardeau

Photo of Barbie and Ken dolls, her in Barbie pink, him in blue denim, sitting on satin couch with old downtown hotel building in the background, with perspective as though Barbie and Ken were as large as real people

Brett Butler
avant-garde artist
Sedalia/Warrensburg

Impressionistic portrait of person's face, looking downward with eyes closed, in shades of brown, deeply shadowed

DJ Hyde Matheny
portrait and landscape painter
Kansas City

man sitting cross-legged in front of Indian statues holding a combination guitar/sitar instrument

Todd Mosby
guitarist and composer
St. Louis

Two-panel painting of autumn rural landscape, one of road going toward the horizon, one of same scene in aerial view

John Louder
painter
Warrensburg

wall art of vertical strips of glass and water animals such as frogs and sea horses each in a different glass pattern, mostly blue, purple, and green

Peggy King
fused glass artist
Columbia

black and white photograph of abandoned Victorian stone house with vines and trees growing over the windows

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

Photo of two tall pottery glasses, soft blue glaze, speckled texture

Andrew Ludwig
potter and ceramic studio manager
Columbia

Impressionistic painting of a tree-lined river bank with rose-colored puffy clouds above it

Teddy Jackson
passionate artist, caring and kind instructor
Blue Springs

Stylized painting of woman wearing gold forehead jewelry against background red and green plants and patterns of blue

Luisa Otero Prada
visual artist, community and teaching artist
St. Louis

Two drawings of muscular nude men in shades of grey, black, sepia, and white: 1) torso from hips through shoulders; 2) full-length from head to below knees, in running movement

John Velo
artist/painter
Springfield

Photo of small dog with long tan and cream fur looking up at the viewer with their eyes and their mouth very wide open in excitement

Raymond Scott
painter, graphic designer, art director
Perryville

Abstract painting in shakes of black, gray, and red, divided into six rectangles each with a different impressionistic design

Steve Willis
painter and mixed media artist
Springfield

Brilliantly colorful drawing of man and woman dancing with four musicians playing, all in traditional Mexican dress with large sombreros and swirling skirts, skull faces with Day of the Dead theme

Javier Torres-Gomez
architect /artist
St. Louis

abstract painting, horizontal, of dramatic streaks of black against soft smudges of blue, cream, and light brown

Diana Rendell
painter and sculptor
Greenwood

Extreme close-up photograph of two blue butterflies hovering to feed on bright pink flower

Allin Sorenson
educator, photographer, musician, arts advocate
Springfield

vignette of two abstract paintings on wall in a room, each of large impressionistic rectangles in bright hues of reds, blues, yellows, and green

Tai Davis
multidisciplinarian: art, food, music
St. Louis

photograph of female singer at microphone holding her trumpet, wearing black sequined gown with diaphanous sleeves

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

Two charcoal drawings side by side, close-up of animals' faces, striped cat on left, dog with floppy ears on right

Kaonis Thomas
visual artist and entrepreneur
St. Louis

Circular bracelet of irregularly shaped, rough-textured beads of polished bronze

Kristen Windmiller
metalsmith, visual artist
St. Louis

Abstract painting of wild assortment of lines and geometric shapes in bright colors, with an own sitting in a tree in the center

Andrea Hellman
visual artist, author, professor
Springfield

Shallow bowl woven in large strips of metal in shades from bright copper to turquoise blue

Virginia Fisher
metalsmith artist
Bucyrus

Fantasy landscape of a road going through hills covered with abstract patterns in candy-like pastel colors

Carol Zastoupil
artist/painter
Kansas City

Woman in long black dress smiling and shouldering large harp, about to play

Amy Camie
The Healing Harpist – certified therapeutic clinical musician
St. Louis

Surreal collage of images of young children mixed with heaps of clothing

Madeleine LeMieux
mixed media artist and muralist
Columbia

impressionistic painting of derelict wooden fishing boat tied up at shoreline of small river in woods and halfway sinking into the water

Ann Kynion
artist, painter, creator, teacher
Springfield

Ring with large five-sided faceted turquoise-green stone set in three terraces of metal, large to small ending at the stone

Kelly Conner
metalsmith / jeweler
Kansas City

painting of two women driving in a car and eating ice cream cones while a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the dashboard watches them

Heidi Pitre
painter
Kansas City

abstract painting with one half crimson, one half white and tan with maps incorporated into the painting, roughly textured

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

Close-up photo of woman playing string bass

Molly Healey
musician
Springfield

Elaborately detailed glass sculpture of a winged dragon

Hoseok Youn
glass artist
Kansas City

Large metal globe outdoors in the snow, bottom solid, top carved with silhouettes of pine trees, howling wolves, doe with two fawns, and starry sky overhead, backlit by flames blazing inside the globe

Tom Davis
fire metalsmith
Paris

Photo of massive building in classical style, in distance, seen across large platform of mirrored tiles in which a flaming sunset is dramatically reflected

Charles Munson
visual artist
Raytown

Photo of three women in backyard, with multiple exposures so their figurs are doubled and tripled with each images slightly overlapping the others

Tiffany Sutton
portrait photographer
St. Louis

Vibrantly colorful painting with on one side, woman's legs trailing in water in which little ducks are swimming, and on the other side, a pair of Chinese guardian Foo Dogs on either side of a closed doorway

Xiao Faria daCunha
painter, printmaker, memory worker, curator
Independence

Abstract painting in large blocks and thick lines, smudged edges, in shades of black, gray, khaki, and cream

J. Kent Martin
multi-disciplinary artist
Springfield

stylized painting with "stained glass" pattern effect, all in shades of blue, of woman and hummingbird looking eye to eye

Warren “Stylez” Harvey
painter
Kansas City

Painting of three young boys on pages of an open book ("The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas

Ria Unson
conceptual artist
St. Louis

impressionistic painting of trumpet in swirling brilliant colors on black background

Garrett Melby
painter, live-action artist
West Plains

impressionistic painting of two-story buildings on city street with street lights on and twilight sky

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

Huge sculpture on wall, almost two-dimensional, of many small balls of fabric next to each other to depict a child lying face down, with woman in Indian dress standing below the child's feet

Mee Jey
multidisciplinary artist
St. Louis

Abstract painting of a mostly yellow ground with splashes of greens, blues, reds, oranges, and blacks across the bottom

Ted Hinrichs
abstract painter
Kansas City

Painting of assorted figural tchotchkes including Kewpie doll, Russian nesting dolls, painted eggs, next to a terra cotta pot with a small green plant growing from it

Jo Narron
painter
Warrensburg

Photo of large sculpture, about six feet long, of three ants in bronze carrying green leaves across a wooden log, viewed by two women laughing with delight

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_Growing-Out-of-Nowhere-wall-panel-fused-glass

Nicole Hanna
glass fusing artist
Billings

Ray Harvey
muralist
New Haven

Ruben-Castillo_Our-Pillows-Saturday-6-19-PM-etching-on-paper

Ruben Castillo
artist and educator
Kansas City

Amy S. Miller
painter, illustrator, designer
St. Louis

Dan-Woodward_The-Drummer-Boys-Pet-detail-oil-from-Impressions-of-the-Civil-War-in-the-West

Dan Woodward
artist
Rolla

John-Fennell_Syncopation-acrylic-on-panel

John Fennell
painter
Columbia

Steenze_The-Families-Heart-of-the-City-comic-strip

Steenz
cartoonist, editor, professor
St. Louis

Jana-Dunn_Dancing-in-Color-II-detail-paper-on-mat-and-wood

Jana Dunn
paper artist, creative entrepreneus
Kansas City

Marilynne-Bradley-Gothic-Forest-watercolor

Marilynne Bradley
watercolorist
Webster Groves

Lew Aytes sculptor, curator, teacher Aurora

Aimee Fresia
visual artist, teacher, chicken-wrangler
Lee’s Summit

Lew-Aytes_Chickasaw-Warrior-polymer-clay

Lew Aytes
sculptor, curator, teacher
Aurora

Essex-Garner_Colorado-Pass-from-Buffalo-Soldiers-of-the-American-West-oil-on-canvas

Essex Garner
painter
Jefferson City

Travis-Bond_Dude-Seriously-graphite-and-charcoal

Travis Bond
artist: graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, pastel
Columbia

Rick Wright
painter
Kansas City

Jane Ballard
photographer
Shell Knob

Hayveyah-McGowan_CD-covers-for-Soul-City-Organ-Trio-and-Paige-Alyssa

Hayveyah McGowan
multidisciplinary artist and designer
St. Louis

Garrett SixOne Jackson
painter/muralist
Osage Beach

Jenny-Molberg-with-her-third-poetry-collection-The-Court-of-No-Record.

Jenny Molberg
poet, professor, editor
Kansas City

Gonz-Jove_Sculptures-and-paintings-entrance-to-Namas-Te-restaurant-and-gardens-in-La-Paz-Bolivia

Gonz Jove
muralist/fine artist/sculptor
St. Louis

Michelle-D.-Harvey_scenic-design-for-The-Addams-Family-Florida-State-University

Michelle D. Harvey
scenic designer and visual storyteller
Springfield

Nela-Navarrine_Lirios-Azules-oil-and-resin

Nela Navarrine
visual artist and media mixer
Joplin

Angel-Brame_Critter-Bowls-stoneware-with-sculpted-critter

Angel Brame
ceramic artist
Joplin

William-Fields_A-Place-of-Gold-photograph

William Fields
nature photographer, writer, teacher, philosopher
Hermann

Cesar-Lopez_Structural-Rings-acrylic-rivets-aluminum-composite-material

Cesar Lopez
artist and arts organizer
Kansas City

Lynnette-Horn_A-Mothers-Love-and-A-Fathers-Love-How-much-more...-acrylic-on-canvas

Lynnette Horn
painter
Branson

Douglas-Dale_-Landscape-yarn-wood-nylon-flock

Douglas Dale
sculptor and fiber artist
St. Louis

Lanjiabao-Ge-at-Weill-Recital-Hall-Carnegie-Hall-New-York

Lanjiabao Ge
pianist, pedagogue
Kirksville

Steve-Paul-with-his-biography-Hemingway-at-Eighteen

Steve Paul
writer etc.
Kansas City

Eddie Moore
keyboardist/producer
Kansas City

Michael Munster

nature and wildlife photographer
Joplin

Christine Riutzel

painter, muralist, interior designer
Hollister

Elinor Harrison

dancer/movement scientist
St. Louis

Wanda Taylor

color pencil artist
Cameron

Michael McClure

painter
Willow Springs

Randy Bacon

portrait photographer
Springfield

Simiya Sudduth

visual artist and art educator
St. Louis

Gregory Stout

novelist/railroad historian
Cape Girardeau

Cristina Núñez

painter
Columbia

Molly Simms

(not your typical) singer/songwriter
St. Louis

Nick Gadbois

surrealist, cement artist, innovator, career starter for other artists
Kansas City

Joshua Newth - Paris in Flowers - detail oil on canvas

Joshua Newth
painter
Cape Girardeau

Teri Moore - COVID Times Shoes - colored pencil on wood

Teri Moore
artist who draws
Augusta/Washington

Clarissa Knighten - Synergy necklace - artistic wire and multimedia

Clarissa Knighten
jewelry artist/sculptor
Kansas City

Daniel Biegelson performing from his poetry collection of being neighbors

Daniel Biegelson
writer, teacher, transparent eyeball
Liberty

At Risk: "Expense Account" encaustic collage on wood with rusty nails by Laurel DeFreece

Laurel DeFreece
painter, collage artist, photographer, encaustic artist, papermaker, printmaker, designer
Plattsburg

Paige Alyssa and their "No Worries" album cover

Paige Alyssa
singer, songwriter, producer
St. Louis

Butch Murphy Candy Bar steel butch Murphy

Butch Murphy
metal sculptor
Bellair & Kansas City

The Language of Trees novel and Scattered Lights short stories by Steve Wiegenstein

Steve Wiegenstein
author, speaker, teacher
Columbia

Alicia Farris - Lost in a Thought - watercolor

Alicia Farris
painter of life, workshop instructor
Springfield

"Eternity Bridge" photograph by Kirk Decker

Kirk Decker
photographer
Lawson

"Kappa" sculpture by Kendall Hart with epoxy, clay, and foam

Kendall Hart
sculptor, illustrator
Farmington

Kim Bouldin-Jones
mixed media artist and photographer
St. Charles

JT Daniels
artist/muralist
Kansas City

"Little Studio" gouache and collage by Lisa Franko

Lisa Franko
print and collage artist
Columbia

"Untitled Mini #3" & "Summer Vacation" encaustic and oil stick by Jodie Sutton

Jodie Sutton
encaustic artist
Ozark

W. Mark Akin
classical guitarist
St. Louis

Benjamin Parks in his studio with Alan and Coleen

Benjamin Parks
artist, painter
Kansas City

Mick Byrd at Pinnacles Youth Park in Sturgeon Missouri

Mick Byrd
original songwriter, musician
Vienna

Yolanda "YORO" Newson LEFT Gazelle brass and crystal model Yauna DeRae photo by Andre Jones RIGHT Chain silver aluminum chainlinks

Yolanda (YORO) Newson
jewelry designer, fashion artist, wardrobe stylist, set creator
St. Louis

Jo Stealey Wait Weight kozo inner back of mulberry tree

Jo Stealey
fiber and mixed media artist
Columbia

BT in America
musician, instrumental solo guitarist, music arranger
Stockton Lake Area

"Foggy Morning" by Michael Bauermeister with tinted laquer

Michael Bauermeister
sculptor
Augusta

"Happy Dance" by Kelley Carman with acrylic and oil sticks on gallery wrapped canvas

Kelley Carman
painter
St. Louis & Paris

Sheri Purpose Hall performing her Irregular Rape Poem

Sheri Purpose Hall
author, spoken word artist
Kansas City

Karen E. Griffin Art by E Lewis Brown Love cotton fabric

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 at Springfields historic Landers Theatre

Kaitlyn McConnell
Ozarks story sharer
Springfield

"Shimmer" photograph of Peter B. Lewis building by Ken Konchel, Frank Gehry

Ken Konchel
photographer
St. Louis

"One Chance Out Between Two Worlds" by Ken Nichols with acrylic on canvas

Ken Nichols
painter
Columbia

Revisit Joseph Puleo interviewing Carol Howard Alderman for St. Louis Bevo Mill neighborhood for his upcoming documentary about the citys Bosnia

Joseph Puleo
filmmaker
St. Louis

Revisit Potent Demise gouache by Joha Bisone

Joha Bisone
painter
Kansas City

Revisit American Grafitti mural on the Fine Arts Building at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia by Linda Hoover

Linda Hoover
muralist, watercolorist, portrait artist, caricaturist
Houstonia

Limmie Pulliam in the title role of Giuseppe Verdis opera Otello in concert with Ozarks Lyric Opera Springfield

Limmie Pulliam
opera singer, arts activist
Kennett

"Summer Memories" by Lee Copen with oil on linen

Lee Copen
artist, teacher
Mountain View

Melissa Donoho
mix media artist
Kansas City

Vince Martin
musician
St. Louis

"Hidden Acres" fabricscape by Dave Walker

Dave Walker
fiber artist
Columbia

"Boat Trip" by Joachim Knill with oil on panel

Joachim Knill
installation artist
Hannibal

Cheryl Eve Acosta Healing Collar copper and organza

Cheryl Eve Acosta
metalsmith, sculptor, jeweler
Kansas City

Andrew Batcheller - The White Birds That Preside in the Heavenly Days oil

Andrew Batcheller
installation artist
Kansas City

Fold/Unfold hand-cut Tyvek paper installation by Sukanya Mani

Sukanya Mani
interdisciplinary artist
Ballwin

"Remnants of Barnum" by Dana Forrester with watercolor

Dana Forrester
watercolor painter
Independence

Marco Rosichelli from two men and a truck installation

Marco Rosichelli
conceptual artist
Kansas City

Candice Ivory photo Jill Ritter photography

Candice Ivory
musician, vocalist, composer, visual artist
St. Louis

"Peek-a-boo" by Janey Seamans-Hale with oil on panel

Janey Seamans Hale
painter
West Plains

Poet TL Sanders performing his I am human at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City

Poet t.l. sanders
language artist, author, actor, educator, consultant, filmmaker
Kansas City

"My Grandfathers" by Priscilla Block with multimedia and collagraph

Priscilla Block
visual artist
St. Louis

Andy Thomas - Buffalo Hunt oil on canvas

Andy Thomas
painter
Carthage

Brie Duey Sight oil on wood close detail

Brie Duey
painter, magical realist
Bucklin

"Denise Thimes" photograph by Ryan Bennet

Denise Thimes
songstress, motivational speaker
St. Louis

"A Wish of Hope" mural by Malcom "Airbrush Assassin" McCrae in Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Malcolm “Airbrush Assassin” McCrae
artist, author, speaker, entrepreneur
Southeast Missouri

"Pond Life" vase by Genevieve Flynn with sterling, argentium silver and blow glass

Genevieve Flynn
silversmith, artist, educator
Kansas City

"The Race for Atlanta" by David Spear with oil on canvas

David Spear
muralist, illustrator, graphic/exhibit designer
Columbia

"Counting Sheep" by Mollie Chounard with acrylic on canvas

Mollie Chounard
painter
St. Ann

"Green Tea Set" stoneware by Eric Ordway with celadon glaze

Eric Ordway
ceramic artist, potter, teacher
Columbia

"Red Bike" by Russel Nelson with watercolor

Russell Nelson
designer, illustrator, watercolor artist, educator
Kirksville

"Sultry" by Glyneisha Johnson with mixed media collage assemblage on canvas

Glyneisha Johnson
poly disciplinary artist, educator, community care taker
Kansas City

Allison L Norfleet Bruenger Flaming Blooms All Squared Away and Wings Protecting Their Young

Allison L. Norfleet Bruenger
mixed media jewelry and assemblage artist
St. Louis

"Infinite Horizon" by Kyle Selley with firework residue on paper

Kyle Selley
firework artist, visual artist, art educator
Kansas City

"Morning News" collage with acrylic and "Phylshawn" with oil on canvas by Lisa Bartlett

Lisa Bartlett
mixed media artist, painter
Columbia

Ray Cardwell
singer songwriter from the Ozarks
Jefferson City

$Azaria Rianne - Hogans in her double refraction$

Azaria Rianne Hogans
choreographer, dancer, educator
Springfield

"Great Egret and Great Blue Heron" photograph by Greg Holden at Simpson County Park

Greg Holden
artist, photographer, inquisitive observer, thankful human being
Eureka

Patrick Rafferty
guitarist, teacher
Affton

Barb Byrne - Leopard fused glass and layered glass powder

Barb Byrne
fused glass artist
Pleasant Hill

"Blue Morpho #2" by Gary Cadwallader with acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

Gary Cadwallader
painter of acrylics and watercolor
Warrensburg

Byron von Rosenberg and friends storytelling at Grants Farm St. Louis

Byron von Rosenberg
poet, illustrator, storyteller
Byrnes Mill

"Spring Chickadee" by Regina Willard with oil on panel

Regina Willard
contemporary impressionist
West Plains

Hyejin Cho
concert pianist, educator
Kirksville

"The Homestead Pickers" by Grant Kniffen in Branson with acrylic on cardboard

Grant Kniffen
painter
Dardenne Prairie

Laura Bigger
artist, printmaker
Kirksville

Ralph Hepola
musician
Springfield

"Joy Is Possible" billboard by Jon Everett

Jen Everett
interdisciplinary artist
St. Louis

"Do Something Good With Your SuperPowers" sculpture by James Douglas-Cox with stainless steel

James Douglas Cox
metal artist
Republic

"Spaghetti Western" by Natalie Wiseman with acrylic on panel

Natalie Wiseman
visual artist
Joplin

Kevin Umaña
painter, ceramics sculptor
Kansas City

Nartana Premachandra at Bhoganandishwara Temple in India-

Nartana Premachandra
dancer, writer, storyteller
St. Louis

Detail of Rainbow Pollination Party glass sculpture by Wanda K Tyner

Wanda K. Tyner
glass artist
Lee’s Summit

"The Rose Weapon" fantasy novel by F.C. Shultz

F.C. Shultz
author, poet, reader
Webb City

An Artlover experiences Lindsey Dunnagan - Natural liquidation clear acrylic pieces painted with acrylic watercolor and ink

Lindsey Dunnagan
visual artist
Kirksville

Brian Owens
soul musician/vocalist
St. Louis

Anand Prahlad - Memoir the secret life of a black aspie

Anand Prahlad
literary author, musician/songwriter, filmmaker, teaching artist
Columbia

Brenda Beck Fisher - Sandhill Cranes detail watercolor

Brenda Beck Fisher
painter, watercolorist, interpreter of the beauty in the world
Hannibal

Anne Garney - Maroon Bells Colorado - oil

Anne Garney
landscape painter, fauve, expressionist
Kansas City

Jeffrey Noonan and his reproduction 17th century French guitar

Jeffrey Noonan
musician: performer, teacher, scholar
St. Louis

Whitney Manney
fashion and textile designer
Kansas City

"Banjo Railroad Tracks" photograph by Justin Hamm

Justin Hamm
poet, photographer, citizen of the American Middle West
Mexico

"Fault Lines" by Robin Van Hoozer with encaustic and linen thread

Robin Van Hoozer
artist, painter, maker of unusual things
St. Joseph

Bobby Norfolk
storyteller, author, teaching artist
St. Louis

FAQS

What is the program’s goal?

The Featured Artists program promotes and supports individual artists and demonstrates the variety of creative Missouri talent.

How does the program work?

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 $500 stipend/license fee to feature their work online. We appreciate the administrative support of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Who is eligible?

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.

What kind of content on an artist’s website is required?

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.

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.

May artists participate if they don’t have a website?

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.

How do artists apply?

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.

How are Featured Artists selected?

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.

How will artists know if they are selected?

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.

How often should artists apply?

Artists need apply for this program ONLY ONCE. Applications are kept on file for future consideration.

How long will this program last?

The program does not currently have an ending date.