The Southwest Missouri Art and Craft Guild celebrates the 25th anniversary of their “Art in the Park” fine art and contemporary craft show this weekend. It’s Saturday and Sunday October 12 and 13 from 10:00am to 4:30pm at Sequiota Park, 3500 S. Lone Pine. Marian Stahl Chamberlain from the Guild visited “Arts News” to tell us about this year’s show, which features 30 of the region’s best artists and crafters. Marian Stahl Chamberlain of the Southwest Missouri Art and Craft Guild.
“We’re doing something special this year for people that come out,” said Chamberlain. “The first 25 people on Saturday and the first 25 people on Sunday who make a purchase of $125 or more will be eligible for a ‘Swag Bag’ filled with artist-made items, local coupons, all sorts of things—a value of over $150. And there are some items in there that will not be seen again, that were made special for the event.” The Swag Bags include artworks by Mike Ilkiw, John Talliferro, Elizabeth Exley, Meike Aton, Marian Chamberlain, Jimmie FLoyd, David Bigelow, Steve Doerr, Cynthia Schmidt, Christin Gilchrist, Mari Moore-Mosby, Kendle Durden, and Sherri Alexander. It also includes gift certificates and other goodies from local businesses and entities including the Moon City Creative District, National Art Shop, Mother’s Brewery, Creava, Tony Hawk’s, 37 North, the Mystery Hour, and more.
Marian Chamberlain said the artists for this year’s show come from the Springfield area, including several Art and Craft Guild members such as herself, and others from out of town and from four different states. (Marion will show pastels and prints at the show.) It’s a fun way to introduce both kids and adults to the world of art. “It’s in a great area of town, down by the old Galloway Station, which is experiencing a renewal right now.” The Sequiota Park location is advantageous, she said, because “we have a lot of people who just happen to be at the park who stop by,” in addition to the art patrons who specifically come out for the event. And since the weather has (finally!) turned cooler, she said it “puts everybody in mind for the holidays.” Art in the Park has long been touted by the Art & Craft Guild as a place to get a head start on holiday gift shopping—and get something for yourself at the same time.
Among the 30 artists represented at Art in the Park—who you’ll be able to visit with as you look at the items they have for sale—is Terry Bloodworth, longtime proprietor of Springfield Hot Glass Studio, which closed recently. “I have heard from a lot of people who regret that Springfield Hot Glass is closed, so this is the perfect opportunity to see Terry and see some of his new work.”
Art in the Park is one of the few juried fine art and craft shows available in the area—certainly the longest-running, said Marian Chamberlain. “It was originally started by a group of people who wanted a fine art and craft show that was juried. So you have to submit an application and images—and only the finest artists are picked to do the show.”
The Southwest Missouri Art and Craft Guild supports people who make their primary living from their art and craft work. “The purpose of the Art and Craft Guild is to help artists to apply at shows, to provide continuing education on how to do that. It (covers) everything from the application process to images; what you can expect; the different area shows that there are. And we look at other shows, and we try to base our show a step above a lot of those,” said Chamberlain. “We want to put on a quality show for the community, and we take care of our artists.” Membership in the Guild is $25 per year and offers numerous benefits, she said. “It’s really nice to be able to collaborate with other artists. We have monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of every month. Anybody is welcome to come, and we always are welcoming new memberships.”
Admission and parking are free. To get a sneak peak visit the SW MO Art & Craft Guild Facebook page, or see swmoartcraftguild on Instagram. The show is a fun way to introduce both children and adults to the world of art. For information visit www.artcraftguild.org or call 838-0358.
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