Art, Bourbon County

Bo Co Arts Council 30th Annual Fine Art Exhibit March 10-12

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Bourbon County Arts Council Members present at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee in 2020, from left, Elaine Buerge, Deb Anderson, Terry Floyd, Steve Floyd and Linda Noll.

The annual art show that showcases local area artists is March 10-12.

The 30th Annual Bourbon County Arts Council exhibit will be held Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 12 at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

“We will host the Chamber Coffee on March 10 at 8 a.m.,” Deb Anderson, president of the council said.

The exhibit will be open Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11 from 12 PM to 7 PM and Saturday, March 12th from 9 AM to 1 PM.

The BCAC was formed in 1973 to foster, promote and increase the knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts, according to BCAC President Deb Anderson.

A 2016 photo of the Bourbon County Arts Council Annual Exhibit.

An artist reception will be held March 10th from 6 PM to 8 PM where participating artists will have the opportunity to listen to the juror critique and visit with her about their pieces.

The juror for the event this year will be Tara Booth,  an Associate Professor of Art at Cottey College, Nevada, Mo.

The competition is open to all artists age 16 and older.

Categories include Best of Show 2D and 3D, Ceramics, Drawing and Graphics (Pencil, Pen, Ink), Fiber Arts, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting (Oil and Acrylic), Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Watercolor.

A new “Theme” category has been included: The theme this year is “The Eye of the Beholder”.

Bourbon County businesses and individual sponsors for the first prize winners of the art categories are:

2D and 3D – Memory of E.C. Gordon Ceramics – Ward Kraft, Inc

Drawing & Graphics – Landmark Bank Jewelry – Citizens Bank

Mixed Media – Lyons Realty Painting – Union State Bank

Pastel – Mid-Continental Restoration

Photography – H & H Realty

Sculpture – Fort Scott Broadcasting

Fiber Arts – Bernita Hill

Watercolor – Buerge Art Studio

Theme – City State Bank

Glass – Jamie Armstrong, Edward D Jones

Printmaking – Osage Timber, LLC

Current Bourbon County Arts Council Bard Members are Deb Anderson, President; Bre Eden, Vice President; Steve Floyd, Secretary; Terri Floyd, Treasurer; Cindy Bartelsmeyer, Elaine Buerge, Deb Halsey, Justin Meeks, Laura Meeks, Linda Noll, Tedena Tucker, and Chris Woods.

History of BCAC

“The organization of the BCAC is 52 years old this year. It was originally known as the Fort Scott Arts Council,” Anderson said. “Upon its incorporation, it was changed to Bourbon County Arts Council.”
“There were several activities in the beginning,” she said. “In June 1973 the first project was a booth at the arts and crafts fair, during the Old Fort Days Rodeo sponsored by the Jaycees.”
“The BCAC held the first street theatre,” she said. “In the art area there was ceramics, bread baking, spinning and weaving, wood carving, and quilting. Local artists displayed paintings, there was also an artist who did sketches and another who had very unusual pottery.”
They held a Continental Theatre Group presentation, variety shows, musicals, even a parade
The original board officers:
Gary Cullor-Chairman
Joann Meara -Vice-Chairman
Sally Cullor-Secretary
Treasurer-Steve Buerge
Board members were Dale Hammons, Robert Estes, Robert Galvin, Helen Stranathan, and Larry Nuss.
Committee chairman were
Music – Ralph Carlson
Arts – Ernie Huse
Crafts – Sondra Carlson
Theatre – Sally Cullor
Publicity – Shirley Hill
Membership – Mary Ann Burke
“A big thank you to these individuals, for forming this organization, who realized how important the arts were to a community and all those who have came after in keeping the BCAC alive, Anderson said.
“I have attached a history story of the BCAC from Gary Cullor who shared it with me,” Anderson said. “He is much more knowledgeable since he was there from the beginning. There would be a correction to the information in the fourth paragraph, it should read April 9th,1973 instead of April 9th,1773.”
To view Cullor’s history of the art council:

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