Brandon Pfannenstiel and Noah Terry. Submitted photo.
For those interested in learning self-defense techniques, a new business has opened for teaching those techniques.
The Fort: Bjj and Self Defense co-founders and owners, Noah Terry and Brandon Pfannenstiel, opened to the public on May 8.
“We offer Jiu Jitsu classes for both kids and adults,” Terry said. “We also offer MMA and striking classes as well. All with an orientation towards self-defense.”
For those unfamiliar with these martial arts, here are explanations.
“Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills from a mixture of other combat sports to be used in competition. The rules allow the usage of both striking and grappling techniques while standing and on the ground. Competitions allow athletes of different disciplines of martial arts to compete under a set of unified rules,” according to https://www.ufc.com/intro-to-mma
“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a predominantly ground-based martial art, using the principles of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing, as well as knowledge of the human anatomy, to achieve a non-violent submission of one’s opponent. Unlike other martial arts that focus on strikes and/or kicks, jiu jitsu focuses on close-contact grappling holds and techniques, and the application of chokes and joint manipulations,” according to https://www.essentialbjj.com/about-us/what-is-jiu-jitsu/
“I started training four years ago out of a desire to better myself through discipline and technique,” Terry said. “Brandon started training his sophomore year of high school at a gym called Mid-America Martial Arts. He walked in untrained and eager to learn at the age of 15. This was about 2003. He gathered an 11-1 amateur and 7-1 pro MMA record, and received his black belt in February 2025.”
Lessons are taught at 123 S. National Avenue at a converted church building.
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The current schedule is:
JIU JITSU: Monday through Friday from 6-7 a.m.
Sparring class: Tuesday is 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
Open mat: Saturday from 7 to 8 a.m.
KIDS CLASS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Reserved Tickets are now on sale for a show of talent you
do not want to miss! Call 855-222-2849 (the number on the flyer is not correct)
https://www.etix.com/ticket/o/8277/rockballet
Kristin Lewis Gorman will present her Rockballet dancers
in their 5th annual production, “Jet Set to Wonderland” ,
this Friday and Saturday, 7:30 PM at the Ellis Family Fine
Arts center, in Fort Scott.
Kristin was a New York City based career performer and
choreographer for 25 years before coming back to open
Rockballet, sharing her knowledge and love of singing,
dancing and acting with students in her hometown.
Kristin teaches every genre of dance and every class at
Rockballet.
As always, each number in the show is her original
choreography, created exclusively for her students.
The $3,000 High School Best in Show prize was awarded to Lauren Kim, an 11th grade student at Horace Mann School in Bronx, New York. Lauren’s relief sculpture entitled Vivid Resilience—which she created with clay and acrylic paint on a wood panel—honors civil rights activist and teacher, Clara Luper. “The outlawing of segregation in 1964 was a collective, momentous effort that largely came into being through the persistent action of grassroots organizations, and persevering will of the people,” reads Lauren’s impact statement. “Especially as a student who loves history, art, and culture, I am constantly reminded that in order to coexist, we must always take our time to learn about the people. Who are the people who represent this beautiful art and culture? Who are the faces behind this historical movement? Humans are social, empathetic beings—something which Luper recognized and sought to communicate to others.”
Winning the $2,000 High School Second Place prize was Katelyn Lowe, a 12th grade student at George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia. Her acrylic painting, An Artist’s Modernization of American Indian Art, features meticulously rendered recreations of artworks by Oscar Howe, a Yanktonai Dakota modernist painter. “I believe Oscar Howe was an artist of great spirit,” Katelyn writes in her impact statement. “It was his desire for Indian culture to live forever through art.” Her artwork is a reflective tribute to Howe’s powerful artistic legacy. Katelyn is a returning ARTEFFECT awardee, as her artwork, A Woman Ahead of Her Time,won High School Best in Show in the 2024 ARTEFFECT Competition.
Read all Impact Statements
2025 Winners and Finalists
Congratulations to all the 2025 Awardees! The Impact Statements for the 2025 winners and finalists are now posted for each project on the ARTEFFECT Website. Read the Winners and Finalists to read about the young artists’ inspiration in choosing their Unsung Heroes as a roles models, and their creative process and interpretation.
Meet our featured Ambassador in Action Sudi Memarzadeh, Visual Art Teacher at Del Lago Academy in Escondido, CA.
Each ARTEFFECT Ambassador culminates their online fellowship with a capstone project that brings the inspiring stories of the LMC Unsung Heroes into their classrooms and communities. As we conclude this year’s fellowship, Sudi shared a little bit about her capstone project. Here is an excerpt from her narrative:
“The most meaningful part has been witnessing students realize that their art can speak to real-world issues and celebrate individuals who often go unrecognized.”
The ARTEFFECT Team joined Sudi and her students for an exciting virtual field trip earlier in the year. Thank you to Sudi and the students at Del Lago Academy for your creativity and inspiring exhibition of ARTEFFECT projects!
Congratulations to Sudi for sponsoring a 2025 Finalist, Mary Ann Bickerdyke by Sienna DePonte, and a 2025 Certificate of Excellence winner, Lily Manoocheri Farr and her project The Life of Mary Bickerdyke. Both these projects focused on Unsung Hero Mary Bickerdyke.
The Queen’s Muse is being built adjacent to the Artificers, at 10 N. National Avenue. Construction items can be seen in front of the building project. The green space will be used for an outdoor event space in the future.
Trent and Kate Freeman finally have great weather to make progress on their newest project, called The Queen’s Muse.
A muse is a source of inspiration, according to the dictionary.
“The Artificers is in a ‘Queen Anne’ (style architecture) and we are building her muse. Hence, ‘The Queen’s Muse,'” Kate Freeman said.
“It’s to house our out-of-town artists,” she said. “Our artist’s respite, while here teaching a workshop and doing art shows. It will help our artists have a space close to stay (near their business) and hopefully attract more artists to Fort Scott with a place to stay as well as show their work.”
The building is an addition to the Artificers art gallery and teaching studio, at 8 N. National Avenue.
Currently, there is no designated completion date, she said.
“It will be two suites on the upper level, Airbnb, each with a bathroom. The lower level will be to cater out of and a bathroom, an event space.”
In front of that building will be an outdoor event space and a sculpture garden.
“We’ll have large, mixed-media pieces on concrete pads. The space will also be available for events such as a bridal shower or wine-tasting event.”
“We started to plan this after we acquired the land. It’s something awesome for the community and our business,” she said.
The Queen’s Muse will be an addition to the Artificers Gallery. Pictured are materials and the start of the build, May 29, 2025.
“We are proud to be supporting local and regional businesses every step of the way. Keeping our investment close to home is a priority, and we’re grateful to work with such talented peeps in our community,” she said. “Such as Redbud Nursery, Fort Scott-the plants and trees; Henry Witt Fabrications, Fort Scott- the sculpture garden gate; Red Logic, Mound City, the website; Ron Hurd Construction, Fort Scott, concrete work; Cedar Valley Metal, Garnett, materials; Gibson Construction, Paola is the builder/contractor.”
“And the Bourbon County Garden Club has helped design the garden area. They got together and plotted it all, for us.”
The Freemans received a $25,000 Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant in December 2024 that is helping to fund this newest project.
Kate and Trent Freeman, from the Artificer Facebook page.
About the Artificers
T.E. Freeman Studio, Trent and Kate’s art business, moved to Fort Scott during the COVID-19 Pandemic, from the Kansas City area.
“We bought the building in October 2022 and opened the art gallery in January 2023.”
In addition to the Artificers Gallery, in 2024, another business, Bourbon County Clay, was launched, utilizing clay extracted from the county for creations sold in the gallery.
Currently, they have a gallery assistant who helps with all three LLC businesses they own and an apprentice who helps with Kate’s Bourbon County Clay business.
Earlier this year, they were awarded the 2025 Kansas Governor’s Arts Award for Art in Business.
They initiated a First Friday event each month, where their gallery is open until 9 p.m. when they first opened. The First Friday event includes some artists’ openings.
“The City of Fort Scott is trying to get all the businesses on board to have more events on the first Friday of each month,” she said.
Photos from the Artificers Facebook page.
This First Friday, June 6, will feature Trent’s first show since opening in Fort Scott. He will be featuring outside mixed-media art sculptures, called luminaries.
Artist Roxi Hardegree, Texas, will be showing, selling, and teaching about her art medium, botanical arts, on June 6, as well.
Check out the calendar below for all events happening at your favorite
Art Gallery & Teaching Studio!
Join us for an Artist Opening Reception!
June 6th, at 6:00pm!
Who is Roxi Hardegree?
Roxi Hardegree is a full-time artist based in Lubbock, Texas. She grew up on a farm in North Dakota, where a childhood spent outdoors sparked a lifelong sense of exploration and creativity. Her days were filled with fishing in the river, crafting, and tending to flowers in the garden.
Roxi draws deep inspiration from the women in her family—her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—whose flower beds overflowed with peonies, roses, delphiniums, and seas of irises and lilies. Their creativity left a lasting impression that continues to shape her artistic path.
Over the years, Roxi has created both traditional and art quilts, authored books, and taught quilting classes. She also nurtured a lifelong passion for photography, earning numerous sales and awards along the way. Today, she has come full circle, returning to hands-on creation through botanical prints using cyanotype and collage techniques, including eco prints and metalwork. You will be able to view her work on June 6th, 2025!
In her downtime, Roxi enjoys traveling the country in an RV with her husband Blake and their labradoodle, Sofi.
Moody Blues: Wet Cyanotype Workshop by Roxi Hardegree
Saturday, June 7th 11:00am-3:00pm
Discover the magic of botanical printmaking in this hands-on cyanotype workshop—no experience necessary! In this 4-hour class, we’ll explore the wet cyanotype process using natural materials to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind prints.
You’ll learn the basics and some intermediate techniques of this alternative photographic method, including how to work with various liquids, texture-enhancing additives, and UV light. Each student will receive a materials kit and have access to a wide selection of botanicals, both fresh and pressed, to experiment with.
We will take a lunch break while our art processes, so bring a sack lunch or visit a local restaurant.
By the end of class, you’ll leave with at least one finished 5×7 cyanotype print—and plenty of inspiration and extra papers to keep creating. All supplies provided—just bring your curiosity and love of botanicals!
Provided supplies include a variety of botanicals (pressed and fresh) and texturing materials.
Your Kit includes:
9×12 Backing board, Felt, Plexiglass and Clips, 6 assorted pre-coated papers, 3 Spray bottles of different liquids.
Trent Freeman is a mixed media sculptor and ceramic artist, as well as the gallery owner and ceramic instructor at The Artificers in Fort Scott, Kansas. Originally from DeSoto, KS, Trent earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emporia State University, where he also pursued graduate work in sculpture.
Trent has been working professionally since 1997. For over two decades, he operated a teaching studio in Kansas City, KS before relocating to Fort Scott. His work is deeply influenced by Japanese ceramics, though his primary inspiration comes from the tactile and expressive qualities of materials such as wood, metal, and natural clay.
His notable bodies of work include the Luminaries: Guardians, Sentinels, and Guides series that you will be able to view on June 6th, 2025!
2025 ARTEFFECT AWARDS WILL BE
ANNOUNCED ON JUNE 2! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL FINALISTS!
ARTEFFECT celebrates the 2025 Competition Finalists! Congratulations to the 115 incredible students and their dedicated teachers whose powerful work brings Unsung Heroes to life through art! There are 64 different Unsung Heroes represented, including all 7 Spotlight Unsung Heroes. Finalists projects come from 16 middle school and 99 high school students from 24 states across the U.S. as well as 5 other countries around the world: Australia, Canada, Lithuania, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates. Explore the artworks and impact statement excerpts.
Stay tuned! 2025 ARTEFFECT Competition winners will be announced on the website on June 2!
Stay connected with the expanding
ARTEFFECT network
ARTEFFECT is expanding its social media presence. Be sure to keep connected as part of our growing community of learners. Follow us on these platforms for announcements, news, and resources about the competition, Ambassadors fellowship, and more.
Carl, played by Matthew Wells, and Opal, played by Alissa Cook. Submitted photo
A long-standing theatre tradition in Fort Scott, the Melodrama, is returning to Good Ol’ Days this year.
Bourbon County Community Theatre presents the world premiere of “Beauty and the Bull OR Chaos in Fort Scott’’ written by BCCT Vice President Mark Bergmann.
Bergmann says, “It was a challenge offered by other members of the BCCT board to write an original show about Fort Scott. I hope people find it highly entertaining. The whole goal is for people to laugh and have fun with it.”
Jason Silvers returns to the stage as Barnard Cleaner, 18 years after the last Fort Scott melodrama that Silvers starred in, “It feels really good to be back on the stage after so many years. Melodramas are about fun, they’re interactive shows, and I hope the audience has a great experience cheering the hero and booing the villain.”
This is Silvers’ first show with the newly formed BCCT, “You feel camaraderie working together with everybody with different levels of ability and talent. I’ve enjoyed watching everything come together.”
The show is directed by Bergmann with Regen Wells serving as Assistant Director. Featured roles include Alissa Cook as the heroine Opal Openheart, Levi Fairchild as the hero Bull Driver, and Matthew Wells as the villain, Carl Connor.
Performances are at 8 p.m. on June 6 and at 10:30 a.m., and 12:30, 4:30, 6:30 and 8 p.m. on June 7 at 123 S. National (former St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church). Tickets for the show are $5 at bcct.ludus.com or at the door, but seating is limited. Concessions will be available. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.
Carl, played by Matthew Wells, and Horse played by Theodore Bowman. Submitted photo.
Visit fsccfoundation.org to find detailed information about each event and to RSVP.
Questions:
Call 620-223-2700 x5830
We are excited to bring back our ‘Senior-versity’, a vibrant and welcoming program designed especially for our retired community!
This reimagined initiative is all about keeping you young at heart, active, and connected – with a full calendar of free or low-cost events, activities, and outings tailored just for you. Whether it’s a local adventure, a cultural experience, or a fun social gathering, Senior-versity takes the hassle out of participating – no parking worries, no stress – just great times and even better company.
It’s your time to explore, engage, and enjoy life to the fullest with a group that’s all about living well at every age!!
Kick-off of Senior-versity!!!
June 12th – Bourbon County Mural Trolley Tour
1:30pm – Meet at Ellis Fine Arts Building on campus of FSCC. Enjoy light refreshments and meet & greet.
2:30pm – Take a trolley tour of our amazing BOURBON COUNTY MURALS. Learn the history and significance of each one while riding Dolly the Trolley! Space is limited.
Check out the calendar below for all events happening the rest of the year!
Join us for an Artist Opening Reception!
June 6th, at 6:00pm!
Wet Cyanotype Workshop
by Roxi Hardegree
Available June 7th! 11:00am-3:00pm
Moody Blues: Wet Cyanotype Workshop by Roxi Hardegree
Saturday, June 7th 11:00am-3:00pm
Discover the magic of botanical printmaking in this hands-on cyanotype workshop—no experience necessary! In this 4-hour class, we’ll explore the wet cyanotype process using natural materials to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind prints.
You’ll learn the basics and some intermediate techniques of this alternative photographic method, including how to work with various liquids, texture-enhancing additives, and UV light. Each student will receive a materials kit and have access to a wide selection of botanicals, both fresh and pressed, to experiment with.
We will take a lunch break while our art processes, so bring a sack lunch or visit a local restaurant.
By the end of class, you’ll leave with at least one finished 5×7 cyanotype print—and plenty of inspiration and extra papers to keep creating. All supplies provided—just bring your curiosity and love of botanicals!
Provided supplies include a variety of botanicals (pressed and fresh) and texturing materials.
Your Kit includes:
9×12 Backing board, Felt, Plexiglass and Clips, 6 assorted pre-coated papers, 3 Spray bottles of different liquids.