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Category Archives: Art
The Artificers June Newsletter
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Streeter Turned Fascination With Animals Into A Business
Tanner Streeter, 25, is an artist whose specialty is animals.
“I’ve been an artist my whole life, with a primary focus on animals,” he said. “I grew up hunting and fishing, so I’ve always been surrounded by nature. I spent much of my time studying animals I saw in life, in books, or on TV so that I may understand their anatomy well enough to draw them accurately.”
“My parents would take me on trips to zoos to satisfy my fascination with animals, as well as places like Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shops. In those places, the taxidermy on display captivated me at a very young age. I would think of taxidermy as almost magical, since I could not comprehend how it was accomplished.”
“When I was 18 and about to graduate my senior year of high school from Christian Learning Center, I began practicing taxidermy on small animals that I could acquire.”
He was inspired by a taxidermy how-to book that his parents, Bernard and Torrie Streeter, had given him for Christmas.
“Much to my surprise, after making a Facebook post about my endeavors in taxidermy, a mutual online friend, Dale Robertson of Wild Heritage Taxidermy in Young, Arizona, reached out to me and offered me an apprenticeship with him. He had followed me for my artwork that I would post, and I followed his taxidermy work, so that’s how we were connected. Dale is a renowned taxidermist with multiple prestigious awards.”
“I packed everything I owned into my little Chevy Blazer and drove to Arizona, where I lived for a year and a half in a trailer at the Robertson’s home and learned everything a beginner needed to know about taxidermy and then some. I competed at the last Arizona state show (their association is no longer active) in 2019 and won the title Best New Competitor and a 2nd and 3rd place with a coyote and a deer I had brought.”
Streeter learned much in that time.
“When I came back, I got a job at Outdoors Indoors in Pittsburg, KS. I got to do some taxidermy from all over the world…Africa, Greenland, and New Zealand, along with locals. My ultimate goal was to have my own business, and my first year on my own, I got an LLC (limited liability company business structure).”
He has competed at state, national, and the World Taxidermy Show, earning an assortment of first, second, and third-place ribbons.
He’s earned the titles of Best Professional Gamehead of Kansas 2023, Best Professional Small Lifesize Mammal of Kansas 2025, and Best Professional Open Mouth Whitetail of Kansas 2025.
“Competing is vital for me since it sharpens my craft and allows me to learn from the best of the best in seminars and from my judges during critiques.”
His business model prioritizes quality over quantity.
“I take a limited number of animals each year… I take extra effort to make each animal as accurate as possible, and I try to capture the unique qualities of each specimen. I’m recreating that particular animal down to the smallest anatomical detail. From muscles and hair patterns to glands and membranes in the corner of the eye. Nothing is too small to overlook.”
“Taxidermy is an art, and I treat it just as another medium. Just like if I choose to draw with a pencil or paint with a brush. I am trying to recreate God’s creation to the best of the ability He gave me.”
He started his business, Tanners Wildlife Artistry LLC, in 2022 and shares a business building with Whitetail Properties Real Estate at 306 E. 23rd, next to Riggs Chiropractic.
“I do roughly 70-80 animals annually. This keeps turnaround times and my workload reasonable.”
“I am a mammal specialist, so I currently do not do taxidermy work on birds or fish. I have been blessed to work on a wide variety of animals from around the world, including baboons, warthogs, and antelopes from Africa; red stags, fallow deer, and wallabies from New Zealand; and black bears, elk, and deer from both the U.S. and Canada.”
The Process
With large animals, the animal is skinned, then salted and dried.
“Once I get it, I rehydrate the skin, and then tan it in a chemical bath with a tanning formula. Then the leather must be thinned to put on a foam mannequin. I do a great deal of clay sculpting on the form. I then apply a glue to the form, put the hide on, and put everything into place and sew up any incisions.”
“If an animal has antlers or horns, that part of the skull is cleaned, getting the meat broken down and cleaned off. This is to prevent Chronic Wasting Disease from spreading.”
He charges customers by the time factor plus materials.
“I go the extra mile on every piece,” he said.
Other Artwork Around Fort Scott
One can view some of Streeter’s artistic work on the wall of Structure Hair Salon on National Avenue.
In 2023, he was part of a group of people creating wall murals in Fort Scott. “The Bison” was created by artists Cally Bailey, Emily Bailey, and Tanner Streeter.
Tanner is married to Johnnie, and they have a three-month-old daughter, Annabella.
Find out more on his Facebook and Instagram under the business name or tannerswildlifeartistry.com.
ArtEffects Competition Results
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Bourbon County Arts Council Presents The Rough Romance Tour
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Bourbon County Arts Council Presents Barnaby Bright
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Visual Art Competition For Grades 6-12 Submission Deadline: April 27
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The Artificers May Happenings
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Art COMPETITION COUNTDOWN: — Submissions due April 27
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Commerce Announces New Opportunity for Transformative Art in Public Spaces
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced the launch of an innovative program to support the enhancements of often overlooked public infrastructure to help drive economic growth and community vitality. The Transformative Art for Public Spaces (TAPS) grant will invest in projects that leverage creative placemaking to attract visitors, encourage local investment, and support small businesses. A total of $150,000 will be available.
“The TAPS grant program is about more than making every-day objects look more presentable,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Having attractive public gathering spots encourages more people to utilize them, stay for longer periods of time, and spend more money at local establishments. These small investments will have long-term economic benefits for communities across the state.”
The TAPS grant offers awardees amounts of $1,500 to $2,000 per project to cover materials, supplies and artist compensation. Interested applicants are encouraged to collaborate with local artists, students and community members by offering them opportunities to contribute creatively to their communities. Repurposing these mundane or unsightly objects will give the community assets that reflect local pride and long-term economic resilience.
Approved and funded fixtures and overlooked structures include:
- Electrical boxes
- Fire hydrants
- Trashcans
- Water utilities
- Other infrastructures
Applications will be accepted through December 5 or until funds are depleted. Priority will be given to projects in communities that have not received funding from Commerce during the previous three years.
“The TAPS Grant is an exciting way to celebrate community identity while offering artists and residents the chance to make a lasting impact on their surroundings,” Assistant Secretary of Quality Places Matt Godinez said. “We can’t wait to see how these projects inspire collaboration and connections among our Kansas communities and residents.”
Organizations may submit proposals for multiple projects within a single application, provided each project meets the program’s guidelines. A maximum of five projects are allowed per applicant. Projects that will not be supported include:
- Signs promoting businesses
- Murals or large-scale wall installations
- Live performances or temporary art
- Large undertakings requiring structural modifications
Applicants must work with their local municipality or property owner and be permitted to create art on the proposed structure. Documentation of this permission will be required for the application.
For more details, application forms, project examples and resources, click here.
Questions about the TAPS Grant can be directed to Quality Places Manager Sara Bloom at [email protected] or (785) 506-9278.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
About the Quality Places Division:
Established in 2024, the Quality Places Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce exists to improve quality of life in communities across the state through various programs and services. The Kansas Department of Commerce understands the immense role played by strong communities in economic development and prioritizes investments in people and communities as major contributors to the overall strength of the Kansas economy. To learn more, click here.
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New Round of Mural Grants Available to Enrich Rural Kansas Communities
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced the launch of a new round of Rural Mural funding to support the creation of projects in rural Kansas communities. The total amount of funding available is $125,000.
“Public art is a powerful tool for rural revitalization and bringing vitality and prosperity to all regions of our state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly-Toland administration fully supports investments that improve the attractiveness of our smaller communities, engage residents and visitors alike, and help stimulate the local economy.”
The funding initiative from the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) aims to activate vacant and underused spaces through the arts — to help bring together community members around their local history and culture.
“In 2024, there were 12 successful mural projects in small communities across Kansas,” Office of Rural Prosperity Director Trisha Purdon said. “This new round of funding is going to do more than beautify our towns. It will bring the community together to create something that can be admired and remembered for decades to come.”
ORP will open this round of Rural Murals for new applicants. Applications will be open through May 16. The maximum grant opportunity is $7,500 and requires a 100% match, with at least 25% in cash and up to 75% in-kind contributions.
To qualify for funding, applicants must be from communities with populations of 15,000 residents or less. Murals can beautify community gathering spaces, elevate tourist attractions, and offer a welcoming message for visitors. The proposed projects must be completed by December 31, 2025.
The office will be hosting a Rural Mural application webinar at 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 7, for those interested in applying for funding. Register for the webinar here. For more details and to apply, click here.
The Kansas Department of Commerce is dedicated to providing financial support, technical assistance and guidance to help communities develop mural and public art projects. There is an online resource guide (here) to help communities plan and execute their arts-based initiatives that enhance local growth and foster prosperity.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
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First Southern Baptist invites you to join their CRAFT FAIR on April 11-12th
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