Spiva Center for the Arts upcoming exhibits
JOPLIN, MO – George A. Spiva Center for the Arts is proud to announce our upcoming exhibits
The Joy Spiva Cragin 76th Annual Membership Show | October 28 – December 16, 2023 | Presented by Liberty
This year Spiva’s annual showcase of members’ work is celebrating 76 phenomenal years of regional artistic excellence.
Spiva’s annual Membership Show is one of the most anticipated exhibits of the year and is unique to most any other exhibition in this gallery. Spiva members were asked to enter works of any artistic medium to be displayed to the public. This gives anyone the opportunity to let their creative light shine no matter where they are in their artistic journey.
The award categories for this show are distinguished between two-dimensional and three-dimensional works and was juried by the Associate Art History Professor and Gallery Director of MSSU, Christine Bentley Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Design at MSSU, Ed Outhouse, M.F.A.
Monetary awards to winners were provided by the Dr. & Mrs. John C. Windle Fund.
Artists ages 17 and younger were encouraged to enter work of any and all mediums under the Youth Category. All these artists will receive recognition and be presented with awards provided by the Donna Gilbreth Memorial Fund also under the Windle Fund.
“Liberty has a history of supporting local nonprofits through sponsorship such as Spiva,” said Kevin Noblet, Liberty Central Region President. “What better exhibit to be a part of than the Membership Show, as we are supporting local artists through Spiva, who are also our customers. We believe the arts are an essential part of a vibrant, growing community, and we are proud to support the ongoing work of Spiva.”
Mark Cowardin: Chit Chat | October 28 – December 23, 2023
Mark Cowardin’s sculptural work examines the complicated, sometimes troubling, and always compelling intersection between humans and the natural world. His graceful sculptures juxtapose materials and conflicting ideas, and as a native U.S. Midwesterner, Cowardin examines the complex relationship to natural resources that the Midwest sometimes embodies. The implications of Cowardin’s narratives are sometimes alarming, complex and layered, and often ultimately tinged with yearning for a connection to the past and a hope for the future.
The work in Chit Chat is inspired by Mark’s personal history of growing up surrounded by mining remnants and chat piles near his childhood home in rural Joplin. These locations once served as his magical playgrounds and regular destinations for youthful imagination. Simultaneously enchanting and horrific, these remnants of lead and zinc extraction expose the needs for more thoughtful and careful balance of interactions with nature.
Most of the Chit Chat works began with the molding of actual rocks from these playground/chat piles, and then cast into ceramic. Defying gravity and implying various functions of extraction and consumption, these works are playful illustrations of not only our dependence on nature, but also the impact of our presence.
Born in Lamar, Missouri and raised in the Joplin area, Mark Cowardin received an MFA in sculpture from the University of Arizona and a BFA from the University of Kansas. Professor of Art and Co-Chair at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Mark currently resides with his family in Lawrence, Kansas. His work is included in numerous private and public collections including the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Kohler Corporation, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and Rockhurst University.
The opening reception is October 27, 5:30 – 7:30 pm for both exhibits. Cowardin will host an Artist Talk on Saturday, October 28 from 11 am – 12 pm. The reception and Artist talk is free for members and $10 for non-members.
Spiva Center for the Arts is inside the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex
212 W. 7th Street | Joplin, M0 64801 | (417) 623-0183 | Open Tue-Sat, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
www.spivaarts.org | www.markcowardin.com