Missouri Arts Council

09/06/2026

Even the tool cabinet and bench in Brian Noel’s workshop are works art he’s made himself! On his apron is the logo of BearKat Wood, his company in partnership with his wife “using our nicknames ‘Bear’ and ‘Kitty,’” he told us. Their home and his shop are near Salem, “a small place on 20+ acres in the countryside close to Montauk State Park.” We’ll be showcasing his woodworks and telling his stories over the next two months. missouriartscouncil.org/featured-artists| bearkatwood.com instagram.com/bearkatwood

09/05/2026

Do you know a person or organization who’s made significant donations to Missouri arts? Are you one yourself? Don’t miss nominating for the Philanthropy honor of our 2027 Missouri Arts Awards: bit.ly/NominateMissouriArtsAwards Enter through September 8 – the day before The St. Louis Black Repertory Company opens its 50th season with the help of generous supporters including our 2026 Philanthropy honorees, David and Thelma Steward.

09/04/2026

🚗 Arts all over Missouri: Opening at 4:00 today and running through Sunday is the 50th anniversary Queeny Art Fair. Over 120 artists, continuous live music, family art activities – and all indoors away from the heat! queenyartfair.org

The Queeny Art Fair – 50th Anniversary - Fall 2026 - September 4th, 5th & 6th
$2 at https://www.queenyartfair.org/eve.../queeny-art-fair-fall-26
--------
Artist Spotlight: Monique Stauder, Booth # 707
--------
Artist Spotlight: Rob Gilmore, Booth #903
--------

Let’s learn more about Monique Stauder…
MONIQUE STAUDER is a visual artist whose photojournalistic career has spanned the globe. Her work has appeared in leading publications such as TIME, Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, and Mother Jones, among others.
With an insatiable curiosity and deep empathy for the human experience, Stauder left her rural Indiana roots in 1990 to explore the beauty and complexity of humanity as an investigative reporter and freelance photojournalist. From 2000 to 2003, her solo journey around the equator culminated in the award-winning book Latitude Zero (2010), featuring forewords by acclaimed American novelist Paul Theroux.

Let’s learn more about Rob Gilmore...
FB and Insta are
I’m a fine art nature photographer, and I emphasize light, tone, texture, and beauty of the subject over an objective view of the world.

Come meet both of these amazing artists at The Queeny Art Fair – Fall 2026
Save the date now…
September 4th – September 6 th, 2026
Friday: 4 pm - 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 11 am - 4 pm
Greensfelder Recreation Center
550 Weidman Rd, Manchester, MO
For more information or to buy your tickets online, go to https://www.queenyartfair.org/

09/04/2026

Ever feel as Friday progresses that you are DONE? Here’s how that “Rat Race” looks to Ellie Kort! “My paintings tend to be dense, layered, a little chaotic, and marked with bold color,” she says. We welcome this artist and designer from Kansas City to our roster this month. Meet her and our other new for September/October at missouriartscouncil.org/featured-artists. | elliekort.com instagram.com/ellie_kort

09/04/2026

🚗 Arts all over Missouri: Tomorrow through Sunday in Hannibal is the annual Big River Steampunk Festival. Performers, artists, demonstrators, hands-on workshops and more bring an imaginary Victorian world to life along the streets of the city’s historic 19th-century downtown. bigriversteampunkfestival.com

09/03/2026

Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest 2027 takes off today! 🚀 This program by the National Endowment for the Arts invites high school students across the country to a dynamic poetry recitation competition that starts in their classrooms and culminates in national finals. Missouri has participated, orchestrated by the Missouri Arts Council 🙂, from the beginning over two decades ago.

Poetry Out Loud®, an arts education program and poetry recitation competition, is returning for the 2026-2027 school year!

09/03/2026

Who’ll follow in the footsteps of our 2026 Missouri Arts Awards honoree for Arts Education, Community Music School of Webster University? Arts organizations and individual educators, nominate yourself by next Monday, September 8 at bit.ly/NominateMissouriArtsAwards. We’re also taking self-nominations for Arts Organization, Creative Community, Individual Artist, Leadership, and Philanthropy. Plus for Leadership and Philanthropy only, you can nominate someone other than yourself. PHOTO: Community Music School’s summer Band Camp

08/31/2026

We’ve been showcasing the vibrant and varied visual art of photographer and filmmaker Julia López, interdisciplinary artist Kevin Dwight Richardson, acrylic painter Kayla Fisher, and fiber artist Becky Stevens. Even after we bring you new artists this week to usher in the fall, you’ll always find our July/August artists on missouriartscouncil.org/featured-artists right after each new highlighted quartet – plus all the other artists we’ve ever featured! (Artwork IDs and links to artists' websites in first comment 😃)