A big “thank you” to everyone who entered and who made our October art show at The Gallery so much fun. Everyone can come pick up their entries during the same hours listed above. Here’s a photo gallery of all the entries – enjoy!

Monsters on Main Street

When the Arts Council runs a photography contest, the first rule is usually that every picture must be “as taken,” with no manipulation using Photoshop or other computer graphics programs.

WELL, NOT THIS TIME! For the “Monsters on Main Street” competition, you not only CAN manipulate your images any way you want, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO!

Here is the basic premise of the “Monsters on Main Street” competition:

1. Take a photograph here in the Lamar/Barton County area of a common Main Street landmark everyone who lives here would recognize, such as the Courthouse, stores on the Square, the Plaza Theater, Harry Truman’s birthplace, the grade school or high school, the football field, McDonalds/Sonic/Pizza Hut, a cemetery, the library, Walmart, the laundromat, Wheeler Park, well known area homes — any place we locals would be sure to recognize.

2. Drop one or more monsters into the scene, by whatever means at your disposal. Whether that means Photoshoping images into the picture, having real people in costume pose for the shot, physically pasting in cut out pictures collage-style — whatever you can dream up, it’s all good! The sky’s the limit! Take this basic one-two concept, landmark + monsters, and let your imagination soar!

3. Be as creative as you can – that’s all there is to it!

4. All entries will be displayed throughout the month of October at The Gallery, 206 W. 10th St., Lamar.

5. Visitors will be able to vote for their favorite entry, and the “People’s Choice” winner will receive a $50.00 cash prize!

6. The “Monsters on Main Street” contest IS NOT LIMITED TO PHOTOGRAPHS ONLY! Artists, feel free to express the premise outlined above in any medium of your choosing – painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, mixed media, etc. Put a local landmark and monsters together any way you want, and you’re in the show and contest!

7. There is NO LIMIT on the number of times you can enter! Create as many awesome scenes as you want! The more works you enter, the better your chances of winning the cash prize!

8. The Arts Council reserves the right to refuse any entry that does not follow the “ground rules” below:

Some Ground Rules:

“Monsters on Main Street” is intended to be an exercise in good, old fashioned creative Halloween fun! By the word “Monster,” we are thinking of the creepy creatures of classic Hollywood movies, such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts and ghouls, gargoyles and goblins, Frankenstein, zombies, skeletons, mummies, Godzilla, King Kong, the Blob, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. Classic creatures of myth and folklore would be great too, i.e., Big Foot, Momo the Monster (anybody remember him?), the Loch Ness Monster, flying saucers, aliens, giant black panthers, etc.

Just keep it fun – and Family Friendly!

Kitsch and camp are great, genuinely spooky is wonderful, strange and mysterious are just what we have in mind! However, ABSOLUTELY – NO crazy killers, NO chainsaws, NO axe murders, NO blood, NO gore, NO violence, NOTHING even mildly suggestive in an “adult” way – PERIOD. Let’s make “Monsters on Main Street” a fun and fascinating show that everyone of any age can safely enjoy!

HOW TO ENTER:

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING HAS BEEN EXTENDED!!!  You can now bring your awesome entries in throughout the month of October! We will collect ”People’s Choice” ballots only during the last week of the month, to allow the maximum number of entries to be on display when voting begins. The ballots will be counted, and the $50 cash prize winner announced on Halloween! Bring entries ready to hang to The Arts Council Gallery, 206 W 10th St., Lamar, just west of the Square on 10th St. The Gallery is open every Tuesday through Friday from 11:00AM to 5:30PM.

Questions? Comments? Email The Arts Council at ArtsCouncilofBartonCounty@yahoo.com. Thanks! We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

First Place Winners:

Lexa Curtis, “Bonnie’s Butterfly”; Mandy Radspinner, “Sweet Corn”; Hannah Venable, “Relief”; Alannis Divine, “Gang”; Xanadayuz Selman, “Self Portrait”, Jesse Moore, “Flower”

Second Place Winners:

Rebeca Darrow, “From God’s Paintbrush”; Kayla Mayfield, “Dragonfly”; Lexi Phipps, “The Summer Pond”; Alannis Divine, “Boy”; Nick Moore, “Flowers”; Hannah Venable, “Meow”

Third Place Winners:

Jordan Splitter, “Golden Eyes”; Mandy Radspinner, “Static”; Hannah Venable, “Cracked Glass”; Kayla McCullough, “Spring Breeze”; Keaton Trout, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”; Hannah Venable, “Exotic Starfish”

Honorable Mention Winners:

Zonetta Venable, “Rocks & Grass”; Kayla Mayfield, “Bee”; Mark Venable, “Skull at Peace”; Montana Washburn, “Puppy Love”; Kayla McCullough, “Play Time”; Kayla McCullough, “Backyard Butterflies”; Ella Harris, “Our Freedom”; Cori Griffitt, “Unicorn Tree”; Riley Griffitt, “Unicorn”; Addison Berryhill, “Foes”; Mandy Radspinner, “Cubed”; Mark Venable, “Tiger”; Dylan Hill, “Eagle”; Grace Compton & Kelsey Taffner, “Tiger”; Emma Moore, “Flowers”; Lexi Phipps, “Starlight Butterfly”; Dalton Schlichting, “My M&M”; Conor Tannlund, “Cat”; Alex Davis, “Cone Flower”

People’s Choice:

Two People’s Choice trophies were awarded as well, based on the votes of Fair goers who came into The Gallery to view the show during the week of the Fair. The People’s Choice trophy for art went to Keaton Trout for his painting “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The People’s Choice trophy for photography went to Kayla Mayfield for her photograph “Dragonfly.”

Congratulations to all!

Sample Photo Gallery: Art

Sample Photo Gallery: Photography

See lots more in the full show at The Gallery, all this month!

General Guidelines

• Entries must be original work of youth aged 16 years old or younger.
• Art themes may explore any subject, style or medium.
• Photography: No posed portrait photography, but any artistic theme is welcome – nature, animals, people (candid), buildings, scenery, weather, interesting close-ups, whatever catches your artistic photographer’s eye! The sky’s the limit! But all photographs must be “as taken,” and cannot be manipulated in Photoshop or other graphics computer programs.
• Entries will be exhibited throughout the entire month of August at The Arts Council Gallery, 206 W 10^th St., Lamar.
• Judging will occur immediately prior to the opening of the Lamar Free Fair.

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY JUDGING CATEGORIES

Categories for judging this year will be based on age alone, rather than on thematic categories. All art will compete against all other art, and all photographs will compete against all other photographs within the creator’s age group, regardless of theme. The age groups in which prizes in both art and photography will be awarded are:

PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES

Photo must be 8 x 10 and matted

Mat can be any color or size.

No frames or double matting.

Limit of five photos per person

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Photography Awards (each age group)

First place: $25

Second place:$10

Third place: $5

Peoples’ Choice: Trophy (one People’s Choice Trophy will be awarded for photography, not one for each age group. All entries will be eligible to win the People’s Choice Trophy, not just those that take ribbons, so it’s a whole ‘nother opportunity to win!)

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ART GUIDELINES

Art should be ready to hang & may be of any size, theme and medium

Art Awards (each age group)

First place: $25

Second place:$10

Third place: $5

People’s Choice: Trophy (one People’s Choice Trophy will be awarded for art, not one for each age group)

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How to Enter:

Bring entries to the Arts Council Gallery, 206 W. 10^th St., Lamar (just west of the Square on 10^th St.) Tuesday through Friday between 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM, any date between Tuesday, July 26^th and Wednesday, August 17^th. All entries will be displayed in the art gallery beginning the day they are received, so the sooner you turn in your entry, the longer it will be on display, and the more people will see it! So submit your work early!

All entries will remain on display throughout the Lamar Free fair, which ends Saturday, August 27^th. Entries will be available for pick up Tuesday, August 30^th through Friday, September 2^nd, any time between 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM.

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There will be an artist’s reception for Mr. Guinn at the Arts Council Gallery on Saturday, July 30^th from 2:00 to 4:00, with complimentary refreshments provided by The Wild Plum Café. All are welcome to attend!

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Guinn was born and raised in La Russell, Missouri, and currently resides in Sarcoxie. His great aunt was an artist, who taught him to draw when he was small child. He grew up sketching detailed farm and wildlife scenes, but only took up the painter’s palette when he learned of the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s annual Federal Duck Stamp Competition. Though he never won the national prize, his painting “Gadwalls” took first place in the Missouri Waterfowl Stamp Competition in 1992. In 2010, he placed in the top 10 in the Nevada Duck Stamp Competition, as well. He routinely competes in both duck and trout stamp competitions in Missouri, Oklahoma and Nevada. Approximately 25 of his colorful works are included in the July exhibit at The Arts Council Gallery.

When: Saturday, July 16th, 2011, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Where: Moore Pavilion, 103 East 10th St., Lamar Missouri. The Moore Pavilion is one block east of the historic Lamar town square.

How Much?: This event is FREE, but donations to the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Rebuilding Fund will be gratefully accepted.

Contact: To have your work included in the Art Show, please call Chris @ 417-214-5458. For info on the Missouri State Chili Cook-off, call Dixie @ 417-682-5432. For more info on the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Rebuilding Fund, go here. http://www.stmarysfirelamar.com.

Our hometown, Lamar, Missouri, has been selected to participate in the Missouri Main Street Connection Downtown revitalization program. This is a great opportunity for our community! Here are some important points about Downtown revitalization and the MOMainstreet program, from www.momainstreet.org:

Q. Why is your downtown important?

A. Your downtown is the most visible indicator of community pride. Downtown is either an asset or a liability in the effort to recruit new residents, new businesses and industries, retirees, tourists and others to your community and to keep those you already have. Quality of life is what separates successful cities and counties from declining communities.

Q. What is Missouri Main Street Connection?

A. Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) helps communities throughout the state revitalize their economy, appearance, and image of their commercial business districts within the context of historic preservation. MMSC is a partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Main Street Center, and the Missouri Department of Economic Development in delivering revitalization education services. MMSC is authorized, by annual contract with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to conduct evaluations of local Main Street programs in Missouri to determine their qualifications for Accreditation which is recognized by the National Trust’s Main Street Center. MMSC also cooperates and partners with the Missouri Alliance for Preservation to bring technical preservation expertise to communities in Missouri that are working to revitalize their downtowns while preserving the heritage and cultural assets of their communities.

Q. What does the Main Street statewide program do?

A. The program helps communities get focused to gather support from individuals and organizations interested in downtown revitalization, and helps them develop skills necessary to carry the revitalization mission forward. It serves as a source for the latest information, tools and techniques in downtown development and preservation, through a variety of conferences and workshops conducted around the state.

Q. What is the Main Street Four-Point® Approach to revitalization?

Four standing committees conduct the operations and activities of a local Main Street organization

a. Organization means getting everyone working toward the same goal, building consensus and cooperation among groups and individuals that have a stake in the district. In general, the effort must involve everyone in the community. The tools of organization include volunteer recruiting and training, developing an effective board of directors, and building a financially strong organization with diverse funding sources. Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc. www.momainstreet.org

b. Promotion builds value in the organization as well as in the business activities of the district. It develops a positive image of Main Street®, educates people about its historic and cultural assets, and markets the district to shoppers, investors and visitors. All activities within the downtown benefit from the promotional effort, including community services such as libraries, hospitals, city government, schools and social agencies. An effective promotional strategy builds relationships through advertising, retail promotions, and special events carried out by volunteers.

c. Design is enhancing the visual quality of downtown. It includes preserving and utilizing historic structures that carry the values of the past into the future. Design elements range from buildings to signs, sidewalks, street furnishings, window displays, lights, landscaping and parking, all conveying a visual message of what Main Street is and what it offers.

d. Economic Restructuring means expanding the economic assets of the community. The purpose is to reduce population loss and disinvestment, and alleviate poverty. Economic restructuring encourages economic growth by recruiting new businesses and investment that develops diversity, job creation, the preservation of historic structures, and conversion of vacant spaces into productive property.

THE LAMAR MOMAINSTREET CONNECTION LOGO CONTEST

An important first step in the MOMainstreet Connection Four-Point Approach is the design of an eye-catching, historically meaningful logo that can be used to promote our hometown and the great Town Square we have here far and wide across the State. A great logo lets others know that we are proud of our city, that we are devoted to the beautification, success and historical preservation of our Square, and that Lamar is both a great place to live and work (and to locate new businesses!), and also a fun and interesting place to visit, with lots of historical and cultural sites worth experiencing as a tourist.

The only prizes for this contest are the glory of being the artist/designer chosen to represent your home town, and the knowledge that your work will appear, not only in signs throughout Lamar, but all around the State. You will receive full credit for your work! You’ll win the undying gratitude of your town, and could be instrumental in drawing new businesses to the area, revitalizing the local economy, creating jobs, and lifting Lamar to new heights of economic and cultural success! What better prize could there be?

HOW IT WORKS

Design your logo incorporating whatever imagery you feel best represents our home town. Some obvious suggestions for design elements might include the Courthouse, the Square itself, Harry Truman, Wyatt Earp, etc. But you don’t have to limit yourself to the obvious – surprise us!

Submit your entry as a .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or other graphics file. If you can save the image as a .PDF, please do that, too. Submit both files by email to ArtsCouncilofBartonCounty@yahoo.com by July 8^th, 2011 (that’s only a few weeks!). Include your name, address, phone number, email address and any other information you would like us to have about you in the body of your email.

All entries will be published in the Lamar Democrat, and the winner will be chosen by the readers. So it truly is the town that will choose!

Here is a photo gallery of logos now in use by other communities involved in the MOMainstreet program. Just for inspiration!

Thank you all in advance for your efforts and creativity!