Ja'Licia Gainer

Jazzy’s Comics

On display in the South Gallery of the Columbia Art League

March 31 - April 18, 2026

Reception: Thursday, April 2, 5:30-7 pm

Artist Statement

“Jazzy’s Comics” centers on documenting and celebrating Black material culture through a visual language inspired by comic book aesthetics. Using vibrant colors and graphic line work, I seek to transform everyday objects and spaces into vivid compositions that honor their cultural weight. These objects are archives that carry histories of care, resistance, entrepreneurship, style, and self-definition within Black communities. The comic book style I employ draws on a visual storytelling rhythm that is historically accessible and often heroic. “Jazzy’s Comics” functions as both homage and record. Through comic-inspired imagery, I aim to create a visual archive of lineage and lived experience from Black cultural touchstones that is as dynamic, layered, and resilient as the communities it reflects.

Artist Bio

Ja’ Licia Gainer was born in Tulsa (Broken Arrow), Oklahoma. Gainer and her family moved to Columbia, Missouri, in her early childhood. Gainer attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Gainer is currently in graduate school for a Master of Arts in Visual Studies and is a teaching assistant/instructor at the University of Missouri. Outside of academic studies, Gainer is an avid painter, having shown her works in local galleries and exhibitions, including the Columbia Art League, Montminy Gallery, The Shops at Sharp End, the annual Boone County Art Show, and Orr Street Studios. 

Artists In Their Own Words: Sandy Hockenbury

We know that the job of an artist is, at times, a difficult one. To mediate the world through the stroke of a brush or the snap of a camera is no small feat. We believe in giving artists their flowers, which is why we love to highlight them through an Artist Q&A! We dive into their process and how they created their current piece in the gallery. Please keep reading to learn more about artist Sandy Hockenbury and her artworks in our Scrumptious exhibition, Essence of Iridescence I and Essence of Iridescence II!

Essence of Iridescence I

What is the inspiration behind this work?

Sandy: “I find design in nature miraculous and fascinating, yet I am limited in what I see and understand. Something has to inspire my attention. An article about iridescence and viewing micro images inspired thoughts and ideas over some weeks and months.”

For Essence of Iridescence I:

“I love rocks in their raw state, and I love how the transparent watercolor and ink helped me capture that.”

For Essence of Iridescence II:

“Microscopic views of the iridescent feathers of hummingbirds kept coming to mind. I was aware of their luminous feathers but had no knowledge of the underlying miracle in these tiny birds.”

Essence of Iridescence II

How long did it take you to make these pieces?

Sandy: “Interesting question. If we are talking just execution, two days after several renditions for Essence of Iridescence I, three days for Essence of Iridescence II.”

Describe your creative process.

Sandy: “Lots of free sketching, drawing, and playing with watercolor and ink until I get a sense of direction. It is important to me to stay true to watercolor’s transparency. I plan my design and format size, and choose pigments and color schemes. Next come several renditions. Then I plan my presentation.”

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when starting your journey as an artist, what would that be?

Sandy: “Study the conventional wisdom of art and design principles, master your chosen media and tools, THEN express your true artistic self.”

Karen Hodges

Of Boats and Barns

On display in the hallway gallery of Central Bank of Boone County

March 24 - May 3

Of Boats and Barns

The tug and pull of the human spirit is one of boats and barns.

Explorers, traders, pilgrims, immigrants, and scientists throughout the centuries have embarked into the unknown to discover new horizons. We may not be nautical pioneers seeking to discover uncharted vistas, but within our own lives, we are all seeking and daily venturing into our unknown future.

At the same time, our hearts are yearning for gathering, stability, connection, and belonging. One of the innate yearnings of the human soul is a desire to find a secure space in this world where we love and are loved. Barns are a symbol of refuge from life’s storms.

To seek and explore or to gather and stay—as humans, we crave both. We need both. Adventure drives and molds us, and belonging grounds us. When we allow these desires to work in tandem rather than as opposing forces, we find that our life voyage is ever leading our vessel toward that place of anchoring that we seek, to that feeling and destination that we each call home.

Artist Statement

I love to paint and paint to love. My love of the creative process inspires me to pick up a brush, and my outcomes are an expression of the people, places, and things that matter to me. Painting is a means for me to reflect my awe and gratitude to God for the majesty of all His creations.

In my work, I seek to portray light and render the truth and spirit of my subject. It’s a humbling undertaking. I straddle the spheres of realism and impressionism—painting things as they really are, yet inviting the viewer to engage in the creative process to finish telling the story I’ve begun. I hope to inspire and lift others through adding beauty to the world. Ultimately, my highest aim would be for someone to stand before my work and be moved emotionally and spiritually by it—for them to feel joy, peace, and a greater sense of God’s love.

Artist Bio

Karen is the mother of five incredible children and wife to her one true love, Brady. She discovered her affinity for oil painting during the COVID-19 Pandemic and is self-taught. She feels grateful every day for the opportunity to create and is a firm believer that with desire and effort, anyone can become an artist.

Paleobiologists at CAL! Info for the Dino Show

We are so excited to partner with Mizzou Paleobiology and invite artists to explore the full fossil record and dig into the layers of prehistory, bringing long-extinct organisms and their worlds to life once more.

We hosted a short event earlier this week with the paleobiologists and got to look at fossils and ask questions. If you missed it or have further questions, you can email Tara, and she will get you in touch with one of the paleobiologists. Tara's email is: sellyt@missouri.edu

You can visit the Geology building on campus at Mizzou (near Peace Park) and look at the awesome mural that Stacy Cheavens made for their space. It's fun and inspirational! (See second photo above)

Here is the blurb about the show with dates, and drop off information:

Step back in time and let your imagination roam through Earth’s deep past—from microscopic life to dinosaurs, and from ancient seas to vanished forests. We invite artists to explore the full fossil record and dig into the layers of prehistory, bringing long-extinct organisms and their worlds to life once more.

This show is a collaboration between CAL and Mizzou Paleobiology. Artists will have the opportunity to partner with a paleontologist to learn more about current research on prehistoric life including plants, invertebrates, and local Missouri fossils. Creativity can flourish where arts meet science.

This is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Submit your work in advance.

Drop off in person at CAL: April 24 & 25 | Pick up: June 12 & 13

And the link where you can submit your work!

https://columbiaartleague.org/featuredcalendar/step-back-in-time-dinosaurs

COMO Craftcycle: What Have We Here

On display in the South Gallery of the Columbia Art League

3.3.26 - 3.28.26

In conjunction with their recycled art show, What Have We Here, Como Craftcycle Collective volunteers will host two interactive stations at the Columbia Art League during the True/False film fest. Providing reflection prompts, typewriters, paper craft supplies, and hand-sewing materials, the stations will invite festival goers to contribute their film reflections to a community collage and to spice up their festival t-shirts. 

The reflection stations support Craftcycle’s mission to keep usable materials out of the landfill, teach community members to create new value from pre-loved materials, and create space for people to learn in a welcoming environment filled with the joy of creating without judgment.

The stations will be open during the T/F film fest at the Columbia Art League. What Have We Here, an art show celebrating recycled and reused materials, will be on display at CAL from March 3-28, 2026, with an opening reception from 5:30-7 pm Friday, March 20.

ABOUT COMO CRAFTCYCLE COLLECTIVE

Como Craftcycle Collective accepts cash donations and sewing, knitting, painting, and other supplies to resell at their boutique in the Habitat ReStore, 1305 Business Loop 70 E. Proceeds support education about creative reuse through events and classes designed to spark creativity and teach practical techniques for giving used materials new life. 

COMO CRAFTCYCLE REFLECTION STATION HOURS:

• Noon to 4 pm Friday, March 6, 2026

• 1 to 6 pm Saturday, March 7, 2026

• Noon to 4 pm Sunday, March 8, 2026

Tiny Things 2026

On display in the Betty and Art Robins Group Gallery at the Columbia Art League

3/3/26 - 4/11/26

Reception: Friday, March 13, 6-8 PM

Congratulations to the ribbon winners…

First Place: Matt Moyer, Pump 2

Second Place: Michael Sleadd, A Star’s Wish

Third Place: Stephanie Thompson, Fern Was Frequently Found Engulfed in Ennui

Honorable Mention:

Lina Forrester, Un Matin Tranquille

Lindsay Picht, Wait

Joel Chrisman, Bean Fields at Dusk

Vicki Smith, Make it Cease

Kaci Smart, Shino Jar

All artworks in this show are limited to 8” x 8”, including frame. Artists are challenged and inspired to create something tiny in physical size, but still powerful and touching in impact and emotion. Changing our perspective and viewpoint in one way can lead us to see our entire world in expansive ways. Size isn’t everything; so what is it really, and how does it impact the creation, vision, and enjoyment of art?

Tiny Things is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

The Interns' Turn: All Of My Favorite Things

Hi, my name is Lux, I am one of the interns at CAL this year! I wanted to write about Susan Taylor Glasgow’s exhibition, All Of My Favorite Things, which is currently on display in the South Gallery. Her work focuses on societal expectations placed on women, presenting them in her sewn glass sculptures.

I was drawn to her work by her unique use of glass to express her vision. In her artist statement, she calls her medium an “unforgiving material”, which I think perfectly describes the subject matter of her pieces. The unforgiving nature of brittle, solid glass collides with the soft, fluid sewn objects; imagery that defies the roles of feminine domesticity.

One piece I found interesting was ‘Eve’s Penance Corset’. Glasgow’s choice of placing the apple classically associated with Eve inside the heart of the piece references how deeply ingrained and how far back traditional gender roles go. The idea of clothing itself and modesty is heavily tied to Eve’s story. As the first biblical woman, she is tied to and very much reduced to the idea of sin. I think that Eve’s penance is reflected in today’s domestic treatment of women, subtly alluded to in Susan’s lace details of women doing household chores.

I also loved ‘Something Blue Brasserie’. Its title is a nod to the traditional wedding rhyme “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. The chains and lock draped on the corset create a statement on the pressures around chastity, of keeping yourself ‘pure’ until you find ‘the one’. The heart-shaped lock references a key to one's heart, and what unfolds after a wedding. These details shape the narratives surrounding a woman’s role in marriage, and the role marriage takes in a woman’s life. 

The same flowers that are in ‘Something Blue Brasserie’ are also present in ‘Beauty First Shoe/Pillow’, reinforcing the imagery of marriage and love, or lack thereof. The shoe’s allusion to the story of Cinderella poses the question of whether one is truly loved for their character or their beauty.

Glasgow’s exhibition is truly a work of art. Her use of classical references and imagery associated with womanhood is combined beautifully with her detailed glasswork. She has created a really meaningful story through her work, and I think it is very much worth seeing in person.

Rhonda Schrage

On display in the hallway gallery of Central Bank of Boone County

February 17 - March 20, 2026

Artist Statement

This body of work begins long before the visible layers.

Each painting starts with words — phrases, questions, fragments of thought written directly onto the surface. They are not meant to be fully seen. They exist as the foundation, shaping movement, color, and composition from underneath. Writing becomes a way of processing ideas — turning over concepts like forgiveness, balance, light, tension, patience, joy — and allowing them to settle into form rather than remain abstract.

The paintings evolve intuitively from there. I respond to what is happening on the canvas; adding, obscuring, softening, disrupting. Layers are built, some are covered, some re-emerge subtly through texture and transparency. The color palettes and gestural marks are often influenced by my love of the outdoors, such as shifting light, open space, horizon lines, movement in water and wind, and the tiniest details in the bark of a tree or wings of a dragonfly. Small mixed media elements, including torn papers or occasional dried paint fragments from my paint palette, are integrated when they serve the composition, but the driving force is always the idea beneath the surface.

I’m interested in the space between control and release. Between bold movement and quiet restraint. Between what is written and what is felt.

These works invite viewers to engage slowly — to sense that something exists underneath the color, even if it cannot be fully read. The process mirrors how we carry meaning in our own lives: not everything is visible, but everything shapes us.

This collection is ultimately about layered understanding — the way ideas evolve, soften, strengthen, and transform as we live with them. Each painting holds both the question and the becoming.

Each painting comes with a certificate of authentication with that hidden message from the first layer included on the certificate. 

Artist Bio

Rhonda Schrage is a mixed media abstract artist who has worked full-time as a professional artist for the past decade. She earned a degree in business and began her career in real estate underwriting before leaving the corporate world to pursue painting full-time. What began as a creative outlet steadily evolved into a sustained studio practice and a growing collector base. Schrage’s work has been recognized with honors, including Best of Category at the Fairview Heights festival, and has been included in both solo and group exhibitions in the Columbia and Springfield area, and is held in private collections across the United States. She has worked from home for the past 10 years and recently opened a studio in Jefferson City, MO, where she continues to develop new bodies of work while building a career grounded in both creative exploration and entrepreneurial experience.

Artists in Their Own Words: Nicole Wells

We know that the job of an artist is, at times, a difficult one. To mediate the world through the stroke of a brush or the snap of a camera is no small feat. We believe in giving artists their flowers, which is why we love to highlight them through an Artist Q&A! We dive into their process and how they created their current piece in the gallery. Please keep reading to learn more about artist Nicole Wells and her artwork in our Scrumptious exhibition, Ode to The Candy Lady!

Nicole Wells, Ode to The Candy Lady

What was the inspiration behind this piece?

Nicole: “The inspiration for Ode to the Candy Lady came from revisiting a familiar childhood figure and recognizing her deeper significance as an adult. My work often begins with people and their stories, and this piece was no different. With Ode to the Candy Lady, her story was just as important as the candy and snacks themselves. Growing up, I simply knew her as “the candy lady.” It wasn’t until adulthood that I really understood her significance within the Black community and how, in many ways, she was one of the earliest examples of Black female entrepreneurship and resourcefulness.

The candy, snacks, and freeze cups featured in the photographs were chosen with intention. They reflect what many of us remember from childhood and the small rituals tied to visiting the Candy Lady. The final image, a close-up of the Candy Lady’s (my grandmother representing “her”) hand holding a red freeze cup, is especially important to me. That gesture represents care, exchange, and memory. The red freeze cup itself is instantly recognizable and carries its own sense of nostalgia, grounding the work in a shared visual language many people know immediately."

My hope was and is that people who “knew” the Candy Lady would be reminded of their own experiences and stories of her, and that for those unfamiliar with her role, the work might spark curiosity and encourage them to learn more about what she represents within the community.”

How long did it take you to make this piece?

Nicole: “About a week and a half to gather all the different kinds of candy and snacks (these were all very specific and intentional snack selections) and coordinate a shoot with my ‘Candy Lady’.

Describe your creative process.

“My creative process is rooted in storytelling. I usually begin with a person, memory, or moment that stays with me and spend time thinking about what it represents beyond the surface. From there, I consider what details feel essential to telling that story honestly.

For this piece, I was very intentional about what appeared in the frame. I selected specific candy, snacks, and freeze cups based on shared memories and cultural familiarity, and I thought carefully about how each element would resonate visually and emotionally. I also paid close attention to sequencing and how the images would work together to build a narrative rather than stand alone.

I approached editing with restraint. I kept it minimal because the story of her and that time in my life wasn’t about perfection; it was about realness. I wanted the images to feel honest and grounded, allowing space for viewers to connect through memory, recognition, and shared experience.

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when starting your journey as an artist, what would that be? ”I would tell myself to study the greats and learn from them, but not to get lost trying to imitate them. Their work can teach you techniques and how to move with intention, but your own experiences are just as valuable. I’d also remind myself to trust my perspective, trust my eye, and be honest about what I’m drawn to. Rooting my work in my own memories, community, and lived experience has made it more meaningful, and creating my own lane while staying true to who I am has always been my greatest strength as an artist.”

Artists In Their Own Words: Michael Marcum

We know that the job of an artist is, at times, a difficult one. To mediate the world through the stroke of a brush or the snap of a camera is no small feat. We believe in giving artists their flowers, which is why we love to highlight them through an Artist Q&A! We dive into their process and how they created their current piece in the gallery. Please keep reading to learn more about artist Michael Marcum and his artwork in our Scrumptious exhibition, A Nook and Sardines!

What was the inspiration behind this piece?

“The sardine tin and its colors.”

How long did it take you to make this piece?

“About 12 hours.”

Describe your creative process.

“Right away, I knew I wanted to make a sort of still life. Originally, I wanted to make this piece more like it was a 2-dimensional painting with 3-dimensional elements. But struggled to work that out. When I was digging around the studio, I came across the drawer, and everything just started to come together after that.”

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when starting your journey as an artist, what would that be? ”Michael, don’t let yourself get down. You are a talented little cuss; that talent will express itself at the right time.”

Susan Taylor Glasgow

All of My Favorite Things

On display in the South Gallery of the Columbia Art League

2/3/2026 - 2/28/2026

Artist Statement

My Mother was a complicated woman.

Raising we girls by the Book of Conflicting Messages, my Mother lovingly shaped me into an ask questions later act like a lady you can do anything but learn to type first boys only want one thing but don’t say what it is do it right or don’t do it at all fall in love but have something to fall back on artist.  Oh, and learn to cook and sew. Men like that.

In response, or perhaps as a result of, I embrace domesticity in feminine spirit but not in action. My life is the culmination of feminine expectations gone awry. I like to sew things, but more in a mad scientist sort of way. My misguided domestic talents grew into a career in art, sewing unlikely glass dresses, lingerie, and illuminated gowns. I bake glass cakes in a kiln and frost them with pate de verre. I re-imagine coffee pots and toaster cozies to examine the concept of "women's work".

As an artist, I have the luxury of exploring the complexities of domestic life from the safe distance of my studio. I pursue beauty and sensuality in my work, giving the viewer a reason to examine it more closely and find within the work their own personal message.  

For years, I believed my work was about myself. But ultimately, my work is about my Mother. With her messages firmly embedded, I’m able to indulge my own notions of domestic role-playing. My work embraces the feminine ideals of sensuality in a seductive but unforgiving material, offering conflicting messages of comfort and expectation.

Artist Bio

Born in Superior, Wisconsin, Susan Taylor Glasgow grew up just across the tip of Lake Superior, in Duluth, Minnesota. She migrated south with the geese to the University of Iowa, graduating with a BFA in Design in 1983. After working in graphic design for a short period, Susan returned to the sewing skills passed on to her by her mother. Opening a dressmaking shop, Susan owned and operated “On Pins & Needles” from 1984 to1997, both in Iowa City, Iowa, and Columbia, Missouri. In 1997, Susan sold her dressmaking shop to pursue her original interest in art, focusing on glass. Utilizing her skills as a seamstress, Susan developed a unique approach to glass, stitching glass components together. Redefining "woman's work" in a non-traditional medium, Susan creates complex forms and imagery while exploring the dichotomy of women and societal expectations.  

Susan Taylor Glasgow has work in the permanent collections of several national and international museums, including the Chrysler Museum, Carnegie, Imagine, and Berstrom-Mahler of the United States, and the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung, Germany.  She is represented by Habatat Galleries in Royal Oak, MI.

You can view more of Susan’s work on her website: www.taylorglasgow.com

Scrumptious

On display in the Betty and Art Robins group gallery at the Columbia Art League

January 13 - February 19, 2026

Reception: Friday, January 16, 6-8 pm

Ribbons will be given out at the reception ~6:45 pm.

Congratulations to the ribbon winners

1st Place: Jill Heir, Optical Grape

2nd Place: Beverly Borduin, Bountiful

3rd Place: Phil Peters, The Pie Maker’s Hands

Honorable Mentions

Michael Marcum, A Nook and Sardines

Nicole Wells, Ode to the Candy Lady

Our beloved annual food-themed show, titled Scrumptious this year, celebrates the foods so irresistibly delightful + yummy that we still remember them. Whether it’s a decadent dessert or something savory to tide you over, Scrumptious invites artists to explore the visual feast that food inspires. Scrumptious coincides with our CAL fundraiser, Let Them Eat Art, where local chefs get inspired to create a mouth-watering dish for guests to enjoy based on a specific artwork in this year’s show.

We’ll be collecting for the Food Bank of Central & Northeast Missouri for the duration of the show! We encourage you to bring a couple of canned goods when you drop off your artwork or when you come to see the exhibition. We will have a blue collection bin by our front door! ⁠

Stephen Bybee: Night Photography

On display in the hallway gallery at Central Bank of Boone County in downtown Columbia

January 6 - February 16

Artist Statement

In 1998, I enrolled in an intermediate photography class at MU with Professor Oliver Schuchard. Our class assignment was to create and submit a topic for the end-of-semester portfolio. For reasons both pragmatic and creative, nighttime offered me the best opportunity to wander our city’s streets in search of inspiration and vision, so I selected Night Photography as my topic and began to photograph downtown Columbia in earnest. This portfolio topic, chosen 28 years ago, led to an obsession with night photography and to a long-term project to document downtown Columbia at night.  The earliest photographs in this body of work stretch back to 1996, with creative peaks occurring in 1998, 2001, 2003, 2011, and 2013.  From 1996 to 2010, I was making my photographs on film with a manual focus camera and a tripod. In 2010, I shifted over to digital image making and moved away from the use of black and white film and a tripod in much of my photography.  

When I started photographing Columbia at night, I was on a quest to find scenes that displayed the visual magic and the poetry of a city after dark.  I was fascinated by the beauty revealed by the darkness of night, and I recognized the power of darkness to transform the quotidian into something elegant and mysterious.

In 2009, when I moved back to Columbia and began working on night photography again, my drive and my purpose shifted from artistic fascination to historic preservation.  The Columbia that I had photographed in the late 1990s was changing, and features of the architectural landscape were disappearing and being replaced. My goal was now very clear, and it was to document the Columbia I knew before it changed and disappeared. The images displayed in this exhibit range from artistic fascination to historic preservation, and my hope is that the body of work will help to preserve the history, the architecture, and the beauty of nighttime Columbia.

Artist Bio

Stephen Bybee has been a resident of Columbia since 1995. In 1994, Stephen graduated from Westminster College with a degree in English and then moved to Colorado for a year to serve as a volunteer for the US Forest Service. Upon returning to Columbia, Stephen studied art and photography at Columbia College and Mizzou and spent much of his free time documenting downtown Columbia at night and rural Missouri by day. 

Stephen currently serves as the project director for Missouri Conservation Corps, an environmental nonprofit started in 2021, where he helps to promote and lead the group’s mission-related activities in the Columbia area. Stephen is also president of the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission, a member of the Columbia Tree Board, Vice President of the County House Branch Neighborhood Association, and is an active volunteer for groups such as Missouri River Relief, True/False Film Festival, Access Arts School of Service, Boone County History and Culture Center, and the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. 

Stephen is truly committed to the power of volunteers to positively benefit and transform our community.  When he has free time, Stephen enjoys photography, reading, running on an amateur level, and researching and preserving the history of Columbia and of central Missouri.  Stephen has a website for his nighttime photography called stephenbybee.com.

Cora Trout: Mise en Scène: Illustrating French Interiors

On display in the South Gallery of the Columbia Art League

January 6 - January 31, 2026

Reception: Friday, January 23 5:30-7 pm

Artist Statement

Mise en Scène

1. The arrangement of actors and scenery on a stage for a theatrical production

2. Stage setting

3. The physical setting of an action

4. Environment, milieu

France and furniture go way back. Since the eighteenth century, France has been the tastemaker extraordinaire of the Western world. During the Ancien Régime, under absolutist rule, furniture and domestic objects played an important role in the representation and maintenance of power. As historian Leora Auslander has noted, France strategically competed in the world economy by creating a competitive world in the decorative arts. Foreign artisans were wooed and encouraged to set up workshops in the capital. The crown displayed its strength by controlling those who made, sold, and bought furniture.

Many of the locations featured in this show were, at the time of their creation, tangible manifestations of power and wealth. And their interiors followed suit. Today, these interiors help us understand furniture and furnishings as objects of social history. The entirety of a room—chairs, cushions, curtains, commodes, and china—is a mirror that reflects the human emotions, needs, and desires (however rational or irrational) of a small sampling of the wealthy elite that inhabited Paris throughout different times in her history.

As I visited and painted these interiors, I became an actress in their mise en scènes. I let myself pretend. I hope you can imagine yourself in these recreations of places that captured my attention and imagination.

The paintings and book in this show were made possible by a two-month artist residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris and funded by the John T. Milliken Foreign Travel MFA award from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. 

Artist Bio

Cora Trout is an artist and designer currently living and working in St. Louis. She received her MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis in 2024, and her BA with majors in French and Francophone Studies and Classics from Macalester College. She was recently an artist-in-residence at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (September-October 2024). Her illustrated book, Looking Inside: Room Portraits of St. Louis, was the recipient of the Lewis E. Atherton Prize for an outstanding master’s thesis on Missouri history from the State Historical Society of Missouri. Her work has also been recognized by American Illustration 42.

Artists In Their Own Words: Diane Chappell

We know that the job of an artist is, at times, a difficult one. To mediate the world through the stroke of a brush or the snap of a camera is no small feat. We believe in giving artists their flowers, which is why we love to highlight them through an Artist Q&A! We dive into their process and how they created their current piece in the gallery. Please keep reading to learn more about artist Diane Chappell and her artwork in our Members’ Winter exhibition, Flutter ButterFlies!

Diane Chappell, Flutter ButterFlies

What was the inspiration behind this piece?

“This piece started like many of my paintings with the thought of let’s just see what happens.”

How long did it take you to make this piece?

“I probably spent a couple of weeks on this painting. A lot more time looking and studying before I would start painting. I can usually only see a step or two ahead at a time.”

Describe your creative process.

“With watercolor, I start with very light layers with no plan other than my paper size and choice of colors. The following layers become more deliberate as I start building my composition. I don’t know where it will end and that’s what I love about this process.”

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when starting your journey as an artist, what would that be?

“Work to develop your own style of art that feels true to you. Trust your intuition, speak from your heart and enjoy the journey. For me, it’s been not so much about the finished project as it’s been about getting there.”

Artists In Their Own Words: Ni Kang

We know that the job of an artist is, at times, a difficult one. To mediate the world through the stroke of a brush or the snap of a camera is no small feat. We believe in giving artists their flowers, which is why we love to highlight them through an Artist Q&A! We dive into their process and how they created their current piece in the gallery. Please keep reading to learn more about artist Ni Kang and her artwork in our Members’ Winter exhibition, Warm Winter!

Ni Kang, Warm Winter

What was the inspiration behind this piece?

“Yellow is like a filter, allowing one to see new landscape paintings anew. The sky, the mist, the brook, and the ground. I have treated them with the Chinese characteristic of leaving blank space.”

How long did it take you to make this piece?

“~2 hours”

Describe your creative process.

“I moved to the USA from China roughly three years ago and have been inspired by an 'East meets West' approach to my art since moving. If something inspires me, I think about ways to portray the subject in a new way. I typically use water and ink and have been experimenting with markers and acrylic recently. This piece uses Chinese traditional water and ink.”

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when starting your journey as an artist, what would that be? ”During the process of patient waiting, one can also do many things that seem to have nothing to do with art. You must realize that these things are also helpful to your art.”

Derek Fox

On the Road and In the Open Air

On display in the South Gallery of the Columbia Art League

12.2.25 - 1.3.26

Artist Statement

The American writer Wendell Berry wrote, “To live in a place and have your vision confined by it would be a mistake. But to live in a place and try to understand it as a standpoint from which to see, and to see from there as far as you can, is a proper challenge.”  This notion – of trying to more completely understand the familiar – is something that continues to inspire my work and is the very essence of painting outside from life, or en plein air. It is a unique exercise and experience to stand in one place for many hours, allowing yourself to be absorbed in the moment and the place.  To experience nature happening around you, watching the sun move across the sky, feeling the wind rise and fall again, smell different aromas permeate the air as the temperature changes and the ground warms and then cools again is transformative.

This collection of paintings was done largely from life, outdoors and on location either directly or from studies completed en plein air. While most are from locations here in Mid-Missouri, several were done from road trips across the middle of America including Kansas, Wisconsin and Colorado, featuring places that one could easily pass by and not give a second look. Those are the subjects that frequently catch my eye; how sunlight passes through leaves, or glints off a power line, or how streetlights cast different colored hues in the puddles of a wet street. It’s a powerful reminder that beauty is everywhere.

Artist Bio
Dr. Derek B. Fox is an artist from Columbia, MO who specializes in representational painting. He has a special interest in landscape painting either done en plein air or in studio from plein air sessions and photographs. Additionally, he regularly practices in both still life and portraiture.  Dr. Fox is also a professor of Veterinary Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Missouri’s Veterinary Health Center. Over the course of his career, he has worked as a non-licensed medical illustrator in his field of specialty, illustrating over 75 manuscripts and textbook chapters. It was these early studies in anatomy that helped train him in drawing complex forms from life. He has studied landscape and plein air painting with several artists including Joe Paquet, Don Demers and Marc Anderson. Dr. Fox has won awards at several plein air competitions across the state and was a recipient of a SkyArts Portrait Artis of the Week award in 2020.

Artists' In Their Own Words: Cheryl Hardy

We know that the job of an artist is, at times, a difficult one. To mediate the world through the stroke of a brush or the snap of a camera is no small feat. We believe in giving artists their flowers, which is why we love to highlight them through an Artist Q&A! We dive into their process and how they created their current piece in the gallery. Please keep reading to learn more about artist Cheryl Hardy and her artwork in our Members’ Winter exhibition, Silent Spring!

What was the inspiration behind this piece?

“Rachel Carson wrote a book entitled Silent Spring (1962) was about the loss of birds due to the indiscriminate use of pesticides, especially DDT. Although birds are still in decline, amphibians are going extinct faster than any other animal group, due to human impact on habitat loss, chemical use, and fungal infections enhanced by global warming. The frogs in my art are disappearing. Frogs show discontent by closing their eyes, and so too do the frogs in this drawing. Finally, the background goes increasingly darker because the world will be a darker place without frogs. And quieter too.”

How long did it take you to make this piece?

“I’m very slow at drawing, so I’d estimate about 40-50 hours.”

Describe your creative process. I draw what I feel passionate about.

“Often, I carry ideas around for a long time before committing to them since my output is small each year. I work from a reference thumbnail or digital collage, which typically changes as I work. I keep an ideas folder and write down ideas as I have them.”

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when starting your journey as an artist, what would that be?

“Play to your strengths and be true to yourself. There is room in this world for all kinds of artists and art. If you love what you do, then that’s all that matters.”

Worsham Travis

Coopers’ Landing

On display in the hallway gallery at Central Bank of Boone County in downtown Columbia

November 18, 2025 - January 3, 2026

Artist Statement:

Inspired by the beauty of Cooper’s Landing and the wide Missouri River, this body of work incorporates paintings and photographs!

Artist Bio:

John Warren (Worsham) Travis is an award-winning designer and painter whose creative career spans more than 70 years. A pioneer in theatrical costume and set design, his early work in costume and scenic design shaped more than 150 productions across the U.S., including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater, and San Francisco Ballet.

After retiring as Professor Emeritus of Dramatic Art at UC Berkeley, Travis turned to painting—studying in Paris and exhibiting in galleries across California and New York. His work reflects a lifelong exploration of light, space, and emotion, informed by deep roots in theater, architecture, and art history.

Now based in Columbia, Missouri, he continues to paint and write poetry, drawing inspiration from global art movements and the ever-evolving world around him. His current work—rooted in tradition, but always evolving—offers a window into an artist who’s never stopped exploring.

Members' Winter Exhibition 2025: Give the Gift of Art

On display in the Betty and Art Robins Group Gallery at the Columbia Art League

11.11.25 - 1.2.26

Reception: Friday, November 14, 6-8 pm

Ribbon winners will be announced at the reception ~6:45 pm.

This unthemed, Members-only show is always a holiday delight! We invite our artists to showcase the work they are most proud of, allowing you to snatch it up as a holiday gift!

The judge for the show, Dr. Laura Nerling, Art History professor at Columbia College, had a hard time choosing the award winners because there were so many lovely pieces. She selected the following artists for awards based on subject matter, technical skill, and presentation.

1st place - Tom Stauder, Wave

2nd place - Cheryl Hardy, Silent Spring

3rd place - Diane Chappell, Flutter Butterflies

Honorable Mentions

Sierra Anders, My Hour on Earth

Nancy Brickner, Lots of Pins

David Lancaster, Oregon Coast

Anna Drake, Quantum Afternoon

James King, Behind the Barn

Matt Ballou, The Cave

Peggy Hurley, Awakened in Harmony