Springfield’s Irish Festival Association and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee are pleased to announce Roseann Bentley as Grand Marshal of the 32nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration, Saturday, March 17, 2012.

Bentley’s Irish heritage can be traced to the Donohues and Kellys of County Cork. She has served as Greene County Commissioner for the Eastern District since elected in 2004, and in 2011, was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Mrs. Bentley served eight years in the Missouri Senate representing the Springfield area. She was the first woman elected to that seat and was the first woman appointed to the Senate Appropriations Committee.  She also served for two years as Chair of the Senate Education Committee.

Roseann Bentley is a former president of the Springfield R-12 Board of Education, the State Board of Education, and the National State Boards of Education.  She was a founding member of Ozarks Public Television; first president of the Junior League of Springfield; and former chair of the United Way of the Ozarks.

Commissioner Bentley is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, earning a degree in Early Childhood Education, and is married to Dr. John Bentley, a previous recipient of CFO’s Humanitarian Award.  They have four children and eleven grandchildren.

For more information on the Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade or to register to participate, visit www.springfieldstpatsparade.org.

Allison Murray "My Art Teacher" (colored pencil)

Teachers from around the Southwest Missouri area submitted their student’s work that best expressed the “Monumental Moments” experienced in the creation of art.
“With the understanding that creating reflects what we know, see, and want to express, SDATA and MAEA are excited to sponsor this exhibit because art is something everyone can share, young and old,” says Cyndi Shepherd, an Ozark, Mo. elementary art teacher.

The mission of MAEA is to advocate quality visual arts education by supporting creative teaching, providing opportunities for professional development and encouraging the study and implementation of best practices in the art education discipline.

Harlie Griggs "Still Life" (watercolor)

National Youth Art Month, held annually in March, acknowledges the outstanding leadership of art educators and abilities of students.

Normal gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Creamery Arts Center is located at 411 N. Sherman Parkway across from Hammons Field.

For more information on this exhibition, contact the Springfield Regional Arts Council at 417-862-2787(ARTS) or on the web at www.SpringfieldArts.org.

Kaiden Bennett "Where the Wild Things Are" (tempera)

The SRAC, incorporated in 1978, connects people and the arts. It supports some of the most prominent visual, performing, literary and film/media arts organizations within 27 counties, the largest outreach of any in the state of Missouri. The current mission of the SRAC is to transform lives and enrich our Community through the Arts. The SRAC also manages The Creamery Arts Center, which houses the offices of the SRAC, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Community Center and Care to Learn, as well as a board room, classrooms, instrument storage, arts library, exhibition hall, film editing bays and shared costume and set design shops managed by the Springfield Little Theatre.

To meet the rising demand for quality student housing, Miller O’Reilly built “The Monroe,” which opened for the 2011 fall
semester. Students can anticipate the same quality and same amenities, but with more pricing and living arrangement
options and more fun with the up and coming privately owned student housing communities, Deep Elm and The Jefferson.

Matt Miller and Pat O’Reilly, of the Miller O’Reilly Company, commented that they had recognized a need for quality
student housing near Missouri State University. Miller added, “If you’re a student at MSU and you’re looking for quality
housing, your options were pretty limited.”  The Monroe addressed that need by providing suitestyle apartments, with private bedrooms and bathrooms. Now, Deep Elm and The Jefferson will continue to answer that need by developing the apartment housing opening in August.

Like at The Monroe, students can choose to rent their own furnished bedroom and private bathroom at Deep Elm and The
Jefferson and not be responsible for their roommates’ leases. Miller O’Reilly pioneered the by-the-bed-leasing (common to student housing across the country) leasing strategy in Springfield with introduction of Walnut Quads and The Monroe over the past two years.

Deep Elm is truly one-of-a kind apartment community “unlike anything Springfield has ever seen. It looks like it’s straight
out of Orange County (CA),” said Matt Miller. The apartment buildings are connected by a plaza in the middle so that you
have a community feeling while maintaining your privacy with your own bedroom and bathroom. The apartments at
located at 701 E. Elm Street on the MSU campus across from Bear Park North parking garage; an easy walking distance to all campus activities (and the Bearline Shuttle) as well as downtown dining and entertainment venues. Amenities include
private bedrooms, private full bath, fully furnished, full kitchen, washer/dryer in each unit and everything included (utilities, cable, internet, WiFi, on-site recycling).

The Jefferson will be located close to campus and downtown at 835 S. Jefferson, across from Jarrett Middle School. Prices
starting at just $350 with everything included (utilities, cable, internet, WiFi), fully furnished, full kitchen, washer/dryer in each unit.

The partners of Miller O’Reilly are leaders in the Springfield student housing industry with Deep Elm, The Jefferson, The  Monroe, eko Park Apartments – as well as other entities such as: Walnut Alley, Six23 Condos, and several loft buildings
downtown. Deep Elm and The Jefferson open their doors to residents in August for the start of the 2012 Fall Semester.

For an interview, please contact Matt Miller at 417-496-6224.

“I’m most excited about our handcrafted jewelry display.” claims Stephanie Weddell, gallery manager, “Now is the perfect time to buy one-of-a-kind jewelry for that special person in your life!”

Valentine themed desserts will be served to gallery visitors. Drury student Laura Dickinson will serenade guests with jazz standards from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The gift shop promises a large collection of handcrafted jewelry, handmade cards and other Valentine gifts.

The Drury on C-Street Project is an initiative by Drury University, in partnership with other local organizations, to establish a Drury Center on Commercial Street. This center includes an art gallery, a business resource center, space for weaving looms, architecture classroom and a multipurpose area for additional classes and seminars.

Sunset Comedy Club might be getting a new name soon but is most definitely moving to a new location: THE SKINNY IMPROV (306 South Ave) above Nonna’s Italian Cafe in beautiful downtown Springfield.

Sunset Comedy Club is excited to keep expanding and trying new things in the area stand up comedy scene. Sunset Comedy Club is where you’re sure to find the BEST laughs in town and is a monthly comedy night that takes place on the last Wednesday night of the month at 9 pm.

Sunset Comedy Club believes that Springfield and the Ozarks have some of the finest and funniest comedians in the region and we want to help to continue to grow the comedy scene. This month we are holding an open mic session and asking all comedians to come out with their A-Game so the following month comedians will be given the chance to be a local PAID Comedian Showcaser(s)*.

Open mic starts at 9pm and participants will be asked to prepare up to 3 to 5 minutes of ORIGINAL material.

There will be a select number of Open Mic spots, so please show up early.
This is an 18 and Up Show (original and clever adult content will be encouraged).

$5 gets you into see the show.

*If inquiring about how to become a featured paid showcaser please feel free to email angel@theskinnyimprov.com

Springfield Contemporary Theatre and Drury University Theatre announce community auditions for the final production of the season, Enron. Written by twenty-eight year old English playwright Lucy Prebble, Enron is a theatrical epic event that tells the story of one of the most infamous scandals in financial history. Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, the play follows a group of flawed men and women in a narrative of greed and loss that explores the tumultuous 1990s and casts new light on the financial turmoil in which the world now finds itself. Inspired by real-life events and using music, movement, projections, pop culture and pure theatricality, Enron captures the economic free-for-all that precipitated the collapse of the energy giant in the wake of the greatest white-collar crime in American history.

Director Robert Westenberg will be auditioning community actors on Sunday, January 22 at 7:00 PM at the Vandivort Center Theatre located at 305 E. Walnut in downtown Springfield. Those wishing to audition at that time are asked to prepare a contemporary monologue that is serious or dramatic in nature and no longer than 3 minutes total. Also, auditionees are asked to call the VCT Box Office to sign up for an audition time by calling (417) 831-8001. Walk-ins will be worked in as time allows. For more information about auditions, visit the SCT website.

ROLES

The cast will be comprised of a mix of students from the Drury University theatre program and actors from the community.

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS (3 men, 1 woman)

Ken Lay: 50′s to 60′s, he was president of Enron, paternal, political, energetic, born dirt poor and the son of a Baptist minister, a doctorate in business, friend of presidents

Jeffrey Skilling: 40′s, brilliant conceptualist who becomes the president of Enron, graduate of Harvard, a believer in Darwinist principles, wildly ambitious, not a “people person”

Claudia Roe: 30′s, tough, nicknamed “Claws,” competitive, one of the most powerful women in finance (Forbes magazine)

Andy Fastow: Late 20′s to early 30′s, lupine, a numbers guy, smart, socially inept, an outsider, ambitious and overdressed

ENSEMBLE (6 men, 5 women)

Ensemble plays numerous speaking roles throughout the production. They play traders, accountants, analysts, lawyers, members of the press, politicians, board members and other high profile individuals.

CHILD (1 girl)

Jeffrey Skilling’s Young Daughter: no older than 9, only does scene work with actor playing Skilling. While there is no strong language or violence in the scene work containing the daughter, the show itself does contain some very mature material.

Springfield Contemporary Theatre is in its 17th season of productions in the historic Vandivort Center and its second full season as a nonprofit organization. A wide variety of productions has been produced year round, from the landmark Hair and The Rocky Horror Show to Nine: The Musical and The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? The SCT is dedicated to the production of works that can be re-energized through a contemporary view and through an intimate staging while using outstanding directors and local actors and guest professionals throughout the season.Springfield Contemporary Theatre is a founding member of the Springfield Theatre Alliance.

Louis Schaeffer

Executive Producer

(417) 831-8001

Now in its 4th year, “Hearts for the Arts” has raised thousands in auction sales thanks to local artists from the area who created “Hearts” that are bid on by art patrons from all over the world. All proceeds go to support SRAC’s year-round artseducation programming that hires local teaching artists and arts organizations to work with at-risk youth as well as area after-school and weekend programs. Programs include Free Art Day, Growing Up in the Arts and field trips to TheCreamery Arts Center.  In 2010, the SRAC reached over 20,000 children in the 27-county region the Arts Council serves.

Bidding will culminate on First Friday Art Walk, Friday, Feb. 3 with a free public reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On line bidding will end at 8 p.m. and in person gallery bidding will end at 9 p.m.

“Hearts for the Arts” is presented this year by AT&T Real Yellow Pages.

To learn more about the auction or the SRAC’s programs, please contact the SRAC at 417-862-2787 (ARTS) or visit SpringfieldArts.org.

The SRAC, incorporated in 1978, connects people and the arts. It supports some of the most prominent visual, performing, literary and film/media arts organizations within 27 counties, the largest outreach of any in the state of Missouri. The current mission of the SRAC is to transform lives and enrich our Community through the Arts. The SRAC also manages The Creamery Arts Center, which houses the offices of the SRAC, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Community Center and Care to Learn, as well as a board room, classrooms, instrument storage, arts library, exhibition hall, film editing bays and shared costume and set design shops managed by the Springfield Little Theatre.

The Springfield Department of Planning and Development is coordinating the effort which will rely heavily on public engagement. The process will begin with a meeting on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., in the Community Room of Butler Rosenbury and Partners, located at 319 N. Main Avenue. Public engagement will continue with a meeting at the same time and location every two weeks thereafter until April 11, 2012.

In addition to the meetings, public engagement will include a web page at www.springfieldmo.gov/collegestreet, and an electronic forum accessed through the web page. The web page will contain reports, meeting announcements, agendas, and meeting notes, while the electronic forum will be available for community members and City representatives to have ongoing discussions about the process.

The College Street Corridor, which lies within the West Central Neighborhood, is well positioned for revitalization due to its strategic proximity to the thriving downtown and the future West Meadows. It has a rich and varied history in the settlement and development of Springfield. William Fulbright established one of the first homesteads in the vicinity, and the corridor supported Civil War Fort Number 2, the first Springfield Brewery, and Route 66.

Plan completion is anticipated during the summer of 2012.

Questions and requests for additional information may be directed to 417-864-1031 or through www.springfieldmo.gov/collegestreet.

Food can be dropped off during regular business hours at the checkout desk of any branch library or the bookmobile, and there is no limit so patrons can pay off all of their fines.

For locations and hours, please visit thelibrary.org.

Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches approximately 80,000 individuals monthly and distributes 12 million pounds of food annually. OFH was named the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org and at facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest.

2011 Storm Drains

Why Storm Drains?

In Springfield, as in most cities across the country, storm drains lead to our rivers and other surface waters.  An ongoing and hazardous misconception is that the storm drains are “sewers” that lead to the wastewater treatment plant.  With this misconception, the storm drains are misused as a ‘safe’ way to dispose of waste such as soapy water, oil, paint, trash, and other pollutants.  When pollutants are disposed of via storm drains, they end up in our waterways.  Storm Drain Reveal is designed as a public education project to inform the community of the connection the storm drains have with our waterways.

In addition to the storm drain/surface water connection, the impact of impervious surfaces (roads, rooftops, parking lots), lawns, and our individual habits will be a focus of this project.  Water is like a magnet and picks up everything in its path such as grease, oil, brake dust, anti-freeze, fertilizer, and pet waste.  When it rains stormwater flows over parking lots, lawns and other surfaces.  The water collects pollutants, which enter the storm drains and accumulate in our local streams.  In downtown Springfield, the location of last year’s Storm Drain Reveal, the storm drains led to Jordan Creek.  Jordan Creek is a tributary of Wilsons Creek, which flows into the James River, which in turn flows into Table Rock Lake.  This is what we call a “watershed address” (http://www.springfieldmo.gov/stormwater/watershed.html).  The quality of water in The James River and Table Rock Lake is at risk from excess nutrients causing algae growth.  Increased algae causes issues such as green water and low oxygen levels affecting the health of fish and other aquatic species. To reduce pollution individuals can: direct downspouts away from driveways and streets (preferably to a rain garden, rain barrel or a bioswale), keep lawn clippings & leaves out of the streets, wash vehicles in a car wash or on the lawn, pick up pet waste, dispose of chemicals properly, fertilize your lawn properly and prevent bare soil from washing away.  Good practices include the use of pervious surfaces, green roofs, rain gardens, rain barrels and cisterns, native landscaping, tree preservation and planting, and protection of natural areas for greenspace . These practices also reduce other negative impacts of excess runoff such as streambank erosion and aquatic habitat degradation, as well as promoting groundwater recharge to feed our springs, streams, and drinking water.  For more information about stormwater pollution and these practices, visit www.springfieldmo.gov/stormwater and www.jamesriverbasin.com.

What are we looking for?

There are 10 storm drains identified for this project. We are asking artists to submit their ideas using the attached application.  A committee of City and JRBP staff will choose 10 designs from those submitted.  Keep in mind the messages we are trying to convey as you create your design. The artwork is anticipated to last for at least several years. We hope the murals will continue to raise awareness long after the initial planned events.  Artwork can expand up to four feet on any one side of the storm drain if the conditions allow.  There are a variety of storm drain locations this year that can be found on our website and on the application form. You have the option to create your design with one of the storm drains in mind or you may design a more general design that may work on any storm drain.

What to expect?

The storm drains will be power washed before the project begins thanks to a donation by Pressure Tech, LLC.  The artist will be responsible to pick up orange cones from the City which they will be required to use during painting. The artist will also be given Seal-Krete Clear Coat to put on before and after the painting is done.  Acrylic paints in basic colors will also be provided.  On the application you will see deadlines for bio submittal and art completion. These deadlines are critical to the success of the project. Once the storm drain murals are completed, professional photos of each drain will be taken, blown-up and mounted.  In 2011 these photos, along with the artist’s mounted bio, were displayed at May’s First Friday Artwalk in the Canvas Gallery on South Avenue and Saturday and Sunday at Artsfest on Walnut Street.  Ten’s of thousands of people viewed the photos, bios and water quality information during these events. The public was encouraged to vote for a “People’s Choice” winner. It is anticipated that Storm Drain Reveal 2012 will work much the same at this.  For the remainder of the month of May and likely through the rest of the year, the photos will hang in a local business.  A flyer will also be created using the photographs and artists’ names and it will be distributed throughout the year.  A variety of press releases, dedicated web pages social networking sites, and newsletter articles for the project will be utilized.

Who are our partners or contributors?

• Kat Allie, Fine Arts Department OTC
• Springfield Regional Arts Council
• Urban District Alliance
• Pressure Tech
• Seal Krete
• Others TBA

A few examples…

There are two storm drains that were painted a few years ago in Springfield by Knial Piper and Keaton Piper. This served as the initial inspiration for this project. They can be viewed at http://www.springfieldmo.gov/stormwater/galleries/art/index.html

Here is a link to the info and designs for Storm Drain Reveal 2011. This also has the updated info for 2012 as it becomes available.

http://www.jamesriverbasin.com/events/view/9

The links below will lead you to other examples of painted storm drains from other areas of the country.

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/22/1401352/in-made-you-look-two-artists-draw.html

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/05/14/storm-drain-art-from-brazil/

http://aquarium.org/posts/833819882-Aquarium-Youth-Volunteers-Bring-Storm-Drain-Art-To-Newport

If you are an artist interested in participating and lending your time and talent please print the attached form, fill out and send to:

You may scan and email your application to  tfrey@missouristate.edu

Download an application here.

Images of all 2012 Storm Drain locations.

Deadline to receive Application is February 27^nd, 2012

Let the message and your artistic imagination run with this project. We are excited to see what ideas are out there!

Questions or concerns? Please email tfrey@missouristate.edu or call 836-6183