compositions

I love getting a phone call stating an exhibit starts in January, we need a poster, and can you come up with a name for it? Ok, that's more snark than the situation deserves.

I do enjoy coming up with a name for group shows, because that's part of communicating what the exhibit is about. A composition isn't just an essay, a piece of music, or poetry. It is the piece or pieces that make up the whole.

Otherwise, laying this out was pretty easy. The subtitle of fiber, metal, wood dictated the placement of the photos. (Yes, that is fiber sculpture on the left.) And every piece shown here has these wonderful organic curves.

Usually, I like to use one dominant graphic to get the point across. But this works without cluttering things up. You know what you're looking at, and it's easy to read.

Last minute ad!

Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like getting a call -- or in this case, an email -- asking can you work up an ad by Friday? (Technically, we had a few days after that, but still ...)

The local Kirksville paper publishes an annual Progress Edition focusing on the changing dynamics of the community.

This ad is very close to the initial rough draft. The second stab at it added two more pictures, but saner heads prevailed, and it was reduced back down to four. (Less is more.) There is only one static shot. Most arts detractors think the arts are to look at. I really wanted to show folks engaged, people doing things.

There are studies showing how arts/culture/tourism are tremendously positive factors of any local economy. Only progressive communities take advantage of those assets. This is the first ad Kirksville Arts has run that addresses what they do for the area. I hope we get to do one each year from here on out.

Painting Missouri

When I have access to a strong graphic, it is the canvas upon which to place text. Even if you arrange the text similarly, you’ve a different end result each and every time because of the graphic utilized.

In Painting Missouri, Billyo O’Donnell traveled to all 114 counties in Missouri and found a representative scene for each. You can read more about the project here.

 

The one thing I’ve done differently from previous posters is I placed the logos and contact info in the upper right corner. (I know pretty freaky, right?) However, this may not work in a vertical layout.

 

Newspaper ad. Here, the stack of logos and contact info works really well.

Perhaps a shaded background on future posters?

 

With each project, I try to strip it down to the bare essentials. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. One of the more immediate goals is to try to figure out how to include a QR code without it having look like an afterthought, or worse, clutter. (What do you mean “What’s the current status of my desk?” … None of your business.)

Red Barn 2012

There was so much I wanted to change after last year's Red Barn brochure. The sidewalks, though an accurate portrayal of the intricate brick patter that's there, was just too busy. And it went against my belief that graphics should be simple and clean.

As you can see, it's very subdued. I had the photo of the Arts Center in color, but then decided to run it through Photoshop to match the tone of the cover image for consistency. (Just because you can do things in full color, doesn't always mean you should.) As the festival is about a month earlier, they're about eight vendors down, so it would take some doing to get over 100 listed, but doable.

 

As you can see, the 24" x 36" map going on the signboards is the same as the image in brochure, but without the committee list. In its place is the Red Barn logo.



Area Schools

For last year’s Regional Schools exhibit, I focused on one image. This year, I decided to focus on one image from each school. Each school would get their own poster. (You get a poster! You get a poster! And you get a poster! … Yeah, it’s much better when Oprah does it.) It really goes against my belief that not everyone needs a participation medal, but when it comes to increasing foot traffic for and drawing attention to the arts, one must be flexible. It’s not up for debate.

The fun part of this is the hangers were inundated with art and I got the images at the last minute. However, since I had planned on following last year’s format, the foundation was set; I just needed to drop in the image. Unfortunately, the sender had tech issues, and the image quality prevented me from doing individual posters. I couldn’t enlarge the image without compromising it. So I made mosaic of images you see on the right. Best laid plans involve having a Plan B.

We did tickets for last year’s reception, same for this year, and although I had to drop a poster for each school concept, they did get their own ticket. This is also a neat way to see how many come from each school district.

I think my favorite is the dog. If I’m not mistaken, it’s a scratch technique. Your canvas is black and you scratch out the image. I know I would not have the patience to carry out something like that. At first, I didn’t know what to think of the paper sculpture (bottom right). The way I cropped it leaves an abstract face or mask. And the dragon in the center square is a whistle! (I want one.)

Now not to distract too much from the kids’ art, but keeping in mind that we are trying to push an exhibit, I did try to create some visual interest with the year and the exhibit title. I put the year in the background in a light grey, relegating it to kind of a watermark. The amount of white space below the mosaic is a nice contrast and your eye is drawn to the pertinent information.

A quick lesson about white space. Sometimes, you do not need to fill every crevice. Early drafts of this poster had each image in rounded rectangles or circles. I tried to create visual interest by staggering those blocks and circles, giving each their own personal space, and all that did was eat up the real estate I needed for the who, what, when, and where of it all.

Plus, the images by themselves are interesting; you don’t need to discombobulate things by trying to “artistically” arrange them, though I did place them alphabetically by student. Bottom line, I forgot to KISS … Keep It Simple Stupid.

Next week … I may have a final draft ready for William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead (a true and accurate account of the 1599 zombie invasion at the Globe Theatre).

2nd Annual Festival of Trees

After last year’s Festival of Trees, I began sketching ideas for this year’s, even though it was still kind of up in the air whether this would be repeated. Regardless, it’s always good to have some arrows in your quiver should the occasion arise.

Despite the nature shots I’ve posted in this blog, I do have an affinity for the retro Christmas tree, the fake white or silver ones. It's also possible my retro-inspired look was influenced by Mad Men. (I gave myself Seasons 1-4 for my birthday.)

I toyed briefly with making the tree a silver one, using a photograph of a pile of tinsel (see at right), but then the ornaments looked out of place; it was worth trying. I also decided that there weren't enough branches.

One of the last minute challenges was the Walmart logo, as they had decided to contribute. The way it worked out it was too late for me to call the store manager in Missouri, and I didn’t think I’d get anywhere with a manager here. So I found one of their plastic bags, cut the logo out of it, flattened it on my scanner using tape to get rid of as many wrinkles as possible, and cleaned up the scan as best as I could. It looks pretty good. I suppose I could’ve grabbed it from their website, but usually when you do that the resulting image tends to be lacking in every aspect. (There is a difference between print and digital.) Imagine my frustration when, after everything was said and done, I found an old Walmart photo envelope. (Excuse me a moment while I bang my head against my desk. In my defense, they’re usually recycled soon after I’m done with them.)

Other than the Walmart logo, placing the ornaments on this tree was just as tricky as decorating a real one. (You know what I’m talking about.) The background was originally a Christmas green, but I like the icy blue more. Also created were templates for the description sheet, which would explain the tree, and the bid sheet.

And yes, I’ve started sketching for next year.

Red Barn 2011

The Red Barn Arts & Crafts Festival is one of the biggest annual events in Kirksville with the possible exception of move-in day for Truman State University freshmen. Over 100 vendors encircle the downtown square in Kirksville, Missouri for a (more often than not) beautiful fall Saturday. In addition to the shopping, there’s entertainment, antiques in the Kirksville Arts Center, and tons and tons of food. I can personally attest to a tortured love affair with deep-fried Oreos.

In 2008, I was asked to create a booth map for festival goers, and now came time for an overdue – and much needed – upgrade. It’s a combination of two documents; the map, and another detailing the awards given and entertainment schedule, plus a list of sponsors and people making it all possible.

Done on an 11"x17" sheet, there are no full bleeds to the edge. As information and details come down to the final week, there was no way a printer could turn it around safely. KAA has a color copier connected to their computer, so this was the best way to go.

I'm going to rework the map on my own time. It's derived from a plan reworking the curbs around the square. It's good, but it could be better, I'm just not sure how. Maybe there's too much color in it, and maybe that's just me. The map page is vertical due to the number of exhibitors. (Which is not a bad thing.) The space was best utilized in this fashion. On the other side, the entertainment schedule is on the back for easy reference.

And I can honestly say this is the first project where I had to look up the correct capitalization and punctuation of Etch A Sketch, listed in one of the judge's bios. I could've sworn it was hyphentated.

KHS Class of '66: Celebrating Creative Energy

This exhibit for KAA showcases the artists of the Kirksville High School Class of 1966. I really enjoy putting something together for a multi-artist display, as I'm inspired by their output.

Putting a white bar between the images gives the impression of an offset window frame. However, and I almost did it this time, I thought long and hard about giving each image its own poster. I may still try it for this batch to see what it'd look like for future reference.

While the black and orange text may seem a little odd, they are the colors of Kirksville High.

Next week I'll discuss a project for the Red Barn Arts & Crafts Festival, which is this weekend. I would've done it this week, but there is always last minute information as things get put into place.

Regional Artists poster and newspaper ad

Kirksville Arts' Regional Artists Exhibit is an almost annual event, depending on how things fall. Here is the poster and a newspaper ad, which adds a thank you to those who contributed in the Vintage Vera exhibit.

Pretty straightforward stuff. Jana Russon contributed the photograph; an extreme closeup on a mandolin. I don't think I've angled the title in that manner before, but the strings on the mandolin pretty much demanded it, and your eye is drawn up to the date and the woodgrain leads you back down to the other pertinent information. Ah, simplicity.

Vintage Vera

I met Vera Burk when she was in her 80s and I was working in office supplies. She quickly became one of my favorite customers. I mainly made copies for her, but she picked up the occasional ream of paper and miscellaneous supplies, too. During the few years I worked there, I learned she had a brother shot down while flying a P-38 in World War II, and another brother, Don Faurot, was a legendary college football coach, inventing the split-T formation. She and her husband Sam were one of Kirksville's leading couples, founding the first radio station in town, and engaging in numerous civic activities.

One of my co-workers mentioned she had a ton of money. To Vera's credit, she never acted like it. There was never anything ostentatious about her. She was a class act, passing away a few years ago at the age of 94.

Kirksville Arts has put together an exhibit of her clothing, graciously donated by her family. In today's casual culture, it's interesting to see how people used to dress. (Mad Men anyone?) There are items from other people, but the bulk of this exhibit is Vera, and that's why I labeled it Vintage Vera. (I admit it borders on shameless marketing as her name still has some cachet.)

On a trip down to Kirksville, I was able to get some ensembles together and take pictures, hoping that one of the looks would make a suitable graphic. This shoot was thrown together at the last minute, and in looking at the results, I feared nothing was going to work. As I was making plans to go back down and try again, I started working with one of my favorite looks.

 

Original image and clean-up.

After an auto-enhance, I began to breathe a little easier. Getting rid of the background and dress dummy enabled me to have the image float on the page. I tweaked the side of the dress to eliminate some of the buckles in the fabric. To help with a retro feel, I put in a pink gradient background and utilized a flowing script for the exhibit title.

 Progression towards the finished product.

I think (I hope) it's reminiscent of a clothing ad from that era. The family saw an early draft and loved it, but I know nothing I do will truly equal the class and style of Vera Burk. The do not make them like that anymore.

Recently ...

Being almost three hours away, I can't always see the items I design posted for those to see. On a recent trip to Kirksville, I swung by the Kirksville Arts Center to take pics for a future exhibit. I decided to take these shots, to prove to myself that, yes, people are noticing.

(left) Putting the display box in context with the building. (right) A close-up; three of the four are mine.

Roadkill Clarinet Program

To complete the Roadkill Clarinet Quintet trinity, we have the program ...

I decided to put three on a ledger size (11"x17") sheet. Following the all blue background on the poster and ticket (shown on the right) is logical, but when using reverse text -- white on blue in this case -- it's sometimes difficult to read, especially with a smaller font, so I dropped that one.

On the left, I kept the intent of the poster with the band name and photo on the blue. But I'm not really a fan of putting the play list in two columns. Though I like the blue box at the bottom, it doesn't seem like an effective use of space.

In the center, I think we have a winner. Two columns: one for the evening's program, and any other relevant info in the other. Since there was ample space leftover, I thought it would nice to promote the annual Lunch & Learn series.

But as I got into designing the pieces for the Lunch & Learn, the space in the program was pitifully small. As a result, I expanded the program onto a letter size sheet, which, when folded in half, gives us four pages. Now, I could mirror the poster on the cover, and do the same with Lunch & Learn on the back. Inside, the audience can read about the players, and I borrowed from the bubbles on the front to punch up the play list.

 (left) Front and back covers. (right) Inside.

Lesson: If you're going to cross-promote, you better do it right.

Next week: With all the talk of Lunch & Learn ...

Regional Schools Art Exhibit 2011

This has to be one of the best posters I've ever done, and I had very little to do with it. As usual ('cause I'm about three hours away), I asked those hanging the art email me some photos to put something together. The minute I saw this image, I knew the planned montage would not suffice.

I tried several typefaces, but decided a simple sans serif would both be bold and not detract from the artist's work, who, by the way, is a sophomore. It's very simple ... Find the most striking image, showcase it, and try not to clutter it up.



I remember when this exhibit was divided among banks, grocery stores, and restaurants. While doing it that way guaranteed exposure, the art was, admittedly, in the background. A gallery setting is far more fitting, as it's now the focus. I never cease to be amazed at the output of these students. I salute the teachers for their ability to draw out such creativity.

17 March 11

There was a slight adjustment in plans, and it was decided to have a reception for this exhibit. That meant altering the poster slightly, and creating a "ticket" for kids to give to their parents and friends.

The Roadkill Clarinet Quintet

When I first approached this project, I thought it would be pretty straight forward. Well, that can quickly lead to pretty boring. That is until one phrase the committee wanted to see on the poster jumped out: Music from the Dance Era. And for some reason, my mind went to that dark place known as The Lawrence Welk Show, and that's when things got weird -- I mean, that's from where the circle or "bubble" motif sprung. (Champagne music ... bubbles ...)

I then Googled big band and swing band posters for further inspiration with mixed results. Color schemes, yes, but over all thunderbolt moments, not so much. Although, most of them used circles in their designs, so my instincts weren't completely off the rails.

This group does not have a logo. Earlier efforts on my part involved playing up the word "roadkill." No, no, no, merely a strip of highway as a design element, nothing more. Now I did pick this particular typeface for the tail on the "Q" as it is quite pronounced, even animalish. Tilting the word "clarinet" and giving it a different color, emphasizes the sound we'll hear. (At first I thought the instrument in the lower left of the group photo was a saxophone, but it's a bass clarinet. Who knew?)

I put the submitted group photo through some editing -- color to black and white, square to circle. The border is reminiscent of the design touches from the Swing Era. The real trick was arranging the bubbles without them looking like part of rotary phone or bad Swiss cheese. It's a lot of work to make something look haphazard and organized at the same time. I also played with the transparency of the dots to give a variety of depth.

For sanity's sake,  not every bit of information went into a bubble. The pertinent info: date, time, place, etc. is down at the bottom. It's an interesting look, and not like anything I've done before.

The tickets tie into the original design, but the look is obviously less complicated. Kirksville Arts is stilll small enough not to have an electronic ticketing system, like Tessitura. As long as that's the case, why not do something special?

I may be doing the program too, but I've not seen a set list yet. So there may be more to come.

Isabel Robinson

Isabel Robinson ... No, I hadn't heard of her, either, until I found this link. Very interesting, and an artist very worthy of a retrospective.

Only a few pieces were made available to me to photograph as the rest were still being gathered. I was immediately drawn to a tropical scene: beach house, palm trees, and pool.



Remember last week's post when I mentioned it was time to play in the snow? Yeah, the -25 degree wind chill over the weekend put me off that. (It's just too soon to be this cold!)

To help keep the mind off of the cold is one reason I wanted to use the beach house. It's wintertime, but here's a nice tropical scene. However, the original format on the left is just too bare. The image is isolated enough, but there's no OOMPH.

Using a different painting, one with a little less going on in order to use it as a canvas to place the text, and we have the final product on the right. The text -- in any color -- got lost in the tropics, yet it stands out just fine in the other. It pops, and at the same time does not distract from the image; a very nice blend.

I received feedback from the person who owns the painting, and they like the poster better! Awesome!

Speaking of the original, the picture I took and worked with is shown above. I simply straightened the image, goosed the color up a smidge, and cropped it. Bada-bing, bada-boom.

Festival of Trees

Kirksville Arts is hosting a Festival of Trees now through December 12, and I wanted to find something subtle, maybe even classy for the poster.

After settling on an antique Christmas postcard look, I found a stock image of a single ornament hanging from the tree. Originally in black and white, I added a sepia finish, plus red and green for the descriptive text.



"Festival of Trees" is done with a typeface called "Christmas Card," with a bit of a shadow for depth. It's very similar to some old Christmas postcards I've seen, and it's not too ornate that you can't read anything, which would defeat the purpose.

Well, there's about half a foot of snow on the ground right now ... Yep, it's time to go play! Woo-hoo!

I'm sure it was a good idea at the time ...

... but now someone has to deal with the aftermath.

When remodeling the first floor of the Kirksville Arts Center, part of the process was to uncover windows that were boarded up over 20 years prior. We could have easily kept them closed, but the natural light makes the main space feel so much larger.

I don't think anyone thought much of the column between the windows looking like it did. It was simply framed out in the same metal as the new windows rather than replacing the brick. However, one of the former owners reported that the brick was chipped away from every set of windows on the second and third floors, plus this and a second set on the main floor, before they were boarded up. It made for a flatter surface. Which I can understand. Don't get me wrong, it's a tough pill to swallow.

But let's do a quick count ... Yeah, that's 20 columns of brick that were broken out on these two sides alone. While it would be nice to replace the brick once the windows are uncovered, covering the damage in metal would add a sleeker finish to the exterior. Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say again, I hate it when bad things happen to good buildings.

(Oh, I know the windows aren't shown in the bottom photo which is from the 1920s. They were added sometime later, below the fourth and fifth set starting from the left. An exit was added below the sixth set. Oh, and the elevator in the corner, which takes out that first set on the top floors, and possibly some of the ones in the front of the building.)

DETAIL: the fine art of the things we wear

As promised, here is the poster for the newest exhibit in the Kirksville Arts Center.

It's always a little difficult to assimilate a group of photos into something cohesive. There were many, many pics to choose from, and after some sweating, KAC is happy with the result.

(Grumble ... I should've made the tag read: "the fine art in the things we wear.")

Regional Schools Art Exhibit

I've felt like a part of me has been missing the past few months without my computer and accessories. But we're all together again! Yay!

(Hmmm, sounds like it's time for me to go on a tech-free weekend. No computer, cable, phone. A radio is allowed, but no CDs.)

Below is the poster for an exhibit that opened yesterday at the Kirksville Arts Center. Due to last year's New Harmonies Exhibit, this normally annual event didn't occur.

As I was two years ago, I am simply stunned at the work these kids turn out. It boggles the mind why schools across the country are cutting funding for the arts.

The photos were forwarded to me, and I cleaned them up, taking care of shadows and what not, cropping and finally converting them to grayscale, as full color would be too busy.

I've started some sketches for the next exhibit, featuring vintage clothing. I'll let you know how that turns out.

History of the Kirksville Arts Center

Related links: Third Floor of the Kirksville Arts Center, You can always go ... Downtown ..., Pickler's Famous, Kirksville, MO

I've mentioned the Arts Center in several posts, so I decided it was fitting to post the journey of research and the evolving history of the building.

In talking with Dr. Cole Woodcox, Chair of Lang. & Lit. at Truman State, and historic architecture guru, we knew it was an old building built by Valentine Miller, and had narrowed its construction to between 1906 and 1914 with Sanborn Fire Maps. A look at the City Directories further narrowed that to around 1910 or 1911. In scouring the local newspapers, I found ads for businesses in the building, but nothing on its construction.

Images from Sanborn Fire Maps. Left: 1906. Right: 1914. 

The area in question is in the lower left quadrant of each.

A building that size -- three stories -- not related to government, medicine, religion, or education would be news. Having perused the microfilm of the Springville New Era while in high school, I was certain such construction would be reported on.

So, I started to work backwards. The Kirksville Journal was a weekly paper, thus easier to search through. I would (hopefully) be able to put together a time line that could be expanded upon when going through the daily paper. (Hopefully.)

One of the first images collected in our search. This postcard came

from Special Collections at Pickler Memorial Library, Truman State University. 

I began with 1908. Well, that was a good year to start. In the February 20 issue of the Kirksville Journal, a notice on page one announced the sale of the V. Miller lumber yards. The sheds would be torn down to make way for a "fine four or five story brick structure." I thought, "Yikes! We're having trouble with getting three floors renovated." The rest of 1908 was void of news, so on to 1909.

There were a few ads of businesses having moving sales before heading over to their new location in the Miller building. But nothing more on construction until October 7, when a man was injured unloading plate glass windows. November 4 reported the Ladies of the Cemetery Association held a Halloween party there.

I finished out the year before moving to the Daily Express. This is where I found the purchase price of the lumber yards (about $50,000), and how fast the building went up. The February 5, 1909 issue reported clearing of the site of the former lumber yard would begin soon. Excavation of the site was still going on as of May 5. The Owl Drug Store was the first to open, towards the end of October. Jeweler Charles Sands was next, followed by Kerns & Lorton, a meat market and grocery.

Huzzah! The building was built in 1909! Having solved that part of the mystery was a relief. Plus, another piece of the downtown puzzle was officially put into place. Dr. Woodcox has spent the past several years dating each structure (existing and past) to create a time line for Downtown Kirksville. The North Side has already been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Back to our story ...

In looking at the first image, you'll see white enameled or glazed brick on the first floor. This was the new construction. The unshaded portion -- as seen below -- was built 10 years earlier.

In another interesting note, the City Directories listed the Northeast Missouri Loan and Abstract Company as having offices at 115-1/2-117-1/2 South Franklin. That would be this section:

There is no evidence of a connecting doorway on the 117 side. There may be on the 115 side; that theory has yet to be explored.

A postcard from 1910. To the left of center, partially hidden 

by the tree is the Miller Building, the future Kirksville Arts Center.

The upper floors were rented out to lawyers, physicians, dentists, but by the 1920s, those offices had become apartments. Owl Drug remained in the south section for over 20 years. Kerns & Lorton was replaced by Bigsby's Clothing by 1913.

After 1911, I hit 1922, 1933, 1944, etc. until the present time. Robb's Cue Room co-sponsored the weekly listing of church services in January 1955, and a used furniture store had made its way into the Owl Drug location. 1966 saw Baldwin's Biz Mart, an office supply store, and the beginning of the building's greatest changes.

The Miller Block in the early 1960s. The transom windows and stairwell 

are now boarded up. While hardly energy efficient, these old storefronts are amazing.

 At the far left, you can see an earlier location for Baldwin's.

The Baldwins had taken over the south storefront before ripping out the wall dividing the main floor. Now the spaces that once were a meat market and a drug store were now one. A mezzanine level was added to the back of the building and whoever was up there had the ability to look out onto floor. In the mid-1970s, a glass elevator was added. A 1977 ad had the tag "Ride the Glass Elevator."

In the 1980's Baldwin's moved out, and Old Towne Clothing moved in. They lasted until around 2002. An interior design store followed, and in 2005, the Kirksville Arts Association purchased the building with plans to transform it into one of Northeast Missouri's premier arts facilities.

Two views of the gallery, and due to inclement weather, the crowd 

gathers in the Arts Center for a Summer on the Square concert.

As designs were formulated, a small gallery was set up, and in February 2006, the inspiring musical Godspell performed to sell-out crowds.

A few months later, during auditions for a show, a couple of us started picking at the boxes concealing the support columns. Ok, it was mainly me, but I did have help. Then on Memorial Day weekend, a 30 yard dumpster was parked on the south side of the building. After learning it was for a nearby apartment slated for remodeling, we asked if we could use it. Sure. There was a quick call for volunteers, and then we got to work.

The wall gondolas were the first to go. (They're the shelving you see in convenience and grocery stores.) Then came the paneling. You cannot believe how much those two steps opened up the room. The timing of this was very fortuitous as KAA's Annual Membership Meeting was fast approaching. "Under Construction" became the theme and all board members wore hard hats.

Top row: first wave of demolition.
Second row: exposing the windows.
Third row: framing out the bathrooms and warming kitchen; custom sink.
Bottom row: original beam; what's left of original dividing wall on first floor.

The following months involved creating two foyers, exposing windows on the south side, framing out and drywalling the main space, new HVAC, and painting, lots and lots of painting. The deadline for this work was February 2007, in time for my production of The Lion in Winter. The new restrooms were barely under way, but there already was one on the main floor and one on the mezzanine.

By the next Annual Meeting, the bathrooms and warming kitchen were finished, and the east wall (towards the back of the building), which was paneling and simply painted over, was replaced with drywall in January 2008, thus finally completing the main space. A small room at the very back of the building, used mainly as a dressing room for performances, folding table and chair storage otherwise, was finished out as a classroom, complete with an eight foot chalkboard we found upstairs.

While finishing up the inside, the outside needed something to draw people in. Those upgrades are detailed here.

One of the bigger upgrades under discussion is redoing the front even more. This would replace the plate glass windows with the reverse bay windows storefronts of old used to have. But instead of more plate glass, it would brick with display windows at eye level to showcase pieces of art and a marquee to announce upcoming events. This would totally close off the front of the building to the setting sun (it gets really obnoxious). However, some natural light would allowed in if the transom windows are replaced. While not a true renovation, it is an homage to the building's roots. Below is a rough sketch I did.

Not all the time has been spent dreaming. Monthly exhibits came and went, along with theatrical productions and musical events. All of that work paid off when when the Center was chosen as the premiere stop in Missouri for New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music, a traveling Smithsonian exhibit from Museum on Main Street. It's definitely a crowning achievement, but there will be more to come.

This post will be updated as new information and images are gathered.

OH, AND BY THE WAY ...
While researching, one of the strange but true stories I came across was the murder of a local professor. Apparently, his wife and her lover conspired to do away with him. His body was exhumed twice, and many of the city fathers were called as witnesses. I should say alleged murder as I did not continue into 1912 to learn the verdict. If I remember correctly, her bail was set at $25,000. Please recall that I said the lumber yard was sold for $50,000. (And those were 1910 dollars.)

Related links: Third Floor of the Kirksville Arts Center, You can always go ... Downtown ..., Pickler's Famous, Kirksville, MO