Oh, happy heart day! Valentine’s Day! Our day to celebrate love has origins in the Roman Lupercalia, the festival which celebrated the coming of spring.
Saint Valentine’s Day became a feast day added to the liturgical Catholic calendar around 500 AD to commemorate one or more martyred Roman priests named Valentine. They collectively became known as the patron saint of love. The feast day was removed from the Christian liturgical calendar in 1969—but still, we celebrate love. This makes my heart happy!
Indeed, happy is my heart celebrating love every day, from morning to night, as I live a life for art, about art, with art! Art makes my world go round! I love the passion for art that surrounds me living with my artist husband, David, in our art-filled old house. I love our art-centric families and the budding young artist we see in our granddaughter, Sophie.
I love Carthage! I love artCentral—our hometown non-profit arts center. I love my job serving as Executive Director-Curator for artCentral. I love our board members and our artists and our art-loving patrons and guests. I love our teachers and interns and kids who come to artCamp.
I love our Hyde House exhibitions—especially HEART & SOUL now on display! For February and March, the HEART & SOUL art of the Joplin Regional Artists Coalition (JRAC) is filling the galleries of Hyde House, upstairs and down.
I love the privilege of meeting Susan Adams, the juror tapped by JRAC to select award winners in this fine HEART & SOUL exhibition. Susan currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin. With twinkling eyes, to artCentral she brings a beautiful smile and an uplifting grace that enhances her depth of expertise gained through her diverse experiences.
Originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, with sojourns in Texas and Florida, Susan came to Missouri in 1987 and married her husband, Randy Adams. They have been members and loved Spiva for many years. Living out in the country, as Missouri Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners, they love being outdoors with their wild German Shorthair Pointer pup, Kitzel.
Susan’s impressive professional and philanthropic curricula vitae tells us she loves our community. We are so pleased to have her visit to Hyde House and artCentral’s HEART & SOUL Exhibition.
Former Executive Director of Joplin Workshops, Inc.
Former Director of Human Resources and Environmental Health & Safety for Able Manufacturing, LLC
2013 Joplin Influential Women
2013 Missouri LEAD Award Nominee (Society for Human Resources Management)
2012 National STEP Award Honoree for women in manufacturing
2012 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education “Breaking Traditions”
Employer of the Year
Currently serving:
Vision Joplin 2022, Co-Chair, Arts & Culture Committee
Connect 2 Culture, Board Member
ONE Joplin, Steering Committee
Joplin Centennial Celebrations Commission Member
Formerly serving:
Spiva Center for the Arts (2013-2019), Board Member & Secretary
Tri-State Health Care Coalition, Chair
Workforce Investment Board, Chair Elect
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Board Chair (2010-2011)
With a happy heart I say, “Thank you!” to Susan Adams for selecting the award recipients in JRAC’s inspiring HEART & SOUL Exhibition.
FIRST: Linda Teeter, “Heart and Soul…Food”, photograph | archival ink print
SECOND: Andrew Batcheller, “Relics From The Night Of The Golden Moon”, Oil/Gold Leaf Heptaptych on Masonite
THIRD: Sarah Clements, “Abandon”, Photograph
HONORABLE MENTION: Linda Passeri, “Cloud Cover”, Mixed Media | Wall Sculpture
SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Steve Doerr, “Solar Flares”, Wood Turning | Flaming Box Elder | Cherry Finial; and SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Melody Knowles, “Attached”, Clay/Wood/Metal Sculpture.
For more information call (417) 358-4404 or visit www.artcentralcarthage.org online.
