ARTS
In 2003, archaeologists unearthed three 30,000-year-old mammoth bone carvings in southwestern Germany. Scientists hailed the finds as the world’s oldest surviving figurative works of art.
Four years later, artist Andrew Wielawski stood in a plaza in Florida with a 2,500-lb. sculpture he’d been unable to sell. He deemed it a failure, destroyed it and offered the broken pieces to curious onlookers.
July 03, 2008
Protecting contemporary art for future audiences
In 2003, archaeologists unearthed three 30,000-year-old mammoth bone carvings in southwestern Germany. Scientists hailed the finds as the world’s oldest surviving figurative works of art. Four years later, artist Andrew Wielawski stood in a plaza in Florida with a 2,500-lb. sculpture he’d been unable to sell. He deemed it a failure, destroyed it and offered the broken pieces to curious onlookers.
June 19, 2008
Businesses add flair to basic apparel with custom designs
A sign posted on the wall of Acme reads “hot and fresh T-shirts made to order.” Companies are buying into the trend of self-designed T-shirts for their creative customers.
Stores let customers get creative with wearable art and text
(Web Exclusive) Whether you need to order a set of T-shirts for a once-in-a-lifetime event or you want to design a single shirt to display your creativity, there’s a store to fit your request. Custom shops are popping up in Columbia, and online companies ship shirts throughout the U.S.
June 12, 2008
Artist offers one-stop shop for frames, art and orchids
Local artist Kelly Coalier has a shop full of orchids and 70 to 80 plants in his home. Oddly enough, he has never painted an orchid. Combining his trade of framing with his wife’s green thumb, Coalier owns Orchids & Art, a gallery and flower shop located at 10 W. Nifong Blvd.
May 29, 2008
Origami artist finds meaning in her work
The basement studio of Columbia artist Sonya Nicholson is a tight and cluttered space. A table in the middle of the room serves as the folding station for her origami cranes. Bins separate the cranes by paper type. Even though the Japanese paper that Nicholson stores in her studio is imported, she brought the most important thing back from Tokyo more than 20 years ago — her inspiration.
May 22, 2008
Local artist builds human-sized glass sculpture for exhibit
Springtime has set in. The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and birds are singing. Although the time is right for these chirping creatures to leave the nest from which they hatched, one creature has just now started building a new one: Susan Taylor Glasgow.
May 15, 2008
Local dining spots that left us hungry for more
We love to eat. In the past decade, Vox has covered a number of beloved local restaurants only to watch them go. “Columbia is a very competitive restaurant market,” says Jeremy Brown, co-owner of Addison’s and Sophia’s. “Since it’s so competitive, anything that slightly affects business can put somebody out permanently.” Local restaurant owners and experts share the bittersweet reasons as to why they’ve closed and what the future holds for dining out in Columbia.
May 08, 2008
Maplewood Barn celebrates 35 years
It’s safe to say the Maplewood Barn Theatre Company isn’t a typical theater group. Among other things, actors have to worry about the rumblings of traffic and helicopters, sounds from neighboring cows and goats and the possibility that a mosquito might fly into their mouths at the end of a soliloquy.
Finding her passion and claiming it, too
(Web Exclusive) Ann Bise turned to Nancy DeClue when she was diagnosed with cancer at age 49. For Bise and her family, time was precious. Bise wasn’t requesting medical help. She needed DeClue, an oncology nurse turned professional artist, to translate her vision onto a canvas.
May 01, 2008
(Web Exclusive) Usually you’re not allowed to touch art, let alone take it home for free. Bob Hartzell breaks museum rules. He doesn’t want to alienate the art from viewers; he wants the art to become a part of the community.
Contestants boogie for a cause
Gliding under the chandeliers and across the spacious practice room at Twilight Dance Studio, Ashley Mayer guides Frank Sovich. Sovich, co-owner of Marathon Office Interiors, is one of 10 Dancing with Missouri Stars contestants. As Mayer observes her student, she patiently articulates every movement while watching the dance in the mirror-covered wall. “Quick, quick, slow, slow,” she says in a flowing sequence of spins, dips and footwork. Every step mastered brings the students a step closer to their final performance as they salsa their way to this year’s competition.
Reflections from the contestants
(Web Exclusive) Dancing with Missouri Stars contestants know more now than they ever thought they would about ballroom dancing. With the fundraiser approaching, they’ve discussed everything from costumes to contestant perks. Read their thoughts on the experience.
April 24, 2008
Columbia's stages lack LGBT roles
Is theater a true reflection of the nature of human beings? In Columbia’s theater companies, there seems to be an element of human life that is missing from the stage. For the LGBT community, few plays performed explore issues pertaining to its members’ own lives and few roles exist for actors who want to play roles showcasing the life of a gay man or a lesbian.
April 17, 2008
Tips to add an artsy edge to houses on the market
It’s springtime. College students are migrating out of Columbia, hopeful homeowners are emerging from hibernation, and “For Sale” signs are popping up in yards quicker than daffodils.
Orr Street Studio resident brightens up a room
(Web Exclusive) Jane Mudd’s Orr Street studio is filled with expressionistic canvases that disregard obvious color choices. Rivers aren’t just painted blue; the waters flow with sapphire hues, tinges of Kelly green and scarlet red. Bridges have thick maroon outlines and flowers are never just one color. Mudd, a Fulton artist and professor at William Woods University, brings her canvases to life with rich colors.
April 10, 2008
Timeless and simple sustainable living
For many, leaving the office at 5 p.m. doesn’t necessarily mean leaving work altogether. For the go-getters of America’s working class, separation between dwelling and working space is an evaporating concept. But designer Rocio Romero is taking major, and stylish, strides toward reversing this drift and giving today’s customized homes a much-needed detox.
Q&A with prefab homeowner Ethan Whitehill
(Web Exclusive) Ethan Whitehill’s vacation home is not only modern and artistic but also simple and sustainable. Missouri designer Rocio Romero inspired Whitehill’s eco-chic vacation home. The best part about it? Romero’s kits and designs are suitable for any location, Whitehill promises.
Two MU students bring eco-chic living to Columbia
Two MU students have created the ultimate résumé-building project — their own business. Jack Short and Daniel Lyons are the CEO and president, respectively, of Factory Green. Their online business, launching in late April, offers stylish eco-friendly products. They aren’t shy about their goal. They’re hoping to bring in the green by helping others go green.
April 03, 2008
Local artist creates keepsakes with house portraits
Marilyn Love doesn’t need a hardhat and a tool belt to build a house — just paper and pens.
Vox goes to the guru to learn how to get a good pain in the abs
(Web Exclusive) Belly dancing is intense. Not everyone can whirl her body in ways that make onlookers blush. The hip jolts, belly rolls and shimmies that fill classes at Moon Belly Dance Studio are more than a little intimidating. Is belly dancing a worthwhile workout or another fitness fad that will disappoint us? We sent Vox reporter Bridget Mullen to find out how her hips would fare in a belly dancing session.
