CARTHAGE, Mo. -April Davis-Brunner traded one paradise for another. But he never left his teaching studio.
April’s Art House is still alive and thriving, but in a new location in the Carthage countryside.
Until a year ago, April lived in one of the most attractive pieces of property I have ever set foot on. Located near Saginaw, it has a showcase house next to Cox Spring, first renovated in 1842 by Joplin’s founder, John Cox, and used for water stops and camps by a stagecoach line in the late 1800s.
Flowing from the fountain is a creek winding on the property-under a small board walk and a suspended wood-plank bridge, beyond a gazebo and a waterwheel, and around a small island.
Nearby is a former guest house he turned into a studio, April’s Art House, where he made nature paintings and sculptures that gave him a name as an area artist. It has also been home to the art classes he started offering in 2019. The classes are an opportunity to share his magical setting while passing on his knowledge of art.
The classes had continuous enrollment until the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to close them.
He overcame that setback and revived the classes, but then realized he was tired of all the physical work his piece of paradise needed. The impeccable, native landscaping that he has installed himself requires constant work that takes away his beloved creative time.
She and her husband, Larry, decided it was time to move. They found a gem of a piece of property-8 acres-on Eider Lane, just off County Road 110, east of Carthage. It overlooks Center Creek and includes their own private beach. But, more importantly, it has studio space that is almost three times larger than what he has in Saginaw. People can park directly at the studio doors, making it accessible to the disabled – another plus at its location in Saginaw.
“The creek and this space are all about it,” he said as he visited me in the basement space of his new studio.
The space is large enough for two casual chairs, plus a long desk space that can accommodate up to 18 students. At one end is his personal workspace. One wall contains all the supplies for making jewelry, another all the glazes and tools for creating using clay. On another wall is a display of pieces of art created in his classes.
“There’s more space, and all the products are outside so people can get whatever they want to do,” he said.
In May, he reopened April’s Art House, offering classes in both the mediums he and his guest artists taught in Saginaw-acrylic and watercolor painting, pastel, sculpture and other clay work, fused glass work. , printmaking, wind chime construction, jewelry making, and stone and gourd painting.
Despite holding classes as he moved from Saginaw to his new location, he maintained his enrollment, attracting people from as far away as Grove, Oklahoma, Pittsburg, Kansas, Mount Vernon, and Springfield. Most students are female, using classes as “girlfriend parties,” mother-to-child bonding experiences, or simple opportunities to learn the mediums they want to learn.
Classes are held from 6 to 8 pm Friday and noon to 2 pm Saturday and cost $ 30 to $ 40. Private art parties can be arranged at any time.
“It’s about having fun,” April said. “That’s about art and it’s comforting to them. It’s an escape, and I want to see people do something they’re proud of. ”
In addition to her classes for beginners, her art space is open for private studio hours for artists, and she will offer workshops for veteran artists.
Her first workshop will focus on plein air painting and will be led by Springfield artist Farley Lewis, an award-winning plein air painter considered one of the best in the country, April said.
The workshop will be held from 10 am to 4 pm Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23. An exhibit of Lewis ’work will be held from 5 to 7 pm Saturday. The workshop fee is $ 225. Although only one student slot remains open, there may be cancellations, so April encourages those interested to text her at 417-358-6329.
While April teaches many of the classes at her art house, she wants to showcase the skills of artists in the area, whom she recruits to teach in mediums outside of those she trains. He encourages any actor with a medium they want to teach to contact him.
People who want to know about upcoming classes can contact April at 417-358-6329 or check out her April’s Art House Facebook page.
