Where Have All The Pheasants Gone?
An Art Exhibition by GK Callahan at Englewood Arts
Englewood Arts 10901 E Winner Rd, Independence, MO 64052 proudly announces an upcoming art exhibition titled "Where Have All The Pheasants Gone?", featuring a new body of work by Missouri artist GK Callahan.
Runs October 17th - January 17th
This immersive experience includes paintings, video, poetry, and installation, as well as family photographs. Additionally, throughout the three-month run, EA & Callahan will offer educational workshops and talks to enhance the overall experience.
Originating during Callahan's 2024 residency at the Creative at Klondike in Augusta, MO, the work delves into the climate shift and its impact farming practices have on culture in the Midwest and our connection to rural America.
“Once-thriving fields, the main ecosystems of the Midwest, used to hold and comfort me annually. Our yearly pilgrimages to the family farm were tethered by tradition as much as a place. But over time, the land became a mono-crop fence post to fence post, the new landscape stripping tradition, leaving us only nostalgic memories of the past. The disappearance of wildlife and environmental changes have ripple effects—this loss of nature aids in reshaping our connection to rural America. I see this shift in our environment as not only a loss of nature but the seat we had at grandma's table.” — GK Callahan.
Callahan sees the disappearing landscapes as a reminder of our interconnectedness with nature. This loss is more than the sum of its parts; it’s a culture silently being left behind. The timing of this exhibition is significant as it coincides with the start of pheasant hunting season in October.
Beth Speaks, Survey, 1940-1969
This survey exhibition will explore the works of artist Beth Speaks spanning from 1940 to 1969.
Portraits, still lifes and landscapes in both oil and pastels will be on exhibition on the first floor of the arts center building and accessible to all.
Opens Third Friday, October 18th
BETH SPEAKS BIO
Born in 1905 in Independence, MO, the middle child of Nephi and Annie May, Beth quit school after the 6th grade due to family circumstances. She was largely self-educated and had a bright and inquiring mind. She spent a lifetime reading widely and engaging in her own field of study. Her interests included history, literature, religion, and art.
Her art brought joy into her life and she painted for decades, from the 1940s on well into the 1970s. She excelled with her portraits, many of them done with pastels, and became well-known in the Kansas City art world of that time.
Beth attended the Kansas City Art Institute, and later was active in the Independence Art Association where she encouraged many local artists to explore their own talents.
Her only child, Bob Speaks, followed her and her husband Rollie Speaks into the family funeral business, and Speaks Chapels exists to this day. Beth died in 1991 leaving a legacy of intellectual inquiry, church involvement, appreciation for art, and the creation of beauty in ones surroundings.