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Steve Willis named Fellow of International Society for Education through Art

June 23, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Close up of man standing in front of brick wall

Missouri State University’s Dr. Steve Willis of the Department of Art and Design has been named the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) first ever InSEA Fellow.

“To receive an international award that specifically addresses the quality and durability of research, teaching and service is immensely important,” Willis said. He said he felt honored to be both a recipient and the first awardee.

The award recognizes individuals who have made “significant lifetime contributions to arts education.”

The honor will be announced during the 38th InSEA World Congress July 21-25 at the Palacký University Arts Center in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Willis will attend the event virtually.

Recognizing lifetime commitment to art education

Willis has been an art educator for over 50 years, producing hundreds of presentations, journal articles, chapters and books. In particular, he has worked with Dr. Mousumi De, associate professor at the University of Redlands, who nominated him. The two have co-presented nationally and internationally. They have also worked together on some of Willis’ books.

Department head Vonda Yarberry described Willis’ career as an art educator as “impactful.”

“He teaches students how to teach the subject he loves,” she said. “These students then continue to spread that love to K-12 classrooms throughout the region and beyond.”

His long-time fight for equity, justice, fairness and inclusion in education keeps him motivated, Willis said. He remains committed to modeling and teaching these values to future art teachers.

“I want to stay in the classroom, as there’s much work to do,” he said.

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Faculty Accomplishments, RCASH Highlights Tagged With: Department of Art and Design, School of the Arts, Steve Willis, Vonda Yarberry

Art and design department announces summer gallery schedule

June 12, 2025 by Reynolds College

Art work depicting African American male

This summer, Missouri State University’s Department of Art and Design invites audiences to experience two powerful exhibitions exploring identity, storytelling and underrepresented histories.

The exhibitions are on view at the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center and Brick City Gallery.

Summer program celebrates fourth year

Now in its fourth year, the department’s summer programming continues its mission to showcase diverse voices and emerging talent through thoughtfully curated visual arts exhibitions.

“Our core summer audience is pretty open minded and excited to see our exhibit spaces try new things and explore new ideas,” said Jodi McCoy, Director of Exhibitions. “While our summer audience is smaller, our summer exhibits have been featured in national reviews. They’re a bit of a hidden or emerging gem.”

At the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center

The 2025 MFA Thesis Exhibition opened May 27.  This event is the capstone showcase for Master of Fine Arts graduate students.

Next, “Let Me Tell You a Story: Gathering Our Roots to Find Belonging” opens June 21. MFA candidate Olga Shute co-curated the exhibition. It features six Latin American artists whose works explore heritage, memory and identity through storytelling.

“As we got deeper into planning with these particular themes of identity, it became very important to me to make intentional space for the voices of the artists to speak rather than have a heavy curatorial hand,” McCoy said.

Carolla Arts Exhibition schedule

[Read more…] about Art and design department announces summer gallery schedule

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Exhibitions, RCASH Highlights, Student Accomplishments Tagged With: Brick City Gallery, Carolla Art Exhibition Center, Department of Art and Design, School of the Arts

Dr. William Meadows publishes new book on Native handgame tradition

June 11, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Man sitting at desk holding indigenous game pieces

Missouri State University’s Dr. William Meadows has published a new book exploring the culture and history of the Native handgame tradition.

Book cover
Click book cover image to learn more.

Meadows is a professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology.

“The Handgame of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache: Spirited Competition on the Southern Plains,” is an ethnic study that documents a previously unexplored topic, Meadows explained. “I’ve played this game off and on for a little over 30 years, but always with the goal in mind of doing an ethnography on it. It is a subject that no one has taken the time to deal with.”

The subject interested him theoretically because handgame is not just a “game of chance.” It requires “keen observation” of human behavior, psychology, mathematics and spiritual belief, he argues,

“The handgame constitutes its own arena of social activity in tribal communities,” Meadows writes in his book. “It is just as important and traditional as other Native cultural institutions such as the powwow or sweat lodge ceremonies.”

From observer to player

As part of his broader research on Indigenous cultures, Meadows conducted field work from 1993-2023. He interviewed individuals from the Kiowa, Comanche, Plains Apache, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, Ponca, Wichita, Delaware and Fort Sill Apache communities.

During this period, Meadows interviewed Bill Koomsa, Jr., who introduced him to the game.

“They were hosting the Crows, and he invited me to one of the games to look on, enjoy it and everything,” Meadows said. “Once you see it, it’s such a lively, peppy game, it’s really addictive.”

After that, Meadows continued to play so frequently, one family invited him to join their team.

[Read more…] about Dr. William Meadows publishes new book on Native handgame tradition

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Ethical Leadership, Faculty Accomplishments, Faculty Research, RCASH Highlights, Research, Uncategorized Tagged With: Department of Sociology Anthropology and Gerontology, Judy Awards, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, William C. Meadows

Tent Theatre opens 2025 season with “Serenade”

June 6, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Young men playing trumpets

Missouri State University’s Tent Theatre opens the 2025 season with its production of “Serenade: Summer Nights of Swing and Song.”

Performances are June 12-14 and 18-21 at the John Goodman Amphitheatre. All show times are 8 p.m.

Professor Sarah Wiggin from the Department of Theatre and Dance is the show’s director.

Ticket information

Individual, group and season tickets are now on sale. They can be purchased by mail, calling the box office at 417-836-7678 or 1-888-476-7849 or online at MissouriStateTix.com.

On show days, Tent Theatre patrons can pick up their tickets at the will-call kiosk next to the Amphitheatre between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Food and drink concessions will be available, and patrons will have access to restrooms in Hill Hall, just north of Craig Hall.

Get Tickets

“Las Vegas flair” brings timeless tunes to life

Multiple vocalists, backed by Missouri State’s “Serenade” Jazz Orchestra, will bring to life classic tunes immortalized by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald, along with contemporary hits from Natalie Cole, Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr. and others.

“I am loving working with the ‘Serenade’ jazz orchestra,” Wiggin said. “They are really elevating the performance of the jazz concert, and the vocalists are very enthusiastic about collaborating with them. It’s magical.”

Conducted and directed by Dr. Jason Hausback of the Department of Music, the jazz orchestra includes Missouri State students, alumni and guest artists. Heather Luellen of the theatre and dance department is the show’s music coordinator.

[Read more…] about Tent Theatre opens 2025 season with “Serenade”

Filed Under: Alumni Accomplishments, Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Event News, RCASH Highlights, Shows Tagged With: Department of Music, Department of Theatre and Dance, Heather Luellen, Jason Hausback, jazz studies, John Goodman Amphitheatre, John Vincent Horton, Musical Theatre, Sarah Wiggin, School of the Arts, Tent Theatre

Art history and museum studies students bring research to the public

June 3, 2025 by Reynolds College

Young woman discussing research presentation with older man

Several art history and museum studies students from Missouri State University spent a busy Spring 2025 semester showcasing their research at several conferences.

The students appeared at the Missouri Archaeological Society, the Catherine Reed Jolivette Art History and Visual Cultural Symposium and the Missouri Academy of Science.

The art history and museum studies programs are part of the BA in Visual Art and Culture in the Department of Art and Design.

[Read more…] about Art history and museum studies students bring research to the public

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Conferences, Cultural Competence, Event News, RCASH Highlights, Research, Student Accomplishments, Student Research Tagged With: art history, Billie Follensbee, Department of Art and Design, Mitzi Kirkland-Ives, museum studies, School of the Arts

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