Grotto Fine Arts Gallery

I’m an unabashed lover of Neosho.  I adore it when there are lots of things going on; folks running around the square, restaurant parking lots full, and the ball fields filled with kids. 

Maybe it’s partly the excitement of another school year.  I’ve always enjoyed fall. When younger, I looked forward to the beginning of a new schedule of classes and seeing friends again every day.  Although I enjoy the laid-back pace of summer, this year I’m not sad to see it winding down.  Goodbye blistering temperatures. 

The Wildcat Pride event was once again enjoyable and representative of what a good group of student athletes we have here in Neosho.  The faculty and staff of the school, the various business sponsors, the parents and community fans, made it “a great day to be a Wildcat.”  It’s a great sight to drive past the school and see the stands filled and the parking lot brimming with tents and crowds of people.

As a side note: I also love to drive past the high school campus during speech and debate competitions as well as theatre or musical performances and note the large crowds and groups of excited students.

Another recent Neosho “event” I hope you were able to participate in was the Grotto Fine Arts Gallery’s Finest Potters and Top Musicians Open House this past Saturday.  Big Al and I thought we would just pop in for a few minutes to take a quick look around.  Two hours later we’re enjoying the live music and visiting with friends when we  remember we have other obligations and to work hard to tear ourselves away.

April Davis and the many artists that have filled the Grotto are truly captivating.  You just can’t rush through the rooms.  Numerous local artists are represented, and if I wasn’t deathly frightened of leaving someone off I would try to start naming names.  Trust me on this one; make the time to visit the Grotto and view the art.  You’re going to fall in love with some work, or maybe several pieces.

What I strongly noticed during the Grotto’s event was how many folks were there that are not from Neosho.  Chatting with several they mentioned how much they loved the space, really enjoyed visiting Neosho and were planning on staying in town for dinner.  As far as we could tell, there were a lot of people in attendance just like the Big Guy and myself.  They were individuals with a full-plate of weekend responsibilities, rushing in to support the Gallery, then being awestruck once they got inside; striking up conversations, munching on insanely good snacks and generally reclaiming their weekend.

As a community, we’ve got so much to offer.  Every day is a great day to be a Wildcat on the field or in the gallery.