West Plains, MO. – West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) will host their quarterly “Lunch with Art” event for the public on Monday, February 13, 2023, from noon till 1 p.m. in the Community Room at the West Plains Public Library, 750 West Broadway, West Plains. Marideth Sisco and Danette House will share their storytelling experiences and recent acceptance into the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (T.A.A.P) sponsored by the Missouri Folk Arts Program.
Marideth Sisco’s observations on life in the Ozarks are carefully distilled from a wealth of hill-country lore handed down through generations of rural and small-town living. At turns heartwarming, hilarious and haunting; the tales extracted from family, townspeople and her personal journey are a tapestry of humor, irony, and a discerning wit, prying timeless truths from the stark simplicity of life lived close to the bone and closer to nature.
“I began my singing career at age 3, standing on an ice cream freezer at an auction, when my great uncle Tom Ferguson stood me up there during a break in the sale and told me to sing for the crowd. I’ve never stopped.”
She’s never stopped talking about the Missouri Ozarks where she was born and raised, either and is a consummate storyteller and extemporaneous speaker, especially when it comes to sharing tales of the unique Ozarks culture that is fast passing away.
An Ozarks mainstay, Sisco has invested much of her life in cultural preservation work. Years were spent covering her community as a reporter for the West Plains Daily Quill newspaper before her retirement.
Today, her writing still is heard regularly through “These Ozarks Hills,” her radio program on KSMU that focuses on the daily life, joys, and lore of the region. She also garnered national recognition through the acclaimed film “Winter’s Bone,” in which she served as a music consultant and vocalist. She is a Missouri Master storyteller and is the 2018 winner of the Quill Award from the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.
Sisco says, “We’ll be talking about the importance of storytelling to capturing and preserving history of a place and its people.”
Danette House is a life-long native of the Ozarks. A seventh generation Ozarker, retired educator, and avid lover of history, House taught in West Plains for 31 years. Her Ozark and Howell County credentials go back to her three-times great-grandfather, Washington P. Hawkins (Uncle Wash) whose family moved to Ozark County near the North Fork of the White River in the 1830’s. As a boy, he visited a nearby settlement named West Plains. Apparently unimpressed he described it as “just a blackjack log house, occupied by a man named Howell.” Wash served in the Union Army and later called West Plains home for many years.
House is extremely honored to have received a grant from the Missouri Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program for 2023. She is thrilled to have Marideth Sisco, Master Storyteller, writer, musician, and singer as her guide, mentor, and teacher through this learning process. Danette hopes to be able to train in the art with her emphasis on telling stories about the history of West Plains, Howell County, Ozark County, and how her family story is woven throughout.
House says, “You must hear the stories to understand the Ozarks. Memories, sometimes proud, happy, and humorous; sometimes terrifying, heartbreaking, and tragic. Listen. The past is gone and yet still living all around you. Stories connect those two points and take you into the future.”
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” Sue Monk Kidd
In addition to the program, WPCA board members will open discussion on current plans, programs available through Arts Alliance partners, and invite discussion regarding future arts endeavors for the area. Here’s an opportunity to open conversations with current board members and contribute to the future of arts in West Plains.
Lunch will be catered by Foodie’s Fare and choices will be Butter Chicken or Baingan Bharta (eggplant). Cost of the luncheon is $10 for WPCA members, $15 for non-members. Reservations may be made online through the February 2023 Lunch with Art Facebook event page, by calling Paula at 417-293-2325, or via email info@westplainsarts.org Attendance is limited, so reserve your spot early.
