Featured Artists 

Rebecca is a retired teacher living in beautiful southern Illinois. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from SIU Carbondale and Masters in Education Administration from EIU. She enjoys painting, reading and long walks. Sadly, her canine sidekick Emma, who accompanied her for years on her walks has recently passed on. She has had a […]

Come see the Featured Artist Exhibit this month!

Liz is a very creative and expressive artist, always surprising us with what she decides to do next. She has this to say: As a Charter PAPA Member I am proud to share my work as Featured Artist for the month of February. I am naming my exhibit “A Touch of Color”. Please enjoy, and […]

“Every picture shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love.” – Alfred Sisley For me, art is the process of transcribing my heart and mind by hand to create an image that holds special meaning. My chosen subjects reflect what I love: animals (especially dogs), nature, and family. The strong emotional connection […]

Chris has this to say: My love for the arts began at an early age. I always knew my dream job was to do something in the arts. The joy that it brings to the public and the artists was always inspiring. When I was young I had wanted a Bob Ross paint set even […]

My dad, John, and I share a bond that goes beyond family, built through our parallel journeys as artists. We were both educators—Dad in IT/Telecommunications, and me in Music Education—and both of us found art to be a powerful outlet. Growing up, I remember watching Dad in his studio, carefully working on his pastel masterpieces. […]

Martha has this to say about her journey as an artist: I wanted to paint earlier in life and I did complete several paintings on my own. However, due to obligations to family and work, painting was shelved. My return to painting was at the Paducah School of Art in 2012 but was short-lived due […]

I was born to parents who barely survived the Great Depression of 1939, so there was no money to waste, but my mother encouraged me in art and furnished me with basic inexpensive supplies. My daddy’s art consisted of drawing house plans on a napkin, and then built the house from that plan. Today, that’s […]

Bailey has been drawing all her life and began painting in high school....