July 2006 Page 7

> Flatwater Art Foundation
On the Missouri river in the village of Brownville, Nebraska, in an 1885 wood-frame church (with steeple) of prairie design, will now be discovered a Folk Art Museum and lyceum founded by and under the direction of George W. Neubert and friends. The purposes of the Foundation include the museum facility, public art projects, and artist-in-residence opportunities, along with educational, museum management, curatorial, collections development and public art policy consultation resources emanating from and relating to the American Heartland... so much so that their logo is a heart in the palm of an open hand.
Neubert served the museum profession as a Curator and Director for about 35 years; in Oakland and San Francisco, CA, Lincoln, NE and San Antonio, TX from which he retired Emeritus. Among museologists and artists, he has always been primarily a dedicated regionalist and remains so in Brownville where his long-time private collection habits have now, in my opinion, surfaced in a public way. By an act of fate or coincidence, he was appointed Chief Curator of Art for The Oakland Museum of California, at age 25. That museum's mission is regional as was established by the late Paul Mills. Neubert, like Mills, was inspired by regionalism... and their motivation in turn inspired me in service with that same and other museums. Neubert's pioneering effort in the fields of art-in-public-places and meaningful support of local artists has always been exemplary and a standard for aspiration. Though Neubert might not agree as stridently, ALL art is first and finally "regional."
The Flatwater Art Foundation and Neubert may be reached at:
P.O. Box 7
Brownville, NE 68321
gwneubert@alltel.net

> Spiva Center for the Arts - Joplin
The George A. Spiva Center for the Arts was established by his philanthropy in 1947, and was first housed in the historic Zelleken home at 4th and Sergeant. It moved to the campus of Missouri Southern State University, and is now located in the old Cosgrove building downtown, about a block west of the public library.
Each season the Spiva staff of three plus volunteers host changing exhibitions of many kinds in the elegant street level gallery, and on the second floor continues support of local artists in the Regional Gallery. Augmenting and in advocacy they maintain an education program of classes and lectures for adults and children, have the beginnings of a permanent collection, and have a gift shop.
Director, Jo Mueller, views the role of the Center as, in part, helping to assert the place of visual arts in the domain of regional economic development, as well as assisting the school system and parents with the task of filling in the gaps of art education for those who are of that inclination. The Spiva Center's contribution to support for hundreds of regional artists over the decades has been limitless and outstanding in a community not generally recognized as being a nexus of fine art activity.
Introduce yourself to their staff, program and facility at:
www.spivaarts.com