The arts are flourishing in Cassville, and in more ways than one.
Visually, musically, on stage and on paper, people of all ages can enjoy many arts opportunities in our slice of the Ozarks, and I love to see it.
The idea for this column spawned from a new event coming to our city Thursday, an open mic poetry reading for high school and Crowder students — with cash prizes — will be held at Crowder Cassville in honor of National Poetry Month.
Last Tuesday at the regular City Council meeting, new Cassville Mayor Jon Horner, in one of his very first acts as the city’s top leader, proclaimed April 24 as Cassville Community Poetry Day, in cooperation with Crowder Cassville.
I found it humorous Horner took less than 2 minutes to start making mayoral proclamations, but as an author himself whose wife is a teacher, if he could pick anything to proclaim, promoting poetry is a great place to start.
My wife, Jordan, and I have been doing some spring cleaning in recent weeks, starting at the back of the house and working our way to the garage to set up a yard sale and inevitable large donation of clothing and miscellaneous items to a local non-profit. A couple weeks ago, we tackled the hall closets, wherein I had stored many of my high school yearbooks and memorabilia.
Like many at that age, I had no shortage of emotions at 17 and 18. That was reflected in the couple notebooks I found with poems I had written circa 2005-2006. Topics ranged from my then-girlfriend to my parents, and a couple that stood out as I skimmed were tackling my feelings about Sam Urton, one of my club soccer teammates who died unexpectedly during a basketball practice due to a heart condition similar to the one my youngest daughter was born with and had surgically corrected at 10 months old.
Sam was a bit arrogant and abrasive, and we didn’t always get along on the field or off. The last words I spoke about him before his death were not the nicest, and at that time, I used poetry as a way to not only navigate my feelings about my behavior and the loss of a teammate, but also come out the other side with a more mature perspective on how to treat and speak about others in this life.
Reading the piece that took up a couple pages of college-ruled paper triggered that piece of my brain that used poetry as a mental health tool in my younger days.
Ironically — or maybe by Sam’s empyreal hand — Crowder English Communications Instructor Terry Held emailed me the very next day about National Poetry Month and the open mic night.
Is it a sign I should pick up a pen again? I’ll be honest, I’m heavily considering it.
Art comes in many forms, and personal expression through pen or paint, or tunes or acting, can be a bastion of mental health. And, in Cassville, you can do, or see, any of those media throughout the year.
At Cassville High School, the art program is exceptional. Student pieces, like a chalk pastel portrait by senior Saige Holman, who was chosen as Prom Queen recently, leave me in awe of the abilities of many of our local youth. I’m also excited to see where the mural squad heads this summer after gracing our building with an amazing piece last year.
The Cassville Arts Council has been increasingly active in recent years, producing at least one play annually and, this year, receiving a grant to bring a world-renowned Flamenco musician to the city. The head of that organization, Trent Oliphant, has expressed on numerous occasions he wants the Arts Council to not only provide theatre opportunities, but expand to feature gallery shows and concerts. His efforts are noteworthy.
If getting involved in the Arts Council activities is too much, consider the other more private art options in the area. The Cassville Branch Library hosts adult painting classes once a month, and a new business, Stori House, has storefront space on Main Street offering photography and art opportunities.
Musically, there are multiple piano instructors in the area, and Cassville schools have proud band and choir programs that offer opportunities of many kinds. We also have The Show every year, and its leadership has facilitated the creation of The Next Generation Band, a group of high school-age youth that play a myriad of covers — and well. I also enjoyed listening to a band I hadn’t heard before, The Flatlander Mountain Boys, at the Barry Electric Annual Meeting. Even missing a member of the foursome, their bluegrass talent was not only impressive — it made your feet tap.
If creating art is not your thing, enjoying and appreciating it has positive effects all the same. Supporting local art is a low-key priority for us as business owners in the Cassville community, and if you have not seen all this area has to offer, you’re missing out.
No matter how artistic you may or may not be, I encourage you to pick up a pen, a brush, an instrument or any other media you may be interested to try. Speaking from experience, it’s an activity you rarely regret.
Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a twotime ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.
