Artists show their wares, compete at Arts by the River event

Fine arts and crafts by 20 artists competing for prizes and hoping to make a sale will fill the atrium and convocation center at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus on March 20 and 21.

The first-time event, Arts by the River, is a presentation of a juried show by the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

Ann Gifford, the arts council board president, said the organization wanted to bring new artists to the community.

Dodie Eisenhauer recently retired from the arts council board and is working as a member of the festival planning committee. Eisenhauer also owns an arts and crafts business, Village Designs, based in Daisy, and travels often to regional shows. She will display wire and wire mesh art in Arts by the River.

Eisenhauer said most of the artists and crafters who entered the show were selected to display their work because the arts council spread the word through Best Missouri Hands, a statewide juried art group. Candidates were asked to submit pictures of their work on CD to be reviewed by a panel of three local artists. Categories included pottery, jewelry, photography, painting, jewelry, fibers, glass, wood, leather, metal, baskets and clay.

Sarah Masters, who co-owns Montana Ranch Interiors near Perryville, Mo., with her husband, Floyd, has entered handmade wooden furniture in the show. The couple plans to display a table made from a wine barrel, among other custom items.

The Masters sell many of their items, including wooden table lamps, twig furniture and beds with inlaid tile headboards at the annual Denver Merchandise Mart in Denver.

In Southeast Missouri, their work was recognized in 2007 as best in show at the annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Extravaganza at the Osage Community Centre.

Eisenhauer said artists and crafters will be traveling from as far away as Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, Southern Illinois and Arkansas to compete in the show, which will award one best in show, second- and third-place prizes, an honorable mention and a people's choice award.

The show is being sponsored by the arts council as well as the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau and Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Arts by the River will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 20, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 21 at the River Campus. There is no admission fee.