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Retrospective art show commemorates 40 years of work by beloved Ozarks artist James Burkhart, now disabled by neurological disease
An art show and sale to be held Dec. 10, 11, 12 in Gainesville isn’t a retirement event for beloved Ozarks artist James Burkhart, because “artists say they never want to retire,” says Burkhart’s wife, Donna. “Artists always hope they can die at their easels.”
Instead, the event, sponsored by the Burkharts’ home church, First Christian Church in Gainesville, is titled simply “James Burkhart in Retrospect.”
But the fact is, the talented artist is coping with a debilitating disease and can no longer create the heartwarming paintings of the Ozarks and their people that have delighted and charmed residents of the Midwest and beyond since the Burkharts bought their Ozark County farm on Bryant Creek more than 40 years ago.
In his Ozark County studio, Burkhart said he could “farm, raise cattle, paint when I want to, swim in the creek when I want to. Because we came from another area, we can see beauty here in these hills that the natives have become used to. This beauty inspires me. I’m closer to God here than anywhere else. My family and I had to sacrifice some things to live this way, but the things we have and appreciate now, money can’t buy.”
Everywhere he looked for the next 40 years, Burkhart found images to paint. And he painted hundreds of them. Today they hang throughout the Midwest in homes, galleries, businesses, banks and museums such as the Truman Library in Independence.
Burkhart’s career has been cut short due to progressive supranuclear palsey, PSP, a rapidly progressing condition that causes cells in the mid-brain to die. It is similar to Parkinson’s disease but has one especially terrible difference. While some treatments are available for Parkinson’s disease, said Donna Burkhart, “for PSP there are none.”
The retrospective art show and sale at 200 High Street in Gainesville includes both framed and unframed originals and prints priced from $35 to $1,200. Two of the originals are canvases that friends persuaded Burkhart to include in the show despite his insistence that the pictures aren’t complete. They have remained unfinished since the last time he sat at his easel and tried, unsuccessfully, to work on them. That was four years ago.
“James Burkhart in Retrospect,” an art show and sale, will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 10, 11 and 12 at 200 High St. in Gainesville. For information contact Sue Ann Jones, c/o Ozark County Times, Box 188, Gainesville, MO 65655; 417-679-4641; sueannjone@aol.com.
jean roberts says ...
On Wednesday, Jan 7 at 9:28 PM
i would like to know if he was going to have any more showings around the ozark area. please email me back at your earliest convinience. thank you. mjblatt@netzero.com