Obelisk Gallery
Springfield, MO
Fine art gallery located at Obelisk Home in Springfield, MO.
Message
Balance, 2015
Journeying through life, I am seeking a greater understanding of the human condition and experience by responding through the creation of my art. The power to create, express and empathize is what makes us human. In this exhibit, “Balance”, the study of ancient symbols and cultural systems for balance and order has shaped my art while I respond to my presence in this world; within this moment.
Maintaining ancient painting materials of beeswax, damar resin and the element of heat, I’m creating a symbiosis of past processes with immediate expression. Producing colors, lines and textures that provoke an innate feeling of harmony within the viewer the moment they stand before my work, is my purpose. Just as the warm analogous colors of the setting sun create a slow moving horizontal line over the cool hues of the ocean waters, I seek perfect balance within as I send perfect “Balance” out.
Barriers and Brushes, 2017
My goal for Barriers and Brushes is to show the light and dark side of each piece. Separated by a barrier, each half has its own character and flow, but at the same time a likeness to each other that brings it all together.
Bathymetry, 2020
Art has been my major passion and pursuit throughout my adult life. After graduating with a Master’s of Fine Arts from California College of the Arts in San Francisco, I returned to Springfield in the fall of 2018. I currently teach at OTC, and sometimes at MSU and the Springfield Art Museum. In Bathymetry I took water and its movement as inspiration. I looked at bathymetric maps and aerial views of various bodies of water around the world. The aqueous nature of the paint became my partner in exploring the rhythms and undulations of water and the topographies it sculpts. Although the resulting paintings are fictitious, each one is inspired by a real place and by the behavior and impact of water.
Bend, 2021
Stephanie’s newest collection, “Bend”, reflects a previous claim by a Boston Globe critic: “Cramer’s work has a dark sensibility occasionally struck by light, like the glory of an electrical storm.” Untethered, while painting, Stephanie loses herself to an imaginary world. She starts with a gesture and leans into the process using only her instinct—looking to the past but moving forward, allowing herself to bend. These latest works reveal new glimpses into her dynamic and entrancing mind.
Between Self and World, 2025
“As an oil painter, I explore the threshold between the tangible and the ephemeral. Whether capturing the luminous vitality of blooming flowers, the geometric poetry of cityscapes, or the intimate beauty of culinary still lifes, my work emerges from a profound connection to the act of creation itself. It is in this process—the layering of pigments, the decisive and intuitive brushstrokes, the unexpected discoveries that unfold with each canvas—where I find my deepest fulfillment.
My large floral compositions seek to transcend mere representation, inviting viewers to experience the emotional resonance flowers evoke. Each petal and curved stem becomes a meditation on nature’s delicate yet resilient beauty. In my architectural city scenes, I orchestrate a dance between light and structure, creating visual narratives that speak to the dialogue between human design and the passage of time. When painting food, I transform the everyday into the extraordinary, using color, texture, and composition to celebrate moments of sensory pleasure that are by nature fleeting.
This exhibition represents a milestone in my ongoing artistic journey—one that embraces painting as a continuous conversation between self and world. I invite viewers to pause, observe, and perhaps experience something of the same joy I find in the creation of these works.“ - James Eric Richardson
Blackbird Stew, 2023
Ken Richardson has assembled his own “art stew.” He’s used a variety of ingredients to create sculpture, with steel being the common element. From bananas to black birds, it all goes in the pot!
Blackout, 2019
Over 60 local artists have joined together to “black out” Obelisk Home for the month of October. We asked artists to create works that are predominately black and dark hues but left the rest open for interpretation. For many of the participants, trading their bright colors for a tube of black paint has pushed their comfort zones and immersed them into a diverting challenge. From paintings and drawings, to encaustic, mixed media, printmaking, and photography, this group show is a diverse display of talent here in Southwest Missouri.
Blue of the Night Meets Gold of the Day, 2018
Start with color,
Move with the mark,
Complete the gesture.
I see painting as a journey, taking expected and unexpected directions along the route. The unanticipated I value most –
finding answers to questions not yet formulated, questions formulated not yet answered.
Why would we continue the quest if we knew all the answers?
Boxcar, 2019
Inspiration drawn from railroad car graffiti is the foundation for my show, “Boxcar”. I’ve never minded being stopped by a train that was loaded down with Graffiti art—seeing the different colors, techniques and styles zooming by. Each car different but similar bounded by the capacity of technique you get with spray paint. I challenged myself to come up with pieces that not only reflected graffiti but pieces that ease the mind with the use of the cool colors and relaxed shapes. You won’t find spray paint in this collection, but hopefully you will catch the essence of that old train car clinking by.
Bridging Form & Figure, 2025
“Bridging Form & Figure” invites you to explore the dialogue between the human presence and the spaces we inhabit and create. This exhibition delves into how artists interpret the human form- its inherent structures, emotions, and narratives- or the built environments that shape our lives- from the defining presence of architectural structures to the quiet solitude of an interior.
This exhibition reveals how these two seemingly distinct elements are perpetually intertwined. You’ll witness artworks where the human figure or face takes center stage, celebrating the beauty and complexity of humanity. Alongside these, pieces focusing solely on architectural forms highlight the beauty, geometry, and implied human experience within man-made structures. Some pieces mix and mingle these two themes together, directly linking the form and the figure in one work of art.
Through diverse artistic approaches, “Bridging Form & Figure” challenges us to see how we are shaped by our surroundings, and how, in turn, our presence leaves an indelible mark on the world we build. It’s an exploration of the fundamental relationship between the organic and the architectural, and the endless ways artists bridge this fascinating divide.
Featured Artists: Gentry Amstutz, Natalie Avondet, Landon Enlow, Jared Farouki, Teresa Fry, Mark Jackson, Jesus Martinez, Valerie Rippey, Bryan Sanders, Shaza Umran
This exhibition reveals how these two seemingly distinct elements are perpetually intertwined. You’ll witness artworks where the human figure or face takes center stage, celebrating the beauty and complexity of humanity. Alongside these, pieces focusing solely on architectural forms highlight the beauty, geometry, and implied human experience within man-made structures. Some pieces mix and mingle these two themes together, directly linking the form and the figure in one work of art.
Through diverse artistic approaches, “Bridging Form & Figure” challenges us to see how we are shaped by our surroundings, and how, in turn, our presence leaves an indelible mark on the world we build. It’s an exploration of the fundamental relationship between the organic and the architectural, and the endless ways artists bridge this fascinating divide.
Featured Artists: Gentry Amstutz, Natalie Avondet, Landon Enlow, Jared Farouki, Teresa Fry, Mark Jackson, Jesus Martinez, Valerie Rippey, Bryan Sanders, Shaza Umran
Celebration, 2023
In November, Obelisk celebrated 15 years, and we want to keep that party going! We asked local and regional artists to submit works that show what ‘celebration’ means to them. Over 30 artists are featured in this exhibition.
Opening Reception: December 1st, 2023, 6-10pm
Exhibition Showing: December 1st– January 26th, 2024
Chaos and Control, 2018
Creating a fluid art piece is always like an experiment and also a challenge. A balance between “Chaos and Control” and the anticipation of what is to be.
Clouds Full of Nostalgia, 2017
Some of us look back with a sense of longing for simpler times of nostalgia and excitement… Others look forward with awe and wonderment of a future of technology and anticipation with our heads in the clouds. Who we were, who we are and where we will go. This body of work attempts to capture those moments as we travel through our lives.
Collaborations, 2020
For this show, we encouraged local artists to break away from their solitary studios and collaborate with one another. Collaborations allow for different backgrounds, experiences, ideas to collide, to ignite new thinking, and to create a sort of visual conversation that couldn’t be possible with a single artist.
Opening Reception: September 4th, 6-10 pm, 2020
Exhibition Showing: September 4th– September 29th, 2020
Color that Sings, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, March 6th from 6-10pm
Showing: March 6th - 28th
You stand in amazement
Showing: March 6th - 28th
You stand in amazement
Your body will sway,
Because the painting is singing
And you’re carried away…
Your eyes they start dancing
And so does your soul.
Because you’re falling in love
With the paint and its flow.
Monet, Picasso, Manet, & Rembrandt,
You’re standing there darling
But you have to dance.
Because the painting is singing
Just singing away,
Singing away with beautiful paint,
The power of yellow, the power of green,
The power of purple, the power of pink.
The power of springtime
The painting that sings.
Color, 2015
I love color. I am moved and transfixed by COLOR.
I can still smell wood chips, sawdust, and the huge green machine that cut wood with a loud whirring sound. Quickly turning the corner in my Dad’s lumber yard, past a green peanut dispenser and red soda machine, I walked softly on the old slats and looked up. My eyes filled with excitement and desire to touch what they saw: THE DUTCH BOY PAINT SAMPLES. Oh my goodness…what a beautiful sight. They gleamed in intensity with a color spectrum from bright to subtle. They rimmed the tops of the wall around the store as they occupied my sight and spirit for hours. Since then, flowers of all colors, shapes, and textures have replaced memories of the little Dutch Boy with painter’s hat and overalls.
Not that long ago I took a risk. I bought paint, brushes, and a palette knife. Dabbling in the paint, utilizing hands, tools, and brushes created a rumbling of change deep within. My world took on a different lens through which I would view all things. I painted. Each painting is unique with every stroke, swipe, and drip being its own adventure.
COLOR. I LOVE COLOR.
Coming Home, 2022
In conjunction with our 16th Annual Bird-home Auction, we invited regional artists to create artworks under the theme of “Coming Home”. This theme encouraged artists to create pieces that embody the visual and emotional aspect of “home”. During this pandemic, we have spent a lot of time at home, but what does home mean? From houses and places to people, things, and scenes of everyday life, home is what you make of it.
Opening Reception: August 5th, 2022, 6-10pm
Exhibition Showing: August 5th– August 27th, 2022
