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Featured Artist
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Dogwood Hill Studio From his studio in southern Howell County, Dana Leake helps keep the ancient art of marquetry alive and well. He creates intricate marquetry designs, including flowers and other natural themes, using ultra-thin, wood veneers carefully fit into other cuts of wood. After creating his design, the pieces to be inlaid are chosen by the color, grain, and texture, cut one piece at a time, and fit together. Hours and hours are spent on each piece to achieve the final surface quality. Many art patrons at shows think that his works are paintings, and centuries ago this technique was actually referred to as "painting with woods." The finishing process Dana uses leaves a smooth, almost invisible finish on the work and the seams between each tiny piece of veneer are at an absolute minimum. Dana has been working with wood all of his life. He built his first home from "green" oak from the local saw mills and spent years working for a cabinet shop and then on historical restoration projects. In the mid 1980’s he developed an interest in marquetry and joined the Marquetry Society of America. Dana’s work is sold at galleries in Columbia, Jefferson City, Springfield, and West Plains, all in Missouri, as well as Eureka Springs, Arkansas. For the last two years he and his wife, Micky, have been exhibiting at higher-end art shows throughout Missouri. This allows them to interact with their customers, who develop a greater appreciation for his work after learning the intricacies of his craft. The Yellow House Community Arts Center
Once the Yellow House Cultural Arts Center opened in late 1994, Dana’s involvement continued as he demonstrated his skills playing bass. Larry Weaver, an excellent guitarist and folk singer, with Dana Leake on bass, now became the official "house band", entertaining folks every Friday and Saturday night in a coffeehouse atmosphere. Eventually the musical entertainment branched out to include up-and-coming local artists and the occasional "open-mic night." To preserve the history of the house, Dr. Shafer donated the property to Ozarks Resource Center, a not-for-profit organization. A new board of directors was formed and thus began the Yellow House Community Arts Center. Micky Leake was an officer on the original board of directors and Dana also joined the board. Since that time, untold thousands of hours have since been generously donated by a series of board members and volunteers. The mission has expanded to include educational events, as well as entertainment, for all the arts - truly a community experience. The Yellow House Community Arts Center has evolved into an organization which manages the space for arts and educational events. Classes and meetings are held; music, poetry, and plays are performed; special events are organized, like "Earth Day," -- all this being done by volunteers, working together as a community of arts-minded folks. One of Dana and Micky’s current interests is the formation of an off-shoot organization which will focus exclusively on the visual arts. West Plains, although the biggest city in nine counties, is about 100 miles from Springfield and 100 miles from Poplar Bluff. This part of the Ozarks is home to many very talented visual artists - woodworkers, potters, weavers, quilters, photographers, you name it. Most of them have chosen the Ozarks as their home because of the vast expanses of wilderness areas - thousands of acres of National Forest, beautiful river valleys, lakes - all those things that inspire great art! The problem is the great distances that must be traveled to market their artwork. The new organization will attempt to tap into the economy of travel and tourism that is a mainstay in the West Plains area. More public awareness of the vast diversity of talent that is in this part of the country is crucial to these talented people being able to support themselves and boost the ecomony. Dogwood Hill
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Dana
and Micky Leake are also intimately involved with another project
dear to their hearts, The Yellow House Community Arts Center in West
Plains. During the fall of 1993, Dr. Ken Shafer, a local cardiologist,
began looking for property in West Plains that might be suitable for
a community arts center. After checking out several less suitable
buildings, he began negotiations to purchase an old Victorian house
built in the late 1800’s. He contacted a local carpenter for
help with the remodeling, Dana Leake. They looked over the premises
and started planning the transformation from a residence into a community
arts center.
