Heritage by Sherry Pettey
This summer area residents have the opportunity to view a work of art that’s not always on public display. Sherry Pettey’s painting Heritage normally hangs inside the library of Benton Elementary School in Neosho but due to renovations, the work is currently available for viewing at Southwest Missouri Bank (Neosho North) for the next three months.
The Neosho Arts Council has created a special reference brochure for the public to help guide them through the different elements of the painting and give some historical information and context.
Heritage is a 9 foot by 7 foot acrylic painting on three joined panels that was commissioned in 2006 by the Newton County Tourism Council. It was painted in a style that resembles the work of famed regionalist painter and Neosho native, Thomas Hart Benton.
The bank invites everyone to stop by and enjoy this special exhibition opportunity.
Southwest Missouri Bank
110 North Neosho Blvd
Neosho, MO 64850
Open to the public Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm and Saturday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.
The Neosho Arts Council has created a special reference brochure for the public to help guide them through the different elements of the painting and give some historical information and context.
Heritage is a 9 foot by 7 foot acrylic painting on three joined panels that was commissioned in 2006 by the Newton County Tourism Council. It was painted in a style that resembles the work of famed regionalist painter and Neosho native, Thomas Hart Benton.
The bank invites everyone to stop by and enjoy this special exhibition opportunity.
Southwest Missouri Bank
110 North Neosho Blvd
Neosho, MO 64850
Open to the public Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm and Saturday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.
Reference Guide
1. This represents the home in Neosho where Thomas Hart Benton was born. The structure is obscured on purpose as the only known photo of the home was taken as it was burning down in 1917.
2. This Queen Anne style building is the original home of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery which was established in 1888 and is still in operation today.
3. The red brick posts and wood rafters of the pergola which sits on the south east corner of the Newton County Courthouse lawn. For decades the pergola has served as a stage for many informal gatherings of area musicians.
4. George Washington Carver, sits on a tree stump in a field of peanut plants. Carver had a deep love for nature and was known to wear a fresh flower in his lapel daily as seen in the painting. Born near Diamond, MO in 1864, Carver became one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th century.
5. A man and woman are working to harvest fruit from the strawberry fields. 1897 saw the arrival of the strawberry industry in Neosho. Strawberries would become the area’s major crop until drought and labor shortages of the 1930’s diminished the industry.
6. Thomas Hart Benton, famed regionalist painter, was born in Neosho in 1889.
7. A metal flower box fill with spring flowers. Neosho has been locally well-known as “The Flower Box City,” the name dubbed after the city earned the All-American City Award from Look Magazine and the National Municipal League in 1957.
8. A miner in a dark, rocky, tunnel. He represents the lead and zinc mining that took place across Newton County starting in 1847.
9. A couple representing the many couples that spent time in the area during World War II when Camp Crowder was in operation just south of Neosho. Camp Crowder was established in 1941 and served as a U.S. Army Signal Corps replacement training center.
10. The stone bridge over rushing spring water calls to mind Neosho’s Big Spring Park. A flowering white and pink dogwood tree can be seen on either side of the bridge. This calls to mind Neosho's annual Dogwood Tour.
2. This Queen Anne style building is the original home of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery which was established in 1888 and is still in operation today.
3. The red brick posts and wood rafters of the pergola which sits on the south east corner of the Newton County Courthouse lawn. For decades the pergola has served as a stage for many informal gatherings of area musicians.
4. George Washington Carver, sits on a tree stump in a field of peanut plants. Carver had a deep love for nature and was known to wear a fresh flower in his lapel daily as seen in the painting. Born near Diamond, MO in 1864, Carver became one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th century.
5. A man and woman are working to harvest fruit from the strawberry fields. 1897 saw the arrival of the strawberry industry in Neosho. Strawberries would become the area’s major crop until drought and labor shortages of the 1930’s diminished the industry.
6. Thomas Hart Benton, famed regionalist painter, was born in Neosho in 1889.
7. A metal flower box fill with spring flowers. Neosho has been locally well-known as “The Flower Box City,” the name dubbed after the city earned the All-American City Award from Look Magazine and the National Municipal League in 1957.
8. A miner in a dark, rocky, tunnel. He represents the lead and zinc mining that took place across Newton County starting in 1847.
9. A couple representing the many couples that spent time in the area during World War II when Camp Crowder was in operation just south of Neosho. Camp Crowder was established in 1941 and served as a U.S. Army Signal Corps replacement training center.
10. The stone bridge over rushing spring water calls to mind Neosho’s Big Spring Park. A flowering white and pink dogwood tree can be seen on either side of the bridge. This calls to mind Neosho's annual Dogwood Tour.