Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The Mid-America Arts Alliance and the Community Foundation are partnering this summer to celebrate both visual and musical arts with special performances in five Ozarks communities this month.

Springfield public radio station, KSMU, aired a June 14 report on the program, which is made possible through the CFO’s Ozark Plateau Initiative to bring visiting artists to rural communities.

Shell Knob hosted a performance by Jim and Kim Lansford Saturday, June 12, to accompany the exhibition “This Contest is for Real Hands: Rodeo Photographs of the 1930s,” which continues at the Old Church Gallery through June 15.

Mountain Grove also hosted an “Opry-style” performance Saturday, June 12, by Les Gillham, to go with the “The Grand Ole Opry” exhibit, which continues through June 15 at the Mountain Grove Senior Center. The local history and Arts Councils developed this project to coincide with Mountain Grove’s community fair.

Willard’s exhibition – “Apron Strings: Ties to the Past” – continues at Rocco’s Italian Restaurant through June 15. Colleen Mallette performed there to accompany the exhibit.

Eldon also chose “The Grand Ole Opry” as its exhibition, which will run from June 21-25 at the Senior Center of Eldon. Jim and Kim Lansford will perform on June 25 at the Senior Center.

Houston selected the “Apron Strings” exhibition, which will run from June 23-July 7 in conjunction with Licking’s summer Rodeo, along with a performance to be announced.

The Ozark Plateau Initiative, created in 2005 through leadership provided by Springfield philanthropist Sally Baird, undertook this project with the Mid-America Arts Alliance to serve CFO’s regional affiliate communities. Since its inception, programs have taken place in Salem, Seymour, West Plains, Cuba, Stockton, Forsyth, Gainesville, Poplar Bluff, Carthage, Clinton, Hermitage, Mt. Vernon, Marshfield and Ozark. The Missouri Arts Council has joined the partnership by providing resources to continue the program for more communities in the future.

The Eldon Community Foundation recently announced the establishment of the Dr. Fred Enloe Dental Scholarship Fund. This scholarship helps send a graduate from a Miller County High School pursuing dentistry to dental school with additional support to the University of Missouri at Kansas City Dental School. Scholarships like the Dr. Fred Enloe Dental Scholarship are an important way CFO assists families in leaving important legacies for the benefit of their community. This fund will begin awarding scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year.

For the 2008-2009 academic year, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and its 40 affiliate foundations awarded $482,056 in scholarships representing 348 individual scholarships, including renewals, from almost 200 scholarship funds. The Foundation currently manages more than $12.8 million in assets dedicated to scholarships.

CFO’s web site now features a centralized, interactive database that allows students and counselors to easily peruse the many scholarships managed by CFO and its affiliates. Users can view lists of scholarships specific to their high school or defined categories such as medical/nursing and scholarships for current college students. Each listing also includes application information or downloadable applications for several scholarships, included those selected by the CFO scholarships committee.

Access to the scholarship database as well as activation and renewal information can be found here. The site also includes a link to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), required for most CFO scholarships.