{"id":7971,"date":"2020-06-11T10:29:21","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T15:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/?p=7971"},"modified":"2020-06-11T10:36:02","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T15:36:02","slug":"the-george-kieffer-murals-of-the-fox-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/2020\/06\/11\/the-george-kieffer-murals-of-the-fox-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"The George Kieffer Murals of the Fox Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The George Kieffer Murals of the Fox Theatre<\/h1>\n

by Joshua Heston<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the old Fox Theatre \u2014 the Abundant Life Covenant Church since 1985 \u2014 on the Springfield Square, a series of murals celebrating the history of Springfield, Missouri, are displayed.<\/p>\n

The murals are the work of George Kieffer and each demonstrate his craftsmanship, his care of the art and the subject matter, and of his favorite season, autumn.<\/p>\n

First is the administration building of SMS, a structure still standing today. \u201cCornerstone laid Aug. 10, 1907 \u2014 Completed in 1908\u201d says the title, blocked out in an exquisite, hand-painted type: Artist\u2026 Geo. W. Kieffer (Plate 1).<\/span> The broad brush strokes, the overlays of reds, rusts, yellows and greens, the almost-Impressionism style, are undeniably Kieffer.<\/p>\n

The administration building is remembered in idyllic form. Cottonwoods and maples frame and shelter the new building. Young folks in period dress are comfortably settled in the surroundings. There is no sign of city (or even of other structures) in what is now the bustling quad of Missouri State University.<\/p>\n

Higher learning, nestled in the wooded fields of the Ozarks (Plate 2).<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7974″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Plate 2.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Next, the Battle of Wilson’s Creek (Battle of the Oak Hills) is recalled. Confederate riflemen \u2014 directed by a cavalryman brandishing sword and nearly obscured by smoke (Plate 3)<\/span> \u2014 attempt to block blue-coated Federals forming in brutal lines beyond the creek (Plate 4).<\/span> Simple colors, strong lines. An overturned tree, roots sharply extended, adds turmoil while those characteristic reds, rusts, and greens reflect in the water. Many figures are merely hinted, not defined. It adds to the sense of ghostliness and of anger. Here, reds are not merely accents for tree branches. They form limbs, blood-soaked bandages, ruddy foreheads, contrasting face against field.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7976″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Plate 3.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Is it historically accurate? Not likely. But a powerful scene remembering an epic battle nonetheless.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7977″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Plate 4.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Last of the trilogy, the Stone Chapel of Drury University rests in nostalgic splendor amidst a balmy autumn afternoon (Plate 5).<\/span> Crimson Virginia creeper frame important features of the chapel. Blues and grays dominate in the stonework and sky. The clock tower is a study of angles and brief shadows (Plate 6).<\/span> From the lower left, a contemplative figure surveys the church. A young couple in period dress walk toward the door.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7978″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Plate 5.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It is the oldest stone structure in Springfield, named, ironically enough, for wealthy benefactor Valerie G. Stone of Malden, Massachusetts, rather than for its building material. The cornerstone was laid on November 16, 1880 (although a severe fire would halt construction and the chapel would not be completed until 1893).[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7979″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Plate 6.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Were it not for the efforts of A. Wilson Phillips, pastor and bishop of Abundant Life Covenant Church, it is quite possible the murals would not have survived to the present day. In the early 1980s the Springfield square was closed to through traffic and was a \u201cblight on the community,\u201d notes the church\u2019s senior pastor, Ben Davis.<\/p>\n

Phillips passed away in 2009.<\/p>\n

Back in the early \u201980s, critics opposed the idea of a church downtown, believing it would slow revitalization:<\/p>\n

\u201c[Downtown Springfield Association] members believe the church group does not blend in with the atmosphere redevelopers are trying to create on the square with offices, restaurants, bars and small retail shops. The editorial staff of the Springfield Leader & Press supports this view,\u201d noted Phillips in 1985, countering, \u201cWe plan to do extensive refurbishing and remodeling to make this building a credit to the downtown Springfield development projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, Phillips won out.<\/p>\n

The historic Fox Theatre \u2014 first opened in 1916 \u2014 was lovingly restored by Abundant Life Convenant Church. The murals are safe. Today, art-goers are regularly invited into the stately lobby to appreciate Kieffer\u2019s work. Despite belief of the contrary, progress can be a great thing.<\/p>\n

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED July 9, 2010<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\n

Fox Theatre Art: State of the Ozarks<\/h1>\n

J. Heston \u2022 State of the Ozarks \u00a9 Archive \u2022 Location: SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI \u2022 7\/9\/10<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The George Kieffer Murals of the Fox Theatre by Joshua Heston In the old Fox Theatre \u2014 the Abundant Life Covenant Church since 1985 \u2014 on the Springfield Square, a series of murals celebrating the history of Springfield, Missouri, are displayed. The murals are the work of George Kieffer and each demonstrate his craftsmanship,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[950,949,582],"tags":[1371,1372,1186,787,640],"class_list":["post-7971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ozarkcraftsmanship","category-ozarkfinearts","category-sotoarchive","tag-fox-theatre","tag-fox-theatre-springfield","tag-george-kieffer","tag-ozark-art","tag-springfield-missouri","category-950","category-949","category-582","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7971"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7981,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7971\/revisions\/7981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}