1. What about the closing of Highway 7 north out of Harrison?
The closing of highway 7 is far south of Jasper. It is also south of our southernmost artist, it does not impact our tour. Persons coming from all other directions will have no problems related to roads. See our tour map.
There are no road problems on the tour routes -- the issues with Highway 7 are well south of Jasper. Persons coming up from the south should take Highway 65 to 204 west, and then Highway 74 west to Jasper. While this may be a bit of an inconvenience, the route along Highway 74 is very scenic and a worthwhile drive.
.2. Does the tour cost anything?
No. This is a free, self-guided tour and the only cost is your travel cost. We have organized the destinations on a map so you can group your visits and minimize unnecessary driving.
3. How are the tour stops marked?
We will have special logo signs on the major roads nearest each of the destinations. Look for these signs and follow addiitonal signs to get to each destination. We will have the routes well marked.
4. Who paid for this tour?
Each artist has contributed to the tour, but the majority of support has come from our sponsors. We ask that you recognize their contribution with your business.
5, Where can I pickup information like maps to the destinations?
We will have maps at strategic locations across the county. At this time we plan to have maps at the Jasper/Newton Chamber of Commerce, the Low Gap Store in Low Gap, the Lost Valley Canoe Store in Ponca, The Cliff House Inn, and other locations to be announced.
6. Do we have to visit all the tour stops, or in an particular order?
No. This tour is completely self-directed. While we would hope you would find most destinations of interest, realistically not every visitor will likely visit every artist. Who you visit, and when, is only limited by the days and hours of the tour.
7. We are very concerned with gas prices but we would love to come to the tour. Is there any way to make our travel more economical?
Yes. We cannot control the cost of gasoline, but we are now approaching local lodging companies to offer tour-related discounts we are calling "Let Us Help With Gas". We are asking them to help pay for the difference between current gas prices and back when we all were more comfortable. Look for more details on this soon.
8. Do you plan to have another Ozark Mountain Artists Tour in the future?
Yes. We have designated the third weekend of September as our official annual tour weekend. In 2009, that will be September 17-19th. Check back for details.
9. What is the best way to keep up to date on the Ozark Mountain Artists?
Two ways. First, our website will be kept up year round. We are asking member artists to submit current work that we will in turn feature on the site. Second, subscribe to our email newsletter. This quarterly newsletter will mention area art events, show current work by our member artists, and any private shows locally.
10. What about the long term, what is your vision for Newton County arts?
We believe the strong artistic community in Newton County is largely unknown. The response to last year's tour was very good and we hope to build on that. If we broaden our base, and if there seems to be interest, it is possible that in the future we might do a spring tour in addition to our current fall tour. The best way to track what we are up to is visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. For now, just a simple email requesting to be on the mailing list is enough. We will not share this email with anyone.
