When the Montgomery County Arts Council was established in 2013, Laura Burnham and Cindy Branstetter were among the people who served on the organization’s first board of directors.

On April 13, Burnham and Branstetter got to reflect on their memories with the Arts Council during the organization’s 10-year anniversary celebration ceremony at the Arts Council building.

One of those memories was working on the first Christmas show.

“The guy who runs Ace Hardware let us use the empty spot next to him,” Burnham said. “They had the Hometown Christmas downtown. It had no heat. We nearly froze to death. But it was a really fun thing.”

Another memory was Branstetter being selected as the vice-president.

“I remember that I kept showing up to the meetings,” Branstetter said. “They decided to vote me in as a vice-president. They asked, ‘Cindy, do you want to be vice-president?’ I said, ‘No.’”

Burnham and Branstetter were part of the first board that included Ross Castle, Suzanne Espen, Laurie Ruhl and Nancy McKellar. They helped form an arts council which was dedicated to supporting the arts and artists throughout Montgomery County.

The idea of bringing an arts council to Montgomery County started during an exploratory meeting on January 23, 2013 at the MU Extension Building. A month later, a governing board was formed. The Arts Council’s first Art Show was held at the Bellflower Community Building on March 23. The first board meeting was on April 4 at the MU Extension Building.

“Walt (McQuie) helped us write our first by-laws and get us incorporated as a 501 (3)(c),” Burnham said.

The Arts Council moved to its current location at 123 East Third Street in Montgomery City after the City of Montgomery decided to offer the organization a space for art exhibits, events and classes.

“We work with about 80 arts councils around the state,” said Michael Gaines, executive director of Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies (MACAA). “Over 50 percent of them are volunteers. A lot of them don’t have a facility. So having the space is pretty amazing and we really cherish it. A thanks to the city officials and letting them know that it’s unique for a community and county to have a facility like this. It’s super nice.”

The ceremony paid homage to Castle and McKellar, who passed away in August 2021 and March 2023, respectively.
McKellar became the council’s first president in 2013, two years after she moved to Montgomery City from Indiana. She stayed with that role for four years.

“The arts remained important to her,” said Shawna McKellar, Nancy’s sister-in-law. “This was something she strongly believed in and I do as well. The arts make a big part of making a community worth living in and helping people get excited about it. That’s what she believed and that’s what I believed.”

Patti Cunningham was a longtime friend of Castle’s. She said Castle was instrumental in starting an arts council in Montgomery County.

“Ross was a wonderful person to work with,” Cunningham said. “He did a lot around here. He was a big part of it. We will never have another one like him.”

The Arts Council holds numerous classes for people of all ages. An open house is scheduled for April 21-23 at the Arts Council building.

Branstetter, who now owns The Shop at High Hill, said she was impressed with all of the art displays in the building.
“It is important that everybody uses their gift because there is a reason for it,” she said. “It makes the community a better place when everybody is in their place and doing what they are supposed to do.”