So happy Botero found a home

Our dog Botero now has a home with our parents and we are so happy we kept his adoption in the family.

Help us WIN $50,000 to continue building The Painted Blackboard - VOTE FOR US EVERYDAY at Pepsi.com

Hello fellow Operation Blackboard members. We are so excited to tell you that we are actively approaching all avenues we can to continue to build The Painted Blackboard and keep the dream of so many everyday aspiring artists alive. Igor and I are working tirelessly to bring this project to fruition and now we ask for your help. On March 1st midnight we are posting the Painted Blackboard Project in hopes of securing a $50,000 grant from Pepsi. They are running a contest for businesses and people that rally to refresh lives and make a difference in US communities. We would use this grant money for the launch and continued renovation of our 42,000 sq ft. art center and retreat.

Many of you have signed up for our Painted Blackboard newsletter and you were probably wondering when we would reach out to you. We have not forgotten you by any means and we are doing everything and all we can to open our doors to the public. Please consider this as our hand reaching out to yours to say..."won't you please vote for us EVERYDAY at Pepsi.com and help us bring your dream and ours to reality".

Thank you and God Bless.

How do you revive your life?

We really want to know. We have chosen to leave behind the metropolitan life as we know it to experience a new way of living. A life with neighborly acts of kindness, calming road conditions and frankly a living that just soothes the soul. After several long days at work we found ourselves exploring the many links of Google which eventually led us to an article in The Fort Scott Tribune which eventually led us to Fort Scott, KS. This is not a choice for everyone but we believe imagination and inspiration lies within each and every one of us. We craved a life altering experience and the media helped to confirm it. We were tired of being inundated with messages of sacrifice and scarcity and tired of being encouraged to function merely as necessary in order to survive. Well, I don't know about you, but we wanted to do more than survive!

In spring of 2010 we hope to announce the grand opening of our creative safe-haven, The Painted Blackboard in an effort to revive the lives of those that choose to do so. Tell us how you want to revive your life. Perhaps you are content with all that life is bringing you today? Please tell us about that too. It is time we talk about what inspires us rather than what obligates us to survive.

Everyone Desires a Mary Fenoglio Original

Do you have a Mary Fenoglio Original piece of Furniture Art? If not then you want one.

Mary carefully selects each element for every piece of furniture she designs, builds, paints and stains. One piece may contain elements of a door, window, headboard, chair rail, wall trim, table legs and many more intricate, delicate details. What will go into your Mary Fenoglio original? Only Mary knows. Stay tuned for more on Mary and look for her mesmerizing art at The Painted Blackboard currently in development. If you wish to reserve your very own Mary Fenoglio Original, contact Marie Papa-Vavrovsky at 561-699-6196 or Mary direct at 620-231-1610

Our Mission

It is our mission to provide a venue for individuals to create, practice their hobbies, share and network with the community and its fellow artists while stimulating the economy by encouraging art sales. Additionally, we strive to provide close-knit fun and entertainment for the whole family. Through the use of our creative facility, we intend to enhance and revive lives.

The Painted Blackboard

The Painted Blackboard, previously the historic Fort Scott Middle School, will consist of more than 40,000 sq. ft. of artistic space for people of all ages to enjoy. It is projected to be an all-inclusive environment of creativity including painting, pottery, sculpting, acting, arts & crafts, musical talents and much more.

After researching the mid-western, geo/demographic market and in keeping with the the demand for reinvention, The Painted Blackboard promises to be a safe-haven for artists and everyday creative enthusiasts. This is exceptionally timely with the current economic challenges the United States is currently facing. People, now more than ever, want to be inspired. They are yearning to reinvent themselves and break out of their routine box to try new things. Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes and is no longer defined by “learning to draw”. Families are finding new ways to spend time together, college graduates are using creative means to maintain a positive outlook in the lagging job market, senior citizens are postponing their retirement plans and all of this lends itself to a perfect, single source location where inspiration, creativity, healing and freedom collide.