In a world that’s consumed with Facebook newsfeeds, tweets, instagram photos and youtube comments, the option for face to face interaction is becoming less available.

It used to be that people would gather and discuss the events of the day. The latest play would be the talk of the town and the newspaper would be discussed at length in the local deli. Too often now we find ourselves confined behind our desks typing away as if in penance, relegating our social interactions to what can be done from behind a screen.

Indeed, we eat with a fork in one hand and a phone in the other, enslaved to the technology that we were told would bring us freedom.

We talk on our phones, watch television on our phones and even shop on our phones. We’re quickly losing all face time due to an overabundance of FaceTime.

Art galleries provide an alternative. A place where culture is still alive and thoughtful conversation still flows. It allows you to experience the art rather than just to view it from behind a monitor and it gives it opportunity to speak to you. This is especially true in smaller galleries where local artists are often featured.

Here friends can actually like or dislike something without it being relegated to the click of a mouse or a tap on a screen.

It’s a living environment where everything is allowed to communicate with and to the viewer and creates a network of social people rather than just a social network of people.

If you’re seeking this, if you’re looking for a breath of fresh air in a world inundated by friend requests and instant messages, come check out our art gallery in Joplin, MO. We also offer art classes for those wishing to create their own masterpieces. Regardless of whether you’re wanting to create something new or view something that’s been created, we have a piece that will be right for you.