St. Joseph, MO, is a Playground for Artists
Meet two locals who love practicing their craft in the region.
Nestled on the banks of the Missouri River, St. Joseph, MO, is a historic city that was founded as a frontier town in the 19th century. Victorian, Greek Revival and Craftsman architecture, which many residents love, especially those interested in home restoration projects, is sprinkled throughout its landscape. In addition to the artistic elements that can be seen within the city’s neighborhoods, St. Joseph’s growing creative scene is a playground for artists of a variety of specialties, from dancers and sculptors to everything in between. Ahead, meet two locals who love practicing their craft in the region.
Name: Marla Heeler
Title: Owner and director, The Dance Arts Center
Age: 53
Marla Heeler possesses a deep understanding of the history of St. Joseph’s dance community. While she began dancing at age 7 in her hometown, which is 45 minutes north of St. Joseph, she started attending a dance school called The Dance Arts Center in St. Joseph when she was a teenager in 1984. The center was then owned by Lynn Fankhauser, from whom Heeler would take the reins years later.
“(Fankhauser) opened the studio in 1984,” she says. “She helped me have the opportunity to go to Chicago, where I danced professionally under Gus Giordano, one of the old jazz masters.”
While in Chicago, Heeler taught dance and practiced massage therapy. However, she says by the early 2000s, Fankhauser wanted to retire and asked her to come home.
“At first, I said no,” she says. “And then … a year later, I said ‘Yes, I’ll come home.’ It will be 20 years since I took over.”
Today, the center offers ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, hip hop and tumbling for those ages 3 and older. Plus, it provides a Generations on Tap class, where students’ ages range from 65 to 91, as well as two Beyond Dance classes for students with disabilities.
“The studio is thriving,” Heeler says. “We have 400 students and almost 80 weekly classes in four different studios. I have a staff of about 20 … We have a competition group of kids, and we also do an annual story ballet, so the kids have an opportunity to perform. This year, we are doing Alice in Wonderland, and it incorporates a lot of different [dance] styles. It gives the kids a pre-professional experience, and we have a professional costume designer.”
Q: Why is St. Joseph’s arts scene so special?
A: I don’t think people realize how fortunate we are. We have a symphony, a performing arts organization, The St. Joseph Community Chorus & Chamber Choir, and our Robidoux Resident Theatre. We have this beautiful, almost 100-year-old Missouri Theatre. It’s gorgeous. From my perspective, it is booked nearly every weekend throughout the year. I think people don’t always realize that there are many options.
Q: Why is St. Joseph such a great place to live?
A: There are great opportunities for many organizations. Plus, we all work together because we realize the value of collaborating in the arts. St. Joe can feel like a small town even though we are over 71,000, which is unique. Everybody in the arts knows each other. We even meet once a month and clean the whole block where our theater is located. Lori McAlister with the Saint Joseph Symphony was the one who spearheaded that for us. St. Joe is a great place that works hard to keep the arts alive. It’s a great place to raise a family. My husband and I raised our girls here, and we highly recommend it.”
Name: Jacob Burmood
Title: Sculptor
Age: 43
Sculptor Jacob Burmood moved from Kansas City to St. Joseph with his wife in 2022, where they found the perfect spot to live and work. Because of his profession, Burmood requires a home with a large studio, and St. Joseph had an ideal space – an old firehouse, which he and his wife are renovating.
Despite encountering obstacles while pursuing his education, Burmood achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from Missouri State University in 2006 and a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics from the University of Kansas in 2013.
Today, he teaches sculpture and three-dimensional design at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS, and displays his art pieces in cities across America.
When describing his craft, Burmood says, “There’s nothing outside the scope of sculpture. When you’re into sculpture, it can involve anything – materials are unlimited. I drape fabric, weld and carve. I’m constantly learning about new methods and techniques … As far as the subject matter of my work, much of it is related to movement and dance.”
Q: What are your thoughts on St. Joseph’s arts community, and why do you enjoy being part of it?
A: Teresa Fankhauser runs the Allied Arts Council, and she does a lot for the art community in St. Joseph. I’ve been showing work here since at least 2016. I moved to the Kansas City area around 2014, so I’ve been showing in the St. Joseph Sculpture Walk. I currently have one there. Most of my work is largescale, so there’s a different venue for that.
I love that St. Joseph gives artists the chance to show their work in the community to people who may otherwise not see artwork in their daily lives.
Q: Why is St. Joseph such a great place to live?
A: It has such a vast amount of unusual and beautiful architecture and a lot of light. It’s a good recipe for artists to move in. You can buy cheap properties. There are tons of really beautiful old mansions, lots of (available) buildings.
This article was sponsored by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.