The Gogh-Getters

What happens when a painter decides the canvas isn't enough? For Melissa (Missy) McDonough Borden, it leads to wire that mimics brushwork in midair, spinning vellum cylinders that paint the walls with colored light, and an installation show that fills an entire gallery with work made in just three months. Missy is a painter, installation artist, educator, and Edwardsville institution. She holds a BFA from the University of Illinois and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she built her graduate portfolio while living in a geodesic domein the Arizona desert — and graduated with Ed Harris, fresh from playing Jackson Pollock, as her commencement speaker. She has taught at Lewis and Clark College, Blackburn College, SIUE, and the Art Institute of Chicago, served as executive director of the Edwardsville Arts Center, and helped found the Edwardsville Art Fair. In this episode, The Gogh-Getters dig into Missy's story: her architect father's influence on how she sees space, the three-month sprint to fill the William and Florence Schmidt Art Center with a full-scale installation show, the Olafur Eliasson show in LA that sparked her spinning light-cylinder pieces, her long mentorship with renowned artist and educator Buzz Spector, and the Women Artists Connect network that helps her stay in community with artists across the country.She also talks about jazz as the only studio soundtrack that makes sense to her, the difference between a painting that hangs and a piece that makes you move around it, and a dream hang that includes the Drawing Center in New York and — why not — the Pompidou in Paris.Melissa McDonough-BordenWebsite: www.melissamcdonough-art.comInstagram: @missymacbeeThe Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: ⁠⁠Shop⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Kerry Smith: ⁠⁠Artist Website⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Steve Hartman: ⁠⁠Artist Website⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Juan Cruz: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Dave Thomas: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Produced by Creativille Journal: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Recorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Edwardsville, IllinoisGallery Location: ⁠⁠Sacred Grounds Cafe⁠⁠ in Edwardsville. ©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.

The Gogh-Getters have their first guests, and they did not set the bar low, instead they gave you a treasure trove of items to write down.Alex Johnmeyer is a 17-year painting veteran, St. Louis Magazine's Best Fine Artist of 2021, a queer and transgender artist and advocate, and the co-founder of the St. Louis VisualArtists Network — a Facebook group and monthly meeting now connecting 7,000 artists across the St. Louis region. His solo show at the Angad Arts Hotel explored his journey as a transgender man through oil paintings including thenow-iconic "Let Me Spell That Out for You" painting. He has six paintings permanently installed at SLU Hospital, is a resident artist at Green Door Art Gallery and Artisans in the Loop, and is preparing to be the sole juror of an LGBTQ exhibition at the Foundry of St. Charles in 2028.Kimberlyn Renee is a self-taught surrealist pop artist who went from her first gallery show in 2023 to 29 exhibits, 13 art fairs, 12 galleries, and 7 awards in 2025 alone. She paints fluorescent candy, cereals, and music icons directly on vintage vinyl records,using UV-reactive and glow-in-the-dark paints, and even travels to art fairs with a blacked-out phone-booth booth so people can experience her glowing work.They met because of a Lucky Charms painting. They're showing together with The Gogh-Getters at Sacred Grounds Cafe in Edwardsville from April 10 through June 14. And in this episode, recorded live at Eaker's Family Barber Shop, they talk about frosting bags and texture paint, black lights and fluorescent color, the business of being an artist, and why the St. Louis art community goes so much further when people like Alex refuse to stop sharing what they know.Follow them on InstagramAlex Johnmeyer: @superkeenalexKimberlyn Renee: @kreneeartThe Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: ⁠Shop⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Kerry Smith: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Steve Hartman: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Juan Cruz: ⁠Instagram⁠Dave Thomas: ⁠Instagram⁠Produced by Creativille Journal: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Recorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Edwardsville, Illinois©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.

Episode 5 features Steve Hartman. We chat about his entry into the arts, his design career and his favorite museum, Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas.Steve is interviewed by his fellow Gogh-Getters, Kerry Smith, Juan Cruz and Dave Thomas. Steve Hartman is an Creative Director and Artist. You can see his work online:Design Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/CreativilleFine Art Portfolio: https://stevehartmanart.comThe Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: Shop, InstagramKerry Smith: Artist Website, InstagramSteve Hartman: Artist Website, InstagramJuan Cruz: InstagramDave Thomas: InstagramProduced by Creativille Journal: Website, InstagramRecorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: Website, InstagramEdwardsville, Illinois©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.

Episode 4 features the one and only Juan Cruz. Tatted to the hilt, loves a damn-fine museum, and maybe our hardest working Gogh-Getter. Juan talks tats, museums, drawing clubs and the St. Louis gallery scene.Juan is interviewed by his fellow Gogh-Getters, Kerry Smith and Dave Thomas. The Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: ⁠Shop⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Kerry Smith: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Steve Hartman: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Juan Cruz: ⁠Instagram⁠Dave Thomas: ⁠Instagram⁠Produced by Creativille Journal: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Recorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Edwardsville, Illinois©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.

On this episode, we meet another founding Gogh-Getter, Dave Thomas. Now retired, Dave lead a creative life as a sign designer, motorcycle racer and artist. Dave is interviewed by his fellow Gogh-Getters, Kerry Smith, Steve Hartman and Juan Cruz.The Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: ⁠Shop⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Kerry Smith: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Steve Hartman: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Juan Cruz: ⁠Instagram⁠Dave Thomas: ⁠Instagram⁠Produced by Creativille Journal: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Recorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Edwardsville, Illinois©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.

Episode 2 is an opportunity to meet Kerry Smith, our founding Gogh-Getter. Kerry is an Artist, Designer and Gogh-Getter who lives in Edwardsville and works above Eaker's Family Barbershop on Main Street.Dave Thomas joins us for this episode with Juan Cruz and Steve Hartman. We talk about recent art openings we recently experienced, along with some other shit. Learn more about Kerry Smith and see his art here.The Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: ⁠Shop⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Kerry Smith: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Steve Hartman: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Juan Cruz: ⁠Instagram⁠Dave Thomas: ⁠Instagram⁠Produced by Creativille Journal: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Recorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Edwardsville, Illinois©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.

Welcome to the pilot episode of The Gogh-Getters podcast. We are all over the board in our first attempt. We learn a little about our history, our current exhibit with John DenHouter and Lon Brauer, and future exhibits. Kerry reminisces about his first figure drawing class. Steve remembers his 10th Anniversary Letterpress show at the Edwardsville Arts Center and Juan fondly remembers his drawing instructors Dennis Ringering.And, shout out to our only listener, Kevin.Thank you to Eaker's Family Barber Shop for hosting us. To see our current exhibition up at our gallery host, Sacred Grounds Cafe, check out our online store.The Gogh-Getters areGogh-Getters: ⁠Shop⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Kerry Smith: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Steve Hartman: ⁠Artist Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Juan Cruz: ⁠Instagram⁠Dave Thomas: ⁠Instagram⁠Produced by Creativille Journal: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Recorded at Eaker's Family Barber Shop: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠Edwardsville, Illinois©2026 Creativille Journal and The Gogh-Getters. All rights reserved. The Gogh-Getters Podcast is an original production of Creativille Journal & The Gogh-Getters. Any music used in this episode is either original, licensed, or used with permission — licensing details available upon request. Artwork, songs, albums, and other creative works discussed or referenced in this episode remain the intellectual property of their respective creators and rights holders. All opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests only.