Artist leaves downtown, puts focus on painting

Scott Hepper has chosen art over coffee.

After closing his Springfield Coffee Company May 15, the local artist will continue to display and sell his artwork at his father's relocated furniture store.

Jim Hepper opened Hepper's Antiques & Wicker June 14 in the Sunshine Corners at Campbell Avenue and Sunshine Street.

"Selling $1 cups of coffee to further the art ... was such a rough cut," Scott Hepper said. "I had to concentrate on one of two venues ... and the art has gone too far. It's going great."

In the month since closing, Hepper has "cranked out" 25 paintings, and all are displayed in his gallery space in the new store. Hepper has a nearly 100-foot wall dedicated to his work.

The artist has made a name for himself among local charities.

In the last three years, he has raised $36,000 for Ozarks charities, mostly through silent auctions.

"The nice thing about it, all the local charities once again have a contact point to reach me to paint official works to donate to help raise funds," Hepper said.

His aims to raise $50,000 for charities in the next three years.

He'll begin with a benefit for The Kitchen during Sister Lorraine's retirement party July 12.

While sad to leave the downtown area, Hepper said he understands why some businesses have a tough time making it.

Of the 20,000 people that came in his store each year, many were tourists who told him downtown looked like a "war zone" with its boarded up buildings.

"That was the first thing they noticed about downtown," he said.

Things have improved lately, but there still is a way to go, Hepper said.

"Jordan Valley Park is phenomenal. The only problem is Jordan Valley Park, even though it's only four blocks from the square, is light years (ahead of) the square," he said. "The Parks Department will always have a productive, positive result on everything they touch because they have great leadership. And it's just one entity; I think that's the blessing. Downtown you have so many different entities: the DDEC, Urban Districts Alliance. Nobody can make a move without affecting somebody else downtown.

"You need a core downtown voice that is the instigator to make positive and permanent change. There are wonderful downtown organizations with superior people ... but not all minds will agree.

"That type of organization needs to be applied toward downtown. That is the only thing that is going to resurrect the square."

Hepper chose not to be a part of that resurrection.

"I opted to ... help my father reopen his newly relocated business and continue my artwork to support local charities and also to push local art," he said.