Fall Into Art History:

Roots Of The Show

Farah Nieuwenhuizen, the founder of Fall into Art, came to Columbia Missouri in 1969 as a young mother, wife, and artist. She became involved with the Columbia Art League where she met artists and made long-lasting friendships. While studying art education at Mizzou, she met more artists. Farah went on to work with one of them at Hickman High School where she taught and inspired young artists for over 20 years, notably teaching jewelry and ceramics.

The Columbia artist community was her inspiration for creating Fall into Art. Art in the Park, held in early June, is the major opportunity for artists to show and customers to buy in our area. Fall into Art was established with the desire for a mid-fall indoor art fair where artists could display without worry of the weather and before the holiday season, giving show goers the opportunity to find the perfect gifts.

In 2009, Farah reached out to a small group of artists, notably Melynda Lotven, Carla McFarland, and Larry L’Hote, who was a physics teacher at Hickman High School. Larry L’Hote, who has since passed was the designer of the Fall into Art logo. Together they launched the show by contacting networks of artists and renting space in the Parkade Center. The first year the show had 20 artists. Each year it grew and the demand for booths increased. In 2019, the last year in the Parkade Center, there were over 70 applications for the 55booths available. That was the show’s 10th year anniversary and a fitting celebration for so many successful shows.