EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Art meets history during the Cooley Lake Art Show opening at 6 p.m. April 8 at the Excelsior Springs Museum and Archives.

The art show features paintings and photographs by area artists on a singule theme: Cooley Lake.

The art show marks Clay County’s bicentennial year, 1822-2022, with an homage to Cooley Lake’s place in local history. Many photographers and artists have been inspired in recent years by the ever-changing landscape of the shallow oxbow south of Excelsior Springs.

The settlers moving west in the early 1820s knew Cooley Lake as the site of Clay County’s first wedding, last bear hunt and the only recorded hostile act between themselves and Native Americans.

The show runs from April 8-16. The opening night reception is part of the Downtown Excelsior Partnership’s Second Weekend events. Children are invited to submit works on any local historical theme. Entry forms are due Friday and may be obtained at the

Entry forms are due Friday and may be obtained at the museum or by emailing emuseum101@gmail.com. Artists and photographers may display up to three pieces of their works featuring Cooley Lake.