Guest artists Amanda Brown-DeClue and Steve Ryan in Hannibal
Published 3:01 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026
HANNIBAL — Alliance Art Gallery at 121 N. Main St. in downtown Hannibal welcomes guest artist Amanda Brown-DeClue for the month of August. Also featured for the month is gallery ceramic artist Steve Ryan.
Originally from Kansas, Brown-DeClue’s family moved to Camdenton, Mo., in the Lake of the Ozarks when she was 4. Brown-DeClue’s high school art teacher had attended Culver-Stockton College (CSC) in Canton, Mo. She took a group of her art students to the annual Culver Art Day for high schools. Later, Brown-DeClue and her mother made the trip back to Canton for a portfolio review. During that trip, Brown-DeClue was offered a scholarship and made the decision to attend CSC.
Brown-DeClue worked at the Quincy Art Center for six years, manning the front desk and carrying out all the duties that it entailed. After six years, she made the decision to change jobs to have more time to concentrate on her own art. She currently works with a variety of materials that include permanent markers, watercolor and colored pencils.
Brown-DeClue and her work can be found at Quincy’s Farmers Market at the Quincy Town Center parking lot. Her offerings include originals and reproductions of landscapes, abstracts and mandalas.
Many gallery regulars will remember gallery artist Steve Ryan and his demonstration of the Obvara glazing process last summer outside the gallery. In fact, he has tweeted his recipe for his finishes that gives his pieces even more variety and depth.
Ryan has branched out, taking his work to art fairs throughout the Midwest. Most recently, he was in Des Moines, Iowa, where he sold nearly every piece he had taken to the fair.
But no worry, Ryan promises totally new work for August and suggests that with the new glaze “recipe,” the colors and textures will be pleasingly different.
Ryan realized recently that “he is living his dream.” After a lifetime of supporting his family, working a 9-to-5 job in industry, he is now “retired” and able to live the creative life he always wanted.
On Aug. 8, the gallery will host a Second Saturday event from 4 to 7 p.m., an opportunity to visit with the artists and enjoy free refreshments. There will be featured artists’ talks at 6 p.m. and a drawing for a piece of one of Ryan’s pots at 6:30 p.m. Visit the gallery throughout that day to sign up for the opportunity to win. This event coincides with the Downtown Hannibal Art Walk and is open to the public.
