A Foggy Day at Lake Willastein

Misti Sweere, a Force in Maumelle
By Marion Scott-Coney
January/February 2017
8
St. Francis of Assisi Church – Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
As part of an ongoing renovation, the pastor expressed
a desire for an ambo which was a worthier place of
proclamation, and more visually accessible in the long,
narrow church. This ambo picks up elements found in
the Spanish Colonial architecture and other furnishings
of the space. Cherry was selected as an appropriate
contrast with the oak parquet floor.
The arts continued from page 7>
Among his many other commissions
have been the Holy Family group for a
church in Ann Arbor, Michigan which took
him three years to complete; the crucifix,
large statue, ambo, altar, chairs, and tabernacle
support for Our Lady of the Holy
Souls in Little Rock; the pulpit in St. Luke
Episcopal Church in North Little Rock;
and the main altar casement and reredos
(screen or decoration behind the altar)
for St. Joseph Church in Marshall Texas.
He likes to use native woods like cherry
oak, walnut, maple, sycamore, beech and
will often use a special tree requested by
the client. He has even used persimmon,
apple, or pine, and has sometimes worked
with exotic woods such as ebony, zebrawood,
and mahogany. Metals and clays are
often added to the works.
Among his major influences, he counts
the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini whose
Holy Redeemer Parish – El Dorado, Arkansas
When George Hoelzeman was introduced to this project, the parish committee was struggling
with designs for their altar. After a brief tour of the space to get a fresh perspective,
he came up with the idea of using Gothic style appliques to transform the altar into an
open, architectural base with columns inspired by Cistercian monastic churches. The
committee selected a unique piece of granite for the table from Arkansas Granite and
More (Benton, AR). Stone diamonds cut from the same piece of granite adorn the sides of
the base and serve as a visual link to similar patterns in the central aisle of the church and
on the baptismal font, which stands at the entrance. Material: Red Oak, Granite
spiral columns on the Baldachinno in
St. Peter’s Church in Rome absolutely inspired
him. He also admires Italian artist
Donatello, Tilman Riemenchnieer from
Medieval Germany, and Michelangelo’s architecture
and sculpture. Modern artists
he admires include Salvador Dali, Georgia
O’Keefe, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Hoelzeman is married with two young
daughters and states that he is trying to
inspire them with the “…same passion,
dedication, creativity and love of learning
and art that I got from my parents. One of
my goals, even before I got married, was
to be able to do liturgical work so that I
could be home with my children. Also I
want them to remember their father as
someone who created Beauty and added
something unique and wonderful to the
world. That’s kept me focused even when
things were difficult, and everyone said I
should give up and get a ‘real job’.
I’m glad I didn’t listen to those
voices.”MM
M
aryAnn Stafford taught visual arts, humanities, and English
at Pine Bluff High School for many years before becoming an
Assistant Principal. She retired from the Arkansas Department of Education
in 1993. A teacher and an artist, she exhibits regularly and teaches drawing
at the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center. Dr. Stafford holds signature
membership in Mid-Southern Watercolorists, the Pastel Society of the
Southwest, and the Arkansas League of Artists. Her art can be seen at Eurekan
Art in Eureka Springs and Gallery 221 in Little Rock. Web sites are www.
staffordart.com, www.fineartamerica.com, and www.arkansasartists.com.
Her artists’ blog can be found at www.pastelanne.wordpress.com.
“
THREE MORE” boom, boom,
“TWO MORE” boom, boom,
“ONE MORE” boom, boom!
It’s hard to miss that BIG voice
reverberating through the halls
when entering the Community Center during
a Misti Sweere exercise class. Those inspiring
pipes, pushing attendants to greater
fitness heights, belong to a diminutive ball
of energy. Misti has been teaching classes at
the Community Center for fifteen years. Her
fourteen classes a week include Zumba, Body
Toning, Tabata Kick Boxing, Step, Abs and
Arms, Abs and Legs, and Butts and Gut. She
also teaches six classes a week at the Maumelle
Senior Center, modifying intensity for
her target audiences. As a personal trainer,
she works with 8 to 10 clients at all times. Fitness
fills a big part of her life.
Misti has always been interested in fitness,
having been an athlete and cheerleader
in high school and participating in gymnastics,
track, basketball, and softball. She began
teaching gymnastics in Conway before marrying
Jess Sweere in 1992. After marrying,
she and Jess moved several times with his job
then decided to return to Maumelle where
Misti had family and where Jess wanted to
be to pursue his education to become an attorney.
Attorney Jess Sweere now works at
Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon, and Galches and
is on the Charter School board. All of their
four children attended the Academics Plus
Charter school; Dave, 24, Charlotte, 22, Sally,
19 have graduated from there and are in college.
Seventeen year-old Bobby is a Junior
this year.
Misti received the required Zumba license
in 2007, but also has certification
for group classes and for personal training
through NETA (National Exercise Training
Association). Her class career began here
in Maumelle in 2001 when she and Jess returned
“home” from Orlando, Florida. She
was working with Connie Raley (Maumelle
Gymnastics and Cheer owner) teaching gymnastics
at the Community Center. Nicole
Heaps, current Senior Center Director, was
then a manager with Parks and Rec at the
Community Center, and approached Misti
about teaching some exercise classes. The
program blossomed into what it is today.
While in Springfield, Missouri, pregnant
with her first child, Misti took cake decorating
classes and found she had not only a love
for, but a flair for the craft. Since then she has
been making custom cakes for friends and
others. She never advertised, and was recommended
by word-of-mouth.
Conducting classes, this one at the Community Center, is one of Misti’s favorite
things to do.
Misti prepares for an exercise class at
the Senior Center.
Besides cake decorating and a full-time
fitness schedule, Misti’s home neighborhood
was her biggest passion. It was the sort of
neighborhood television programs are written
about – a close knit, friendly family of
neighbors whose children played together
every evening in the cul d sac. In 2004, Beth
Hutchison moved into the ‘hood. She went
home after initial introductions and said
unequivocally, “She doesn’t know it yet, but
Misti Sweere is going to be my best friend!”
Beth says of BFF Misti, “She never judges. She
accepts people for what they are.”
Their friendship grew due to proximity
on the street, their combined children (Beth’s
sons Wesley and Corben, and nephew Justin
were about Misti’s kids ages at the time), and
common interests. Misti had started a babysitting
co-op about which Beth says, “I never
would have been able to do anything without
it!” The two organized ad hoc neighborhood
dinners; sometimes combining ingredients,
sometimes pot luck and sometimes
Continued on page 10>
www.MauMag.com
9