Through the Glass (opening reception)

Join us in the library's Local History wing for the opening of Through the Glass, an exhibit featuring reverse painting on repurposed vintage windows, by local artist Julie Catlett.

This body of work explores themes of transformation, beauty, and connection through imagery of butterflies and insects, flowers, and celestial bodies. The aged glass adds history and light to each piece, while the reverse painting process builds the image from detail to background, honoring patience, imperfection, and time. Together, these works reflect the quiet balance between the natural world and the cosmos.

Catlett began painting vintage windows in 2024. She has no formal art training and is self-taught in the process of reverse painting on glass (details go on first). She has, to date, painted over 400 panes of glass.

As a Registered Nurse, Julie was looking for an outlet from the stress of the profession. When a neighbor set out his 100-year-old windows after window replacement, Julie had no idea what she would do with them but could not bear the thought of them going into a landfill. The craftmanship as well as the years that the windows served their tenants, fascinated Julie and thus her unique art was born.

Julie is an active member and volunteer with Spiva Center for the Arts and serves on the Board of the Joplin Regional Artists Coalition. She is also a member of ArtCentral in Carthage and the Neosho Arts Council. In 2026, her work will be featured in solo shows at Urban Art Gallery (August) in Joplin, Missouri, and the Neosho Arts Council’s Dogwood Gallery (July–August) in Neosho, Missouri.

“Each window is a portal to an earlier time with stories to tell. When I paint, I try to honor the window and its maker, giving it new life.” --Julie Catlett