The cover art for the 2024 Crowder Quill edition has been chosen. The front cover will be graced by “Neosho’s Big Spring Park” by John D. Mills of Neosho. The 2D Art category submission was entered in the community division.

“History states the big spring attracted native Americans for water and recreation and was called Neosho, meaning ‘living waters,'” Mills said. “This painting was commissioned by La-Z-Boy Residential for their Big Spring Conference Center in the newly completed expansion of their Crowder manufacturing facility.”

Neosho native, John D. Mills is a Crowder alum. His career in his family’s retail business has been followed by his passion for creating representational art in oil paint. Having traveled extensively throughout America and Europe, Mills has had the opportunity to visit many of the world’s great art collections which have influenced his style and technique.