Founded in 1984 by Karen and Lewis Strange, Artpho Gallery has become a way of life for many Lake of the Ozarks residents and visitors.

When Lewis and Karen met in 1978, they immediately knew they had a common bond. She was a struggling free-lance artist, he was a locomotive engineer who shot photographs as a hobby. After dating a mere two months, they were married. "Why waste time?" Karen laughed. "We had work to do!"

They united in marriage and compatibility. He shot photos; she painted them. Together, they capitalized on an unusual combination of creating art and publicized their work far and wide. Karen produced twenty-nine limited edition prints, copyrighted cartoon characters in the likenesses of her and Lewis, and the couple spent six years traveling the show circuit displaying their wares. Karen had many one-woman shows to her credit, with the most exciting being a special exhibit in the Missouri State Capitol Rotunda showcasing original oil portraits of Missouri Outlaws that the couple had researched.

They spent much of their spare time traveling throughout the western United States, jeeping the Rocky Mountains and prowling the deserts of the Southwest in search of materials to photograph and paint. Karen wrote of many of their adventures and many of their art pieces found their way into numerous collections nationwide.

Always having the desire to own a gallery, Karen's dream came true in Osage Beach in 1984. The couple already had the name in place by combining the word "artist" and "photographer" to form their company, Artpho Limited Productions, so they titled their new business "Artpho Gallery and Frame". Knowing nothing about the framing industry, the couple learned their new craft quickly as a following began to emerge. Always believing in providing a good product to the client, Karen and Lewis began to intertwine creative ideas into quality custom framing and soon made a name for themselves. They became busy enough to require additional help, and the Artpho staff began to emerge.

"I have always wanted staff members to be a part of the team. They don't work for me; they work with me to create special pieces that the client will always treasure. Whether it is a family heirloom or a decorative piece to fit just the right décor, our staff wants the client to feel special and for them to always view the piece with pleasant memories," Karen explained.

Artpho Gallery has grown immensely over the years and enjoys friends and customers from throughout the country. Lake of the Ozark natives Karen and Lewis Strange have made many friends over the years and consider each one to be special. They will continue to create their special designs for many years to come, and if one is observant, he or she just might see a jeep pulled alongside a lake bluff or bathed in a glowing sunset somewhere in the lake area as the Strange's create yet another treasure from Artpho.

Artpho Gallery & Frame
1075 Main Street ~ Osage Beach, Missouri 65065
At Beautiful "Lake of the Ozarks"
(573)348-4084