Art Focus Oklahoma, July/August 2009

ArtOFocus k l a h o m a

Okl a ho m a V i s u al A r ts C o al i t i on

Vo l u m e 2 4 N o . 4

July/August 2009

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Art OFocus k l a h o m a

editor In this issue, we are celebrating a milestone. Julia Kirt, our executive director, fearless leader and tireless advocate, has now been with the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition for ten years. In celebration of her commitment and incredible achievements, we’ve taken some time and space to simply say “thank you” to Julia for all she has done and all we know that she continues to give every day.

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition 730 W. Wilshire Blvd., Suite 104 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 ph: 405.879.2400 • e: director@ovac-ok.org visit our website at: www.ovac-ok.org Executive Director: Julia Kirt director@ovac-ok.org Editor: Kelsey Karper publications@ovac-ok.org Art Director: Anne Richardson anne@speccreative.com Art Focus Intern: Emily Lewis

It has been fun collecting stories from artists, board members, coworkers and acquaintances about Julia, each sharing a favorite memory or proudest Julia Kirt and Kelsey Karper moment. What I think has tied them all together as a common thread is that not only do these people count Julia as a significant contributor to the lives of artists in Oklahoma, they also count her as a personal friend.

This rings true for me as well, as I am glad to have Julia as both an admirable colleague and as a friend. I remember the first time I ever learned about OVAC was from Julia – she was speaking at one of my classes in college. I could tell then that she was passionate about her work and I know that passion is still with her today, to the great benefit of many artists across our state.

So, here’s to you, Julia! Thank you!

Kelsey Karper publications@ovac-ok.org On the Cover Romy Owens, Oklahoma City, Stop Copying off my Homework, Mixed Media, 8”x12”, a part of the 24 Works on Paper exhibition.

See page 13.

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Art Focus Oklahoma is a bimonthly publication of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition dedicated to stimulating insight into and providing current information about the visual arts in Oklahoma.

Mission: The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition supports visual artists living and working in Oklahoma and promotes public interest and understanding of the arts.

OVAC welcomes article submissions related to artists and art in Oklahoma. Call or email the editor for guidelines.

OVAC welcomes your comments. Letters addressed to Art Focus Oklahoma are considered for publication unless otherwise specified. Mail or email comments to the editor at the address above. Letters may be edited for clarity or space reasons. Anonymous letters will not be published. Please include a phone number.

Art Focus Committee: Janice McCormick, Bixby; Don Emrick, Tulsa; Susan Grossman, Sue Clancy, Norman; Michael Hoffner, Stephen Kovash, and Sue Moss Sullivan, Oklahoma City.

OVAC Board of Directors 2009-2010: R.C. Morrison, Bixby; Jacquelyn Knapp, Chickasha; Richard Pearson, Rick Vermillion, Edmond; Jennifer Barron, Susan Beaty, Stephen Kovash (President), Paul Mays, Suzanne Mitchell (Vice President), Carl Shortt, Suzanne Thomas, Christian Trimble, Elia Woods (Secretary), Eric Wright, Oklahoma City; Joey Frisillo, Sand Springs; Anita Fields, Stillwater; F. Bradley Jessop, Sulphur; Cathy Deuschle, Elizabeth Downing, Jean Ann Fausser (Treasurer), Kathy McRuiz, Sandy Sober, Tulsa.

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is solely responsible for the contents of Art Focus Oklahoma. However, the views expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Board or OVAC staff.

Member Agency of Allied Arts and member of the Americans for the Arts. © 2009, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.

All rights reserved.

View this issue online at www.ArtFocusOklahoma.org.

contents

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Julia Kirt: Ten Years of Service for Artists

This July marks ten years since Julia Kirt became OVAC’s Executive Director.

8 A Work in Progress: Profile of Dian Church

Tulsa-based artist Dian Church creates artwork based on world travels and beauty in the natural world.

10 Profile: Sara and Shane Scribner

This artist couple found their home, and their artistic careers, in the charming downtown of Enid, OK.

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13 24 Works on Paper

An exhibition of Oklahoma artwork will debut at IAO in Oklahoma City and then travel the state for a full year.

16 Jeff Dodd and Derek Erdman at Mainsite Gallery

The Norman gallery features two artists, one a realist landscape painter and the other a playful pop artist.

18 Transforming the Icon of “The Little Black Dress”

A Tulsa exhibition explores the sense and symbolism of the classic fashion.

20 Art Under the Stars: The Midsummer Nights’ Fair This Norman festival offers art and fun for the whole family.

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21 On the Map: Stillwater

Not just a college town, Stillwater has much to offer in the arts.

22 Tulsa’s Burgeoning Brady District

Long referred to as an “arts district”, the Brady District is living up to its name in big ways.

business of art

25 Letter to the Editor: Follow-Up on Sales Tax for Artists 26 Art in These Economic Times

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Thoughts about the role of artists in difficult economic circumstances.

26 Ask a Creativity Coach

Are you a perfectionist or a Persian cat?

at a glance

27 Walter Nelson and Phil Stein at Untitled [ArtSpace]

An exhibition at the Oklahoma City gallery gives both urban and rural perspectives.

OVAC news

28 Round UP | New & Renewing Members

30 g a l l e r y g u i d e

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(p. 4) OVAC staff at Momentum OKC 2009. (p. 8) Dian Church, Tulsa, Chinese Warrior, Clay Relief on Wood, 35”x25” (p. 13) Narciso Argüelles, Edmond, El Santo Chicano, Digital Print, 13”x15”. (p. 27) Walter Nelson, Earth Art VI, Wood with Mixed Media.

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J ulia K irt :

10 Years of Service for Artists Having served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition for ten years, Julia Kirt has proven herself as a tireless advocate and trusted friend of artists. In celebration and thanks for her ten years, we’ve collected stories and messages of gratitude from those who have benefitted from her work and camaraderie including friends, colleagues, volunteers and more. Thank you, Julia!

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Cooking with Julia and Child: Since 2004, Julia and I have had a standing weekly date for early-morning cooking. This, like so many of Julia’s ideas, came about through her fresh, intentional way of looking at life.

Over bubbling stews and vegetable curries, the milestones of our lives have unfolded: Mr. Wrongs, Mr. Rights, parents and now baby Roger. And of course, our jobs have always been on the front burner. Julia leads OVAC with the same care and intention she devotes to the rest of her life. We’ve talked through the infancy and evolution of Momentum, Art 365, many artist workshops and publicity.

Julia is an incredible role model, friend and Executive Director. -Cara Smith Barnes The search committee for a new executive director, as I recall, was held at Sue Moss Sullivan’s house in Oklahoma City. Ira Schlezinger and Sue introduced Julia for her interview and then Julia talked a bit.

Julia sat at the front of the committee, in a borrowed suit (I learned later) on a wobbly folding metal chair. The scene resembled a “firing squad” complete with bright light shining down on Julia’s head. But Julia kept her composure, spoke well and answered questions adeptly. I was impressed with her “ease under fire” and thought to myself “She’ll be a good director!” And then to top it off she turned out to be a good friend too!

-Sue Clancy, artist and OVAC member Julia’s job has been compared to piloting a barge. Since that rings true, I’d like to elaborate. The small OVAC staff is a tugboat maneuvering a huge, motley group of volunteers, many of whom are artists. A barge of artists might sound like fun but this is no party barge. Moving them toward a common goal is challenging, for besides bringing energy and passion to the task, artists also bring easily bruised feelings, a limitless supply of diverging viewpoints, petty grievances born of frustration, and all sizes of egos with peculiar working methods and strange foreign parts.

But Julia loves the quirks and guides this organization with such grace and mastery that it appears effortless. She has one eye on the crew, the other on the horizon and is steering with her big toe. She has an expansive vision of what can be achieved on

behalf of Oklahoma artists and the intellect, temperament and energy to make it happen.

The reasons for her success are many but one is her faith in the good intentions of others.

It’s softened the edges of my cynicism to see that time and again her faith is well founded.

At almost every board meeting, gratitude is expressed to Julia for her leadership. Most recently it centered on OVAC’s financial health. Rightful praise, especially in these times. Such a gifted individual has many options. We are mindful of that fact and amazed that fortune brought her to us.

-Cathy Deuschle, artist and OVAC board member “So what do folks think about that?”

A phrase many of us have heard Julia say in committee meetings....and a phrase which succinctly sums up her attitude towards OVAC and leadership of a group of artists.

This herding of cats is a daunting task, one which Julia has met and exceeded by creating a set of wildly successful events and programs all across the state. She is just the right combination of confident and receptive, hardworking and fun, and has made volunteering for OVAC something of an honor. -Elizabeth Downing, artist and OVAC board member Congratulations on this fabulous tenth anniversary. I was on the board for a short time under Sunni Mercer, at whose leave we felt that a replacement would be ever so hard to find. And here came Julia, who was questioned about her reading, her Rugby score, and her plans for OVAC. Did she ever pass! Did she ever come in with new energy, ideas, hair styles, and proposals! With focus, calmness, humor, and no fear Julia generated enthusiasm and successful projects, locally and beyond. She also understood that good volunteer workers love good parties! When I invited her to speak to an Art Appreciation class at OCU, she described the dimensions of her job in such rewarding terms that she had a lecture hall full of envious students.

Thanks for it all, Julia! -Christiane Faris, past OVAC board member continued on page 6 OVAC Staff at Momentum OKC 2009

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What can I say about Julia? She is one of the most interesting, engaging, intelligent, considerate, creative, charming and capable people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Julia is one of those people who will succeed at anything she does. -Bob French, OVAC Member I came to OVAC as a volunteer the same year Julia was hired as Director. Her presence was electric and I knew something special was going to happen. As the youngest person to serve as Executive Director for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Julia has made a tremendous impact on OVAC, turning it from a good organization to arguably, the best arts organization in the region. I’m also proud to say that Julia is my friend. I’ve seen her with bleached hair, partying at Quartz Mountain and have watched her brilliantly facilitate difficult meetings with potential funders. I am also privileged to know her husband Nathan and son Roger. Oklahoma is a better place for artists and the arts thanks to Julia. -Stephen Kovash, artist, gallery owner and current OVAC Board President Of all the attempts I have seen made in Oklahoma by arts organizations and individual artists to change the way our fair communities view artists, none come even close to the amazing work by Julia Kirt. She has done more to bring Tulsa and Oklahoma City artists together, done more to help individual artists learn the elements for a successful career and done more to make opportunities available to local artists than any other in my 38 years of working in the arts in Oklahoma. Let us raise our glasses high (and our hearts) in recognizing what a bright and shining star we have in Julia Kirt! -Steve Liggett, Artistic Director, Living Arts of Tulsa Julia became OVAC Director after a time of upheaval. She stepped into the position with a lot of goodwill, but without too much direction from others. She went about rebuilding little by little until OVAC became the nationally respected organization it is today. Oklahoma City and innumerable Oklahoma artists are fortunate that this immensely talented person decided to invest herself in her home state when many other doors were open to her. Congratulations to her and to OVAC on a splendid decade together. -Randy Marks, artist If you were to ask Julia what type of art she does, she will say, “I’m not creative. I leave that to the artists.” However, I have seen her take different elements and put them together in very creative ways. I think that instead of developing her creativity in a visual art kind of way, she has instead developed it in a leadership way for other artists - taking different elements and putting them together in very creative ways for the advocacy of Oklahoma artists.

Since becoming the Executive Director of OVAC she has not only developed boards that have had some of the same passion that she has for artists, but she has been an amazing advocate for the artists in Oklahoma. Being an advocate is the highest compliment and Julia defines the word. She advocates for all ages and stages, all mediums, and every artist in Oklahoma. It has been fun watching her grow and expand the programs at OVAC and start other programs that continue to expand our own knowledge of what Oklahoma artists have to offer.

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Julia’s amazing creativity has led OVAC on an amazing ride these last ten years ... I look forward to seeing what happens in the next ten years!

Not only have I loved working with OVAC these past fifteen-plus years, I especially feel privileged to have worked with Julia these past ten years and privileged to also call her a friend. I know that many of you also call her friend ... so we celebrate together the tenth anniversary of a wonderful friend - personally and professionally. -Cindy Mason, artist and past OVAC board member In her ten years with the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Julia Kirt has taken the group far beyond any dreams I ever had when we founded OVAC in 1988. Art 365 and the Art Focus magazine are terrific. I’m particularly pleased with the support for young artists in Momentum, and the Momentum Spotlight’s adding the emerging curator and the cash honorariums for artists. -John McNeese, founder of Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition It was a pleasure to work with Julia at OVAC. Even though I was with the organization for only a little over a year, I learned so much about the visual artists in Oklahoma and how valuable they are to our state.

Julia has been instrumental in helping many of us realize this. Thank you, Julia. -Lori Oden, artist and Director of Paseo Artists Association I first learned of OVAC and met Julia in 2002 as a result of serving on the Allied Arts Tier II Allocation Committee. Julia’s comments during that meeting inspired me to get involved with OVAC. Those comments and the involvement that resulted from them truly changed

Cara Barnes and Julia Kirt

John McNeese, Laura Warriner and Julia Kirt, 2000.

my life. I will never forget that first OVAC volunteer experience at 12x12, stringing extension cords and installing lighting at 410 N. Walker. Actually, it was pushing scaffolding around while Julia strung extension cords and put clip lights up. Little did I know that this would be the first of many such experiences. It was obvious that Julia was very smart and passionate about her job, but it was her eagerness to get “down and dirty” with the volunteers that motivated me to be the same, volunteering not just the usual board member “brains,” but also the handson time preparing for and producing OVAC events. Julia is a wonderful role model.

I think we all know how Julia has taken OVAC from what it was - a virtually unknown, under-funded organization - to what it is today - a vibrant, leading edge arts community. Julia was also the person most responsible for my making a similar change in my own life. She was the first person to call me an artist rather than a woodworker. I was honored yet intimidated by this label. I will forever be grateful to Julia for helping me to become more comfortable with this new perspective on my work.

It is an honor and a privilege to know and work side by side with Julia. But the best part is having her be such a great friend.

-Carl Shortt, artist, OVAC board member and past OVAC board president Julia Kirt – Ten Years and Counting Has anyone ever said “NO!” to Julia Kirt?

When the OVAC Board hired Julia ten years ago, only a few of us had met her and she was young, with a thin resume. We hired her with some reservations, but with great enthusiasm and expectations. Her direct, smart, honest and polite answers convinced us to take a chance.

Julia Kirt and Jim Powers, 2000

We soon learned it is almost impossible to say “No” to her. She can charm anyone to chair a committee, clean up after an event, reach deep into a checkbook to fund a very worthwhile project, and drive miles around Oklahoma to help put on an OVAC event.

This style works for her because she will, and has, done all of these things without complaint and with great energy and commitment. She has worked tirelessly to build OVAC to a nationally recognized and highly respected arts organization - no small feat for someone so young.

It has always been easy to volunteer for OVAC and work alongside Julia. What has come to mean so much more to me is that I count her as a great, trusted friend. -Sue Moss Sullivan, former OVAC Board President and current volunteer Julia is an extremely competent, cool, intelligent lady. Those of us who have known her for a long time, know that she has always had these attributes. So it was a fabulous thing when she was nominated and selected to be the Americans for the Arts 2008 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award. Of all of the qualified arts administrators across the United States, it was she who was selected and rightfully so. This award recognizes Julia’s extraordinary innovative thinking, commitment to the advancement of the arts, exemplary leadership qualities, and her significant effect on the arts in Oklahoma.

In other words, she is the best and we are extremely fortunate to have her at OVAC. Regardless of the fact that Julia is the epitome of cool, she was visibly anxious when she received that Emerging Leader Award.

(When teased about it, Julia said something about being on the same stage as Joan Mondale, a powerful national advocate for the arts.)

Julia Kirt accepting the Emerging Arts Leader Award with Robert Lynch, President, Americans for the Arts.

Ten years have gone by quickly and look how OVAC has grown. . . here’s to you Miss Julia, thank you and we are looking forward to the next ten years. -Debby Williams, past OVAC board member I have been lucky enough to work alongside Julia 8 of her 10 years with OVAC. In that time I have watched her brainstorming and vision come to fruition in way of fantastic events and programs like Momentum and Art 365.

I have been able to watch her work so hard and diligently to grow OVAC into the thriving organization that it is.

It has been an honor to work with her and I can’t wait to see what she does over the next ten years.

Here’s to you Julia. Thank you.

-Stephanie Ruggles Winter, artist and Programs Assistant at OVAC I first met Julia when she was still working at the Oklahoma City Art Museum. We were fortunate to have her as our neighbor for several years until she and Nathan got married and bought their house together.

Julia had a notable knack for striking up friendships with the motley assortment of characters living close by. Julia’s openness and creative energy was in full force even back then. We quickly became part of her fan club.

Soon after moving to our block, she became director of OVAC. Who knew then what an exceptional influence she would have on this organization! -Elia Woods, artist and OVAC board member n

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Dian Church, Tulsa, Chihuly Dream, Acrylic on Canvas, 30”x24”

A Work in Progress:

by Maria Glover

Dian Church, an artist stationed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, creates art that reflects her life experiences and is inspired from her world travels and the “beauty of the world”. After recognizing her love for the arts, she returned to school to perfect her technique. This multi –tasking artist shares her passion with the public by selling and educating her community about the arts. Church has many titles on her repertoire: educator, public speaker, studio owner and of course artist.

Maria Glover: First thing first, are you originally from Oklahoma?

Dian Church: I am a native of Tulsa. I love to travel, but there is something reaffirming and comforting to know I will be coming back to a place that holds memories of a lifetime. Everywhere I go I see people I know and I like that feeling.

MG: So, when did you realize you had the talent to create art?

DC: Actually I dreamed of becoming a painter for as long as I can remember. Life kept getting in the way of this desire until my last child was in High School. I decided if I was ever going to fulfill this dream I needed to go back to school which is what I did. After learning the basics of design and color theory, I began to take workshops with as many well-known artists as possible. At that time in Tulsa there was an organization called OAW (Oklahoma Art Workshops) that brought artists in from all over the country.

MG: As of now, what have been your greatest achievements, as far as art goes?

DC: There were several artist friends that I met at the beginning of my career and we decided to form a cooperative gallery in 1991. I would say my commitment to the success of this gallery, which still exists today, has been my greatest achievement.

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Profile of Dian Church MG: When did you begin selling your work? How did that come about?

DC: I had sold several pieces before beginning the gallery, but there the opportunity really became much easier. When I left the gallery, after nine years, I had sold very well and acquired a nice client base. I then opened my own studio.

MG: Is there any advice you can give to up-and-coming artist who dream of owning a gallery and making their passion for art a career?

DC: My granddaughter is planning just that for her future and I intend to give her all the support possible. There is no reason why anyone cannot follow their dreams and be successful. Set your goals, study hard and take advantage of the opportunities that will open up to you. Most of all be fair and honest.

MG: You state on your website that you visit clients’ homes and work closely with them. How do you stay true to your style, but satisfy the client?

DC: After selling several paintings I decided to keep a photo record of all the paintings I completed. When people visit me at the studio or festivals, they can see this record which contains photos of at least 50% commissions. Commissions keep me busy and also stretch in directions I might not have gone. They twist me and turn me to explore subjects and ideas that I might not have otherwise. I have found there are many people who have an idea or something in mind who need someone to visualize with them and actually make that vision materialize. Since I love working with people, it is a natural fit. People come to me so they already like my style. I include my clients in the process and then we both have a nice experience. They are not obligated to pay me the agreed price should the painting not be what they want. That has never happened.

MG: Is art your full time career, or do you spend time in other endeavors?

DC: Care giving has become a large consumer of my time in the last several years but I have managed to keep painting. My clientele has been very understanding and they seem willing to wait until I have time to work with them.

MG: You also do workshops. How long have you been teaching? Tell me a little about what you teach.

DC: I want to spend my time painting but I have consented to give a few workshops to teach certain techniques like painting on rice paper. I have conducted workshops at the Coves, and assisted living facilities. The latter was through the Friends of the Library which I participated in for 3 years. I enjoy the one day kind and working with Senior Citizens was a true delight.

MG: You are involved in numerous activities and to add to that, you’re also a community speaker. How and why did you get started in public speaking?

DC: I am not sure who asked me to do it first. I think it was a woman from the Quota Club and there were probably 30 women there. It was a motivational type of talk.

I was in the gallery at the time and they were interested in how it started and how it worked. After that the Colored Pencil Society asked me to appear on their program and talk about my art career. Because of time constraints I do not do as much public speaking as I used to do.

MG: You have traveled to so many places all over the world. Which trip had the greatest impact on your work, if any?

DC: Italy seems like an easy answer to that question, but then I remember all the wonderful places I have been and I’m not so sure. I have taken photographs wherever I have gone and it really helps to have reference material to draw on for my work.

MG: What or who really inspires you to create these works?

DC: The beauty in the world is my inspiration, but there is no one who that comes to mind.

MG: Many of your pieces focus on nature. Is illustrating nature your preference?

DC: Yes. There is beauty everywhere in this world but especially in nature. Even when I feel like loosening up with an abstract, it seems to turn into something organic.

MG: How exactly would you describe your style of art? And are there any artists you admire?

DC: I would describe my art as representational and sometimes very realistic.

There are so many artists’ works that I admire and respond to that I find it difficult to come up with a name.

MG: Do you have any unusual hobbies or things you consider weird that interest you?

DC: don’t think anything I do is unusual or weird.

MG: What is your ultimate goal as an artist, or have you already accomplished it?

DC: My goal as an artist is to be as good as I can be. I feel like I will probably always be a work in progress.

MG: Do you have any upcoming showings or projects?

DC: My current commission is for a couple living in Claremore. They have always loved Tulsa and want a large watercolor on rice paper of our skyline. I have been to her home, know colors that she likes to surround herself with and believe I know just what she wants. With the help of my digital camera and e-mail she is able to visualize the process.

I do try to participate in a festival in the spring and one in the fall.

MG: What do you hope people will say about your work years and years from now?

DC: I would like to think people will be able to look at my work and enjoy what they see.

My message is that simple. n Maria Glover is a graduate student at the University of Central Oklahoma making her way in the world and an intern with Art Focus Oklahoma. She can be contacted at maria.glover13@yahoo.com. (top) Dian Church, Tulsa, Red Alaskan Poppy, Watercolor on Paper, 30”x40” (middle) Dian Church (bottom) Dian Church, Tulsa, Galveston Palm, Watercolor on Paper, 30”x22”

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Shane Scribner, Enid, Nereid in Repose, Oil on Panel, 21”x28”

P rofile :

Sara and Shane

Scribner

by Romy Owens

Two years ago, during a visit to my hometown, my mom said she wanted me to see the new gallery on the downtown square. I was instantly skeptical. I grew up in Enid which has always been a very culturally intelligent town. However, the square had been overrun with antique/flea market-y kinds of business. Frankly, I don’t remember there ever even being an art gallery in Enid. Based upon my post-1982 downtown Enid experiences, I envisioned this “gallery” being a set up of makeshift booths with... well... I was wrong to judge. And I was so pleasantly surprised.

I met Sara and Shane Scribner in their beautifully remodeled space with its refinished original hardwood floors, incredibly high ceilings, and all of the charm of what you would hope to find at a gallery on a downtown square. It glows at night. It’s a gallery! And it’s a gallery in downtown Enid.

Since then, I have gotten to know the Scribner’s, and I’m happy to be friends with them. They were an integral part of last year’s Arts at the Crossroads, the Oklahoma Arts Council’s statewide art conference.

And despite being relatively newcomers to Enid, they are a vital part of the community and a focus of Enid’s first Friday activities.

As a gallery-owning power couple and as individual artists with amazing talent, Sarah and Shane are living a life about which many artists dream.

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ro: So, what’s it like having a gallery in Enid?

Sara: I really enjoy being in Enid. Shane and I have gotten so much work (paintings) done since we have moved here. There are a lot of artists living in Enid that are able to create their artwork fulltime.

This is great for us creatively since we are able to be around artistic people and it is also great because we are able to exhibit their work and share it with our community.

Shane: It is wonderful! Enid is great. The community has been very supportive and allowed our gallery to thrive. ro: Would you tell the story of how you settled on Enid?

Sara: Moving to Enid was kind of serendipitous for us. We originally planned to move to Tulsa. We were looking for buildings in Tulsa, but the prices had just skyrocketed there and we just felt that it was a bit outside of our reach. We were driving from Tulsa to Cherokee, where Shane’s family is from, and we drove through Enid. Shane had family ties in Enid, his great grandfather lived here along with other extended family. We decided to look around. Now I have to be honest, I was not really excited. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 24 years. There are so many people there that the idea of a small town kind of scared me. I was skeptical, but the minute I saw the downtown I fell in love.

It just felt right.

Shane: I have family that lives in the area and moving here allowed me to live near my family and allowed me to work on my artwork. When I visited family in Enid, I always enjoyed the area and atmosphere. So it seemed like the right fit. ro: Let’s recap the various activities happening at Scribner’s Gallery and Studio. There’s the gallery, which is lovely and huge, where you exhibit art. You offer art lessons, both private and group. You sell art supplies. You both studio out of the space. Oh, and you live there, in your most excellent, huge loft apartment. So, first, how did you find the space and what was the remodeling like?

Sara: Remodeling was terrible but we love the outcome and would do it again in a heartbeat. It is terrible to have your every possession covered in dust. We couldn’t paint ( for a whole year, which was absolutely awful!)because it was just so terribly dusty and dirty and we just could not get into the right frame of mind. It was so stressful! I laugh about it now, but during I felt that it was never going to end...

We love living here now! We love our house!

Shane: It was quite an adjustment to have such a large space. We were so used to a small living space and no additional workspace. To have the ability to construct our own home/studio was a great opportunity.

It took a lot of time and work, but it was worth it. ro: Is there ever a time when you wish you didn’t live upstairs, just so you could have a break from work or from downtown Enid?

Sara: Sometimes I don’t leave for days and that gets a bit weird! I do love it, but sometimes I get stir crazy! We have great friends so we just go hang out with them when it gets too bad.

Shane: We have found artists through word of mouth and online.

There are many artists in Oklahoma, so it is not difficult to find quality artists. ro: Shane, you’re originally from Oklahoma, but Sarah, you’re not.

Have there been any challenges for either of you in adjusting to the move from school in San Francisco to Oklahoma?

Sara: Shane likes to tell people that he kidnapped me and brought me to Oklahoma. I am glad he did. It was hard for me when we first moved here because we did not know many people. I have a HUGE family and I really felt strange not being surrounded by people. But I have adjusted very well. I love it here. People always ask how we left San Francisco and I always tell them that Oklahoma has a great art scene. I love it here because I have the opportunity to create artwork full time.

Shane: I am lucky to have had a great college experience in San Francisco. I am happy to bring that experience back home with me.

Oklahoma is a great place for artists to live. ro: If you could do the past three years all over again, would you do anything differently?

Sara: I do not think I would change much. I would have found a place to paint during the year we were in construction.

Shane: No. I think I have lived it pretty well to its fullest. ro: How do you balance the operations of a business with the production of your own art?

Shane: No, I never get sick of it. I get to work 30 minutes after I get up and I can keep working until I get tired. No commute, no hassle, just a lot of painting.

Sara: It is actually a great setup. We work in our studio and when a customer comes in, we help them, then continue painting. We paint everyday. It gets a bit hectic when we get close to hanging a new show because we want to paint but there is work to be done!

ro: How do you select the artists whom you exhibit in your space?

Shane: We have a good setup and we balance the work load very well.

Sara: We accept submissions, email or mail in. We have found many artists through OVAC.

ro: You are both incredibly talented painters. How do you influence each others technique? Subject matter? Productivity?

Sara: Thank you Romy. Shane and I work really well together. We have our easels set up next to each other and we just work. Sometimes when one of us gets stuck the other helps to get past the hurdle. I think we influence each other quite a bit. We are always bouncing ideas off of one another and trying new ideas. We have a great creative relationship.

Shane: Sara and I work very well together. Even when we were in school, we clicked creatively. ro: Both of you seem to create more figurative work than anything else. Will you talk about your choice to focus on people in your paintings?

Sara: I love painting portraits. When I first began painting I was painting abstract portraits and those were fun to do, but I felt like I needed to tighten up. My technique needed to improve, so I forced myself to paint traditional portraits. I found that the emotion I was trying to achieve with my abstract portraits was also achievable Sara Scribner, Enid, What was Undone, Oil on Panel, 24”x18”

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through a classical portrait. So I began using moody lighting and I tried to relax my sitters so that I would get good emotion from them.

Shane: There is an instant connection that people feel when they look at another person. Our brains are programmed from an early age to look at another human and decode their emotions. When I paint a person, I want to convey a piece of the human story. I feel that depicting figures is the best way to connect to my audience. ro: What or who have been some of your artistic influences?

Sara: I love the classically trained painters. William Bouguereau, Rembrandt and many others, at the same time I love painters that are conceptual like Frida Kahlo and Jenny Saville. I want to find my own unique blend between concept and classic techniques.

Shane and Sara Scribner

Shane: I really appreciate the works of William Bouguereau and Jacques-Louis David. They were both great technicians of their day. I push myself everyday to attain the sort of mastery they attained. Sara and Shane Scribner can be contacted in person at their gallery (124 S. Independence) in Enid, through their website scribnersgallery.com, or at 580-234-2544. n Romy Owens can be reached via mental telepathy or through her website romyowens.com.

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Biannual 24 Works on Paper debuts at IAO before traveling around the state

by Susan Grossman From money to coffee filters, paper is as ubiquitous in our culture as water. It forms the foundation and functionality for so many things in life that at times we seem to take it for granted. Perhaps that is why one of the longest running recurring exhibits at Individual Artists of Oklahoma is 24 Works on Paper. (continued to pg. 14)

MJ Alexander, Oklahoma City, Unbroken, Photography, 16�x24�

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Don Emrick, Claremore, Mannequin, Pinhole Photograph, 9”x12.5”

(continued from pg. 13) Since 1985, the biannual exhibit has featured 24 artworks, and this year it includes 24 artists representing 12 Oklahoma cities. All are created on paper and include media such as printmaking, drawing and photography. 24 Works on Paper is a collaborative project between IAO and Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.

“The idea is to highlight work on paper,” said Jeff Stokes, IAO executive director. “Paper is used so often in all different mediums of art it is the cohesive element of this exhibit. We want to highlight the variety of the work and the diversity of the best artists in Oklahoma.”

More than 200 pieces were entered for consideration. Norman mixed media artist Leslie Waugh Dallam was thrilled that her collage, Cocoon, was among the 24 pieces chosen. Blocks of multiple circles and bright colors are predominant elements of her piece.

“Most of my pictures come from circles, bicycle wheels and parts in particular,” she said. “This piece is a series of multiple blocks of cocoons in various states of color.”

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Tulsa photographer Don Emrick shot his selected piece, Mannequin using a pinhole camera. The black and white photo features a lone mannequin in an abandoned brick courtyard.

“That particular photo featured two young women who are fashion design majors at Oklahoma State University,” he said. “They were adjusting the mannequin in the shot but the length of exposure on this type of camera is so long – six to ten seconds – that the women moved and were not part of the photo in the end.”

Ginko Fantasy Garden by Norman printmaker Betty Wood comes from her continued inspiration drawn from the natural world.

“The scenes I create are from my imagination and are of no place in particular,” she explained. “I frequently use natural grasses, feathers, gingko leaves, and the like to create textures and to create the landscape view.”

The only traveling exhibition of work by living Oklahoma artists

opens to the public July 18 at IAO gallery, 811 N. Broadway in downtown Oklahoma City.

After Oklahoma City, 24 Works on Paper will travel to venues around the state including the Eleanor Hays Gallery in Tonkawa, East Central University in Ada, Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Tulsa Artists Coalition in Tulsa, and Redlands Community College in El Reno.

Hitting the road will bring original, contemporary Oklahoma artwork to viewers in communities large and small, and that is something that Stokes likes, along with the partnership with OVAC. “One of the reasons we teamed up with OVAC is because of their statewide reach,” he said. “Although IAO is based in Oklahoma City we would like to have more of an impact statewide as well.

Having that reach certainly makes this exhibit much more competitive.”

Adrienne Day, a printmaker from Norman, served as guest juror.

She has been working as an artist for more than 20 years. Her work has been exhibited extensively across the United States and Europe at museums, galleries and cultural centers.

The exhibit will continue at IAO Gallery through Aug. 8. Hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from noon to 5:30 p.m. and on Friday from noon to 8 p.m. For more information go to www.24works.org or call 405-232-6060.

Sponsors include Allied Arts, American Fidelity Foundation, Oklahoma Arts Council and NBC Bank. n

(above) Leslie Waugh Dallam, Norman, Cocoon, Collage, 27.5”x19.75” (below) Betty Wood, Norman, Ginko Fantasy Garden, Monotype, 15”x20”

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Jeff Dodd, Enid, Large Landscape, Oil on Panel, 36”x72”

Jeff Dodd and Derek Erdman at Mainsite Contemporary Art

by Elizabeth Burr An exhibition of landscape paintings by Jeff Dodd, and POP inspired paintings by Derek Erdman has opened at Mainsite Contemporary Art in Norman. It will continue through July 4, 2009.

Jeff Dodd may be familiar to many Oklahomans through his large historical murals at the State Capitol: We Belong to the Land and Black Gold. The paintings in this particular show are all landscapes. Most of these paintings are small – the average dimensions are 11 x 14 inches – but some are much larger at 36 x 48 inches. These larger works were commissions for the new medical center in Norman (the Healthplex), and they will set a high standard for public art. It is a relief that commercial medical buildings/hospitals are finally tuning in to the idea of buying original art from contemporary artists.

Like these larger landscapes, the smaller paintings are simple studies of the Oklahoma landscape encountered during his travels around the state. Dodd paints exclusively with oils, and he prefers to paint on a panel surface, ideally Baltic Birch, or masonite.

What is striking about Dodd’s landscape paintings is the geography of the land itself, and the way he has framed this subject through his technique and style.

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What you realize almost immediately from his depiction of the Oklahoma countryside, is how horizontal the land is, and how much the Oklahoma sky dominates this scenery. In fact, I was struck by how much this Oklahoma scenery fits into the traditional definition of 19th century Romantic painting. By Romantic, I don’t mean “romantic” as in romance; I am using this term in its literary and art historical definition. In painting, it was an approach that is reflected in the German Romanticism of Casper David Friedrich’s paintings. So often in his work, you see human figures depicted as precariously small in relation to the overwhelming power of nature. It was part of the Romantic conceit that man was a tiny cog within the universe. This is an idea that was picked up in America, and perfected by our own landscape school e.g. the Illuminist movement and the Hudson River School: the vastness of nature overpowering the insignificant presence of mankind.

It is a curious fact that Oklahoma almost by accident fits into this Romantic ideal of landscape. Furthermore, it is impressive that Dodd has almost unconsciously captured this ideal in these paintings. When I asked him whether or not he had this Romantic influence in mind

Derek Erdman, Chicago, Fantasy Sports, Latex on Canvas, 36”x60”

while painting these works, he emphatically denied this.

Nevertheless, that spirit pervades the spirit of these landscapes. If you would like to see more of the paintings in this exhibition, go to the Mainsite web page: www.mainsite – art.com/doddlandscapes2008.

The Chicago artist, Derek Erdman, is showing with Dodd in this Mainsite exhibition. Walking through his show is comparable to drinking several espressos in rapid order: he is a skilled, witty and fecund artist. His wit will have you spinning from wall to wall and back again as you pick up on his sly takes on modern life.

Erdmann has been referred to as a “Pop” artist, but I think this is a misnomer. He is radically antithetical to the Pop ethos of Warhol.

While they both share a subject matter rooted in the commercial world, Warhol’s take was cool and detached. It was also manifestly (according to Warhol himself) shallow (though it wasn’t, of course).

This is why we love him.

tries to get us obsessed with. He is an artist so inventive, he has written a 19 page booklet to accompany this exhibition: it is highly entertaining and funny.

But for all the humor, Erdman is a good artist, with a skilled graphic and technical ability. To see more images of his work (with their reasonable prices), go to one of his many websites: www. derekerdman.com.

Mainsite Contemporary Art is located at 122 E. Main Street in Norman.

For more information about the artists, call 405-292-8095. n Elizabeth T. Burr has a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Cambridge. She currently lives in Norman and writes on artists, shows and art techniques on a freelance basis.

Erdman is easy to love as well, though cool and detached, are the last adjectives I would apply to his work: it is bubbling over with ideas and jokes about our 21st century color, and full of impolitic (impolite) digs at all the figures the “media” obsesses over and

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Janet Davidson-Hues, The Ladies, Acrylic on Wood, 30”x48”x12”

Transforming the Icon of “The Little Black Dress”

by Janice McCormick

The exhibit The Little Black Dress: New Takes on a Timeless Classic will be up in the Alexandre Hogue Gallery, Phillips Hall, on The University of Tulsa campus from August 27th through September 25th, 2009.

The formal opening on September 10th at 5 p.m. will feature Professor Anna Norberg giving the premiere performance of her composition A Suit of Dances for Piano Solo, inspired by this theme of the Little Black Dress. Carol Haralson will have a thematic poem written for the occasion. It will be hung on the wall, and, perhaps read out loud at the opening. The School of Art will have a photographer on hand at the opening to take photographs of all the women who come wearing their little black dress. These photographs will be used in a mural that will remain up through the entire run of the exhibit.

The large number of participating visual artists (eleven in all) precludes a detailed discussion of each and every artist’s comments and their artwork. This preview will focus on Kristy Lewis Andrew (painting), Beth Downing (photography), Anita Fields (ceramicist) and Shan Goshorn (photography). Here is the list of the other participating artists, their medium, and the name of the dress that Connie Cronley gave each artist to draw inspiration from: Susan Barrett, theater/ set design, Faralaos; Janet Shipley Hawks, textile, All That Glitters; Marsha Moore Hughes, painting, Oh How I miss Frank Sinatra; Sunni Mercer, sculpture, Locks of Love; Anna Norberg, music; Jeanne Stern,

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film, Tango; and, Janet Davidson-Hues, whose installation focuses more on the idea of the black dress, rather than a particular dress.

This exhibit grew out of a couple of conversations among friends – Connie Cronley, Maridel Allinder and Teresa Valero. Valero is the head of the School of Art at the University of Tulsa. Maridel Allinder, as described by Valero, “is an incredible writer who also does visual art with typographic elements.” Connie Cronley also is a writer and currently Executive Director of Iron Gate, a non-profit organization providing food to the poor. It is her wardrobe that provides the theme for this exhibit.

As Connie Cronley explains, “From the late 70s to the early 90s I was general manager of a ballet company and that job involved dressy occasions. To me, that meant a little black dress—to make announcements from the stage or to wear to donor parties, fund raising balls or in New York at premieres when the company danced there. My friend Maridel Allinder is pencil thin and loves vintage clothes, so I told her about my closet and asked if she wanted any of the dresses. When she saw them, she said, ‘You don’t have a closet full of little black dresses—you have a collection.’ And so I did.

Different silhouettes, hem lines, neck lines, fabrics. The dresses also hold memories.”

Elizabeth Downing, Tulsa, Frock Noir, Photography

“Maridel and I talked to our mutual friend Teresa Valero about a Little Black Dress Exhibit and her creative mind spun the idea farther. She would assign a dress to an artist—artists from different media—and ask the artists to create a work inspired by that dress. Not to duplicate the dress and its history, but to see it creatively. Maridel, Teresa and I named the dresses, giving each an artistic title suggested by the design of the dress.”

As to why she decided to curate this show, Teresa Valero explains, “The idea of curating the show was appealing to me because immediately the Buñuel film Un Chien Andalou came to mind, not only because of the woman character’s dress, but the variety of artists and ideas that merged in the making of the film. Also I have been in Oklahoma long enough to have come across or know female artists who, I thought, will make significant contributions to this project.

Lucky, too, because I was able to invite artists from Arizona, Texas and Kansas as well.” Regarding the criteria for choosing the participating artists, Valero says, “Besides being all women, I wanted artists who were very different in terms of style, background and media: textile, painting, photography (traditional and contemporary), installation art, poetry and music. There is a real mix of styles and approaches to this idea of the little black dress.”

In some of the contacted artists’ comments and descriptions of their artwork, a cluster of commonly shared ideas emerge: the transformative power of the Little Black

Kristy Lewis Andrew, Tulsa, Distinct Beauty, Acrylic

Dress, its open-ended possibilities, and, especially, its power of sexual attraction.

In response to my email query, Anita Fields (ceramicist) writes, “For me, the dress is a metaphor for being human. It represents the range of emotions we experience while moving through life, and what kind of life we choose to live. As women, the little black dress takes us from one experience to the next, but what kind of information and feelings do we take in as we move from one situation to another. We slip on a dress, attend an event, and our thoughts and emotions are shaped by that experience, it is this transforming quality of wearing a garment that inspires and interests me….We never know what to expect or how things will turn out, there are endless possibilities and continual surprises.”

Shan Goshorn focuses on the Little Black Dress’s transformative power of sexual attraction. She explains, “… as I picture the handsome people attending these galas (a result of time well invested in primping), stimulating conversation and the flow of champagne, I began to think of possible alternate endings to the evening. These thoughts include what happens when the dresses come off. My initial thought (which I reserve the right to change once I really start), is to do a black and white photograph of the dress spilling over the side of a bed or chair or even in a puddled heap on the floor by a bed. The bedroom light will simulate early morning and high heeled shoes, stockings and other underpinnings will be on the floor as if taken off in a hurry. There may be men’s

dressy clothing strewn about as well.”

In contrast, Kristy Lewis Andrew’s bold painting Distinct Beauty does not depict the actual dress, but rather conveys the voluptuous sensuality of the wearer by depicting a highly erotic red rose. She explains, “I interpret the dress as a costume worn by a woman who is comfortable in her own skin. It is the means in which to display the pride of her beauty. She wishes to be the one noticed amongst many. Yet, her costume is unable to disguise her vulnerability.”

Beth Downing offers a meditative, rather romantic response to the black dress. Her back-lit, black and white photograph of a close-up of the Frock Noir’s folded fabric with its neat rows of beads comes across as an aerial perspective of a dotted landscape. Downing explains, “Here, nature and theater are combined -- wearing a dress like this signifies an event, whether the wearer is on stage or not. Similarities to moon- and star-lit nights and the glint of water on a sunlit day are intentional and inevitable. And the passing of time can’t dim either those stars in the sky or the stars in your eyes.”

These artists’ observations and art demonstrate the imaginative hold this icon has had and continues to have on our collective psyche. n Janice McCormick is an art reviewer who has been writing about art in Tulsa and Oklahoma since 1990. Currently she teaches philosophy part-time at Tulsa Community College. She can be reached at artreview@olp.net.

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A young girl and her dad participate in the

Sunset on the Children’s Art Wall

Children’s Art Wall

Janey Crain, a ceramics teacher at the Firehouse Art Center, demonstrates how to throw a pot

Art Under the Stars: The Midsummer Nights’ Fair

by Emily Payne On July 10th and 11th from 6:00-11:00 p.m.

Lions Park, located at the corner of Flood and Symmes in Norman, will be transformed into an outdoor arts festival that’s fun for the whole family. Hosted by the Firehouse Art Center, the 33rd annual Midsummer Nights’ Fair will include a multitude of artists’ booths, a variety of artist’s demonstrations, and several activities for kids. About forty to fifty local artists will set up camp in 12’ x 12’ tents showcasing their works, which will range from painting, drawing and pottery to jewelry, glasswork and woodwork. All artwork on display will be for sale by the artists and will also be part of a juried art competition. On Friday July 10th, judging will commence, and one “Best in Show” artist will receive a $500 award for their winning artwork.

After seeing some of the artwork, you may be wondering how the artists create such beautiful works. If you make your way to the 50’ x 30’ centrally located tent, you can see students and faculty of the Firehouse Art Center working together on a variety of media. This should satisfy your curiosity about the techniques artists use, and hopefully will inspire you to enroll in one of the many art classes offered at the FAC. Children’s art class instructors will also be in the central tent and will help kids create various kinds of art.

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The popular Children’s Art Wall will return this year, giving kids the opportunity to paint on a free-standing paneled wall. Local artists and Firehouse Art Center instructors will be close by if any child needs assistance painting.

Most children really enjoy expressing themselves and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see their artwork displayed prominently. The first 75 kids who help decorate the art wall will receive a free Firehouse Art Center t-shirt. In addition to the Children’s Art Wall, the festival will also feature an Adult Art Wall. This wall will be decorated by local artists, who sign up to paint on the 4’ x 4’ panels. If painting isn’t your media of choice, try your hand at making a Raku pot. Raku pottery was initially developed in 16th century Japan and is characterized by a quick firing technique.

For $6-$20, adults and children alike can pick out a piece of pottery, glaze it, and have it fired. Firehouse Art Center instructors will be there to help you through the process.

Once your pot is fired, you will be able to take home a totally unique piece of art.

large stage acts include Thomas Anderson, Midtown Classical Trio, Maggie McClure, Aaron Squirrel and Tajj. On both Friday and Saturday night, McMichael Music Rock Clinic bands will perform on the small stage.

In addition to all of the visual art activities, the festival will also include two nights of live music. Local up-and-coming bands will perform on two stages. On Friday the large stage will feature acts by Brittani Moon, Gregg Standridge, Dylan Hammett, Locust Avenue and Mama Sweet. Saturday’s

Emily Payne recently graduated from Texas Christian University with a Master’s Degree in Art History. She lives in Oklahoma City and can be reached at emilybeepayne@gmail.com.

Food vendors will also be stationed around the park, so that you may enjoy a cool drink and a little dinner while you listen to the live music or take in the artist’s booths.

The variety of activities at the Midsummer Nights’ Fair makes this event truly enjoyable.

Whether you enjoy getting your kids involved with art, perusing artist’s booths, creating pottery, or just having a cool drink and listening to live music, this festival is for you. With no admission fee and many free activities, you don’t have to worry about spending an arm and a leg on the evening’s entertainment. Also, the nighttime event allows you to enjoy the outdoors sans the sweltering July heat. If you’d like to learn more about the Midsummer Nights’ Fair contact the Firehouse Art Center at 405-3294523 or visit www.normanfirehouse.com. n

ON THE

Gardiner Gallery at Oklahoma State University

Stillwater

by Lori Oden

I love a road trip. Short or long…sunny or rainy. Good thing, because it was really soggy. It is still the best feeling, I think, on that last curving exit out of the city and onto the open highway.

It was a quick, easy drive to Stillwater to explore a few of the art centers and galleries. I recommend the trip for anyone with a day off and a need to escape town and discover an art community.

My first stop was the Multi Arts Center (MAC) at 1001 South Duck. The MAC is an open arts studio operated by the City of Stillwater’s Parks, Events and Recreation Department. It boasts its beautiful 14,000 square feet as the largest community art center in Oklahoma and is one of only three municipal glassblowing facilities in the U.S. A nice gallery and gift shop complement the entry space and features local artists work in a variety of media. Jewelry, pottery, photography, painting and more are offered to visitors at a very reasonable price and classes begin in January, May and September.

The building is full of natural light, even on a rainy day, and is decorated with worksin-progress throughout, which is always inspiring to me.

Exhibit One gallery, located at 102 North Main, is a contemporary art gallery that features Oklahoma artists, unique handmade gifts and Melly Mocha’s Coffee Bar. Unfortunately, it was closed on the day I was able to make the trip, but would make a point to stop by next time.

The Gardiner Art Gallery at the Bartlett Center for Visual Arts on the Oklahoma State University campus was extremely enjoyable. On exhibit was the 2009 Annual

Juried Student Exhibition. Jeff Stokes, an OSU Alumnus, juried the Studio Art and Darshan Phillips juried the Graphic Design.

The student work was compelling and fresh.

From stunning jewelry pieces, to incredible sculpture, charcoal and painting pieces, the gallery was filled with energy. In addition to the student and faculty shows, the Gardiner Art Gallery hosts a variety of exhibits throughout the year.

Stillwater is home to several interesting places that I did not have the chance to visit, but on another day would definitely stop by. In particular, the Sheerar Museum and Cultural Center; is a local history museum with award-winning exhibits.

There were a few great antique shops that lured me and some nice cafés and other shopping downtown that makes for a great day trip. The Stillwater Convention and Visitors Bureau is a great resource for artsrelated information and events. Their website is www.visitstillwater.org.

The Oklahoma Arts Council is planning to have their annual conference in Stillwater this fall. The conference theme is “Moving Forward in a Challenging Economy” and will be held October 7-9 at the Wes Watkins Center. More information is at www.arts.ok.gov.

It had been awhile since I had been to Stillwater and it has grown quite a bit and is a great place to see great art. Worth the trip! n Lori Oden is a photographer who specializes in nineteenth century processes; an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City; and the Executive Director for the Paseo Artists Association. She can be contacted at silversun1@cox.net.

Stillwater Attractions Countryside Studio & Gallery 4421 S. Husband, 405-377-4766 www.countryside-studio.com Exhibit One 102 N. Main St, 405-533-3ART www.xonegallery.com Gardiner Art Gallery 108 Bartlett Center for Visual Arts, OSU 405-744-6016 | http://art.okstate.edu Multi-Arts Center 1001 S. Duck, 405-533-8539 www.stillwater.org/multiarts.php Sheerar Museum & Cultural Center 702 S. Duncan St, 405-377-0359 www.sheerarmuseum.org Stillwater Children’s Museum (opening in 2010), 405-533-3333 www.stillwaterchildrensmuseum.org Stillwater Community Center 315 W. 8th St., 405-533-8433 www.stillwater.org Stillwater Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-991-6717, www.visitstillwater.org Washington Irving Trail & Museum 3918 S. Mehan Rd, 405-624-9130 www.cowboy.net/non-profit/irving Willis Photography Gallery 918 S. Main St., 405-743-0567 www.gamedayimages.photoreflect.com

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Tulsa’s Burgeoning Brady District

by Holly Wall

The area of downtown Tulsa along Brady Street, between Denver and Elgin Avenues, has, for the past 15 or so years, been casually referred to as the “Brady Arts District.”

Although the number of galleries and studios actually occupying the Brady District has fluctuated over the years, a few have remained – the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition Gallery and the Tulsa Glassblowing Studio, for example – and, it seems, there are even more to come.

Dr. Greg Gray, owner of Club Majestic, moved in 2007 with Club 209, an arts bar of sorts, and the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa plans to break ground on the Visual Arts Center, which will occupy the Mathews Warehouse at Brady and Boston, this fall.

In the same building, Philbrook Museum of Art, with the help of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, will open the Adkins Collection and Study Center, hopefully by the end of 2010.

And, Living ArtSpace announced that it, too, will move to the Brady Arts District (well, near there; Technically, the space is in the Greenwood District), into 307 E. Brady, what has formerly been known as the Bed Check Building. Beginning this summer, it will be known as Living Arts Contemporary Space.

These major leaders in Tulsa’s arts community have the ability – and, dare we say, the responsibility – to help the district live up to its name, encouraging other arts organizations and artists to seek out space in the area to work and exhibit there.

Club 209, the TAC Gallery and the Tulsa Glassblowing Studio have already begun the work of attracting Tulsans to the area with their First Friday event, organized by Gray more than a year ago.

On the first Friday of every month, each of the galleries in the Brady District, as well as other local businesses like CFC Chocolatier, hold exhibit openings, resulting in one large, collaborative event designed to attract as many people to the area as possible.

And the possibility of future artistic tenants has piqued the public’s interest even more.

The leader in generating interest in the Brady Arts District has been the AHCT’s Visual Arts Center.

Leader of the Pack: The Visual Arts Center Ten years in the making, the 43,100-square foot center will boast 7,225 square feet of gallery space. The large gallery will be 5,032 square feet, and the “Community Studio” will be 1,051 square feet and the “Learning Studio” will be 1,142 square feet. The smaller galleries will be dedicated to interactive exhibits involving the community.

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Crowds gather in anticipation of the Tulsa Artist Coalition’s annual 5x5 event.

The center will have six studios, four of which will be available to local artists for a nominal fee, as well as four classrooms dedicated to 2D, 3D, 4D work and a media lab.

In an effort to fuel public interest in the project, AHCT has been holding “Baywalks” during the district’s First Friday event, allowing up to 20 local artists to set up shop just inside the Mathews building’s bay doors and arts patrons wander in to observe and buy their work.

The event has a grassroots, guerilla feel, and it provides an opportunity for young or emerging artists to gain experience showing their work without the pressures of a gallery setting.

The entire project has been artist-oriented, said Kathy McRuiz, VAC director. The AHCT has sought input from artists since the center’s inception, and it continues to hold meetings with artists every other month, updating them on the building’s progress and allowing them to participate in the planning process.

McRuiz said that the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition has been an important partner in the planning of the VAC and will be afforded the space for any of its Tulsa events.

AHCT needs $23 million to complete the center and has so far raised $5 million. McRuiz said that, at this point, the organization still plans to break ground by the end of this year and have the center complete by next year.

Philbrook Museum and the Adkins Collection Philbrook Museum of Art hopes to open its Adkins Collection and Research Center by the end of next year as well. The George Kaiser Family Foundation began working with the museum two years ago to find a home for its recently acquired Adkins Collection.

Rand Suffolk, Philbrook’s executive director, said the museum was very deliberate in choosing which pieces from the Adkins collection to add to its own collection of Native American art. The University of Oklahoma owns the other half of the collection.

Suffolk said Philbrook and GKFF have been taking their move to the Brady District slowly and deliberately in an attempt to make sure that all of the area’s projects are working in unison and make sense together.

The Adkins Collection and Research Center will occupy 20,000 square

Tulsa Artist Coalition’s 5x5 event.

feet of space in the Mathews Warehouse, combining gallery and exhibit space with a study center and public reading room available to scholars, students, academics, collectors and curators.

GKFF is providing Philbrook with the finished space, but any interior improvements necessary to accomplish Philbrook’s mission will be the responsibility of the museum.

At the time of this writing, neither Suffolk nor Stanton Doyle from GKFF could say when construction might begin on Philbrook’s half of the building.

Living Arts Contemporary Space Living ArtSpace has finally announced that it, too, will move back to the Brady area, into the Bed Check Building.

The move has been in the works for some time, said Doyle, and there was even discussion within the GKFF about moving Living Arts and Philbrook into one shared space, but, he said, they ultimately decided to spread the organizations out, creating a larger area for the Brady Arts District.

Plans for Living Arts’ new home, to be called Living Arts Contemporary Space, still had not been unveiled at the time of this writing, but Steve Liggett, artistic director of LA, said that the new space will be open by August. It will also be the site of October’s Momentum Tulsa event.

In addition, Waylon Summers, co-owner of Lovetts Gallery, has expressed interest in opening an additional gallery space downtown, though he hasn’t yet decided on an exact location.

With possibilities looming for the Brady Arts District, the corridor that will connect the Vision 2025-funded BOK Center with the soonto-be-built Oneok Field looks to live up to its name as the city’s arts and entertainment district. n Holly Wall has been covering the arts in Tulsa for almost three years. She writes weekly arts columns for Urban Tulsa Weekly and monthly for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Intermission magazine.

First Friday Baywalk at the Mathews Building, future home of the Visual Arts Center.

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U N I V E Rof S I T YCentral O F C E N T R AOklahoma L OKLAHOMA University

O L L EMedia G E O &F Design A R T S , • melton M E D I A le & gac D Ey Scollection I G N College ofC Arts,

^ Andre Dunoyer de Ségonzac “La Gare de Campagne”

Thomas Moran “Venice at Sunset”

Georges Rouault “Revendication (Zone Rouge)”

Melton Art Gallery, UCO Art & Design Building, open 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri. View more than 500 years of European and American art, including the collection’s centerpiece, Thomas Moran’s “Venice at Sunset.” This collection is on permanent display at the gallery. Reservations needed for groups of 25 or more.

For more information: (405) 974-2432 • www.camd.uco.edu/events

MODERN

M AT E R I A L S

André Lhote “Paysage”

July 10 - August 29, 2009 Opening Reception, July 10, 5:00pm Lecture by Quilt Artist Pam RuBert July 11, 6:30pm

THE ART OF THE QUILT

1 NE 3rd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104 Tel: 405.815.9995 www.artspaceatuntitled.org Tuesdays - Fridays 10:00am-6:00pm, Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm

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f e a t u re

Letter To the Editor: Several weeks ago I was working in my gallery and waiting for a visit from an agent from the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC). My gallery had been open for over a year and I had been collecting sales tax for all that time but had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. I contacted my accountant and his first question was “what is your Tax ID number.” With my extensive business experience and MBA in hand, my response was “huh?”

3. If Oklahoma artists are selling art in Oklahoma, whether they are a sole proprietorship or incorporated, the following applies: - The artist must collect sales tax

Here is the short version of what followed: I applied for a sales tax permit and paid my collected sales tax (plus several hundred dollars in penalties for late payment).

- To collect sales tax, the artist must have a sales tax permit. To obtain a sales tax permit, the artist can go to the OTC website at www.tax. ok.gov for the “Business Registration Forms.” The packet includes easy instructions and the permit costs $20. There are also workshops available to assist you in filling out the form and obtaining your permit.

The visit from the OTC agent was a service call they do to help start up businesses understand sales tax procedures and how to pay on-line. The agent was friendly, courteous and extremely helpful.

- Sales Taxes are computed differently depending on the City and County in which you live. Artists should contact the OTC for assistance in calculating the proper amount of sales taxes to charge.

Ironically, while I was waiting for the agent, I re-read Sue Clancy’s article “Sales Tax and Whoopee Money” published in the March/April 2009 issue of Art Focus Oklahoma. The agent arrived and as she was explaining the process, it didn’t seem to line up with Sue’s article that I had just finished reading. Wondering if the sales tax procedures for a “business” (think my gallery) were different from those applicable to an individual artist, I asked the agent.

- After you receive your permit, you will be “on probation” for 6 months and will likely receive a visit from an OTC agent who will help explain things to you and help you pay your sales taxes on-line.

My experience with the agent was very good. She was very helpful.

According to the agent, the sales tax procedures apply to anyone collecting sales taxes in Oklahoma, from a Sole Proprietor (an individual Artist) to an Incorporated Business. There are some minor exceptions which I will discuss below.

- After the 6 month probationary period, the artist has the option of filing semi-annually (every 6 months) if sales are LESS THAN $500 during that 6 month period. Otherwise, payments must be made monthly.

I sent a note off to Sue to get a better understanding of her article. As she clearly stated in her article, she works primarily with galleries and lets them handle the issue of sales tax. Everything else she lets her accountant handle. Those are both excellent strategies. However the issue of saving money for paying taxes should only apply to income taxes, unless you have arranged for your accountant to pay your sales taxes for you.

- Payments for the previous month are due prior to the 20th of the following month (Sales Tax for April 2009 must be paid before May 20, 2009).

If you are selling art in Oklahoma, you must collect sales tax and pay those taxes to the state. If you collect sales tax, you must have a sales tax permit. Here is how it works:

- For immediate questions, please contact the OTC Taxpayer Assistance Division at (405) 521-3160 or in-state toll-free at (800) 522-8165.

1. The sales tax issue applies only to Oklahoma artists selling work in Oklahoma. If the artist is selling all of their work out of state, they only need to claim any income/profits/losses on their Federal and State Income Tax returns.

The whole sales tax thing looks a lot more confusing than it actually is and the OTC are always available to help. If you don’t have a gallery to handle your sales taxes, get your sales tax permit ASAP. If your accountant pays your sales tax, you should have an arrangement with them so there are no surprises. And as Sue has pointed out, set aside money from each sale to pay your income tax bill. As she and I have both found out, you can have a nasty bill to pay if you don’t.

2. If the artist is only selling work through a gallery or other representative, the gallery is responsible for collecting sales tax and paying it to the state. The artist should receive a 1099 form from the gallery and use that to report income on their Federal and State Income Tax returns.

- During the 6 month probationary period, the artist must make monthly sales tax payments (or filings of $0 if there were no sales for that month).

- If you pay on-line BEFORE the 20th, you will receive a DISCOUNT on your sales tax payment. If you pay AFTER the 20th, you will be charged a penalty.

Stephen Kovash Istvan Gallery urbanartokc@gmail.com

business of art

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Art in These Economic Times

by Sue Clancy On a recent trip to the North Eastern United States I read an article in a newspaper which quoted Tom Green, the college president of the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Mr. Green said, “Art matters, literature matters.

At a time when people are struggling, when mortgages are being foreclosed, when there is war in the world it is easy to feel like what we do exists on the margins, is somehow inessential or a luxury. I couldn’t disagree with that notion more. Artists and writers not only enrich our culture with their work, they inform and help us understand, they provide context sometimes by agitating or provoking, other times by allowing us to see the beauty and grace in the world and the magic of the interactions around us. But great art and literature does something even more critical; it has the power to teach us not only what it means to be human, but also what it means to be humane. We need more of it.”

How does art relate to being humane?

When we experience a non-verbal response to an idea, an emotion or a thought, which an artwork provokes, the experience occurs in the viewer’s mind almost independently of the actual artwork. These experiences can broaden our horizons and as Oliver Wendell Holmes said “Man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original shape.”

An elastic mind is a good thing but, again, how does it relate to being humane?

The act of viewing, creating or experiencing art both promotes and benefits from a reachable, welcoming mind. Openmindedness isn’t about a preference for something, it’s about an awareness of and a willingness to consider. It’s that willingness which opens us up to humane thoughts and if we allow ourselves to linger with these thoughts they can become a part of our view of the world.

Artists create because of the ideas we have to express. Those ideas frequently come from our openness to the world around us.

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business of art

We sell art because we need to eat and have room to make more art. Viewers come to art exhibits to have fun and to be mentally or emotionally stimulated. Buyers may buy art for many reasons – one of which is to “take that thought or feeling home.” The buying and selling of art is only one part of this equation – the sharing of ideas is primary.

Open-mindedness is what gives ideas a forum in which to grow.

To make art that informs, provokes or reminds us of the world around us is a courageous act. To view art with an open mind also takes bravery. Difficult times call for creative solutions and as a result of this call artistic ideas, open-mindedness and the humaneness that comes from openness are more necessary than ever.

Oklahoma experiences “brain drain” in the form of artists and other creatives leaving our state for more broad-minded states or countries. Almost out of selfdefense Oklahomans talk of art as a saleable commodity – because “business” is respected.

Given this culture we artists often focus on what sells rather than what communicates.

We need to reverse that. A creative response to a difficult economy would be to converse with ourselves – as artists, as viewers and patrons of art - and to create “what enriches our culture, helps us to understand or provides context or allows us to see the beauty and grace in the world and the magic of the interactions around us” as Mr. Green has so eloquently reminded us.

Harnessing the power of artistic ideas to stretch our minds will also put Oklahoma on good business footing for the future. n

Sue Clancy is a full-time professional artist whose artwork can be seen internationally – and locally at Joseph Gierek Fine Art gallery in Tulsa, OK (www.gierek.com) or at Downtown Art & Frame in Norman, OK. She checks her email artist@telepath.com occasionally, too.

Ask a Creativity Coach Dear Romney, I like to put things in order before I start to paint, but before I know it I’ve used all my painting time to rearrange my supplies or clean. My intention is always to get right to work just as soon as I straighten up.

Any advice?

Finicky Dear Finicky, The phrase “just as soon as” is a favorite of perfectionists. What you’re really saying is “Just as soon as all conditions are perfect, then I’ll paint.” The perfect space and time rarely materialize. Your animal personality is showing-you’re a Persian cat. Visualize the way a cat grooms her fur-it’s a never ending process of beautification. Cleaning your work space is what I call a “noble substitute activity.” In the business world it’s a “low-value activity.”

Whatever you call it, the time you spend on neatness is undermining your creative goals.

Make a decision: Which would you rather have: a clean studio or a stack of paintings? Meow?

Romney Nesbitt is a Creativity Coach, artist and writer living in Tulsa. She is the author of Secrets From A Creativity Coach, available on Amazon.com. Romney welcomes your questions for future columns. Contact her at Romneyn@att.net, or at www.romneynesbitt.com.

Walter Nelson, Earth Art VI, Wood with Mixed Media

At a Glance:

Walter Nelson and Phil Stein at Untitled [ArtSpace]

by Emily Lewis

At Untitled [ArtSpace] Walter Nelson has shared with Oklahoma the memory of his red heeler, Darwin Augustus Perth. Because of the loss of his long time pet companion Nelson began an expedition in a new phase of Earth Art as it were, using Darwin’s ashes and various other organic materials to create seemingly minute disturbances in vast impenetrable landscapes, and then photographing them in their sentimental grandeur, as well as emphasizing the shrines minuteness to the rest of the scene. Beginning his expedition in New Mexico, Nelson has now created various shrine examples in the gallery space; one is then greeted with the familiarity of Oklahoma grass, rocks and various other materials that create a staged shrine. The most visible upon entering, is Earth Art VI. The impromptu shrine entails a tree of sorts decorated with rocks, with an adhesive which seems in cohesive with the organic attitude of the original intent, all of which surrounded by rocks, laid out on a precise square of sand. This piece also has a kinetic quality with a large tree branch patterned in twine circulating overhead, balanced by a weight of rocks seemingly emulating our oh too familiar Oklahoma wind. This shrine as well as the other shrines created for this specific exhibition seems to emphasize a rather staged, commodified quality that is not so readily visible in the photographs.

The work of fellow photographer Phil Stein is visible to the side of Nelson’s work examining the urban rather than rural. While both

artists tend to restrain from specific human presence, Stein emphasizes the society which we have made for ourselves. Scenes of duplicated cars, streets, and decorative pots of pansies pile on top of one another in each piece so that the cities build up off the composition towards the viewer, and spread past the canvas to the frame, stretching the composition as far out as possible. Unlike Nelson’s work with his abundance of nature and sky Stein’s cities carry beyond the picture plane and only allow what sky is capable of creeping in at the end of the busy streets, which almost exhausts the viewer in a repetition of squares and rectangles of buildings, windows, and cars which very well depicts the reality of our big cities. The dark grey walls of Untitled [ArtSpace] brings the multitude of grays in Stein’s cities forward as well as accentuating Walter Nelson’s green and tan landscapes. It is a very interesting show with many facets, and I find it to be a worthwhile endeavor.

Untitled [ArtSpace] is located at 1 NE 3rd Street in Oklahoma City and you can browse their website at www.1ne3.org. n Emily Lewis is a graduate of Art History from Oklahoma State University and is currently the Art Focus Intern at the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. She can be reached it e.ann.lewis@gmail.com.

at a glance

27

Round Up

July/August 2009

OVAC’s offices have moved! Please update your address books and minds. The new address is 730 W Wilshire, Suite 104, Oklahoma City 73116-7738. We are keeping our PO Box for a while, but want you to know where we are! We also have a new phone number: 405-879-2400.

OVAC’s spring interns were a dynamic team. Thanks to UCO student Cindi Vasquez, who helped us for over a year and could do most everything and do it quickly. UCO grad student and Langston graduate Maria Glover served as Art Focus intern, also helping with reviewing art exhibitions on our blog. OU student Karalee Hirst leant her creative design to improving our mailings.

SWOSU graduate Jeanie Etris put her enthusiasm to every task,

helping especially with the Resource Guide and communications.

OU graduate Ryan Pack developed a series of artist interviews for our blog and helped in all other program areas. OU student Andy Morris was our resident engineer, literally, and capable of much problem solving. We got so much done with their help. Thanks and best of luck to all.

Save the date: OVAC’s fundraiser, the 12x12 Art Sale and Exhibition, will be September 26, 2009. The capable Committee is hard at work to make the event fabulous again with Co-Chairs Susan Beaty and Sam Fulkerson’s leadership. www.12x12OKC.org

Thank you to our New and Renewing Members from March and April 2009 Jo Ann Adams Denise Alexander Kristy Lewis Andrew The Art Basket Gallery Marty and Martha Avrett Margaret Aycock Paul Bagley Keith Ball and Marti Jourden Marc Barker Jennifer Barron and Bonnie Allen Andrew Boatman Bryan Boone Patricia R Bradley Stephen Brenning Robert Brown Elizabeth Anne Brown Sharon Burchett Arisha Burlingame Josh Buss and Sherry Ray Jan Eckardt Butler Kevin Byrne Jean Artman Campbell Claudia Carroll Jeanene S. Carver Angela and J. Justin Castro Sharon Caudle Mary Ann Ceballos Klem and Cindy Chandler Sue Clancy and Judy Sullens Lynn Clark Heather Clark Hillard Larry Clingman Diane U. Coady Jay Combs Christopher Cook

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OVAC news

Raven Crowl Bryan Crump Gayle Curry Betty Dalsing Andrea Davis Chad Davis Sarah Davison Kay Deardorff Elise Deringer Wendte Joanne Deshong Linda Dixon Carolina Elizabeth Jeanie Etris Janene Evard Jennifer Lynn Farrar Robert A. French Darlene Garmaker Roger Gibson Joseph Gierek Fine Art Sylvia Gilbert Patricia Gobbel Kyle and Cher Golding Mary H. Grabow Ashley Griffith Dawn Grooms Grace Grothaus Aniela and Brahk Hadick Sue Hale David Halpern Susan Hammond Pat Harris Virginia Harrison Brian and Sarah Hearn Tony Hennigh Beverly Herndon

Harold T. Holden Dirk Hooper Carla Houston Gabe Huffstutler Jane Iverson Stephanie Jackson Robyn Janloo Curtis Jones Michael Jones Deborah Kaspari Jim Keffer Joseph K. Kirk & Daniel G. Hardt Brenda Knott Stephen and Christina Kovash Art and Betsy Lefrancois P. Keith Lenington Katherine Liontas-Warren Cheryl Lockstone and Barrett Williamson Vicki Maenza Jeana Marchant Joan Matzdorf Shawn Meyers Caroline Miller Cindy Miller Kendra Chassie Morgan Caryl Morgan Glenda Cook Mullins Ruth Murdock Dana Niblett Hayley Nichols Zena Nipper David Nunneley Molly O’Connor Nathan Opp

Oral Roberts University Art Department Ken Owen Stan and Raina Pelofsky Patty Plummer Patty S. Porter Donna Robillard Kim Rodriguez Mary Russell Tom and Velma Sanders Carl and Beth Shortt Silver Andrew Smith Geoffrey L. Smith Katy Smith Rebecca Taylor Paul Timshel Kristal Zwayer Tomshany James and Regina Turrentine Margo and Ray Von Schlageter Valerie Wade Terri Wagner Ramsey Walcher Kane Watkins Lori Wenninger Dawn Williams Norma Williams Stephanie Ruggles Winter Betty Wood Elia Woods Eric Wright Jacque Collins Young Lea Zrenda

Art People: Deborah McAuliffe Senner is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Allied Arts. Senner succeeds Donna Rinehart-Keever who announced her retirement earlier this year. Senner has served Allied Arts for the past seven years, most recently as Vice President.

The annual Allied Arts campaign has grown 89% since Senner joined the organization - most recently generating more than $2.5 million for the arts. Senner earned her BA in theatre from Benedictine College in Kansas. She is a passionate advocate for the arts and a committed community volunteer. We are thankful to Donna for her years of great service for the cultural life of central Oklahoma. Welcome Deborah, we are excited to work with you!

Living Arts of Tulsa announces the new Administrative Director Linda Clark. She was business manager for the Tulsa Glassblowing Studio and has an MA in Arts Administration from Goucher College in Baltimore. Welcome Linda.

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Gallery Listings Ada

Bartlesville

El Reno

American Masterpieces: Leon Polk Smith Pogue Gallery East Central University 900 Centennial Plaza (580) 559-5353 ecok.edu

Centuries of Progress: American World Fairs, 1853-1982 Through July 19 Price Tower Arts Center 510 Dewey Ave. (918) 336-4949 pricetower.org

Ted Conley July 1-August 29 Studio 107 Gallery 107 East Main (580) 224-1143 studio107ardmore.com

Edmond

4th Annual Fine Arts Faculty and Staff Show Through July 31 Dream Land: Waste Land by Eric Wright August 7- September 25 Redlands Community College (405) 262-2552 redlandscc.edu

Ardmore

3rd Annual Art de Cuba Exhibit July1-August 1 Myth, Magic and Mysteries: Sculptures by Susan Budge July 1- August 1 Worley Faver Pottery and Steven Poster Photography August 22-November 7 The Goddard Center 401 First Avenue SW (580) 226-0909 goddardcenter.org

Inside Peanuts: The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz Through August 29 Edmond Historical Society & Museum 431 S. Boulevard (405) 340-0078 edmondhistory.org Kenny McKenna Through July 23 Shadid Fine Art 19 N. Broadway (405) 341-9023 shadidfineart.com

Joseph Erb (U.S. Cherokee), Gourd with Warriors Addressing Modern Technology, Gourd with Pigment, 9.25”x12.5”, at the Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art in Norman through September 13.

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Exhibition Schedule

gallery guide

Lawton Alex Pena and John Snyder Opening July 11, 7-9 The Leslie Powell Foundation and Gallery 620 D Avenue (580) 357-9526 lpgallery.org

Norman Faculty Show July 10-August 7 Children’s Summer Art Program Show August14-22 Firehouse Art Center 444 South Flood (405) 329-4523 normanfirehouse.com

Spirit Red: Visions of Native American Artists from the Rennard Strickland Collection Through September 13 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 555 Elm Ave. (405) 325-4938 ou.edu/fjjma Friday Circuit of Art July 10, 7-9 Friday Circuit of Art August 17, 7-9 Mainsite Contemporary Art Gallery 122 East Main (405) 292-8095 mainsite-art.com

Oklahoma City City Arts Center 3000 General Pershing Blvd.

(800) 951-0000 cityartscenter.org

Rea Baldridge and Joseph Mills Opening July 3, 6-10 Thomas Batista and Birthe Flexner Opening August 1, 6-10 JRB Art at the Elms 2810 North Walker (405) 528-6336 jrbartgallery.com Fiberworks Through July 3 24 Works on Paper Opening July 18, 6-9 Individual Artists of Oklahoma 811 N. Broadway (405) 232-6060 iaogallery.org Suzanne King Randall and Jennifer Barron Through July 31 Dan Garrett, Ann Powell and Christina Kovash August 14-October 31 Istvan Gallery at Urban Art 1218 N. Western Ave. (405) 831-2874 istvangallery.com

Did she Kill ‘em All?!

Martha Maxwell, Colorado Huntress Through July 12 Prix de West Through September 7 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd (405) 478-2250 nationalcowboymuseum.org Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales Through September 20 Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive (405) 236-3100 okcmoa.com

Park Hill Generations: Cherokee Language Through Art Through August 16 Annual Homecoming Art Show and Sale August 22-October 4 Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc. 21192 S. Keeler Drive (918) 456-6007 cherokeeheritage.org

Tulsa Thomas Gilcrease and the Making of an American Treasure Through January 10, 2010 Gilcrease Museum 1400 Gilcrease Road (918) 596-2700 gilcrease.org Masters of Influence, Juried Invitational Through July 19 Lovetts Gallery 6528 E 51st St (918) 664-4732 lovettsgallery.com

Become a member of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition! Join today to begin enjoying the benefits of membership, including a subscription to Art Focus Oklahoma.

Sustaining $250 -Listing on signage at events -Invitation to private reception with visiting curators -All of below

Patron $100 -Acknowledgement in the Resource Guide and Art Focus Oklahoma -Copy of each OVAC exhibition catalog -All of below

Family $55 -Same benefits as Individual for two people in household

Individual $35 -Subscription to Art Focus Oklahoma -Inclusion in online Virtual Gallery -Monthly e-newsletter of visual art events statewide -Monthly e-newsletter of opportunities for artists -Receive all mailed OVAC call for entries and invitations -Artist entry fees waived for OVAC sponsored exhibitions -Listing in Annual Resource Guide and Member Directory -Copy of Annual Resource Guide and Member Directory -Access to “Members Only” area on OVAC website -Up to 50% discount on Artist Survival Kit workshops -Invitation to Annual Meeting

Student $20 -Valid student ID required. Same benefits as Individual level.

A Century of Italian Drawings from the Prado Peggy Preheim: Little Black Book Through July 26 The Color Woodcuts of Gustave Baumann Through October 11 Edward Wales Root and American Modernism August 23- November 29 The Philbrook Museum of Art 2727 South Rockford Road (918) 749-7941 Philbrook.org Kara McCleary: Marital Carnage July 10-31 Krystal Pigg: Those Days are Gone August 7-29 Tulsa Artists Coalition Gallery 9 East Brady (918) 592-0041 tacgallery.org

Dan Namingha (U.S. Hopi), Chanters at Dusk, Collage, 28”x19”, at Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art in Norman through September 13.

GET INVOLVED

MEMBER FORM ¨ Sustaining

¨ Patron

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Name Street Address City, State, Zip Email Website Credit card (MC or Visa Only) Credit card #

Exp. Date

Are you an artist? Y N Medium?____________________________________________ Would you like to be included in the Membership Directory? Y N Would you like us to share your information for other arts-related events?

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Detach and mail form along with payment to: OVAC, 730 W. Wilshire Blvd, Suite 104, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Or join online at www.ovac-ok.org

ArtOFocus k l a h o m a

Non Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Oklahoma City, OK Permit No. 113

730 W. Wilshire Blvd, Suite 104 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Annual Subscriptions to Art Focus Oklahoma are free with membership to the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.

Membership forms and benefits can be found at www.ovac-ok.org or by phone (405) 232-6991.

Student Membership: $20 Individual Membership: $35 Family/Household Membership: $55 Patron Membership: $100 Sustaining Membership: $250

Joseph Mills Photographs

Rea Baldridge Paintings

Opening Reception:

Friday | 07.03.09 | 6p - 10p

Birthe Flexner Ceramics

Thomas Batista Paintings

Opening Reception:

Friday | 08.07.09 | 6p - 10p

2810 North Walker Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Phone: 405.528.6336 www.jrbartgallery.com