Art Focus Oklahoma, September/October 2006

ArtOFocus k l a h o m a

O k l ahoma Visu a l A r ts C o a l i t i o n

Vo l u m e 2 1 N o . 5

September/October 2006

Anita Fields page 3

A Spirit of Giving

ArtOFocus kl a h o m a

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contents

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Executive Director: Julia Kirt director@ovac-ok.org

profiles 3 Anita Fields 5 OVAC Awards of Excellence

Editor: Lori Oden publications@ovac-ok.org

reviews/previews 8 Momentum: Tulsa 9 TAC: Quite a Collection

On the Cover: Anita Fields, Stillwater Woman with Turtle Ears 15”x4”x1” clay, slips Image ©Tom Fields

10 12 x 12 11 Street Photography 12 Karim Rashid

features 13 Art & Permaculture 16 On the Map

business of art 17 Working the Room 19 The eBay Alternative 19 Ask A Creativity Coach member agency

OVAC news 20 At a Glance/Round Up/Members 21 gallery

This program is supported in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition P.O. Box 1946 • Oklahoma City, OK 73101 ph: 405.232.6991 • e: director@ovac-ok.org visit our website at: www.ovac-ok.org

guide

Art Director: Anne Richardson anne@speccreative.com 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 Anonymous letters will not be published.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; Sue Clancy, Norman; Janice Mathews-Gordon, Michael Hoffner, Stephen Kovash, Cindy Miller, Debbie Nauser and Sue Moss Sullivan, Oklahoma City.

OVAC Board of Directors 2006-2007: Kathleen Rivers, Ada; Rick Vermillion (Treasurer), Edmond; Suzanne C.Thomas, Nicoma Park; Thomas Batista, Skip Hill, Stephen Kovash, Suzanne Mitchell, Dwayne Morris, Ira Schlezinger, John Seward (Vice President), Carl Shortt, Lila Todd (Secretary), Elia Woods, Oklahoma City; Joellen Frisillo, Pam Hodges, Phd (President), Sand Springs; Chris Ramsay, Stillwater; Jean Ann Fausser, Michaela Merryday, Tulsa; E. K. Jeong, Weatherford.

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 National Association of Artists’ Organization. © 2006, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. All rights reserved.

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Anita Fields, Stillwater Movement of the Sun 15”x13”x3” wall piece, clay, slips Image ©Tom Fields

Anita Fields:

A SPIRIT OF GIVING

by Lori Oden

Anita Fields has a gift. She turns a carefullycrafted clay slab into a simple, delicate package. Fields calls it a “bundle.” What is inside? Your guess is as good as mine, but I think we have to figure it out for ourselves.

Not really knowing what is inside, I have to ask myself, “What does it mean to give a gift, or receive one?” Or maybe I should ask, “What gifts do I already have, and what do I have to offer as a gift for someone I know or pass on the street?” A smile or a hug is a gift. Simple acknowledgements of achievement or offering a hand of help could be a great gift. The Grinch took all the brightly-colored gifts and realized, in the end, the gifts were not what it was all about.

Funny how a simple, small clay piece can bring such thoughts and reflection….

I was completely and immediately captivated when I saw Anita Fields’ work. The depth and layers of meaning were profound. It spoke to me. As I soon discovered, she is an accomplished national artist, but has had little recognition in Oklahoma. Hopefully that will change very soon.

Fields was born in Hominy, Oklahoma. She is Osage and proud of her Indian heritage. As a young girl, her family was steeped in tradition and she learned the Osage way of cooking, sewing and living. The arts were encouraged and she later attended the American Indian Arts Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

While there, she met Tom Fields who was from the Talequah, Oklahoma area. She studied painting and he was interested in film.

They married and moved back to Oklahoma; they are currently in Stillwater. Tom became an accomplished black and white photographer and she moved towards ceramics. According to Fields, she had always been interested in ceramics and dabbled in making functional pieces for many years.

However, as her life evolved with three children (Nokosee, Yatika and Welana) her attention was held with family life. It was important to her and her husband to keep Indian traditions in their modern family and Fields found herself sewing quite often (one of the first things she learned how to do as a child) and attending Osage ceremonies. Fields stated, “Clothing is very special and it only comes out for ceremonies. It is symbolic and signifies a transformation and gives understanding. Certain types of fabric and colors define a persons place, relationship. It is also an outward expression. Making clothing is a loving and caring gesture for the family and Osage community. Women exchange blankets, belts and clothes.” With an affinity for fabric and clay, Fields soon realized continued page 4

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continued from page 3 that she could incorporate both. She began to make non-functional, narrative pieces that echoed the Osage clothing patterns and her understanding as a mother and woman in the Osage community.

Fields’ first non-functional pieces were dresses. In order to recreate some of the Osage patterns, she made her own clay stamps.

Once the clay slab is built she applies slip and begins layering it with different stamps that symbolize beadwork, ribbon work and found objects that have significance to her.

The dresses soon became wrapped female figures, which reveal the human spirit for Fields. Some of her recent work includes free writing, which are actual words but difficult to read. She said, “I had something to say in

Anita Fields, Stillwater Two Sides of Red Mound.#2 15”x14”x5” clay, slips, stains Image ©Tom Fields

each piece, so I indirectly started distorting the words to say exactly how I feel about being a woman, especially an Indian woman. There is a lot of sadness, but I know that no matter what is thrown at me I can handle it.” Lately, Fields has started adding land and weather elements in her work. Fields said, “Land and time are significant, they represent life, birth and death.” As deep as the symbolism, Fields’ work also offers large and small abstract forms to clay slab canvases.

Represented nationally, Fields has also been invited to and participated in numerous residencies, exhibitions and publications. She currently works out of her home and at the studio in the Art Department at Oklahoma State University.

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OVAC Awards of Excellence 2006

Glenn Herbert Davis, Tulsa Uncarnate Mixed Plastics, Woods, Miscellaneous Dimensions Variable

by Lori Oden Give me the green. No bling, just the green. Moo-la. Cash-oh-la. A cool, crisp Ben Franklin. Cold, hard cash. Any way you want to say it, we all need cash.

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition supports Oklahoma professional visual artists. Each year OVAC issues these four major awards. They are intended to recognize past achievement and future promise and can be used as the artist’s needs require.

OVAC invites a national curator each year to decide one Fellowship and three Awards of Excellence. This gives Oklahoma artists exposure outside of Oklahoma and introduces Oklahoma talent to curators across the nation. The 2006 guest curator was Bill Goldston.

Goldston operates the Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) in New York City as the owner and master printer. In 1969, Goldston went to the ULAE print studio on Long Island as a student of printer Zigmunds Priede. After the death of founder Tatyana Grosman’s husband, Goldston began running the studio and the business. Since coming under Goldston’s leadership, ULAE has seen expansion, experimentation and a new direction. Goldston has worked closely in the studio with some of the most famous artists of our time such as Lee Bontecou, Jim Dine, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, R. Buckminster Fuller, Jasper Johns, Robert Motherwell, Elizabeth Murray, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, James Rosenquist, Susan Rothenberg, Ed Ruscha, Kiki Smith, Cy Twombly, Terry Winters and more. He has spoken internationally about printmaking and the ULAE collection. Goldston grew up in Lindsey, Oklahoma.

Out of 64 entries, Goldston chose Awards of Excellence recipients: Martha Williford Avrett of Stillwater , Kjelshus Collins and Sarah Williams of Oklahoma City and Glenn Herbert Davis of Tulsa for the Fellowship award. A total of $11,000 big-ones for Oklahoma artists!

Goldston wrote, “The quality of the art submitted illuminates the artistic spirit of Oklahoma : deliberately determined, bold in its honesty and unafraid of any means to its creation. I have made the selection this year recipients, based on a creative approach to diverse media and have chosen artists who work with jewelry, photography, ceramics and three-dimensional mixed media constructions. It was with great pleasure and enlightenment I viewed all the applicants and their work. It is through their continued creative efforts that Oklahoma remains an oasis of artistic and cultural heritage.”

The recipient of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Fellowship must perform a public service activity with a community-based, non-profit organization in Oklahoma. The fellowship recipient must submit a final report on the fellowship year and public service event.

About the Artists

Glenn Herbert Davis earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota in Journalism with a photograph emphasis.

In May 2000 he graduated from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield , Michigan with a Master of Fine Arts in photography and additional study in sculpture. Currently he is an assistant professor and head of the photography area at the University of Tulsa . His installations were inspired by his work as a designer, fabricator, cabinetmaker, framing and finish carpenter. He started this type of work in 1986 and continues it today. According to his artist statement, Glenn is in the process of, “continuing study of the theoretical and practical relationships between the individual human body and systems – as incorporated in regiments of physical labor, vernacular furniture and utility architecture – engaged in primarily through the design and construction of varied, furnished buildings, using criteria based on physical limitations.” Photography plays a role in his installations as illustrated instructional manuals. continued to page 6

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Martha Williford Avrett is a designer and metalsmith. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science from the Juilliard School of Music and metalsmithing classes with Chris Ramsay. In her artist statement she writes, “I work daily to assemble and construct objects that have a right balance. I search for friendships among collected fragments, arranging them until they look as if they belong together. This is a time consuming project that demands practice of patience and hope.”

Kjelshus Collins currently teaches ceramics at the Edmond Fine Arts Institute and assists with art preparation and sales at the Lowber-Kowalski Studio. He has also worked at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and taught at the Summer Arts Program at Oklahoma City University . In reference to his work, he states, “Clay is a material that incorporates all elements: earth, water, air and fire.

It is also a material that can be wielded into any form imaginable, with patience and skill. I use clay to aggressively express my feelings about social issues and to explore form. I tend to experiment with ceramics to the farthest extent; I wish to push the material to its maximum stability. I enjoy the extraneous physical activity of working in ceramics, the high energy of the firing process and the constant risk that my creative may be destroyed in its fiery birth.”

Sarah Williams earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Santa Fe in 2001. Her emphasis was photography as well as art history and museum studies. Although she is pursuing her career in photography, Williams was recently the director of programs at Untitled [ArtSpace] in Oklahoma City and archivist and assistant curator at the Brett Weston Archive. Interested in drawing and photography, Williams’ creative spirit combined the two by making her drawings into negatives by spraying Pam and baking them.

She writes, “I make art because I have to. I often explore things that traditionally represent volume, space or density, draw them to appear 3-dimensional and flatten them into a photograph. Although I am using predictable mechanical process to print my images, this is contrasted with the use of exploratory methods and materials in creating my negatives. To make these negatives, I create detailed drawings on old cartography charts, graphing papers and maps. Once a drawing is complete, I coat it with oil to make it translucent and bake it in the oven to give it an overall orange cast like that of a color negative. From these color paper negatives, I create contact prints thus utilizing a medium that is widely considered to represent reality, and abstracting it to communicate an outcome of mystery.”

If you are interested in applying next year, be sure to contact OVAC at 405.232.6991 or visit www.ovac-ok.org for more information.

Top Left: Sarah Williams, Oklahoma City Plotting the Universe Chromogenic Print 20”x24”x5” Top Right: Kjelshus Collins, Oklahoma City Her 12”x8”x6” Above, bottom: Martha Williford Avrett, Stillwater Preserving Fragile Things Brooch-Silver, Gold, Jade, Bois d’arc, Insect Wings, Gold Leaf, Silk, Text 4”x1/2”

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Photo by Steve Cluck

Russell Bellamy Double D Polycarbonate, Hardware, Saddle

Come Rain or shine, Momentum Always Delivers

by Elizabeth Downing

As it was at Momentum Tulsa 2006…

After a week of harried preparation at the Mathews Warehouse in downtown Tulsa, the final few hours before the show brought loud thunderclaps and occasional cracks of lightening. Then, rain came pouring through the roof, dropping through the twelve foot ceiling onto the concrete floor below.

Vanessa Sommerville’s white ceramic torso statues 7 & 10 Split sat on the concrete floor, making art goers seem giant by comparison.

Rusty Roberts’ Dinner Ghosts painting of eerie, featureless, and oversized white heads provided an entirely different treatment of the same subject.

But fear not, art triumphed. A waterdiversion system was hastily constructed from leftover signs, painter’s plastic, and folding chairs. The band and dance stages were moved away from the down pour, and the plan to hand out umbrellas and pretend that the leak was a performance piece was thankfully put on the back burner. The show began promptly at eight, as if nary a mishap had occurred.

Erin Turner’s evocative triptych Bird Woman brought a sense of scale and mysticism to the show, her color palette a soothing mix of warm and earthy golds and blues. By contrast, the refreshingly bright plastic pinks and yellows of Candacee White’s Self Destruct leapt off the wall. Her painting depicted a woman with a gun to another’s head, flies abuzz, with an expression seen most often on the classically bored supermodel. Darshan Phillips’ boldly colorful yet thematically simple paintings, Bee and Tie, proved as interesting up close as they were dramatic from a distance.

And what a show it was. Art hung on industrial steel racks and on the mottled, paint-peeled brick walls. It was as if the pieces had been chosen to hang in a warehouse, with many textures mimicking the features of the warehouse’s aged interior.

Several photographs tackled the industrial subject and aesthetic, including Kristen Bennett’s series of parking garages in Boyd and Elm, Zane Yost’s blue-hued abstracts Untitled, and Libby Russell’s rhythmic concrete textures in Kaneko’s Studio.

The installation work ranged in both tone and aesthetic, with an emphasis on the interactive. Russell Bellamy’s couldn’t-miss installation Double D was suspended from the ceiling, and acted as both an erotically suggestive and child-like swing set that was complete with a saddle and blanket. An oversized Zen garden with rakes and marble

stones was used by those needing a few moments of serenity amidst the activity.

The dance performances of Balthazar and Perpetual Motion were distinctively different in tone, but each group brought a sense of playfulness and energy to the show.

Balthazar’s kitschy costumes and throwback eighties music created a comedic vibe rarely to be found during modern dance performances. Perpetual Motion’s performance paid tribute to their name in the flowing relational choreography of the dancers.

The music by Stevedore, the Red Headed Stepchildren, and Eliot the Letter Ostrich rounded out the night with alternately introspective and wildly physical performances. In particular, Stevedore lit up the Warehouse with their funky tech-pop vibe and substantial dance moves.

By the time midnight rolled around, the rain outside had stopped, and the rain inside had become less of a downpour and more of a trickle. Another Momentum Tulsa drew to a close, and successfully prevented art from standing still in Tulsa for another year.

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Quite a Collection

by Janice McCormick In July, the Tulsa Artist’s Coalition Gallery continued the tradition of showcasing its members in its annual juried exhibit, Anthology. This year’s Anthology is a strong one, consisting of thirty-nine pieces by thirty-three artists in a wide range of styles and media. Obviously, space limitations prevent my reviewing each and every one. Below are a few of the works that caught my eye and spoke to me.

From a distance, Julie Straus’ sculpture Chimera (a Juror’s Choice Award winner) achieves an understated, classical simplicity, a seemingly perfect balancing of shapes: on a conical base perches a tapered point of an inverted long copper column upon which, in turn, rests a metal globe. Closer inspection, however, reveals imperfections: a few dents as well as the rich patina reflect the globe’s weathered condition. Also, there is a delightful note of recognition when you find that the base is made up of common bicycle sprockets. The overall effect is a subtle blend of classical elegance and contemporary whimsy.

Bob Bartholic’s sculpture Through the Veil symbolizes how the dark past burdens the next generation. Nearly at your feet lies the white plaster figure of a baby. His pose is defensive: his arms appear to fend off an invisible foe while his knee is pulled up to protect his chest. Towering behind it are two dark panels joined together to form a wedge, their outer edges connected by a black veil. Hanging on these panels behind the veil are several indistinct forms (some angular, others irregular) and a few recognizable items: a dangling necklace, a jewel on a box, a metal doorbell casing sans its ringer.

Through a series of contrasts Bartholic creates a sense of foreboding: old/new, dark/light, big/small, fragments/whole, angular lines/soft curves, veiled/open.

Most telling are the hinges and latch by which these two panels can be folded up, secured and carried off - a haunting burden indeed.

Heidi R. de Contreras’s mixed media work The Rending consists of a series of long narrow vertical strips of paper collaged together. Most of the strips are either solid black or black patterns drawn on white. Lines of gold paint or gold thread add highlights. In the middle of this forest of straight lines stands a curvy shape of a feminine figure. Her dress is solid red from the hips down to the ground, while the red blends into yellow at the bust line. Small beads adorn her neckline. A V-shaped patch of flesh-colored origami denotes her gender.

Neither her head nor her arms are depicted. Three black and white slits on her lower half signify not only the rending of her dress, but also the rending of the very fabric of her life.

J.P. Morrison’s mixed media In Anticipation of Toads (a Juror’s Choice Award winner) proves to be quite provocative. A young woman stands up to her knees in water. She cuts quite a sensuous figure - the subtle thrusting forward of her hips creates a soft “S” curve as she wades against the resistance of the water. Her bright coral red dress vibrates against the various blues and greens of the water. The spread out, tense fingers of her right hand suggest that her feet are touching something slimy below. What are we to make of this image? Why is she in the water? The title of the work both suggests an answer and provides a warning: you are more likely to find toads than a fairytale frog that turns into a prince. And, indeed, the young woman’s uncomprehending stare does bring to mind the mad Ophelia in Shakespeare’s play about the prince Hamlet.

In conclusion, these four works represent only a sampling of the many works, all of a high standard.

They are well worth listing: Traci Cole’s painting Tropical Mystery (People’s Choice Award); Tom Conrad’s painting, Marigold, (Honorable Mention Award); Cathy Deuschle’s assemblage, Irrational Exuberance, (Juror’s Choice Award); Don Emrick’s digital art Abstraction 35; Edward Main’s color photograph Maelstrom; Emily Main’s ceramic Reliquary; Cynthia Harris’s ceramic Dark Matter; Mary Jane Porter’s puppets Fan Man and Hester the Jester.

J.P. Morrison, Bixby In Anticipation of Toads Mixed Media

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The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s Annual Fundraiser: 12x12 Art Sale and Exhibition

by Stephen Kovash I just changed my three month calendar. As of today, July, August and September are showing. Time flies when you are old. Fall is on the wall now and we can soon look forward to cooler days, the State Fair, Oklahoma Football and the 16th Annual 12 x 12 Art Sale and Exhibition organized by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. Laveryl Lower and I are chairing the event again and with the help of our Headline Sponsor, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and other generous sponsors we have great expectations for 2006. In 2005, over 640 people came to the Sonic building in Bricktown and we raised more than $42,000. Working with the 12 x 12 committee we will bring an even better event to you this year.

New this year, we will be previewing selected pieces in the atrium of Leadership Square in downtown Oklahoma City. The work will be on view during normal business hours from September 1 through September 22.

The event itself is scheduled for Saturday, September 30 and will start at 7:00 pm with a donor preview reception at 6:30 pm. The location for the 2006 12 x 12 is 410 Walnut Ave. in Deep Deuce (north of Bricktown) in an historic school building built in 1911. The space is being donated by UrbanWorks, Inc. & Gen One Real Estate Investment Services who also donated the space for the recent Oklahoma City Momentum event.

Artists were selected from the OVAC Virtual Gallery and invited to submit art that is 12 by 12 inches or smaller. A variety of media will be represented, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, graphite, mixed media and more—there is something for every art lover. The art will be sold by blind and silent auction (no one can see what another bids), and the minimum bid is $144. This year, the bid closing times will be staggered to allow more opportunities to purchase art and to expedite the check out process. Artists receive a percentage of the sale, but many donate their commission back to OVAC to support the organization.

Funds generated by 12x12 go directly back to Oklahoma artists through grants, awards and other resources such as workshops, publications and exhibitions. OVAC provides more than $27,000 in direct artist grants and more than $200,000 in artist services each year.

A cash bar will be available and suitably impressive nibbles will be provided by some of the coolest restaurants in town, including Flip’s, Cascata, The Metro Wine Bar and Bistro, the Museum Café and Tom & Jerry’s.

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Tickets are on sale in advance for $24 online at www.ovac-ok.org, by phone 405.232.6991 or at the following locations: the DK Salon in Edmond; the office of Dr. Tami Ross, Leadership Square; Shortt’s Jewelry, 11645 South Western in Oklahoma City; Winans Fine Chocolates & Coffee, 207 East Main in Norman; Provence, 3337 S. Boulevard St. in Edmond and Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City.

Tickets will be $30 at the door. For more information visit www.ovac-ok.org or call 405.232.6991.

Top: Francis Moran Just a Little Anguish, Copper Coated Clay Middle: Tom Lee Untitled, Photography Bottom: Bert D. Seabourn Are you Talking to Me?, Acrylic on Canvas

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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: CAPTURING THE SPONTANEOUS

Top Left: Jeff Ladd, New York City 2002, Gelatin Silver Print Top Right: Richard Sandler, Van Cleef 1986, Gelatiin Silver Print

by Kelsey Karper Upon entering a museum, one usually expects a contemplative silence, occasionally broken by hushed whispers. During my last visit to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art however, I was pleasantly surprised by the outbursts of giggles and laughter from fellow visitors. We were exploring the exhibit Crosswalks: Contemporary Street Photography. Street photography has been loosely defined as photographs made surreptitiously in public places. Viewers will find it readily apparent that the subjects of these photos are utterly unaware that they are being photographed. Often, these photos are records of split-second moments, revealing the humor and irony of everyday life. The laughter that these images inspired was likely connected to memories from our own everyday lives.

common thread among their images, each photographer has a unique vision in revealing the fine line between public and private life.

Richard Bram depicts moments of affection between couples and friends, blissfully unaware of the people around them. Nick Turpin describes his work as a record of the collision between the personal and public that happens on the street. Richard Sandler shows the chaos of New York’s streets, people and vehicles frequently blurred by motion. Mike Peters finds inspiration in “the alienation, intimacy and incongruity that reveal themselves” in the life of the city. The images are often moments of irony, humor, poignancy or absurdity emphasized by strong compositional elements made up of sidewalks and architecture that define the space.

Historically, street photography has received little respect as an art form. With the help of the internet, however, street photographers have been able to bypass traditional venues and bring their work to the world on their own. Websites completely devoted to promoting the work of street photographers have brought these artists together, building a community amongst them that had not existed before.

By working collectively, they have managed to elevate street photography to a higher status, being displayed in museums and galleries, published in books and magazines, and held in esteemed collections. The Crosswalks exhibit includes work by 14 of these street photographers from the United States, Great Britain and Australia.

Crosswalks: Contemporary Street Photography will remain on display on the Third Floor of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art through September 17, 2006. A visit to the exhibit may challenge your ideas, give you a new perspective and perhaps make you laugh just a little at the unpredictable and the ridiculously everyday moments that reveal insights into the nature of life.

One of the featured photographers, Mason Resnick of New York City, also served as curator of the exhibition. In fact, the concept of the exhibition was inspired by an article Resnick wrote for Popular Photography magazine about contemporary street photographers.

Jim Meeks, Chief Preparator at OKCMOA, read the article and it sparked the beginnings of what would become the Crosswalks exhibit. Working together with Alison Amick, Associate Curator at OKCMOA, they brought street photography to the Museum, providing a diversity of styles and imagery to visitors. Mason Resnick stated “OKCMOA is one of only a handful of venues to recognize the value of street photography. By simply considering these photos for even a moment, you can not deny that there is in fact something happening in them. What’s happening may challenge traditional notions of composition, content and artistic value but perhaps that is just what we need to see things in a new and different way.”

Other photographers in the exhibit include John Beeching, Richard Bram, Melanie Einzig, David Gibson, Nils Jorgensen, Jeffrey Ladd, Jesse Marlow, Mike Peters, Richard Sandler, Gary Mark Smith, Paul Treacy, Nick Turpin, and Amani Willett. Although there is a 11

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Design for All: Karim Rashid at Price Tower Arts Center

by Tara Aveilhe Known as Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie skyscraper, Price Tower has in recent years turned its attention to showcasing the who’s who in local and international design. In his first solo museum exhibition, Canadian-born Karim Rashid brings his playful, biomorphic creations to this Midwest design mecca.

A celebrity designer with his hands in everything from restaurant design to mass produced household items, Rashid’s show undoubtedly tops the list as one of Price Tower’s most important exhibitions so far.

A collection of the utilitarian and the surreal, the exhibit offers viewers a taste of Rashid’s philosophy of “organomics.”

Defined as a combination of ergonomics and organic form, Rashid aims to create both visual and physical comfort in his objects. Ironically, Rashid uses mainly synthetic materials, such as plastic, acrylic, rubber and steel to convey an aesthetic of minimalist sensuality.

Because Rashid’s designs seem to have seeped into popular culture, practically everyone will be familiar with one or more of the items on display. The Method cleaning products, with their distinct rounded containers can be found on Target shelves all over the U.S. Office items, such as his biomorphic lamps, mod magazine racks and organizers have become common and often-copied items sold everywhere from Wal-Mart and Ikea to high-end contemporary design boutiques.

The lesser-known items in Rashid’s repertoire include clothing and fashion items. High, 2005, a pair of pink vinyl wedge heels and Aranha, 2005, a pair of scent-infused vinyl huaraches showcase Rashid’s use of unexpected materials. His men’s Cufflinks, Tie and Op Pocketwatch, 2002 are crafted of more traditional materials, but are decorated with tiny organic shapes in bright, playful colors.

The words hip and youthful come to mind when viewing Rashid’s work as a whole.

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Bright whites, bright pinks and lime greens infuse objects with an overall sense of playfulness and wonder, a sense that his design is not just for the elite or the educated, but rather for everyone – even for children. Rashid’s child-like sensibility particularly comes forth in his furnishings. Chairs and sofas seem to be gigantic versions of dollhouse furniture – a combination of kid-friendly materials combined with popsicle colors. Flap and Skip, 2005, an expandable table and chair set in pastel pink and yellow polyurethane with chrome accents, looks like something from a futuristic diner. The pink and white undulating Wavelength Sofa, 2002, is a synthesis of modern Italian design and 60s-inspired mod.

The main attraction of the show is Rashid’s Blobjectory, 2006, a piece designed specifically for the Price Tower exhibit. One of the few non-utilitarian items on showcase, Blobjectory is a massive incarnation of the designer’s artistic philosophy. Blobular and globular, the foam and metal piece seems to hang in mid-air, like a hovering spaceship from another world. The metal covering creates blob-like reflections of anyone looking into it. The piece echoes Rashid’s desire to create designs that work for us now and look into our future – to never create from a place of nostalgia or longing for the past.

It seems a strange marriage then; Rashid’s organic, of-the-moment designs coming together with Frank Lloyd Wright’s distinctive mid-century geometry. But they are not so different in the end. Both strived to place people at the center of design. And while the meaning of organic might have been translated very differently by both men, the concept is at the very heart of what they gave/give us. For Wright, it meant allowing the design to flow naturally out of the context. For Rashid it means using technology to create a pseudo-organic world – a world where fun, fluidity and function are all of equal import.

Page 13, Left: Surplus Bread Drawing (I asked for bread and was given a tranquilizer). Bread collected from bakeries that is thrown out every day, flour, corn, beans, rice, salt, clay, turmeric, pigments, Santa Fe river sand. 40ft diameter. State Capital, Santa Fe, New Mexico. 2005. This ephemeral work was constructed on a bed of sand symbolizing the world at the moment, “shifting sands”. Alchemical in nature, as the making of bread, it sought to address the waste and distribution of food. The work slowly evolved with the interaction of the animals, birds and weather. This was a collaboration with Ana MacArthur, State Capital security and nature. There is now a giclee print available of this work.

Los Padillas Project. Steel river rocks, landscaping, and plantings. Variable dimensions. Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2004. Commissioning agency, Bridging to the Arts, State of New Mexico, Ongoing educational, environmental project in the south valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, The project started with an educational component on water. Intensive workshops were conducted in the local Elementary school. The students designed various water catchment systems. Their input formed the final design. This project was collaboration with Rico Eastman, fabrication, Ann Nelson, landscape design, Richard Jennings, water engineer, Gabe Romero and Rose Simpson, interns.

For more information http://www.communityarts.net/ readingroom/archive/64orr.php Chrissie Orr Los Padillas Water Catchment Project, Albuquerque New Mexico 2004 Steel, river rocks, landscaping and planting dimensions variable

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Art and Permaculture

by Randy Marks “Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments.”

This is the opening statement in the Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison.

The term was originally coined as a contraction of “permanent agriculture” but as the concept has matured it has come to mean “permanence in culture”.

Permaculture is founded on three simple and profound core ethics: 1. care of the earth; 2. care of people; 3. contribution of surplus time, money and energy toward care of the earth and its people. Principles utilized in any permaculture design include: each element performs many functions; each important function is supported by many elements; emphasis on use of biological resources over fossil fuel resources; and, polyculture and diversity of beneficial species for a productive and interactive system.

But...what does permaculture have to do with art? The best answer comes from people who have incorporated permaculture ethics and principles into their lives and art.

Here are two, in their own words: Chrissie Orr has been the creator of community-based art projects around the world. She currently teaches Land Art and Community Activism at EcoVersity in Santa Fe.

“I was introduced to Fizz Harwood, the founder of Ecoversity many years ago. We shared the same birthday. We loved to walk and talk. She was inspirational to me and understood the importance of the creative spirit in the environmental world. As an anthropologist she had encountered the integration of the arts into society. She and I spoke the same language. My art practice is that of integration, that is it made for, about and with the community or site and not made as commodity with no site focus. We both believed that the arts are important to the whole systems way of thinking. Art should not be separated out.”

She continued, “Just before she passed away I had a meeting with her. She was in tremendous pain and it was difficult, but we laughed. As I was about to leave she said “oh, by the way, I hope you do not mind but I have put you in the catalogue as running the arts and activism section of Earth Based Vocations.” She passed away a few days later. We never got to speak again. It is my duty to carry some of her dreams.”

Orr also stated, “We have adapted and fine-tuned the course since then but in essence there is still the vision of Fizz. She was an extraordinary woman of deep vision and commitment. For the past twentyfive or more years I have been making site based art, art that is informed by the

site, and the surrounding environments and communities. I spend many hours at the site observing. I have my own way of mapping. I go with no preconceived ideas.

The muse is the site. As a young artist I became very disillusioned with the gallery world of the art market, it made no sense to me, it seemed a false practice. So I searched for other avenues. At that time I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland and there was an emerging movement of community artists or animateurs. I joined them and have never looked back. We would work with communities and produce work around political and environmental issues using the creative process as a vehicle to transcend cultural and social barriers. We made change and we made beauty.”

In conclusion, Orr said, “I have worked with kids all my artistic life. If you work as I do out there in the community on site then you can not ignore the kids and youth. They are the ones that always find me and question me. They keep me on my toes, they keep me honest. I love involving them in the creative process as they often point me in directions that I can not see myself. They are the unknown element, the challenge to push the envelope.”

In response to the question of what is really important in art, Chrissie wrote: “That it reminds us of what we have forgotten, that continued page 14

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Earth, and the revival of interest in it as a natural and environmentally friendly building material, have provided a context where art has an essential and practical part in a more sustainable cultural vision.

— Kiko Denzer

continued from page 13 it wakes us up and inspires us to make change that is relevant and long-lasting.”

Kiko Denzer is a sculptor who lives near Corvallis, Oregon. One of his favorite mediums is cob, a mixture of earth, sand and straw. In his artist statement he says, “I’ve been working with earth for about ten years now, first making ovens, then sculpting, then building a studio and a greenhouse ... . Earth is a natural material for sculpting and the combination of earth with sand and straw provides an extraordinary structural flexibility that dissolves the division between sculpture and architecture…..Earth, and the revival of interest in it as a natural and environmentally friendly building material, have provided a context where art has an essential and practical part in a more sustainable cultural vision. Creation returns to its rightful place as a community endeavor, and people who wouldn’t consider tackling a life size sculpture will gleefully build an oven or even a house.”

In an email interview, Kiko wrote this in response to a question about permaculture, cob and art: “I’m coming to realize in a more and more visceral way how ‘art’ has been boxed into a tiny corner where its highest value is to serve wealth as a way to put money on walls -- and secondarily, it’s ‘meaning’ is reduced to the sort of commentary you get on the op-ed page.”

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Denzer continued to write, “I’ve understood, intellectually, that art was central to real culture: in the making of food, fiber, shelter; the communication of traditions, etc. But until I started growing my own food, living in a rural area, and making my living with my hands, I didn’t begin to be able to imagine what it might be like to live in a culture where every article and every action could be beautiful. Wendell Berry’s novels have been a tremendous help in this realm, also, more recently, the writings of Wes Jackson of the Land Institute. By the way, I don’t think this is a “romantic notion,” but I do think it requires imagining a way of life where beauty co-exists with, and is not separate from brutal encounters between life, culture, and the forces of nature.”

In reference to cob, he wrote “Cob and natural building have provided both a medium and context in which art and beauty are central -- as is sweat and physical risk. As a medium, however, mud suddenly makes it possible to teach and demonstrate cultural ideas in venues where they might not otherwise fit: public schools, galleries, etc. Comments like, ‘You mean this is just MUD?!’ are typical, but they reflect, I think, a real challenge to ‘normal’ thinking about art. And it’s not a great leap from mud (as plaster for walls, as pigment) to the Sistine Ceiling (lime plaster on wood lath, mineral pigments).”

Finally, he wrote, “I’ve not taken a permaculture course, but I’ve had quite a bit of exposure in working with Ianto (Evans) and others associated with Cob Cottage Company and various other ‘natural builders,’ especially Alejandra Caballero and Paco Gomez, who run permaculture courses down in Mexico. In fact, perhaps I have taken a course, since I’ve helped out with a couple of theirs. Is it important to have ‘had a course,’ or is it more important to begin to be involved in the making and remaking (from the ground up) of culture where you are? “

For further reading Introduction to Permaculture

by Bill Mollison with Reny Mia Slay The Hand-Sculpted House

by I.Evans, M.G. Smith and L. Smiley Kiko Denzer’s web page: www.intabas.com/kikodenzer.html Ecoversity: www.ecoversity.org

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ON THE

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Plotting Your Own Direction

CORAZON WATKINS: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

by Elizabeth T. Burr, Ph.D. Corazon Watkins has a well-earned reputation as one of Oklahoma’s finest artists. The ferocity of her commitment to her art – be it sculpture, painting, mixed media or installation – is matched by the grace of her abilities and talent.

Recently, she returned to Norman after a prestigious solo exhibition in Mojacar, Spain. This event was a product of a residency that the artist had successfully been awarded over a year ago at the Fundacion Valparaiso in Mojacar.

Upon her return from Spain, Watkins began to realize that many artists were not aware of this whole world of residencies that is available for artists. This is information that she wants to share with the community, which is the subject of this article.

A “residency” allows artists to work at their craft in a protected and pleasant environment: think of the Black Mountain College environment in the 1940s and 50s. There, a stimulating environment was created for artists – fine artists, writers and musicians – allowing them a time away from the market of the arts to hone their skills, and to be open to the crossfertilization of ideas from all the arts. The modern version of residencies shares this philosophy. Most residencies last from 4 to 6 weeks, and provide housing and studio space. The cost of these residencies varies – some are expensive – but Watkins has always applied for scholarships to cover most or all of her expenses. If a full scholarship is not offered, sometimes at least room and board can be covered.

A fellow artist, who encouraged her to apply to the Vermont Studio Center, first introduced Watkins to residencies. This she did, and given its expense ($3000) Watkins was relieved to be awarded a scholarship.

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Vermont Studio Center offers 4 – 12-week independent residencies during the year, housing up to 52 artists at a time. This number is broken down into 24 painters, 12 sculptors, 2 printmakers, 2 photographers and the rest are writers. According to their website, “All VSC Residents receive private studio space appropriate to the medium (…), simple private rooms and excellent food.”

To learn more about this residency, their website contains detailed information and application forms: http://vermontstudiocenter. org/residencies.html Following the success of Corazon’s experience at VSC, she made an application to another residency, the Ragdale Foundation near Chicago. Ragdale describes its purpose as, “a place where writers and artists of all disciplines can find uninterrupted time to work in a peaceful setting. Ragdale is situated on 50 acres of virgin prairie in beautiful Lake Forest, Illinois.” But, beyond this bucolic description, Ragdale states that, every year, it “provides living and working space for more than 200 writers, visual artists and composers from all over the United States and from many other countries.” Ragdale offers residencies from two weeks up to a maximum of two months. While they state that “fee waivers are available”, Watkins received a scholarship for this particular residency from the National Endowment for the Arts; it covered all her air travel and the shipping fees for her paintings. Ragdale has a useful website, with a printable application at www. ragdale.org. It also has a Links section that has a lot of information about other residencies, and artists’ organizations.

Searching for international residency programs, Watkins heard about one in Costa Rico, the Julia & David White Artists’ Colony. Along with its gorgeous grounds (it is a “secure, private17-acre farm”), it, too, harbors a desire to “provide

residencies for artists of all disciplines, whether emerging or established, from anywhere in the world.” Watkins enjoyed her time there so much, she is returning there this summer; luckily, the White Artists’ Colony, advertises that “repeat residencies are welcome.” Along with studio space and housing, they have a monthly open studio, readings and performances by the resident artists. While not mandatory to contribute, all artists are encouraged to share in this camaraderie. Watkins, again, managed to win a scholarship. Their website is www.forjuliaanddavid.org Corazon Watkins soon became savvy about researching other residencies. She discovered that there was a superb website that had information and links to a large number of such enclaves, both in the USA and abroad. One such web page is www. artistcommunities.org. Another Internet site that is more focused on international residencies and which Watkins used is www.ResArtists.com. This last organization notes that it “is the largest existing network of artist residency programmes, representing …more than 200 centers and organizations in 50 countries worldwide.”

They also have an online newsletter that can be subscribed to for free.

The extraordinary benefits of participating in a residency are many according to Watkins. She delighted in the opportunity

by Sue Clancy

to meet with other artists from other communities, and to mix with artists who were musicians and writers. This is even more so when you share time and ideas with international artists: Corazon reveled in the exchange of political and cultural ideas with artists from widely different backgrounds.

Watkins residency in Mojacar exemplifies all of these advantages. The Fundacion Valparaiso is located near the village of Mojacar along the southern coast of Spain.

Outside of its idyllic setting and cultural environment, this residency was especially fruitful for the artist. She became a friend with an art professor from Beijing who was fascinated by Watkins’ mixed media paintings. He told Corazon that this whole genre of mixed media is still largely unknown among artists in China, and he asked her if she would consider going to Beijing for a few weeks in order to teach this medium at the university.

The Fundacion ends a residency period by inviting artists to join in an Open Studio.

What the artists did not know was that the Fundacion used these events to select one artist from a whole year of residencies that they would invite back to Mojacar for a solo exhibition. To her absolute delight, Watkins was the one they chose to invite back for a one-woman show in her residency year. She discovered that she was the first American to be honored by the Fundacion Valparaiso.

A culmination of Watkins’ residencies is the upcoming exhibition of international artists that she is curating in Norman, Oklahoma City and in other venues across the state. Titled International Vision, and opening in 2007, this is the artist’s celebration of the world of talented artists who inspired and enriched Watkins’ life over many years through her experience with residencies. It is a world that she hopes other artists will explore for themselves through the information she is happy to bequeath to this community.

People buy art in Oklahoma.

It is true. Thirty-nine of my paintings sold here in Oklahoma just this past year, 2005.

I can think of a number of other Oklahoma artists that have also had successful sales of their artwork. Likewise there are galleries and non-profit arts organizations that do well financially. What do all of these successful people do? For one thing, they have learned to develop people skills and the ability to “work a room.”

By the phrase “work the room” I mean being there, being open and friendly when meeting, greeting and conversing with the public that comes to attend an art opening.

I refer to the ability to talk about one’s own art in a personable way. Being there, being present and attentive at one’s art openings does NOT mean hard-sell high-pressure techniques. How well you can work the room directly relates to how much potential your artwork has of selling.

Stephen Kovash, an artist, gallery owner and consultant in Arts Management says, “My experience with my own gallery as well as working on events that if you hustle, you can sell your art. When I work the crowd, people buy stuff, when I get lazy or have performance anxiety, I do not sell as much. That fact is consistent in EVERY venue I work.” So how do you work the room successfully?

1. Attend your art openings. If at all possible attend all openings that contain any of your artwork. This could be one piece of artwork or 20 works. Get there early and stay in the room the entire duration of the opening. Be among the first to arrive and the last to leave. Only the flu, the death of a loved one or a great geographical distance should keep you away. People want to meet you. You are why they come to the opening. Art is more likely to sell if a personal connection is made between the artist and the collector.

The people who come to your opening are already open to you. They’re curious. They want to see your artwork and hear what you have to say. They are already on your side, or else they would have stayed home.

2. Be actively engaged in your opening. Smile and say hello to as many people as you possible can. Shake their hand. If you have a drink, keep it in your left hand so that your right is free.

Thank them for coming. Ask them to let you know if they have any questions. If you know that one of the attendees likes certain colors or subjects direct them to one of your artworks that have those colors/ subjects. If you do not know the person you are talking with, ask them what they like.

bus i ness of ar t

Working the Room

Openings are your job just as much as the creation of the artwork itself. Meeting and greeting people during the opening is how you can begin to cultivate collectors and begin to make a living as an artist.

Conversation is the key. The idea is friendliness without allowing yourself to be trapped by one or two people the entire evening. Keep moving. Talk to as many people as possible. It is necessary to master the art of gently extracting yourself from your friends, and others, who might try to monopolize your time. Usually a friendly, “excuse me I must go say hello...” is sufficient.

Even if you find it difficult to talk due to shyness, just stay in the room. Often the gallery director will bring people over and introduce you. It can be hard to refrain from running away even for non-shy folks.

It is your soul hanging there on the walls. People standing there looking and making comments can be very scary.

But the likelihood of someone negatively commenting about your artwork to your face is very slim! It has, actually happened to me on a few occasions and all I said was, “I appreciate you sharing that with me and I will think about it. Please excuse me I need to say hello to some of these other folks”. Then go find a supportive friend and get a hug! Dealing with fear and anxiety of self-exposure is something that has to be overcome by every artist who wants to make it. I am deaf and hearing in loud public settings is difficult for me.

In the past, because of my hearing, I have continued page 18

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bus i ness of ar t

continued from page 17 been quite shy about being in public. Overcoming these fears just takes practice. It does become easier the more you do it.

3. Encourage questions about your artwork and answer them thoughtfully.

Your artist statement should be posted somewhere in the exhibit but do not expect it to do all of the talking for you. You, of all people, should be excited about your work and what you are doing. If you are not excited about your work, how can you expect anyone else to be? Answering questions and talking about your art is an instant topic of conversation. No casting about for what to say.

Art openings serve as an educational function for a lot of people.

They do not know you; they do not know your art techniques or subject matter, or much about art at all. Come to think of it, they are pretty brave for coming to this unfamiliar territory. You are the

one who knows all of these things best. It is your home ground.

Cultivate the ability to talk conversationally about your artwork.

Practice or role play with a friend. Avoid art school jargon or other words that imply superiority. The person asking the questions wants to know or else they would not have asked! It takes bravery to ask questions of a stranger. Artists have a certain mystique to the general public and sometimes the public is intimidated by art and artists. You are the Artist (capital A) to them and they are being brave by talking to you and asking you a question! Be gentle and start a fun friendly conversation. Ask what they think or what they liked best, for example.

Being open to questions from the public invites conversation and conversation leads to getting to know each other and increases the likelihood that you will gain a supporter and/or that your art might be purchased by the person with whom you are talking. They may not buy right then, but if it was a pleasant conversation it increases the possibility that when you have another event and they might come back, or buy something later. You never know who will become your biggest collector or your best supporter. Talk to everybody. Engage in conversations with people whether they buy your artwork or not. Collect names and addresses (business cards) and make short notes about what the persons likes and dislikes are and have fun!

4. Say Thank you!

When the opening is over and people are leaving, thank as many of them as possible for coming!

If anyone purchased artwork during the opening (or after the opening) write them a thank you note. Write the gallery director (or whoever sets up the event) a thank you note because they worked hard on your behalf. If some people attended who bought your work in the past, or even if you had a particularly fun conversation with someone, send a note to say you enjoyed talking with them on a postcard that has an image of one of your artworks on it.

Success - including sales - is all about the relationships you develop. “Patrons who purchase an artist’s work are very likely to purchase again when the artist has new work. If the artist continues to acknowledge these buyers with thank you notes, invitations to openings and personal greetings at the openings, it is more likely that they will buy additional pieces” says Stephen Kovash. He is absolutely correct. Ideally the people who attend your openings eventually become friends who attend your events regularly.

Repeat attendees and continual collectors are such fun. Openings are most enjoyable when you are able to greet a number of people like family.

That is how people end up buying art, and how artists can make a living - in Oklahoma!

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by Nathan Lee I remember the first time I decided to sell my art on eBay. At the time I had no expectations and it was more for the sake of experimentation than anything else. I thought it would be interesting to see how people respond to my work. As I gained more knowledge of the entire concept of eBay sales I decided to actually put forth more effort in an attempt to sell. That effort paid off and I sold many works to different parts of the country. The feedback that I was receiving was incredible. It really boosted my confidence as an artist and it also motivated me to produce more work. Many of my clients were return customers who started collecting my work. So far I have sold work to various places in the United States as well as other countries.

EBay became a supplementary income for me. I actually know of an artist that averages nearly $10,000 per month through eBay. I couldn’t believe it but it’s true.

Is eBay right for every artist?

From everything that I just said it would be easy to assume that it is. Unfortunately that is not always the case. I think it is a perfect venue for certain artists. But I think it is a door that swings both ways. I believe there are artists that might benefit from selling art there. First, one has to understand how eBay works. Many of the buyers are looking for unusual and rare items at lower prices. Art is no exception. It is not practical to many buyers to purchase work from artists at gallery prices when they could simply buy from a particular gallery with a good reputation. People are looking for quality work without the high price tag. Indeed it is possible to obtain a high quality piece from an online auction for a good price. There is the usual schlock art but there have been works listed from reputed visual artists. The question of pricing for eBay is quite different than pricing for a gallery. Since people are looking to purchase a piece at a heavy discount, it sometimes translates into an artist having to sell his or her work at a significantly lesser cost. Materials themselves can cost a lot and selling work for a price that is lower than the cost of making the work is not practical.

If you are selling highly detailed work that take a long time to dry as well as a great amount of effort, the return might not be worth your time. If you are an artist that works prolifically and produces many high quality works daily then you may want to consider the eBay option. Also different art seems to do different numbers as far as eBay is concerned.

So what type of artwork sells?

While art preference is subjective at best, certain works sell better than others. As a whole large abstract pieces seem to sell better than smaller works. Works on canvas sell better than watercolors and pastels on paper. If you stretch your own canvas this eliminates the cost of buying pre stretched canvas. A large gallery canvas can cost more than you might get for the piece. The artist that I mentioned who makes a comfortable living as an artist has several new pieces for sell every week! I have seen canvases as large as 40x60’ go for as little as 300.00! I know many artists that would scoff at that, but when you consider the sheer volume of the work being produced, it favors the prolific artist. Imagine having ten paintings up for auction that week and each one of them going for $300.00 per piece at auction’s end! $3000.00 every week is something that most artists would jump at. This is great if you are able to produce work at that level consistently. There are not many of us that can work that quickly and that efficiently.

Ultimately, it depends on what kind of artist you are. The best thing to do is to look at the art on eBay. See if your style could be a good fit in this arena and start out slow. No matter how good your work is, if you are new then you can expect to have initially sluggish sells. Word of mouth from customers who took a chance on buying your work is the best marketing tool you can have. As with everything involving your artistic career, explore and do research before you jump head first in.

Ask a

Creativity Coach

by Romney Nesbitt Dear Romney,

Bus i ness of A r t

The eBay Alternative

I have a job I enjoy that allows me time in the evening to pursue other interests but even though creative ideas intrigue me, I rarely go into my studio to work on anything. It seems like my creativity and productivity went out the window when I graduated from college.

What’s going on?

—Need a jumpstart Dear Jumpstart, Your sagging creativity and inability to act on your creative ideas may be due to a lack of structure. You said you felt more productive and creative when you were in college. When you were in school you attended classes and completed assignments by the due dates or you didn’t pass the class. The regimen of “school” also provided the group support of peers and teacher/mentors. Without this structure in place, many artists fail to keep up their own creative work. Consider enrolling in a credit or non-credit class this fall at your local community college or university.

A class may push your “reset button” and provide the support and structure to enable you to take charge of your time and creative energies again.

About not acting on your creative impulses, in school you didn’t have the luxury of time to think too long about your ideas. If you try hard enough, you can think any idea to death.

If you only see the possible shortcomings in your idea or decide it is not artistically “important” enough or marketable enough, it won’t take you long to reject the whole thing.

All this happens in the mind. Stop the madness by creating a little self-imposed pressure to combat your artistic navel gazing. Enter some contests this year or propose a group exhibit at your alma mater. Make a commitment, get to work and give your mind a rest!

EBay is a great outlet to sell work but you have to decide if it is great for you.

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Round Up

At a Glance OVAC News

by Lori Oden

My eighth grade home economics teacher gave me a “C” in sewing. She was kind. To fail sewing, which I really should have, is a family joke now, but she saved me the humiliation then. Many years later…..my daughter hopped in the car after I picked her up from school. She hung her head and said, “Moma, I am really sorry, but I have to tell you something….I will need a costume for my first-grade program.” I answered, “Okay.” Her reply was, “I guess we will have to call Nanny.” I laughed and nodded my head. She seemed relieved. The stories could go on about me and my interactions with the needle, but this is really about the July FiberWorks exhibition at the Individual Artists of Oklahoma, sponsored by the Handweavers League of Oklahoma. It was breath-taking. Every stitch, beaded knot, photo transfer, and frayed edge was inviting and inspiring. Vivid colors, innovation and humor were intertwined throughout the exhibition. It gave a whole new meaning to the fiber arts. This is not your Moma’s 1960s (or 80s) sewing class! From across the state, the show exemplified the talent and extreme diversity of fiber art today. Many used mixed media, including sticks, photographs, paper and other materials to create their vision. Juror Mary Ruth Smith from Texas has her work cut out for her. In the end, she gave 11 awards.

Best of Show went to Stephanie Grubbs and the Juror’s Choice was given to Carla Houston.

FiberWorks is hosted every year – and you need to attend the 2007 exhibition.

Momentum Tulsa was a blast. Thanks to the amazing committee members who made it happen and co-chairs Beth Downing and Jeff Snodgrass for helping keep us going. We had artwork submitted by 103 artists—an amazing array of styles and visions! Watch for more on www.myspace.com/momentumtulsa.

Big thanks go to OVAC’s excellent summer interns! Vicki Best, a dance management major at Oklahoma City University, assisted with Artist Survival Kit planning, grant research, and many office tasks as well as participated in the inaugural year of the OKC Chamber of Commerce Great Grads interns program. Jessica Calvert, a recent graduate of the Classen School of Advanced Studies and photographer, focused on member communications, Art Focus Oklahoma and resources. Telisa Tillman, an art major at Southwestern State University, was a wiz on our communications, mailings and more. Since he couldn’t get enough in the spring, Tommy Ball, a senior at the University of Sciences and Arts, kept helping (thank goodness). We really could not keep up our programs and services without these dedicated volunteers.

We are pleased to welcome Kelsey Karper as our new Marketing and Publications Manager. Her past experience as a photographer, assistant gallery director and OVAC volunteer prepare her for the stimulating work of promoting OVAC’s many activities. We hope you all get an opportunity to meet her in the upcoming months.

Her email address is: publications@ovac-ok.org and phone is the office line: 405-232-6991.

Thank you to our New and Renewing Members from May & June 2006

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Sharon Allred Sarah Atlee Marjorie Atwood Tommy Ball Doug Bannister Duff Bassett Doug Bauer Jake Beeson Clayton I. Bennett Lauren Biddy Carissa Bish Steve Blankenship Marjorie Bontemps Clinton Bowman Granger Brown Jack and Judy Bryan Christina Busche Aaron Byard Nancy Carlson Mary Ann Ceballos Sue Clancy Sarah Clark Steve Cluck

Janice W Cobb Chris Corbett Tom and Linda Cubbage Patrick Cunningham Melissa Davis Adrienne Day Ana Maria Diaz Anke Dodson Nancy Drake Laura Durler Marvin Embree Don Emrick Joellen Frisillo Ian Gillis Kyle and Cher Golding Jaime Henderson Connie and Richard Herlihy Arthur F. Hoge Mike Hood and Liz Mortenson Carla Houston Diann Harris Howell Courtney Hunnicutt Jennifer Cocoma Hustis

Garvin Isaacs Jane J. Johnson Laurie Keeley Joseph K. Kirk & Daniel G. Hardt Amanda Knowles Carol Koss Matt Kupke Chip and Linda Land Linda Lasiter Trent Lawson Patta LT Betty Lytle Jan Maddox Phyllis Mantik Paul Mays Holly McHughes James and Ruby McNeese James G. Meeks Shawn Meyers Erich Minton Regina Murphy Joshua Ogle Christopher M. Owens

Paul Pfrehm Giang Pham Darshan Phillips Greg Poole Alice Lindsay Price Amanda Primeaux Jean Richardson Kolbe Roper Cal Sechrest Ali Seradge Jed Shaw Ann C. Sherman Tamara Sigler Mary Silverman Melton Art Reference Library Katrina Simmons A. C. Sinesio Joe Slack Vanessa Somerville Jesi Stinchcomb Clint Stone William R. Struby Michi Susan

Julia Swearingen Charles Thomas Steve Tomlin Robert D. Trawick Cindy Van Kley Kellie Vann Shirley D. Ward Alison Warren Maxine Warren Lori Weatherholtz Jack J. Wells Rachel White Romona White Candacee White George Whitlatch Jesse Whittle Carol Wilson Robert Wood Pam Woolbright Denise Wynia Zane Yost Rachel Zarrow Lea Zrenda

Exhibition Schedule

Ada

Durant

Henryetta

Janet Chaffee Through September 28 Modern Memory by illustrator John Green Through September 30 Audrey Schmitz October 6-November 9 University Gallery East Central University (580) 310-5356 ecok.edu

Lawrence Photo Alliance Opening September 19 Southeastern OK State University 1405 N. 4th PMB 4231 sosu.edu

Joseph W. Hardin Photography Exhibit Through December 31, 2006 Henryetta Historical Society 410 West Moore (918) 652-7112 territorialmuseum.org

Ardmore Charles B. Goddard Center 401 First Avenue SW (580) 226-0909 godart.org

Bartlesville Karim Rashid Through September 17 Architecture Study Center October 13 – December 31 Price Tower Arts Center 6th and Dewey (918) 336-4949 pricetower.org

Broken Bow 30 Year Retrospective: Fall Wood Exhibit September 10-October 22 Forest Heritage Center Beaver’s Bend Resort (580) 494-6497 beaversbend.com

Chickasha Kristy Lewis Andrew September 10 – October 13 Mary Ellen Thomas and Brandon Wood October 23 – November 5 University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma Gallery-Davis Hall 1806 17th Street (405) 574-1344 usao.edu/gallery/

Claremore

Durham Full Frontal Nature: Three Centuries of Landscape Art. September 6 – November 30 22 Annual Artists Roundup and Benefit Art Auction October Metcalfe Museum Rt. 1 Box 25 (580) 655-4467 metcalfemuseum.org

Edmond Grand Ole Opry Exhibit September 1 – October 10 Edmond Historical Society 431 S. Boulevard (405) 340-0078 edmondhistory.org Lisa Holman Konger September 15-29 Shadid Fine Art 19 N. Broadway (405) 341-9023 shadidfineart.com

Idabel

The Enduring Apache Through October 1 Lifewell Gallery Museum of the Red River 812 East Lincoln Road (580) 286-3616 museumoftheredriver.org

Lawton Suguru Hiraide, Brien Thompson, Diana Brown September 2- October 27 Reception, September 2, 7-9 The Leslie Powell Foundation and Gallery 620 D Avenue (580) 357-9526 lpgallery.org

Norman Beckah Krahula and Coral McCallister Through September 23

Gay Smith October 13 – November 3 Firehouse Art Center 444 South Flood (405) 329-4523 normanfirehouse.com

Galler y G u ide

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Gallery Listings

Children of the Middle Waters: Osage Art and Culture Through October 22 Scandinavian Cultural Exhibition: Sweden October 29 – November 26 Opening October 29 2-4 Jacobson House 609 Chautauqua (405) 366-1667 jacobsonhouse.com Leon Polk Smith Through September 24 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 410 W. Boyd Street (405) 325-3272 ou.edu/fjjma/ Sarah Williams & Mateo Galvano September 8 – November 18 Mainsite Contemporary Art Gallery 122 East Main (405) 292-8095 mainsite-art.com

Chambers Library Gallery University of Central Oklahoma 100 University Drive (405) 974-5931 ucok.edu

El Reno Gayle L. Curry Through September 29 Return to Route 66: Photography from the Mother Road by Shellee Graham October 9 – November 13 Redlands Community College (405) 262-2552 redlandscc.edu

Foundations Gallery-Baird Hall Rogers State University (918) 343-7740 Diana Brown, Fort Sill ETF4, Digital Art “Suguru Hiraide, Brien Thompson, Diane Brown” at The Leslie Powell Foundation & Gallery in Lawton September 2 – October 27

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Galler y G u ide

Steve Tomlin, Tulsa Full Moon Print, Acrylic 36”x36” Tulsa Artists Coalition September 7-30 Augusta Metcalfe The Fiddle Players, Ink 20.5” x 13.5” at the Metcalfe Museum, Durham

Oklahoma City City Arts Center at State Fair Park: Exhibits and live artists demonstrations September 14 – September 24 Pottery and Textiles October 12-28 Reception: 5:30-7:30 City Arts Center 3000 Pershing Blvd.

(800) 951-0000 cityartscenter.org N. Scott Momaday Paintings and Drawings September 1-October 1 Reception, September 1, 6-9 pm Dan Kiacz Serigraphs and Patrick Riley Masks October 6-29 Reception October 6, 6-9 pm JRB at the Elms 2810 North Walker (405) 528-6336 jrbartgallery.com Contemporary Art Furniture: Curated

by Larry Pickering September 8-29 Reception September 8, 6-8 Individual Artists of Oklahoma 811 N. Broadway (405) 232-6060 iaogallery.org International Photography Hall of Fame 2100 NE 52nd Street (405) 424-4055 iphf.org Traditional Cowboy Arts Association 8th Annual Exhibition September 30 – December 3 Contemporary Native American Art— Reflections After Lewis and Clark October 13 – December 17 Indian Modernism: Selections from the Silberman Collection October 21 – March 2007 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd (405) 478-2250 cowboyhalloffame.org

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Alyson Atchison Through September 10 Oklahoma Today’s 50th September 18- November 26 North Gallery Christina Pickard September 4-November 5 East Gallery Mary Spurgeon Through October 6 James Bruce October 9- December 8 Governor’s Gallery Oklahoma State Capital Galleries 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd (405) 521-2931 state.ok.us/~arts Crosswalks: Contemporary Street Photography Through October 8 Monet to De Kooning Through October 29 Masterworks in English Silver from the 17th and 18th Centuries Through September 24 2006 Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive (405) 236-3100 okcmoa.com 5 Graphic Designers and Studio Art Students Through September 15 Shawn Meyers Sculptures & Installation September 24-October 20 5 Designers Graphic and Studio Art Nona Hulsey Gallery, Norick Art Center Oklahoma City University 1600 NW 26th (405) 208-5226 okcu.edu Off the Books: A Group Exhibition September 22 – November 11 Untitled [ArtSpace] 1 NE 3rd St. (405) 815-9995 1ne3.org

University Gallery Oklahoma Christian University 2501 East Memorial Road

Park Hill 11th Annual Homecoming Show Through October 29 Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc. 21192 S. Keeler Drive (918) 456-6007 cherokeeheritage.org

Ponca City TURN: Photographic Images by Ken Crowder and Audrey Schmitz Through September 29 Artsplace Ponca City 319 East Grand Ave (580) 762-1930 artsplaceponcacity.net Here Comes the Bride-Oklahoma Style: Photographs of Oklahoma Brides 19101950 September 3-24 Fine Arts Festival September 16-17

Linda Tuma Roberston: Oil Paintings October 1-29 Ponca City Art Center 819 East Central 580-765-9746

Shawnee Kites of Kyusha: The Art of Japanese Kitemaking Through October 29 Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art 1900 West Macarthur (405) 878-5300 mgmoa.org

Stillwater Gardiner Art Gallery Oklahoma State University 108 Bartlett University (405) 744-6016 art.okstate.edu/gallery

Tonkawa Eleanor Hays Gallery Performing Arts Center Northern Oklahoma College 1220 East Grand (580) 628-6670

Tulsa Artists’ Coalition presents Steve Tomlin’s recent studio acrylic work entitled Evolving Spheres. The show will hang through September and can be seen during regular gallery hours. An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, September 7, 2006 from 6 until 9pm at TAC Gallery at 9 East Brady in the Brady Arts District. Steve has spent the past 24 months working on lively and colorful abstracts incorporating a grid format. He says, “Using the structure on the canvas has allowed me enormous freedom of color, expression and physical energy.” All pieces planned for the show were completed in 2005 and 2006. Some may be seen online at artsintulsa.com and cstomlin.com Gay Smith Petticoat Vase Ceramic Firehouse Art Center, Norman October 13-November 3

Tulsa TBA Through September 9 Apertures Student Show September 21-October 21 Apertures Gallery 1936 South Harvard (918) 742-0500 aperturesphoto.com Color Connection Gallery 2050 Utica Square (918) 742-0515 Dos Rios Pottery at Floating World Gallery 3714 S. Peoria Avenue (918) 706-1825 John James Audubon: American Artist and Naturalist September 16-January 1 American Art in Miniature October 21- November 5 Gilcrease Museum 1400 Gilcrease Road (918) 596-2700 gilcrease.org

Slow, Hard and Simple by Traci Tullins October 5-26 Reception, October 5, 5-8 Living Arts 308 Kenosha (918) 585-1234 livingarts.org Villa Philbrook Through October 8 William Bouguereau and his American Students September 17- December 31 The Philbrook Museum of Art 2727 South Rockford Road (918) 749-7941 Philbrook.org New Spheres: Paintings by Steve Tomlin September 7-30 Toys for the Melancholic by Paolo Gabrielli October 6-28 Tulsa Artists Coalition Gallery 9 East Brady (918) 592-0041 tacgallery.org

Tulsa Performing Arts Gallery 110 East 2nd Street (918) 596-7122 Tulsa Photography Collective Gallery North Hall at OSU-Tulsa 700 North Greenwood Virgil Lampton: Recent Paintings Through September 22 Mind the Gap: Modern vs.

Contemporary Art in the New Age 1910-1914 September 28-October 20 Alexandre Hogue Gallery Phillips Hall, the University of Tulsa 600 South College Ave. (918) 631-2202

Galler y G u ide

Steve Tomlin, Sugar Coated Fire, 40 x 30, acrylic

Wilburton The Gallery at Wilburton 108 W. Main St (918) 465-9669

Woodward Photography Competition Through September 23 Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum 2009 Williams Ave (580) 256-6136 pipm1.com

Waterworks Art Studio 1710 Charles Page Blvd. cityoftulsa.org/parks/Waterworks

Holliman Gallery Holland Hall 5666 East 81st Street (918) 481-1111 Gallery Hop: Group Show of Gallery Artists in conjunction with Tulsa’s 6th Annual Gallery Hop September 14 - November 4 Opening Reception Sept. 14, 5-9pm Joseph Gierek Fine Art 1512 E. 15th St (918) 592-5432 gierek.com Bion by Adam Brown September 7-28 Reception, September 7, 5-8 Best of Dead Center Film Festival September 16 Living with Art in the Garden Tour September 23-23 Alternative Outsider Art Exhibit September 30-October 1

Gayle Curry The Red Teapot Acrylic, 14” x 11” at Redlands Community College in El Reno Through September 29

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ArtOFocus kl a h o m a 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: $15 Individual Membership: $30 Family/Household Membership: $50 Patron Membership: $100 Sustaining Membership: $250

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