Alexandre Ho gue AT 125

Artist Alexandre Hogue, former head of TU’s Department of Art and namesake of the Alexandre Hogue Gallery in Phillips Hall, would have appreciated The University of Tulsa School of Art, Design and Art History’s celebration of his 125th birthday.

Hogue 125 Inspired: Oklahoma Landscapes demonstrated Alexandre Hogue’s legacy and continued impact on the art world. Influenced by his reverence for nature, OklahomaLandscapes presented the work of 25 contemporary artists who approached the idea of landscape—whether physical, political, or social—in different media and styles.

Prior to the celebration, Hogue’s daughter, Olivia Hogue Mariño, who served as TU’s J. Donald Feagin Distinguished Artist, gave a lecture, reflecting on her father’s legacy. More than 200 people filled the lecture hall and two overflow galleries for her talk.

Alexandre Hogue (1898-1994) was a talented artist, teacher, and scholar best known for his deeply moving landscape paintings that portrayed the devastation of the Dust Bowl. He shared his remarkable talent and knowledge with students at various institutions through the years before accepting the position as chair of TU’s Art Department in 1945.

During his 23-year tenure at TU, Hogue continued his artistic work teaching drawing, painting and lithography and earning the admiration of generations of students due, in part, to his unique ability to mentor them into successful careers through his dedicated feedback and firm guidelines. For example, he banned masking tape in a time of straight edge painting, instead opting to encourage his students to train their hands and eyes with a free brush. His advice on color theory and composition also was preserved in letters in McFarlin Library’s Special Collections.

“He relished teaching and thrilled to the accomplishments of his students,” Mariño said. Following his 1968 retirement from TU, the university established the Alexandre Hogue Gallery as a testament to his contributions to the art program.

Nineteen students, including undergraduate students in art, art history, and arts, culture and entertainment management, as well as graduate students in museum science and management, dedicated their time to organizing, creating, planning and promoting two exhibitions commemorating the artist Hogue 125:

Original and Inspired

Led by Samuel Krall, an applied assistant professor, and Kirsten Olds, interim dean of the Kendall College of Arts & Sciences, the students formed teams that focused on various aspects of the exhibition, such as programming, promotion, registration, and interpretation.

“Not much has been written on Hogue’s later works,” said graduate student Bea Carrington, whose focus was promotions for Hogue 125 Inspired. “Getting to add to the literary discourse as a writer and an artist is something I’ll take with me after my time at TU.”

In recognition of Hogue’s impact as a professor, a former student has anonymously established the Alexandre Hogue Endowed Scholarship in Art. This fund provides financial support for an undergraduate student enrolled in any major in the School of Art, Design, and Art History.

“From loaning works and funding the catalog to creating an endowment in Mr. Hogue’s name for student scholarships, the community support for the students’ efforts has been tremendous,” said Olds. “We’re so honored that this celebratory year has allowed us to connect current students with alumni to show the continuity of the TU student experience.”

May 30 — June 4, 2023

6 days. 26 speakers. 14 bands.

Speakers

PEN America

FIRE Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

Rebecca Makkai

Art Spiegelman

Alex Marzano-Lesnevich

The New York Times

Ilya Kaminsky

Maia Kobabe

Katy Farris

Poetic Justice: Lisa Loftus and Ellen

Stackable

Reginald Dwayne Betts

Natasha Trethewey

Cass Sunstein

Margo Price

Greil Marcus

Jessica Hopper

Stevan Weine and Holly George-Warren

Happy Traum

World of Bob Dylan

Valeria Luiselli

Bands

Willi Carlisle

Jaimee Harris

Pilgrim

Steph Simon

Saugeye

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley

Rodney Crowell

Jacob Tovar

John Fulbright

Seth Lee Jones

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams

Robbie Fulks

Paul Benjamin Band

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Switchyard is a national festival of literature, music and ideas organized by The University of Tulsa. Running across six days, it will feature a dozen keynote events with some of the nation’s most creative thinkers and performances by more than 30 local and national performance artists—all based in the heart of Downtown Tulsa. www.switchyardtulsa.com