State of the Art: Oklahoma

When we talk about Oklahoma, we’re talking Western art big time

When we talk about Oklahoma, we’re talking Western art big time. The state is home to 23 art museums, hundreds of talented artists and dozens of galleries, and make no mistake, Western art in particular is a staple. Native American culture is also abundant across the Sooner State, making for a community that is vibrant both culturally and historically.

Take downtown Tulsa and the Tulsa Arts District, which houses one of the largest curations of Art Deco architecture in the country. Visitors can also find esteemed art institutions like the Philbrook Museum of Art, which currently has 61 works in its American art collection, recent acquisitions including 15 paintings by N.C, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth and 20th-century masterworks from the Taos Society of Artists, Santa Fe Art Colony and a diverse collection of Western art. The city is also home to the Gilcrease Museum. Currently ongoing at the museum is Enduring Spirit: Native American Art, which showcases astonishing works of art by ancient, historic and contemporary Native artists. The museum closes for a major expansion on July 4, so get in while you can. During the First Friday Art Crawl held in the Tulsa Arts District, art lovers can explore galleries, studios and museums as well as the part-time galleries in various shops opening their doors to show art. This year-round event is held on the first Friday of the month from 6 to 9 in the evening. The idyllic Philbrook Museum grounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Those venturing to Oklahoma City should check out the Paseo Arts District. Developed in 1929, the district has more than 20 galleries and more than 80 artists’ studios. Bringing to mind visions of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, it’s an intimate community of artists and creative minds, all nestled together in original stucco buildings and clay-tiled rooftops. Every Memorial Day weekend is the Paseo Arts Festival, which presents the works of nearly 100 visual artists. It goes without saying, Oklahoma’s powerhouse Prix de West show and sale happening this June at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a must-attend for the Western art lover. Artists featured at this year’s show include Eric Bowman, Dean Mitchell, Andrew Peters, Oreland Joe, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Carrie Ballantyne and many others.

Also found throughout the Sooner State is the Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve in Bartlesville; artist Shirley Quaid, who works out of Wynnewood; Tulsa-based artist Mikel Donahue; and sculptor Pamela Winters.

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Shirley Quaid, Hiram and Henry, oil, 24 x 18”

Shirley Quaid
32241 E. County Road 1660, Wynnewood, OK 73098,
(405) 788-5062, shirleyquaid@shirleyquaid.com, www.shirleyquaid.com
A child of Oklahoma, Shirley Quaid has lived in numerous states as an adult, but the trail always led back to home, Oklahoma. Her early upbringing on her grandfather’s farm in her formative years had a great influence on her work which began after her children were raised. Her childhood fascination with all things in the 1880s fueled her eventual concentration on Western art in oils. She says, “Who knew that all of those Saturday black-and-white cowboy movies would have such an effect on my life?”Shirley Quaid, The Watchman, oil, 20 x 16”

She believes that the pioneers provided the building blocks of our national character and that Western art has a part in preserving these important days of our national history, the good and the bad. Quaid enjoys imagining and writing stories to go with each painting but hopes the viewers will write their own stories. She loves to hear how others interpret her art.

During the isolation of the pandemic, she has been exploring the 12-by-24-inch format with a concentration on light and shadow on the figure. “Most days you will find me in my studio west of Wynnewood happily mixing oils, painting, scraping revealing layers and bringing my visions to life on canvas and panels,” she says. Shirley Quaid, Been Waitin’, oil, 24 x 12”

Quaid’s art can be found in the Our Town juried exhibition at the Dana Gallery in Missoula, Montana, through the end of June, and in the Mountain View Americana Art Show in Easley, South Carolina, from June 10 to 12. Her work is in collections internationally and throughout the United States.

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Mikel Donahue, Ride the High Lonesome, acrylic on board, 20 x 28"

Mikel Donahue
boots@valornet.com, www.mikeldonahue.com
A multiple award-winning member of the Cowboy Artists of America, artist Mikel Donahue is best known for his impeccable depictions of cowboy life. His drawings and paintings portray ranchers and their livestock during the day-to-day ritual of sun-up to sun-down work on the ranch. What may seem like mundane chores are captured and translated through his artistic style into moments of meaning and reflection.Mikel Donahue, Coming or Going?, acrylic on board, 20 x 28"

While Donahue, born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was taught about life on the ranch by his paternal grandfather, it was Donahue’s maternal grandfather who exposed him to Western art at an early age with memorable trips to Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum and what was then the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Inspired by the likes of Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington, Donahue has become a perfect amalgam of his influences with a life breeding racing quarter horses with his wife Christie and a successful art career. In May of 2017, Donahue was inducted in as a member of the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame, an honor that includes musicians Leon Russell and David Gates, as well as designers Paul Davis and Joe Johnston, among other national and world-renowned figures.A look into Mikel Donahue’s studio space.

Donahue’s work has been shown in such noteworthy exhibitions as the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Night of Artists and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Prix de West, among many others. He is also a Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists. Upcoming major exhibitions for the artist include Quest for the West at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art from September 10 to 11, Cowboy Artists of America Annual Sale & Exhibition on November 5 to 7, and The Great American West 50th Anniversary running November 20 to December 4 at Settlers West Galleries.

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Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, Spiral of Time, oil, 32 x 40", by Josh Elliot.

Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve
1925 Woolaroc Ranch Road, Bartlesville, OK 74003,
(918) 336-0307, www.woolaroc.org
Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve announces its upcoming art exhibition, The Woolaroc Retrospective Exhibit and Sale, opening October 15 and continuing through December 31. This year’s show will feature Bill Acheff, Scott Christensen, Josh Elliott, Sherrie McGraw, Paul Moore, John Moyers, Peregrine O’Gormley, Grant Redden and Matt Smith, all of whom are nationally recognized for their work. During opening weekend, Woolaroc will host a variety of events including an artist and patron dinner, and lecture presentations. The show will feature a number of paintings and sculptures on loan from various collectors around the country, as well as new works created specifically for the exhibition that will be available to buyers and sold at the sale on Saturday, October 16. Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, Killing Time, oil, 28 x 46", by John Moyers.

The Woolaroc Retrospective Exhibit and Sale, which the museum hosts semi-annually, is the biggest event held at Woolaroc. Other major events include the annual Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion, held each September, and Wonderland of Lights, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Pamela Winters, PESTERED, bronze, 9 x 19 x 10"

Pamela Winters
www.winterssculptures.com
Born at the south end of the Adirondack Mountains, Pamela Winters has always had a passion for life—animals and people. “I pour my love of God’s creations—anatomical design, hair and feather patterns—into each one of my bronze sculptures to tell their story and capture a moment in time,” Winters says. Her ability to render detail and emotion into her work has drawn collectors nationwide. Being able to translate the stories and beauty of the world into inspiring and lasting works is a joy for her. “Your bronze purchase is not only an investment, but a legacy,” the artist says of purchasing one of her works. “The lasting beauty of bronze sculpture allows you to bring the natural world into your home in a tangible way.”—