THE OKLAHOMA PASTEL SOCIETY // PASEO PHOTOFEST
OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 30, 2021
Gallery I • The Oklahoma Pastel Society
Gallery II • Paseo Photofest, juried by M.J. Alexander
For information about purchasing or to schedule a private showing, please call 405-525-2688 or email theresa@thepaseo.org
• GALLERY I •
THE OKLAHOMA PASTEL SOCIETY
The Oklahoma Pastel Society (OPS) was founded in 2003 by a group of pastel artists from the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Originally called the Central Oklahoma Organization of Pastelists (COOP), the group was created to offer a venue for shows and workshops for local pastel artists. The group very quickly realized that the state of Oklahoma had many excellent pastelists who were hungry for venues dedicated to pastel art. The name of the group was therefore changed to the Oklahoma Pastel Society and was opened to artists from all over the state. OPS has grown from a handful of local artists to over 55 members from all over Oklahoma and currently boasts members from Colorado, Texas, Arizona and Arkansas as well.
Organized for the benefit of providing members with educational opportunities, OPS offers shows, workshops and demonstrations. Member artists enjoy getting their hands dirty while drawing and spend a good amount of time working to improve. Since its beginning, OPS has had many successful shows and many award-winning artists.
• GALLERY II •
PASEO PHOTOFEST
On exhibit September 3 through October 30
Paseo Photofest has been extended through end of October!
Through this juried photography exhibition, the PAA strives to represent and spotlight the talent and diversity of Oklahoma photographers. Represented in this show are 53 artists from all over the state with work ranging from traditional film photography to digital composites.
This year’s juror is M.J. Alexander. M.J. Alexander works at the intersection of the lyrical arts, reportage, poetry and imagery, exploring the people and places of the Great Plains. Her work has been published by The New York Times and Time magazine and featured in more than two dozen solo exhibitions, including a 2018 European debut at London’s Crypt Gallery.
A 2019 inductee into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, she is author and illustrator of two fine-art books: Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma’s Elders, and Portrait of a Generation: Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth, winner of the Oklahoma Book Award. In 2021, her words and imagery have been featured in the world premiere oratorio Of Perpetual Solace, presented at Civic Center Music Hall by Canterbury Voices and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic; selected for the opening exhibit Shadow on the Glare at Oklahoma Contemporary; and installed in public art projects in eight Oklahoma City parks. Her photographs are on permanent display in The Light Gallery of Oklahoma City’s Underground, The Heritage Trust Collection, and The Cherokee Nation, and are part of the Oklahoma State Art Collection.
The International Photography Hall of Fame describes her as “combining the vision of an artist with the skills of a storyteller.”
