Idabel, OK (January 30, 2018)—Created in 2001, this traveling exhibit invites artists from Oklahoma and the surrounding states to submit original works to competition. A judge selects the finalists—which are displayed in the show—and awards cash prizes. The exhibit travels from the Nesbitt Gallery in Chickasha, to the Goddard Art Center in Ardmore. The show’s final stop is at the Museum of the Red River and concludes with an Artists’ Reception on March 25.
This year’s exhibit features 44 paintings, sculptures, prints and other works of art from 23 different artists. First place was awarded to William Stoehr for his acrylic-on-canvas portrait Thea 4. Mayumi Makino Kiefer’s stoneware piece Three Soldiers Repurposed received second place. Third place went to Dan R. Hammett, for his stoneware Blue Green Overhead Handle Tripodal Flagon. More information about the exhibit is available at www.museumoftheredriver.org/seven-states-biennial.
This year’s judge was William Cannings, Associate Professor of Art at Texas Tech University. His own work centers on the effects of compressed air on metal. According to the Anya Tish Gallery in Houston, his sculptures “appear as if they were sensually carved, exhibiting properties that seemingly contradict the physical properties of the materials used for composition.” Cannings frequently exhibits his art in New York, Miami, New Mexico and Texas. A review of his work can be found in ART LIES, an international arts journal.
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