Published: November 17, 2008 11:15 pm            

Student artists go from mountain to museum

Edmond students’ artwork to be shown at Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Artwork by three Edmond high school students will be on display at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art as part of the Oklahoma Arts Institute’s “Tour de Quartz” exhibition.

Paintings by Amy Erickson, Raymond Griffith and Joshua Davis will be displayed along with artwork by 33 other Oklahoma high school students. The exhibition features paintings and photographs produced during the Summer Arts Institute, a prestigious two-week academy held at Quartz Mountain in June. The exhibit runs from Nov. 20 through Jan 4.

“It’s an honor beyond honors to have my work be in the Tour de Quartz,” said Amy Erickson, a 2008 OSAI painting student from Edmond. Erickson is a junior at Edmond Memorial High School.

Tour de Quartz features a wide variety of paintings and photographs created by Oklahoma’s most talented students. The paintings, rendered in acrylic, feature diverse subjects — everything from traditional landscapes to fantastical self-portraits and cubist-style work. The black and white and color photographs also feature a wide variety of subject matter, with an emphasis on the people and scenery of southwest Oklahoma.

The student artists featured in Tour de Quartz come from rural and urban areas across the state. The students were chosen by competitive statewide auditions to attend the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute and study with nationally renowned artists. Drawing and painting students studied with Isak Applin, an art professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the photography class was led by photography legend Huntington Witherill of Monterey, Calif.

“The Tour de Quartz provides a focus to a wonderful family outing during the holidays,” said Julie Cohen, Oklahoma Arts Institute president. “It’s inspiring for children to see artwork by high school students at a museum, and adults will be surprised at the high level of artistic achievement.”

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is open Tuesday-Sunday. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and free for children five and under. Hours and other museum information are available at 236-3100. For more information about the Oklahoma Arts Institute or the Tour de Quartz, visit www.oaiquartz.org or call 321-9000.

After the exhibition at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Tour de Quartz will be displayed at the Oklahoma state capitol complex. The Tour has already been displayed at the Lachenmeyer Art Center in Cushing and the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa.

The Oklahoma Arts Institute is a private, non-profit organization developed in 1977, with a vision to cultivate established and emerging artists and educators through art workshops, immersion and awareness. OAI administers a fine arts program for talented Oklahoma youth and a series of continuing education workshops for adults.

        

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