Best of Trompe L'Oeil Award - International Guild of Realism

Congratulations to Lovetts Gallery artist and collector favorite K. Henderson for receiving the Best of Trompe L'Oeil award at the prestigious annual International Guild of Realism Show.  With hundreds of submitting artists, only 70 were juried into this year's show.  See the winning piece, Key to My Heart, to the right.  This piece combines two elements that many of our collectors are very familiar with: the Americana Western toys/paper dolls and the cellophaned candy.  A sweet combination!

In addition to this great win for K. Henderson, Lovetts Gallery is pleased to represent contemporary realist Camille Engel and realist wildlife artist Rebecca Latham, who were also juried into this annual international exhibition.

  
 
  
On a side note, both K. Henderson and Camille Engel are originally from Oklahoma...so in a way, we can claim them as Oklahoma artists!

K. Henderson - Still Life Finalist for ARC Salon, 2011

Congratulations to Lovetts Gallery artist K. Henderson on having her painting, Strawberry Reflections, chosen as a finalist in the very presitgious international Art Renewal Center Salon, 2011.   This piece is available at the gallery.

 
A note from ARC Salon Chairman Fred Ross:

This year's ARC Salon Competition continues to demonstrate the boundless potential of the human spirit and of the Realist paradigm's vocabulary to express the infinite creative spirit of the human soul. Please encourage every fine artist that you know to enter next year's ARC Salon™. We know that there are a number of top quality artists, including several ARC Approved Living Master's, whose lives, careers and commissions are doing so well that they did not have time to enter the salon. This is a mistake. Traditional Realism needs to always have the best of the best competing if we are to once again see Traditional Realism reach the heights achieved in the past. It takes the pressure of the most skilled, the most talented and the most creative minds competing for the top prizes, to achieve the kind of advancements that only can come from continuous feedback and cross pollination of skills, methods and brilliant ideas.

K. Henderson, a contemporary realist, is represented in Oklahoma exclusively by Lovetts Gallery, which is a Tulsa Art Gallery that represents over 90 artists from across the nation.

 

"Wars and Rumors of Wars" at Philbrook Museum

Check out this great intro to one of Philbrook Museum's newest exhibits, "Wars and Rumors of Wars," curated by the brililant Christina Burke, Curator of Native American and Non-Western Art.  The exhibit runs through October 9th.

Wars and Rumors of Wars @Philbrook from Philbrook Museum on Vimeo.

Through October, 9 2011

"For many Native people, combat was not only a way to defend one’s family and territory it also served as a way to gain status within the community. Warfare was not undertaken lightly; councils were held to discuss the matter, men fought bravely in battle, and relatives celebrated their victories upon their return. This exhibition features scenes of various phases of warfare, from initial community discussions, to intense combat, and commemorations of battles fought and won."

Native American Art’s Disputed Boundaries - Responses to Respsonses to Respsonses

If you haven't already, check out this on-going digital dialogue (if you want to call it that) at Hyperallergic.com.  The title of the article is "Native American Art’s Disputed Boundaries" and it is duscussing a recent exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, a critic named Ken Johnson’s NY Times published take on the exhibit, a Native artist and blogger named America Meredith's response to that critique, and so on.  It makes for an interesting read and a great companion piece to our previous post, "Smiling Indians, Edward Curtis, NPR, & National Museum of the American Indian."

Smiling Indians, Edward Curtis, NPR, & National Museum of the American Indian

As I was stuck in traffic this morning, on my way to the gallery and not at all frustrated with my choice to take I-44, I caught a reference, on NPR, to a recent Sterlin Harjo & Ryan Red Corn film project called "Smiling Indians."  Once I finally made it in, I looked the story up on the NPR website, as well as located the video on YouTube.  Like most things posted on the internet that could in anyway incite disproportionate ranting and negativity, "Smiling Indians" immediately received it's fair share, with far too many people claiming this and defending that, and so on...so I am reposting the video here so that you don't have to expend the additional energy ignoring the growing percentage of the populace with simply too much time on their hands and copious access to Wi-Fi.  However, if you would like to hear the full interview click here: full interview with Ryan Red Corn on NPR. 

 

For a little precursor, if you were not prepared by the film's title, "Smiling Indians" is, in part, a response to the stereotypical sad, somber, or stoic faced Indians, as seen in the prolific photography of Edward S. Curtis.  These photographs have made it into just about every Native American reference (including most school history books), and have become an indoctrinated part of our cultural fabric, for better or worse.  Regardless of your drama predelection, this film is certainly worth of a viewing.  BE WARNED...YOU WILL SMILE! 

While wading through the waves of annonymous negative posting from the above, I also stumbled  onto a mid-career survey for one of the world's most respected glass sculptors, Preston Singletary, who also happens to be Native.  Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows, a mid-career survey of the artist’s work organized by the Museum of Glass, opened at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City over the weekend. It will remain on view through September 5, 2011 before it will travel to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmussen Center early in 2012. According to ArtDaily.org, "Echoes, Fire, and Shadows, which contains 54 works from the artist’s own collection as well as objects borrowed from major museum and private collections across the United States , illustrates Singletary’s artistic evolution over the past two decades. Included are icons of Singletary’s oeuvre and examples of his significant collaborative experiences, as well as many rare works—some which have never before been exhibited—and prototypes and new works designed specifically for this exhibition. The atmosphere of the exhibition is enhanced by original music and video, signaling a new artistic direction for Singletary.

Oklahoma Friendly, Realism, and K. Henderson

Congratulations to Lovetts Gallery artist K. Henderson for receiving the Oklahoma Friendly, 2011, Juror's Select Award, with this piece: "Marshal" - Oil on Canvas, 16" x 20"

Oklahoma Friendly, 2011 (IAO in Oklahoma City) presents 160 pieces of art by over 150 artists from Rhode Island to Alaska and from Wisconsin to Texas. The pieces were chosen from over 780 submissions.  The art in the show comes from a variety of media and styles. The works have been divided into five categories that reflect the Oklahoma Friendly theme: Friendly Faces (figures), Tornado Alley (abstracts), Big Sky (landscapes), Wild Frontier (architecture), and Landmarks (sculpture).

Born and raised in Oklahoma, K. Henderson now calls rural New Mexico home. Both locations have provided her with inspiration for her contemporary western themed paintings. Her work has been in seven solo museum and gallery shows and numerous group exhibitions including Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian, Salon International, Western Spirit Art Show & Sale, Cowgirl Up! Show and Sale, C.M. Russell Museum Benefit Auction, Pastel Society of the Southwest, Pastel Society of America, Mt. Oyster Club, American Academy of Equine Art , Museum of the Cherokee, the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, The Bosque Conservatory, Oil Painters of America National and Regional, and National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society and so on. She has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine and Oklahoma Today. Her work has been in several books including "The American Indians: An Illustrated History" - Turner Publishing , "The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters" - Dr. Patrick Lester, SIR Publications, "Talking Leaves" - Eric Veitch, Verner Bendtsen, "Cherokee Art: Historical Precedents", University of Georgia Press.

Driven by a need for excellence K. Henderson systematically studied painting, first in Tulsa and   later in San Jose, California. Taken by the realism of the renaissance painters, her work became tighter and began to win awards. Working successfully with oil, pencil and pastel she is now focused on oils. Her careful study of past masters blended with the culture of home; New Mexico & Oklahoma, are expressed in her detailed representational work. Since 1980 judges have awarded more than 100 Best of Show or First Place awards for K. Henderson paintings, including seven awards at the prestigious Red Earth show. She was recently awarded Best of Show at the Grand National Rodeo, Celebration of Western Art (San Francisco, California). K. is also an award winning costume designer. Her creations can be seen in her paintings.

The Good, the Bad, and the Winners...a week in review

Through today's blog we'll be looking back over the most recent gallery event, the 5th annual Cherokee Art Market, and a few artists, in particular, who were award winners.

Let us begin with Santa Fe Comes to Tulsa, an event held at Lovetts Gallery on Friday, October 8th,  featuring three nationally acclaimed artists working in diverse media: Jody Naranjo (potter/sculptor), Kevin Pourier (buffalo horn carver), and Stephen Wood (painter/potter). 

From 11:00, lets be honest, none of the artists showed up until noon, until 5:00pm, the public was able to watch as each of these artists created work in their own medium.  Jody Naranjo was forming some acquatic inspired sculpture, four unique pieces to be exact, that were to eventually be used in the painting (or I should say on the painting) being created by Stephen Wood.  Stephen, at a snails pace, drew an initial concept for the collaborative work, then proceeded to add the color, layers, and depth.  While these two were invested in their collaborative work, Kevin Pourier was left to continue carving on a few designs that he had previously begun. 

Through out the day collectors, artists, students, and the general public wondered in and had the unique opportunity to, not only watch these artists work, but to hear them interact with each other.  There will be video of this event up shortly...we will first have to edit some colorful narrative provided by Mr. Wood.  Lastly, just a few hours ago, Stephen Wood brought back the finished collaborative piece that he and Jody Naranjo were working on in the gallery.  It is AWESOME...and completely unexpected...a must see!

Santa Fe Comes to Tulsa was a great lead-in to that weekend's event, the 5th annual Cherokee Art Market.  Many of you have heard of or attended this event, held each October at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Catoosa, OK.  Here is an exerpt from their website, if you are unfamiliar with this event:

Regarded as Oklahoma’s premier Native American art event, the annual Cherokee Art Market features the most elite Native American artists showcasing traditional and contemporary pieces of work....Attracting art collectors from around the world, the Cherokee Art Market boasts a $75,000 purse for competing artists.  

Here a few of the winners...you may notice that these names sound oddly familiar! 

• 3rd Place - Jane Osti, Division A Sculpture
• Best of Division - Martha Berry, Beadwork
• 3rd Place - Kelly Church, Basketry- Traditional
• 2nd Place - Shan Goshorn, Basketry - Contemporary
• Best of Class - Jody Naranjo, Pottery
• Best of Division - Jody Naranjo, Pottery - Contemporary
• 2nd Place - Kevin Pourier, Jewelry - Contemporary
• 3rd Place - Kevin Pourier, Diverse Art Forms

 

In addition to these artists' market accolades, Shan Goshorn was pleased to be notified that the prestigious Gilcrease Museum has purchased her basket, "Sealed Faith: Treaty of the New Echota Protest Basket" into their collection!  Congratulations, Shan!

Lastly, and a bit of a side note of interest, we know that many of you who travel to Santa Fe are already familiar with the entirely unique and, at times, controversial work of buffalo horn carver
Kevin Pourier.  Lovetts had been looking for an opportunity for the last three years or so to get Kevin, who is an Ogalala Lakota living on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, into the gallery for something...anything.  As you can   imagine, the time, travel, and cost to get Kevin here is   significant and therefore the apprehension was high.  However, Kevin came, was graciously received, and sold very well at the Santa Fe Comes to Tulsa event.

We thank you for visiting the gallery, supporting our artists, and allowing us to do what we love!

Lovetts Gallery Artists in Society of Animal Artists 50th Anniversary Show.

The Society of Animal Artists is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exhibition that opens September 4th and runs through October 31st at the San Diego Natural History Museum.  Lovetts Gallery loaned Robert Caldwell’s “At Rest” (from a private collection) to the show.  In addition, five other Lovetts Gallery artists were asked to contribute pieces to the exhibition: Julie Bender, Linda Besse, Rebecca Latham, Diana Reuter-Twining, and Paul Rhymer.

In its promotion of the event, Southwest Art Magazine featured Julie Benders pyrography closeup of an elephant called "Out of Nowhere".

Congratulations to each and every one of these talented artists!!!

2 Artists, 5 Awards!!!

Lovetts Gallery is pleased to announce that Helen Crispino and Todd Ford have been honored with a total of 5 awards at recent exhibitions.

At the Art Renewal Center's International Salon, Helen won First Place in the Animal Category for "Dulary" (see below) and Honorable Mention for "Real Friends".

Helen is back in the studio working on a piece exclusively for Lovetts Gallery.  To see some of her work, click on the following link: Helen Crispino at Lovetts Gallery

At the 45th Annual NCTC Art Exhbit, Todd won 1st Place in the Painting division as well as Best of Show.

Todd also won an award sponsored by a local bank.  To see more of his work, click on the following link: Todd Ford at Lovetts Gallery   New works by Todd are arriving soon.

CONGRATULATIONS to both these fine artists!!!

Congratulations to Rock Newcomb: BEST OF SHOW & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Congratulations to Rock Newcomb for winning BEST OF SHOW, for his overall body of work at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s "Night of Artists".  This was Rock’s first time to participate in the gala event that spanned two days in San Antonio, Texas and included a reception, art exhibition, fixed price sale, and awards banquet. 

 
  
You may have recently seen Rock’s work at the 2010 Nature Works Art Show and Sale held at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center where he won an AWARD OF EXCELLENCE.

You can see Rock’s work at http://www.lovettsgallery.com/browse/detail.asp?id=42

Lovetts Gallery, the exclusive Oklahoma dealer for Rock Newcomb’s work, has five of his new pieces.