Anne Spoon, portrait of Okmulgee : one year - one hundred portraits : East Gallery, September 9-November 10, 2013.

              Anne Spoon East Gallery - September 9 - November 10, 2013
file:///P|/PDFs%2082/Anne%20Spoon%20East%20Gallery%20-%20September%209%20-%20November%2010,%202013.htm[1/13/2014 12:43:54 PM]
Anne Spoon
Portriat of Okmulgee 115 by Anne Spoon
Portriat of Okmulgee 108 by Anne Spoon
Anne Spoon
Portrait of Okmulgee:
One Year - One Hundred Portraits
East Gallery - September 9 - November 10, 2013
A portrait can evoke emotion, a memory of a loved one, our
children's smile, freezing forever a moment in time.
In 2011, oil painter Anne Spoon set out on a community art
project that focused on the residents of her community.
Over the course of one year, she painted 100 portraits in a
studio space in the historic downtown district of Okmulgee.
Open to the public, volunteers signed up to sit for four
hours while Spoon painted their portrait. She kept the door
open and encouraged those passing by to come in and
watch the sessions. And, while the neighbors sat for their
portraits, Spoon listened to their stories.
"I wanted the project to
feature a cross section of the community, all walks of
life, income, and heritage," says the artist. "My hope
was that viewers would find a common thread among
all people - joy, hope, sorrow, despair, and pride, it all
shows in a face no matter where you are from or your
station in life."
Spoon says that through the project, she wanted to
bring art to her community. "And I did," she says, "but
what my community brought to me as I visited with
each person I painted was even greater - a sense of
pride in the place I call home and the understanding of
the courage and faith it takes each and every day to
be human. I thank them for this."
"I prefer to paint directly from life," Spoon says of her
process. "I believe the interaction between the sitter
and the artist is essential in the outcome of the
portrait. Even with small children who can't sit for
extended amounts of time, I will do color studies of
their skin color and hair color while they are free to
move around. If I am unable to finish a portrait in the
allotted sitting time, I will then use photographs to
complete the portrait."
Spoon was born in
the Bronx, New
York, and grew up
in upstate New
York. She is a first-generation American as her parents
immigrated to the United States from Ireland in the
early 1960s. She attended the School of Visual Arts in
Capitol Exhibitions
The Capitol is home to four art
galleries, exhibiting works of
current and past Oklahoma
artists.
East Gallery
North Gallery
Governor's Gallery
Betty Price Gallery
About the East Gallery
Located on the first floor of the
Capitol, the East Gallery
features paintings and mixed
media works by current
Oklahoma artists. Exhibits rotate
approximately every 60 days.
Hours:
Weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Weekends 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (use
west entrance)
The North Gallery is curated by
the Oklahoma Arts Council. For
more information contact our
Curator of Education and Capitol
Galleries.
Past East Gallery Exhibitions
Selection of Artists for
Exhibition
Upcoming East Gallery
Exhibits
Bert Seabourn (Oklahoma
City)
July 1 - September 1, 2013
Anne Spoon (Okmulgee)
September 9 - November
10, 2013
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