Governor's Gallery
Down the Alley
The Artists of Mangum’s Artists Alley
December 22, 2008 thru February 22, 2009
In 2007, a group of artists petitioned the City of Mangum and were successful in changing the name of West Court Street, located just to the west side of the town square in their historic downtown, to Artists Alley. These artists worked successfully as a loose consortium and in conjunction with the area art club, Art on the Square Association, began to develop plans to add more arts and culture to their community. This exhibit presents works by the artists who started the studios and galleries that make up Artists Alley and who have brought regional and state recognition to Mangum and Greer County.
Pleasant Nest Pottery, a studio, instructional space and gallery, features Norma Williams’ raku and high-fire stoneware. Her fascination with clay began over 20 years ago and her experiences and experimentation with low-fired, unglazed art pottery has drawn her closer to the natural elements of the clay and fire. “For me, this unglazed pottery reflects life. It begins with natural elements. It is formed to a code of perfection - smooth, simple and untarnished. It is only through the thermal shocks, smoke and chemical reactions of heat and fire that character is developed. These forces, analogous to the stresses in our own lives, marks the art with unique patterns, color and design,” explained Williams.
Denise Alexander’s Darka Designs is an art gallery that exhibits her own mosaic work, as well as the works of local artists and those as far away as Boise City. Alexander says she likes clay because it can be worked by hand, thrown on a wheel, burnished, stained or glazed. “Whatever type of clay is used, the pottery that emerges has unique characteristics and can be as delicate as a porcelain cup or strong as a terra cotta planter. Pottery reminds me of life … in that it can sometimes be ordinary, sometimes magnificent, and sometimes grotesque,” said Alexander.
Laurie Thompson focuses on animals and unique wildlife pieces of various media in the Rockin’ T Studio. She says she is very dedicated to recreating animals realistically and spends many hours in the field taking photos. Exploring new methods of creating art, Laurie began using old bones as canvas for pen & ink drawings. “It has become a challenge to find the right bone to display the work in a truly unique way. Each piece is a one of a kind. Each subject determines which media would be best. Pastels allow for detail in the facial expression and give a soft feeling in the fur-bearing animals. Capturing the eye is very important.”
At Kate Johnson’s OK Cowboy Art, her pen & ink and pencil art reflects the traditional and vanishing ways of cowboy life in southwest Oklahoma. “I am passionate about preserving and recording the ranching lifestyle still seen in every corner of Greer County and southwestern Oklahoma and west Texas,” said Johnson. “My art is what it is: a true and accurate representation of people I have come to know and admire, people who believe that with a little hard work and a lot of faith, they can make things better for their families and communities. I am honored to be able to use them in my art.”
Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Amber Sharples at 405.521.2931 or amber.sharples@arts.ok.gov.
The Governor's Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the State Capitol outside the Blue Room and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30-5:00.
Past Governor's Gallery Exhibits