OSU Exhibition History: 1995-1999, Samantha Holguin

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Samantha Holguin. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was initially struggling to draw together any conclusions at all between the shows exhibited at OSU in the late 1990s, as many seemed unrelated. One of the first consistencies that became apparent was the common goal that was shared in the student shows as well as the visiting artists. In the year I researched, 1997, there were two major visiting shows, from artists outside of the country. What was interesting was these happened in such a way that they were spread across the school year after long periods of smaller shows from local artists or students and faculty. This actually was quite a clever move because it kept the shows that cycled diverse and allowed for a wide variety of mediums and themes to circulate, keeping the exhibitions interesting to the public.

Many of the organizers were OSU faculty and staff, since a vast majority of these shows were held in the Gardiner Art Gallery, in the art department. On occasion, such as with visiting artists, the shows had been organized by groups like the Tibetan artists, or even a group of potters from Mexico. There were also some shows sponsored by other OSU organizations, such as a show held by Japanese students that served as a fundraiser, or a Native American art show that also served as a way for the artists to make some money. This was quite nice to see, much like the shows themselves, there was a good balance of strictly OSU shows and other exhibits from outside groups, which kept the rotation interesting.

Based on the articles that were published in the O’Colly, the news outlet was strictly reporting on facts. This was perhaps a way to prevent there being any kind of bias over the art show and another subject or organization. In a sense, it made for an even playing ground. One good example of this was even in the Kobe Earthquake fundraiser exhibition, the O’Colly was strictly reporting on the food provided, what was on display, and how refunds would be issued. Rather than emphasis the negative feelings that may have come from there being long lines, they instead made sure to state that there was going to be refunds and even added an apology from the organizer. This also shows that the O’Colly did a good job of interviewing the show’s organizers and other people involved, as some of the student shows included interviews from the students themselves as well as some of the faculty who arranged for the exhibitions.

Damage caused by the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Image source: Britannica.

The first show that I would like to detail was from 1995: the fundraiser exhibition put up by Japanese students at OSU to raise money for Kobe earthquake relief. The 6.9-magnitude earthquake happened on January 17, 1995 in Kobe, Japan. The resulting damage was extensive, and the area along the Osaka Bay received the worst damage. It was also reported that some 140 fires were started because of the event, and infrastructure was totally devastated. This show was a break away from the student and faculty shows during this time, and in fact was a way for students to have a taste of Japanese culture, quite literally. According to the original O’Colly article, students who attended not only had the chance to look at art, but also taste Japanese food and even receive nametags with their names written in Japanese. The exhibition seems to have received some mixed reviews from the student body who attended, as there was a long line to wait in, and during February this would understandably be frustrating for some. However, it seems that there was a push to bring attention to the fun and interactive show and to support a greater cause. The Japanese students who organized this show worked hard to immerse visitors into their own culture and make a memorable experience for everyone who attended, all for a good cause.

Example of Mata Ortiz pottery by Juan Quezeda. Image source: CulturalArt.org.

The next show that I was intrigued by was the Mexican Pottery exhibition. This was one of many shows that my group found that was put on by travelling artists from beyond OSU. There was a group of 300 potters from Mata Ortiz, a town of about 2,000, who created pottery as a way to support the traditionally agricultural community. The pottery was a way for the families of the area to make extra money, and a group of 6 potters came to OSU to display their work at the Gardiner Gallery. What was fascinating to me was how the pottery was inspired by a discovery of broken pieces near the village, which led many people to take up this tradition anew that dates as far back as 1175. Many connections can be made, but one of the main takeaways from this exhibition, much like the Japanese art show, is the display of diversity to the students of OSU. Although this was a less immersive experience, this exhibition in fact showed how the functionality of the artwork was what was holding up the economy of the small farm village in Mexico. The art was very popular among many outside of the region and many of the students had likely never even heard of such a small geographical area with a whole group dedicated to making pottery using a technique that was so ancient and labor intensive.

Based on the content that was in the two shows I chose to write about, as well as looking through many of the shows in the database, I noticed that there seems to be a lack of representation in general. While I do appreciate the way that OSU is supportive of their art students with the amount of exhibitions they participate in, it seems to me that many of the shows that were featured by traveling groups were simply showcasing traditional art from other cultures. Without a doubt, there was a wealth of historical art, such as the traditional pottery, Japanese art, and even the sacred sand mandala from Tibet. On the contrary, there seemed to be less attention paid to Native American groups. As I looked at the shows held for Native Americans, many of them were very short and served as a sort of marketplace for students in the Student Union. I feel as if this harkens back to a class discussion we held which discussed patronage and how that can decide on the “authenticity” of art from a culture that is not our own, so to speak. There was a lot of focus on modern art and graphic design, but there was no real focus in these fields and how they interact with people of color. The lack of representation of Native American artists is surprising to me, but I was even more shocked that there was no show that I immediately found in this period that centered on black artists.

The database that was compiled allowed me to see what OSU has focused on in the past from an exhibition point of view, but it has also shown me where it has fallen short. If it was up to me to propose a new show, I would want there to be a show more thoroughly dedicated to contemporary work by Native American or black artists. Rather than have a show on their historical art, like pottery or weaving, I would like for there to be something that shows their work in the modern era and how it may address their places in society. This may also apply to the LGBT+ community if we are also discussing diversity and how that can be better represented in the exhibitions that are held on OSU campus so that there is more cultural variety in these shows. While there was an attempt to bring awareness to many cultures during the time period which I researched, there was a lack of real diversity that goes beyond the more recognizable pieces that are associated with these cultures. Thus, it would have been more beneficial for the school to have had a show that encompassed these groups of people in a way that would not be potentially seen as stereotyping.

OSU Exhibition History: 1995-1999, McKenzie Branham

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by McKenzie Branham. It has been edited for length and clarity.

For the Digital History Project, my group had the years 1995 through 1999. Our time period was especially important as it was the turn of the century and a time of new ideas and wider acceptance for minority groups. A few of the common themes of our years seemed to be celebrating diversity as well as highlighting the talents of Oklahoma State University’s students and staff. When viewing our selection of years, it is difficult to pinpoint a set theme or any sort of real consistency between exhibition subjects. This only enforces the idea of inclusion because there is a breakaway from only focusing on works made with traditional materials by well-off Americans and instead recognizing the range of different people on our campus.

Many of the exhibitions are organized by staff members of Oklahoma State University. This was to be expected, but there were also quite a few exhibitions that were organized by people from outside of the university. Some were exhibitions that were international and hosted artists from the university, while others were held at Oklahoma State but hosted by outside organizations, including professional artists or museums from around the country that brought their art to the campus. There were also a couple of exhibitions hosted by the art students at Oklahoma State University, offering a fresh viewpoint of the art world. Those exhibitions tended to stray more from the norm, with a lot of mixed media pieces and themes with a lot of depth.

When it came to finding the viewpoint of the audience, the O’Colly tended to stay neutral when giving information about exhibitions. The opinions on the exhibitions came from organizers or attendees giving their input about the show through interviews. The O’Colly would state the facts and the history behind each exhibition and sometimes include additional opinions from others outside the newspaper.

Illustration in the Daily O’Collegian, January 15, 1998.

One exhibition I chose to look into is “A Native American Child’s World: Beyond the Negative.” This exhibition was different in that it explored Native American culture through the eyes of children. It ties into the themes of celebrating diversity and acknowledging local students because fourth- and fifth-grade Native American children from a Tulsa elementary school also took part in contributing pieces. Items dating back to 1942 were included in the show. Pat Radford, curator at the Bartlett Center, described the importance of the show well when he stated that it was intriguing to see how intricate Native American toys were for their children. It shined a light on how devoted Native American mothers were when caring for their children and allowed others to see the family dynamic of Native American lifestyles.

The 1990s were an important time for Native American rights, and the beginning of justice for the wrongful acts committed by the American government for centuries. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 promoted Native arts by prohibiting misrepresentation in marketing. This made it illegal to advertise a product as Native American when it was not made by a Native person. Likewise, President Clinton offered more support for Native colleges and institutions in 1996 when he signed an executive order extending funding into the 21^st century. “Beyond the Negative” took these relevant events in stride, showcasing authentic Native American art and taking great care to make sure all pieces were handled with care. This is especially important since many of the organizers were not Native American. Despite not coming from that heritage, they made sure to be respectful to Natives and keep the exhibition true to their culture.

Richard Bivins, an Oklahoma State University art professor, prepares the Mata Ortiz pottery exhibition opening today in the Bartlett Center (Daily O’Collegian, March 18, 1997).

Another exhibition I chose to analyze was of Mexican pottery, held in 1997. Six Mexican potters displayed their pottery at the Gardiner Gallery and were given the opportunity to auction off their pieces as well as hold a workshop for Oklahoma State students. This exhibition is interesting because it gave these potters a chance to share their trade with students. They were from Mata Ortiz, a village in Mexico where many of the population are potters. Professor Richard Bivins of Oklahoma State University gave details of the techniques the potters used as well as explained how important it was for students to observe cultures outside their own.

In the 1990s, there was turmoil in Mexico as natural disasters wreaked havoc and political unrest caused tension between the government and its people. Mexican-born Americans were allowed to have dual nationality starting in 1998. This meant that Mexican Americans could be recognized as citizens of both the United States and Mexico. The pottery exhibition was a way to give outsiders a perspective on Mexican culture that was not tarnished by news stories of riots and wars in Central America. Not only did it give insight to the agricultural lifestyle of some Mexicans, but it also gave students a chance to connect with that Mexican culture by creating pottery side-by-side with Mexican potters by using their techniques. It created a bridge between American culture and Mexican culture.

When organizing these exhibitions, great care was taken to highlight the cultures of other minority groups without shadowing them with the American viewpoint. This seems like a far cry from what we have learned in class when it came to Native American art being seen as inferior, or used only when Americans stole aspects of their art and used it for themselves. Finally, we see that instead of cultural appropriation where the Native American and Mexican voice is lost as outsiders try to interpret their art without their influence, this is instead a type of cultural exchange. Outside communities are able to view art with respect and have the background knowledge needed to interpret it accordingly.

What seems to have been overlooked is the diversity of staff for some of these exhibitions. It is a little discouraging to see people from outside minority groups organize these events when it should be the people from those backgrounds putting together these exhibitions to keep their history alive and provide the most accurate viewpoint. There could be input from outside organizations, but I think it would have been a lot more meaningful if Oklahoma State University had staffed a more diverse art department that was capable of putting together exhibitions highlighting different cultures from the perspective of someone who actually lives with that heritage.

Nicholas Galanin, The American Dream is Alie [sic] and Well, 2012. United States flag, felt, .50 caliber ammunition, foam, gold leaf, plastic.

Today, I would love to see exhibitions put together by minority groups highlighting their culture from their perspective only, not with any outside influence. I have always been interested in Native American art, and I’d love to see an exhibition put together by Native Americans. I am getting tired of hearing of only the European side of history, and I think we need to make an effort to listen to the Native American side of our history. Pieces like Wendy Red Star’s “Last Thanks,” giving Americans a different viewpoint from the Thanksgiving they learned and idolized in school, or Nicholas Galanin’s “The American Dream is Alive and Well,” making contemporary pieces with aspects of his culture while showing the dangers of assimilation, would be much more meaningful from a Native American organizer. As interesting as “Beyond the Negative” was to learn about, it takes more than just showcasing Native American art from the past fifty years to make an impact on others.

OSU Exhibition History: 1990-1994, Taylor Dawes

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Taylor Dawes. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The art exhibitions at Oklahoma State from 1990-1995 included a wide variety of themes. The themes showcased consisted of, but were not limited to: innovative and experimental art, pop culture, art history, graphic design, Mexican history, Russian history, and plenty more. This time period showcased several different style and subjects, but they all had one shared goal, which was to further the art experience at Oklahoma State. The purpose of each one was to share the ideas and motivations for the art with OSU and local communities.

The exhibitions included artwork created by students, faculty, and outside artists. However, the organization of the exhibitions was usually executed by faculty members in the art department. The Daily O’Collegian is a student-run newspaper at Oklahoma State that has historically covered details such as the location, date, and featured art of exhibitions. The Daily O’Collegian often included statements and opinions on the exhibitions from organizers—as when Gardiner Art Gallery director B.J. Smith described the gallery as “the best-kept secret on campus,” in 1994.

Within this time period, critical commentary was not offered by student journalists. If the newspaper included reactions from the audience, it was in the form of quotes from those who attended the exhibitions. For example, in an article from 1995, the Daily O’Collegian reporter, Emily Akers, included reactions from the director of the exhibition, a student in attendance, and even the judge of the exhibition. The O’Colly only included interviews a handful of times, but when they did, the reactions were exciting, positive, and eye-opening.

One exhibition that received a lot of attention at Oklahoma State was “James Drake: The Border/La Frontera.” According to reporter Caroline Baker, the exhibition was organized by the director of the Gardiner Art Gallery, B.J. Smith, and Gardiner staff.  James Drake, an artist from El Paso, Texas, was the featured artist for this exhibition. His showcased art demonstrated multiple styles, such as a sculpture and drawings. His artwork was described as “dramatic” with its inclusion of “emotion, nudes, and guns” as well as a lack of “hope, freedom, or potential riches.”

James Drake, “Cinco de Mayo,” 1988. Charcoal and steel on paper.

The story within this art show was based around the lives of Mexicans fleeing to the United States. A piece of Drake’s titled Cinco de Mayo was created by steel and charcoal on paper. The picture shows a large group of Mexicans being held at gunpoint by law enforcement. This topic can be related to current events because the dangers of the border are still being experienced. Within the last four years, stricter immigration laws have been put into place within the United States, and the “struggle and death” is still the reality for some fleeing Mexicans.

“One of a kind: ‘Women scream for help’ is one of two brooches made by Jeff Hammill that will be shown at the Wearable Art Show this Saturday,” Daily O’Collegian, March 16, 1990.

Another 1990 exhibition shown at Oklahoma State, “Wearable Art,” can also be tied back into current events. A student by the name of Jeff Hammill won an art contest for his talented use of old “junk” in the creation of beautiful jewelry. Relevant current events that connect to this exhibition is the regular clothing drives held across our country. The ability of a college student to create beautiful jewelry out of unused, old material could open many doors of creating clothes for almost no cost. It’s a form of recycling old material, using it for those in need, and having the joy of creating a piece of artwork with a vision and purpose.

There have been exhibitions concerning Russian history, Mexican history, and American history, but I think the community surrounding Oklahoma State would enjoy looking at its own history. An exhibition of this kind would more than likely draw a crowd of current students along with proud alumni. The history of this college is important to current student, past students, families of students, professors, etc.

A current event that occurred during this time period that could be featured in such an exhibition is the tornado that brought damage to Stillwater in 1990. In fact, there was an art auction that took place in order to benefit the victims of the tornado. “Art Auction Benefit 1990” showed how the community used art to mend a painful time of recovery. This is obviously a crucial part of Oklahoma State history that could be represented in an exhibition. Ideas along with this include the history of the campus, professors, students, sports, and more.

OSU Exhibition History: 1990-1994, Lena Bowen

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Lena Bowen. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The exhibitions held at OSU during the span of five years between 1990 and 1994 mostly consisted of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs. However, there were two exceptions—one was the Wearable Art Show in 1990, and the second was Weapons of Southeast Asia in 1994—that used the decorative art forms of jewelry and weapons. The goals these exhibitions seem to share is educating and inspiring the viewer in the world of art; many of the shows focus on cultural heritage.

Most of the exhibitions took place on Oklahoma State University’s campus, such as in the Gardinery Gallery of Art. As far as the organizers go, there was an overwhelming number of students or alumni involved as well as faculty, especially when it came to annually held art events. This brings about a sense of pride when one sees OSU’s involvement with the arts. There were also a few outside organizers that had no ties or connections to Oklahoma. When it comes to the audience’s reactions, the reporters and editors for the Daily O’Collegian (orO’Colly for short) offered factual reports instead of their own personal opinions on an exhibition. They did, however, offer statements that contained opinions from the organizers or involved artists that they interviewed before or during a show. These statements were effective and really persuaded the reader about what to expect from viewing the exhibition.

James Drake: The Border/La Frontera opened at the Gardiner Gallery of Art on February 26, 1990 and lasted through March 21, 1990. The featured artist, James Drake, “focuse[d] on the crossing of the Mexico/Texas border by illegal immigrants.” The art forms present were “sculpture and works on paper [that] draw from art history to create allusions to contemporary Texas” (“Campus”).

James Drake, “Cinco de Mayo,” 1988. Charcoal and steel on paper.

Drake’s exhibition is relevant today because of how he “produce[d] startling indictments of the present situation along the border” (“Campus”). Although this was written in 1990, thirty years later in 2020 there are still issues with immigration along the Mexico/Texas border. This creates problems of racism and discrimination. The attitude this exhibition took toward this current event was one of understanding of the plight and hardships immigrants face due to how the “story in this show is one of struggle and death, which is reality for many impoverished Mexicans who try to escape to the United States” (Baker). This is seen in Cinco de Mayo, as guns are pointed at immigrants who have their hands raised in surrender.

Ted Ramsay, “Myth Woman,” or “Mother Nature Personification,” 1994. Handmade rag paper, enamel, wood.

Another equally relevant exhibition, due to its focus on the relationship between people and the environment, is Ted Ramsay’s Paper: Image, Material, Metaphor. This event also happened in Gardiner Gallery of Art, from September 22, 1994 through October 12, 1994. Ramsay’s son, Chris, was the organizer of his exhibit and he was also the director of the Gardiner Gallery at the time. Like Drake, Ted Ramsay also did sculptures, but his were made out of paper. He made a statement about his exhibition that it “questions the fate of nature and focuses on the balance between man and nature” (Guthrie). Just as with immigration, we find that decades later, the environment is still a central concern for people in the US and around the world.

Citations:

“Campus,” Daily O’Collegian, February 26, 1990.

Baker, Caroline. “Emotions, nudes, guns: Art show brings dynamics of machismo to OSU gallery.” Daily O’Collegian, March 1, 1990.

Guthrie, Stephanie L. “Environment focus of art display, Daily O’Collegian, September 26, 1994.

OSU Exhibition History: 1990-94, Emily Albiter

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Emily Albiter. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The exhibitions held between the years 1990-1994 focus on contemporary art. While few common themes emerge, they do seem to have common goals: attracting the attention of a wide audience, for example. There are many different exhibitions and no two were the same, but the ones that stood out to me are the “Machismo” and “Visions of India” exhibitions. The 1990 “Machismo” exhibition was described intriguingly as dealing with “emotion, nudes, and guns,” and 1992’s “Visions of India” offered fascinating subjects that enticed people to go see the exhibition.

Many of the exhibitions featured in the O’Colly were organized by outside individuals, who were often visiting artists. The O’Colly often featured these artists in front page news articles, and frequently interviewed them. For example, in the “Wood Engravings” exhibition, the artist, Barry Moser is featured on the Second Front page in an article written by Saira Rashid. The newspaper tended to report more facts about the “when” and “where,” rather than the “who,” and only seemed to interview visiting artists or art organizations rather than visitors.

Photograph by Matt Maile of James Drake’s artwork, “Cinco de Mayo,” published in the Daily O’Collegian, 1990.

When the “Machismo” exhibition opened, the artist, James Drake, wanted his art to project the emotions and pain of those crossing the Southern border. “Machismo” is masculine pride, or asserting toughness, and Drake personifies this through his works. In the artwork, Cinco de Mayo, Drake is focusing on the pain and suffering that is prominent when immigrants are crossing the Southern Texas border. His creations “contain very little work about hope, freedom, or potential riches.  The story in this show is one of struggle and death.”  The O’Colly article, written by features reporter Caroline Baker, regards Drake highly.

James Drake, “Cinco de Mayo,” 1988. Charcoal and steel on paper.

Drake based this specific art piece on the journey that impoverished Mexicans chose to travel because of the danger and the suffering they experience in order to create a better life in the United States. This highlighted the violence faced by immigrants at the Southern Texas border—a commentary that is still relevant today. They are extorted and pushed to the point of death by greedy and selfish people. Drake is from El Paso, Texas, so he was and still is very close to this subject. Viewers of this exhibition understood from Drake’s art pieces how little hope and freedom there was in the situations he depicted.

Unlike “Machismo,” “Visions of India” considered the history of India rather than contemporary experiences. According to the O’Colly, “the historical aspect of the exhibit makes it an unusual one to be shown at the gallery.” The Gardiner Gallery tended to focus more on contemporary artworks rather than artifacts and historical exhibitions during this time. There is no official mention, interview, or photographs to be found about “Visions of India,” which is strange because it is a very interesting subject and the O’Colly decided not to give out any other information. There is a brief mention in the newspaper of the exhibition, but that is all.

The reporter for the O’Colly mentions the organizers set up the exhibition in conjunction with the Hyla S. Converse Memorial lectureship (now the Converse-Yates-Cate International Lecture Series). Hyla S. Converse was a professor at Oklahoma State University who was born in India and it was her artifacts that were displayed at the Gardiner Gallery (Hornberger), alongside other artifacts provided by other art department professors. This was the only current event, the memorial lectureship, that coincided with why the organizers set up this exhibition. They mentioned that it was rare for them to do so, but could not turn down the opportunity to showcase the artifacts. Not much is said about how the exhibition was received by viewers, just that “this is a little different for us, and somewhat local as well.” But it was surely a breath of fresh air for gallery visitors, as it was something completely new and exciting.

OSU Exhibition History: 1985-89, Jonathon Williams

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Jonathon Williams. It has been edited for length and clarity. Note that although recent style guides suggest capitalizing Black when referring to people, I have respected Jonathon’s choice in this regard.

Surveying OSU’s exhibition history from 1985 to 1989, there aren’t any common themes; instead, there was a lot of variety. They all seem to share the goal of bringing many different types of art to OSU, with different mediums on display along with different styles of art.

During this time, exhibitions were organized mainly by the faculty and students. Outside organizations also organized a few of the shows such as Run for the Arts in 1986, which the Stillwater Art Guild helped organize. Within this time period there were also various shows organized by individuals, such as Richard Bivins’s solo exhibition in 1989, organized by the artist, who was a professor and head of the Art Department at OSU during that time.

Richard Bivins, “Painted Seed Jar,” ca. 1976. State Art Collection of Oklahoma, Gift of Ben Pickard. https://www.arts.ok.gov/Art_at_the_Capitol/State_Art_Collection.php?c=sac&awid=80

The audience’s response was always positive in regards to the shows. The paper didn’t really offer any critical commentary, but occasionally would offer the opinions of the people who visited the exhibitions or who helped put the exhibition together in the first place. For example, in 1988, Polaroid photographs by Leslie Bellavance, then a professor at the University of Wisconsin, were shown after the gallery committee at OSU said they were “intrigued by the shapes and images of her work.”

The two exhibitions, one celebrating African American art in 1989 and the other, “We Too Sing America,” in 1985, both centered around black artists and were set up either by the students or faculty at OSU. The African American Art exhibition consisted of paintings and sculptures by black people and their experiences in America along with some sculptures relating to African roots. “We Too Sing America” was a photographic essay about the black communities in Oklahoma. The photographs were described as candid and posed shots, one example being children sleeping in their mother’s arms. The issues regarding race and how black people are treated in America that these exhibitions addressed are still relevant today. Today, these topics could still be shown through similar forms. Paintings and sculptures can be one of many ways to raise awareness of the injustices African Americans face.

A chi wara from the Harms Collection; one of a pair, this is a representation of a male antelope. Chi wara (male), 20^th century (Bamana, Mali). OSU Museum of Art, Gift of Larry W. and Mattie R. Harms, 2011.001.015.1.

Curator’s note: The OSU Museum of Art has an outstanding collection of African art, and in 2015 organized the exhibition “Wákàtí: Time Shapes African Art,” which included this Bamana chi wara. For more information about our African art collection, as seen through the eyes of students, you can read past blog posts by Krystle Brewer and Mary Kathryn Moeller, Brogan Ross, and others, as well as several by me.

The attitude the African American Art exhibition took toward current events seems to have been pretty neutral. The show was one part of a bigger event which at that time was called Black Awareness Week. The Daily O’Collegian article did highlight the fact that the paintings the black artists made were about their experiences in America, but it did not go into any specifics on what was portrayed in any of the paintings. Furthermore, the attitude that “We Too Sing America” took towards current events at the time appears to be neutral as well. The information given about the exhibition in the paper did not cover any controversial or political issues. The show was composed of well received photography and poetry about the black community in Oklahoma.

Both exhibitions’ main focus was black artists displaying their daily lives, culture, and experiences through different mediums. While both of the exhibitions are an important part of OSU’s history, from the perspective of American art history there are a few gaps that I noticed. What is missing in the Daily O’Collegian’s coverage of these exhibitions is detailed information that goes over what each exhibition is about. Although each article has a brief overview about the artist and a few details about some of the art work, I noticed that some of the issues that black artist would have faced at the time seem to have been overlooked. From what I have learned, many black artists used art as a way to fight against injustice, and the fact that I couldn’t find any info relating to this in the O’Colly, at least in this time period, is disappointing.

Faith Ringgold, “#18: The Flag is Bleeding,” 1967. Oil on canvas. For more on Ringgold’s work, click the image to listen to a 2013 story by NPR.

I would like to propose an African American history art exhibition that would address this lack of detailed information by having art on display that has history and meaning behind it. The exhibition would not just be composed of black artists but black artists that specifically create art to preserve the history and culture of Africans and black Americans. The African American history art exhibition that I propose would respond meaningfully to the current events and issues regarding race and how black people are treated in America.

OSU Exhibition History: 1985-89, Lainey Gerber

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Lainey Gerber. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Between 1985 and 1989, art exhibitions at Oklahoma State University and surrounding Stillwater, Oklahoma, brought a lot of different art styles and subjects to local audiences.

Exhibitions featured in the O’Colly from 1985-1989 display a variety of contemporary art characteristics. Paintings were prominent through all the showcases. This is likely due to the medium being popular in contemporary culture. However, another big part of contemporary culture is variety, which was displayed through the sculptures, quilts and photographs also being shown.

The Native American art on display was not tied to a specific medium: it included a paintings, drawings, jewelry and other hand-made artifacts, such as knives and baskets. Some O’Colly articles did not disclose which tribes were featured in the exhibitions. Of those that did, it was common they were Oklahoma-based tribes, such as the Cherokee and Osage. Native American art exhibitions were often organized by faculty in the Gardiner Art Gallery, and were supported by organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts.

In November 1989, the Gardiner Art Gallery organized and hosted a Native American quilts exhibition. November is National Native American Heritage Month, although the O’Colly did not include that information in its reporting on the show. Oklahoma is largely Native territory, and Native American history runs deep through Oklahoma. OSU has hosted Native American exhibitions throughout the year because of this. This exhibition featured quilts that are dynamically decorative enough to be hung on a wall and be appreciated for their design and detail.

The O’Colly included detail about some of the quilts included, such as “Lone Star” made by Minnie Roberts Mitchell in 1920. Mitchell’s quilt “was made from cotton she picked and carded. Mitchell then dyed the fabric with bark and berries.”

Student art exhibitions during this time consisted mostly of paintings, drawings and photography. This could be due to the fact that a majority of these exhibitions were put on by the class itself, such as the Photography II class holding Images: Exposed at the Old Central Museum of Higher Education in 1986.

Robert Ingman, Bicycle, 1986. Gelatin silver print (reproduced in the Daily O’Collegian, April 18, 1986).

In November of 1989, OSU hosted an African American art exhibition during Black Awareness Week. Black artists from across Oklahoma and the rest of the United States displayed their work “from the African-American perspective,” said Deborah Buchanan, director of minority graduate participation for the OSU College of Arts and Sciences. The exhibition, organized by Langston University and the OSU College of Arts and Sciences, featured paintings and sculptures. It was put on for students to have the opportunity “to view the work of Oklahoma artists who are informing all publics of Black Awareness Week through the African-American art exhibit,” said Buchanan.

“[African-American art] is the way some of the artists combine Africanism with their lives,” said Edward Grady, an artist and research assistant at Langston University. Grady also said the artists featured are “ancestrally connected with Africa.”

This exhibition responded meaningfully to the events held during Black Awareness Week and Black History Month that OSU hosts. During this time of the year, OSU hosts the Mr. and Miss Black OSU competition, where many of the contestants use their platform to bring awareness.

Brian Beard, photographer, “Traci Murrell is crowned Miss Black OSU 1989 by 1988 queen Dionne Brown as contestant Dana Flemming looks on Saturday night in the Seretean Center.” Daily O’Collegian, February 6, 1989.

Throughout the late 1980s, O’Colly articles did not offer critical commentary. All were strictly informative, but some did dive deeper into the exhibitions and their artists or organizers by interviewing them. Interviews usually included how judging processes worked, why the exhibit was put on, or credible information about the art or artist.

From the perspective of American art history, details about the artists’ backgrounds and their art’s mediums are missing. Most of the O’Colly articles hit the “who,” “what,” “when” and “where” aspects, but not the “why” or “how.” Art is history told through the artist’s perspective, so having background knowledge on them would help the reader of the article understand the art and exhibitions better.

Want to learn more? Our last post also looked at some of these exhibitions.

OSU Exhibition History: 1985-89, Maddy Petrosky

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Maddy Petrosky. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Overall, from 1985-1989 there was a plethora of exhibitions that incorporated many different themes and had broad topics. Some shared themes that I saw were Native American and African American representation. Many of the exhibitions that included Native American culture made sure to represent their history in a respectful and positive manner. For example, an exhibition of photos featuring Plains Indians, “Circles of the World,” had the purpose to show their rich heritage in a way that they often are not seen for. I learned that the Plains Indians were often perceived as combative and, according to graduate student Joan Thomas, this exhibition aimed to “show the people the diversity of the Plains Indians, and that they weren’t just war-like.”

An exhibition that displayed African American art in 1989 included paintings and sculptures representing African American culture. Black artists throughout Oklahoma and the United States showed work that represented their heritage. In the Daily O’Collegian’s coverage of the exhibition, it was stated by Edward Grady, an artist and research assistant at the Langston University library, that “African American art is the way some of the artists combine Africanism with their lives.”

Click the image to learn more about Edward Grady from Inclusion in Art.

Even though it seemed as though there was variety in the exhibitions throughout this time period, I think that there was a lot of subject-based consistencies when it came to the meanings behind the work and who was involved. I noticed a lot of exhibitions included heritage and cultural appreciation through the works displayed. It was interesting to see the students and staff involved in creating and organizing these exhibitions. 

I believe that the O’Colly reacted in a critical but respectful way to the exhibitions they reported on. The articles reported facts about every show but also described the meanings behind the work and interviewed some of the participants about what they thought about the exhibitions and the meanings behind them. I noticed that they went into depth about some specific pieces and commented on their opinions and what others thought of them as well. They made the reader feel as though they had been there to experience the art work themselves. They were also critical when they felt necessary. Reviewing a Gardiner Gallery metals show in 1989, for example, writer Caroline Baker stated that “pieces vary from museum quality to garage sale quality,” going on to state that one metal fashion piece “looks sketchy and unfinished.” She is blunt about the pieces she has viewed and gives an honest opinion even if it is not desirable.

Jan Lanahan, “Earth Mother,” quilt. Source: http://www.aqsblog.com/visit-quilting-world-1988

One exhibition that caught my attention was a quilt display at the Bartlett Center in 1989. This exhibition showed quilts in a new artistic way and not just as boring blankets. These quilts incorporated culturally significant designs. Some quilt work shown by Jan Lanahan ties into what the artists included in the African American Art Ancestry Awareness exhibit aimed to do by incorporating culture into their pieces. A piece by Lanahan titled “Earth Mother” used patchwork to “represent layers of earth and animals in ascending order of importance to the Indian.” This exhibition tied in cultural importance to be represented in a visual way for people to learn about while also enjoying the art. Many of the other quilts showed the history and struggles that the artists’ cultures faced in the past and other culturally significant representations.

Today, the Black Lives Matter movement seems relevant to these exhibitions. This current movement has not just been about protests it has also brought new awareness of systemic racism through art as well. Murals have been created all over the place, and African American artists have shown their struggles through their art. This connects to the exhibition I chose because for years people have been using art to convey the meaning behind their history and the struggles their cultures have faced. Current events today support and encourage the acceptance and appreciation towards all cultures. It is also important to educate people on the struggles people of different cultures have faced through history and learn from them.

An exhibition that I would propose that was missing from this decade would be an exhibition of only women’s art. I think this is an important exhibition idea because women’s art needs to be recognized and appreciated as a collective group. Even though there were some exhibitions in my time period that were geared towards women it was not a variety of types of art it was usually just one medium, and I think a new exhibition should incorporate all mediums to broadcast the talent women hold. Such an exhibition would respond meaningfully to the other exhibitions in this time period because they also represented inclusivity, showing the importance of celebrating race and heritage. I think that it is important to also include the issues of gender inequality and represent women’s skills.   

OSU Exhibition History: 1980-84, Ren Nunez

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Ren Nunez. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The early 1980s exhibition list is comprised of many student art exhibitions. Not only student art was displayed though; faculty often got to showcase their works in faculty-specific shows. Additionally, some faculty members had their own, more expansive exhibitions. Mediums such as ceramics, etchings, steel sculpture, block prints, wood sculpture, as well as photographs were popular. Throughout this period, it appears Oklahoma State’s goal was to uplift local artists. Expanding upon this goal, Native American art was a popular exhibition topic at the time. Often it seems that most exhibitions were organized by faculty and staff of OSU; the art galllery director, B. J. Smith, was the organizer most listed. Organizations such as the Board of Regents and the SUAB Art Committee were listed as sponsors of exhibitions.

Edward Curtis, Black Wolf — Cheyenne, photogravure as reproduced in the Daily O’Collegian, April 2, 1983.

The Native American art exhibition entitled “Indians of Oklahoma,” from 1982, is one of the handfuls of examples of the efforts by local organizers to document history of Native Americans. The artworks displayed were gravures of photographs taken by Edward S. Curtis. Curtis’ project was completed over a span over 20 years; he aimed to detail and capture photographic records of the Native cultures west of the Mississippi. This exhibition included photographs from 19 volumes of Curtis’s 20-volume set. The gravures were made in 1930, after Curtis took the photos in 1927. The preservation and uplifting of Native people were significantly relevant during the first part of the 1980s. Curtis’ gravure entitled “Black Wolf” was one of the many pieces on display in the exhibition.

Willard Stone, “Something to Believe In,” 1969. Lithograph on paper, 11 x 14 inches. Gardiner Art Collection, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Bartlett, 83-0120.

A Willard Stone exhibition from 1984 is an example of the Stillwater community amplifying a Native person’s creativity. Internationally renowned sculptor Willard Stone gave a wood-sculpting seminar in conjunction with an exhibition of his work hosted by the Stillwater library. After the seminar, a film screening and a Q&A session was held. Stone’s work was also on view in the Bartlett Center, on campus. Stone was of Cherokee descent, and often used Native motifs within his wood sculpture. The significance of his heritage is prominent throughout his works. Something to Believe In and Faith, by Stone, both display themes of nature and life. The Stillwater Public Library hosting an event by such a popular and proudly Cherokee artist is an act of solidarity and support for local artists, as well as Native Americans.       

Willard Stone, “Faith,” 1974, bronze. OSU Museum of Art.

During this time period, there were two cases heard by the Supreme Court involving Native American politics. In 1980 the case of the United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians was heard. This case was determining whether the Sioux people were entitled to compensation with 5% interest since 1877 for the stealing of the Black Hills. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Sioux tribe, which was allocated $17.5 million dollars (United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, No. 79–639 (June 30, 1980)). The second case of significance heard by the court was the Seminole Tribe v. Butterworth. This case concerned whether tribes could create gambling facilities on their land. The court ruled in favor of the Seminole tribe, establishing that tribes could create gambling facilities. This ruling also established that reservations had greater authority over taxes, judiciaries, and assets (Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Butterworth, No. 80–5496 (October 5, 1981)).

The people organizing these exhibitions appear to have wanted to display local history, as well as current local artists’ success. Because of the timeline of progress made in relation to Native American’s rights as tribes, it seems Oklahoma State was responding to these advancements with support. The Curtis exhibition, centered around the preservation of tribal culture, was an effective start to introduce non-Native locals to original images of tribes. There could have been more exhibitions concerning art done by tribes, of course. The exhibitions during this period were often works done by others concerning Native American populations, rather than by Native Americans. There was a gap in contemporary-style artworks by Native Americans as well.

If I were to propose an exhibition, it would be one centered around Native American locals creating various forms of art. A series of exhibitions showcasing traditional forms of artwork as well as non-traditional art would allow local Native Americans to be seen in their own space. For example, utilizing different events and themes to spotlight various tribes of the individuals that submit their work would allow for a diverse and eclectic view of local artists and their experiences. Pieces centered around generational pain, family stories, personal feelings, and general exploration of art would be essential to showcase. Through viewing these works, people would be able to gather understandings of the way Native American tribes have lived their lives since landmark court decisions. Conclusions on the state of Native experience could be made by people, perhaps opening their minds and hearts to understanding the diversity and struggles of Native American people.

For more on Willard Stone in the OSU Museum of Art collection, see previous blog posts by Lora Webb and Shaylene Thompson.

OSU Exhibition History: 1980-1984, Nyomi Barrick

In Fall 2020, students led by Associate Professor Louise Siddons created a digital project documenting the art exhibition history of Oklahoma State University, with the assistance of Digital Scholarship Librarian Megan Macken. Students used the digitized archive of the student newspaper, the Daily O’Collegian—today the O’Colly— to construct a database of exhibitions held between 1960 and 1999.

Here on the collection blog, we’re featuring reflective essays written by students about their work on this project, based on the research they did to compile the online exhibition history. This week’s essay is by Nyomi Barrick. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Between 1980 and 1984, a large portion of the exhibitions at OSU were of faculty and students’ art. There were several exhibitions of Native American art that stood out during this time period as well. In fact, there was definitely a lot of variety. A few examples of exhibitions were “American Images: Documentary Photographs,” Australian clay pottery, etchings, steel sculptures by David Roberts, jewelry by Ken Bova, “Rainbow Nets and the Insect World,” and serigraphs.

In this time period, there was one organizer who stood out. This man was named B.J. Smith. He was a faculty artist, and in these five years he organized or was a part of at least 10% of the exhibitions listed. Other organizers were mainly students or organizations of students. Those organizations were either for the student body such as the Student Union Activities Board (SUAB) or groups related directly to the exhibition such as students directly involved in the arts.

Manuel Neri, “Coming in Last Thursday,” 1987. di Rosa Collection.

The 1981 exhibition “Art Study – Display on the Human Body,” featured Manuel Neri. The Daily O’Collegian article barely mentions anything about the art being showcased, but mostly pertains to how the Gardiner Art Gallery is the only gallery in the region for modern art and the exhibition is to show, “central Oklahoma a different fare of art than what is normally available.” B. J. Smith, who organized the show, is interviewed within this article and he states, “I would guess that 85 percent of the people on campus, faculty included, do not even know we have a gallery.”

I believe this specific exhibition applies to current events under the conversation of gender and gender identity. When viewing the work of artists who are not afraid of the human body, the average person can begin to look at the body from a different perspective. This is completely relevant to today’s current events and I admire Neri for creating such beautiful work.

Lisa Harper, sophomore at OSU, sketching the sculptures of
James Huelsman in the Gardiner Art Gallery. Source: The Daily O’Collegian.

In 1983, sculptures by James Huelsman were showcased in the Gardiner Gallery of Art. The Daily O’Collegian included a photograph of a student by the name of Lisa Harper sketching the sculptures from the exhibition. In a June 2020 interview, artist Kerry James Marshall stated, “I’d read in books how artists became artists: that they copied the work of a master and learned to make pictures that way.” I find that this photo perfectly captures that act. While the viewer is unaware of the reasoning behind Harper sketching these sculptures, one can assume it could be an exercise. There could be a lot of speculation from this single photo, but I believe it shows how artists will continue to inspire artists.

When it comes to American art history and the period of the early 80s, I would have to say at this time people were interested in other cultures’ art. This is seen through the “Australian Clay” exhibition (1980), multiple Indian Art Exhibitions (1982 & 1983), and a 1981 “Photo Exhibition-Chinese Civilization.” These exhibitions offer an insight into the desire to explore outside cultures and bring them to Oklahoma State University. While the exploration of those cultures is present there is a lack of exhibitions related to Black American culture or art within this time period. There is not one exhibition listed to promote Black art, at least as seen in the titles listed.

I would therefore propose an exhibition along the lines of “Experiencing Black Culture – Different isn’t Always Bad.” In today’s climate living in America, a self-proclaimed “melting pot” of cultures, there is this unspoken notion that “different” is bad and what we as Americans do is change what we do not understand. This exhibition would hopefully tear apart that mindset and force reconsideration for those who were not aware they followed this notion.