Racial and Cultural Diversity in Oklahoma's Visual Arts
Inclusion In Art is dedicated to promoting ethnically, racially, and culturally diverse artists in Oklahoma’s visual arts community through collaborative exhibitions, mentorship, and public programming.
Inclusion In Art challenges the Oklahoma arts community by cultivating inclusionist that build confidence, raise value and openly experience the perspective of our artists through any means necessary because inclusion means everyone.
High Craft refers to works done where the imagination and the hand of the maker are evident, and it seeks to represent the global diversity of craft through local artists: Maria Anderson, Beverly Kirk, Lawrence Naff, Ann Solinski, and Amy Young. These artists created new work for the Hulsey gallery space, which encouraged them to push the boundaries of their chosen medium.
While the artworks represent a wide range of themes, they reflect each craft person’s circumstance as a creator and a person of color living in the state of Oklahoma. The work varies from introspection of identity and abstraction to cultural exploration and historical narratives. The exhibition highlights the universality of the human impulse to express ourselves in ways that are creative and dynamic.
Special thanks to the host gallery for High Craft 2023 Exhibition the Oklahoma City University’s Hulsey Art Gallery in the Norick Art Center.
Featuring works by artists Maria Do Anderson, Ann Solinski, and Corazon Watkins. Curated by Amena Butler and Suzanne Thomas. January 29 – March 8, 2024, in the Lightwell Gallery at the Fred Jones Center 520 Parrington Oval, Norman, OK 73019.
Opening reception is February 1, 4:30 – 7 pm. A panel discussion featuring the curators and artists will be held during the reception at 6 pm in room FJC 203.
The CONNECT is Inclusion in Art’s database of working professional artists of color. Outreach to minority artists has been difficult despite the best efforts of organizations. By providing a centralized database we are helping organizations find these artists and connect with them! See the whole database here!