NORTHERN OKLAHOMA College art students Carolyn Best of Enid and Jordan Wise of Kingston show some of their work featured in Making Our Mark, the annual student art exhibition on view April 11 through May 7 in the Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, NOC Tonkawa. A reception honoring all students with work in the exhibit is set from 6-7 p.m. Friday, April 20 in the art gallery. (NOC Photo by Audrey Schmitz)
TONKAWA — “Making Our Mark” the annual Northern Oklahoma College student art exhibition is on display through May 7 in the Eleanor Hays Art Gallery in the Kinzer Performing Arts Center at NOC Tonkawa.
Art major and graduate candidate (Dec 2018) Jordan Wise, Kingston, planned and organized the exhibit as part of the requirements for his Portfolio/Gallery Seminar.
Under the director of Audrey Schmitz, gallery director and art instructor, Wise gained experience in developing the infrastructure of the exhibit, including the show title and poster design, for which he created an original drawing. He also prepared his own work to be exhibition-ready, prepared title cards and installed dozens of works submitted by other students, all as part of his professional growth as a working artist.
“Creating art allows me to be myself, to act on my own thoughts, become more aware of my surroundings, and dream without limits,” Wise said. “I feel connected to God, the original creator, and that empowers me to trust that anything is possible if I believe. Making art takes me to a place that is isolated from daily life. All of my doubt, fear, failures, everything is gone. It is extremely liberating, and I feel as if I can accomplish anything, and I can simply be alive.”
In addition to his study of Visual Art, Wise is also a vocalist in the Roustabouts and has participated in Choir, Madrigals and some theater productions at NOC.
He has volunteered in the community – Tonkawa Arts and Humanities Council, Heart in the Park and at Tonkawa Elementary School. He plans to continue his education and earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and ultimately become a full time studio artist and a business owner, having his own place to work and sell pottery, sculpture, and more.
Making Our Mark highlights Wise and Carolyn Best, Enid (art graduate candidate May 2018) along with works of other students enrolled in art, photography and digital imaging classes during the 2017-2018 academic year.
Schmitz commented on the work of Wise and Best.
“Both Carolyn and Jordan have received the Gene Dougherty Art Scholarship Award and have demonstrated qualities of professionalism, growth and innovation while students at NOC,” she said.
“Overall there is great diversity of media, subject matter and style in the works on view in Making Our Mark, and the student show is always the most popular event in the Eleanor Hays Gallery,” Schmitz added. “It’s also the perfect opportunity to buy original art at great prices from talented artists early in their career.”
The wide variety includes watercolor, acrylic and oil painting; sculpture; photography; pastel, pencil, charcoal and ink drawings; pottery, glass and ceramic forms; digital images; masks; bas relief tiles and mixed media works. Many items are available for purchase. New to this year’s exhibit is a selection of poems by NOC students whose work was selected for the Salt Fork Review, a literary journal published by the college’s Language Arts Division.
A reception is scheduled from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, April 20 in the gallery. The event is free and open to the public.
Regular gallery hours are noon – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and during events in the KPAC. The exhibit will also be open following NOC commencement Saturday, May 5. Admission is free.
For more information about Making Our Mark and the many works available for purchase, contact Schmitz at 580-628-6670 or audrey.schmitz@noc.edu.