Inside the Artist’s Studio by Kelsey Karper
May Yang, Tulsa, Departure (Return Flight Home), Hand printed lithograph, 15” x 20”
The smell of wet paint, freshly cut wood or screen printing inks are a clue that you’re in the right place. During the Tulsa Art Studio Tour on April 9th and 10th, visitors are welcome to experience the behind-the-scenes work of artists, mess and all. Each year the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition organizes the Tulsa Art Studio Tour to give the public an opportunity to see artists in their working spaces, talk with them about their creations, as well as view and buy artwork. This year, the tour features nine artists working in a range of artistic media including painting, printmaking, wood and more. Visitors will be able to see works in progress and gain insight into the creative process. “I’m excited to share my studio practice with the public and show the environment where I work,” said May Yang, a printmaker featured on the Tulsa Art Studio Tour. “One of the most frequent questions I get asked is ‘What is screen printing?’ and I think having the opportunity to show people the process and
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possibly have them try it first-hand will give them a better understanding of my work and how it comes together.” Other artists on the tour hope to inspire others to make time for their own creativity. Illustrator Kim Doner said, “Events like this are energy exchanges with interested folks. [It’s] about encouraging others to try something they’ve always wanted to do but have not managed to attempt.” The Tulsa Art Studio Tour is planned by a committee of Tulsa artists and volunteers and is led by co-chairs Janet Shipley Hawks and Christopher Owens. “The annual Tulsa Art Studio Tour is one of the most important art events in Tulsa,” said Hawks, a Tulsa fiber artist. “It is an opportunity for the public to learn about and meet artists they may or may not have ever heard of and to see how and where they create. It is also a wonderful experience for the artist to get to share their artwork and the inspiration behind it with the public.”
A preview exhibition will give audiences a chance to see examples of artwork from artists on the tour, meet the artists and purchase tour passports. The preview exhibition will be on display at the Circle Cinema gallery, 12 S. Lewis Ave. in Tulsa March 3-April 4. A kickoff celebration is planned for Thursday, March 10th from 5-8 pm. The Tulsa Art Studio Tour will be April 9th and 10th, Noon-5 pm each day. Passports to the tour include a map and are $5 in advance and $10 at the studio door. Visitors who get their passport stamped at all nine studios during the tour dates will be registered to win a prize. For more information, please visit www.TulsaArtStudioTour.org or call the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition at 405-879-2400. n Kelsey Karper is editor of Art Focus Oklahoma and a photographer working in historic and alternative processes. She can be reached at publications@ovac-ok.org.