Friday Night Art

Last Friday was the opening reception for Momentum, Oklahoma City. Momentum features emerging Oklahoma artist under the age of 30. The show is juried and competition is stiff. My roommate, T, made the cut so we not only had a weekend packed full of art we also had grounds for celebration. We gussied up and kicked off the night with dinner at Toto's. This place has been in biz for many years and resides in Norman's "Campus Corner." If you make your way to these parts, Campus Corner is where to eat. We had never been to Toto's but I'm sure we will go back. I'm partial to Sandro's but Toto's sure cooked up a mean Artichoke Parmigiana.
After dinner, me, my cousin, Carmen and T headed up the highway to Momentum. This year the show was held in the Goodwill building south of downtown OKC. I was a bit weary of the location and its meager size but it turned out just fine. There was fluidity and ambiance, overall, a nice exhibition. Thanks to OVAC for seeing it through. There was a great turn out both nights. The Spotlight artist were rewarded $1750 to create installations for the show and they were superb. I couldn't pick a favorite, they were all impressive. Here are a few of my 2-d favorites, it was tough narrowing down "Split Infinitive" by Julia Swearingen. "Facet Fasten" by Jordan Strickland. There weren't many textile pieces in the show which was a little disappointing but it's no surprise that the two that did show up were among my faves. "Strong Reaction" by Cassie Stover. I'm just amazed by Cassie's work. She graduated from OU the year before I did but somehow we managed to pass each other by. I first saw her work a few weeks ago at the Gray Owl Opening. It's no surprise she made it into Momentum, her stuff is "Grade A." This painting was highly anticipated. I had read about the artist and the painting on OVAC's blog and looked forward to seeing it in person. It's such a delightful piece. Full of emotion and humor. The technique is also something to mention, very professional juxtaposed with the lighthearted but seemingly dark subject matter.


I think that concludes my list of 'best dressed.' After compiling my list, uploading the images and closely inspecting the program for artist and titles, I realized that I chose works entirely done by womyn. Each piece is chalk full of individual style and, with the exception of the embroidered pieces, the gender seems ambiguous. It's no surprise I would be drawn to work done by womy. I'm just fascinated and grateful that such a variety of work is breaking gender barriers. Men can pick up a needle and thread and women can paint blood and gore, proven by Momentum curators. If you're around the metro prior to, or on, March 11, swing by and see the show. If not for the sake of your own peace of mind, for the sake of all those young, hardworking, starving, Oklahoma artist. More information here.