NBC Oklahoma to present John Newsom prints to local library

Media release August 4, 2023

Homecoming print and color seperations to be presented to the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County on August 19 at 4 p.m.

John Newsom's painting “Homecoming” was the 17th commissioned work in NBC Oklahoma's Artist Series. 

NBC Oklahoma will be donating a framed print and the framed color separations of John Newsom’s painting, Homecoming to the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County on August 19 at 4 p.m. The reception will take place at the library, located at 120 W Maine Ave., in Enid. Newsom will be in attendance and the original painting will be on view.

Newsom personally selected the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County as where he would like to donate these framed pieces. “We are thrilled to have Mr. Newsom’s art on display here in the library. I’ve heard Mr. Newsom credits the Enid Public Library as having provided a space for him to learn about art and the art scene in New York City. He used the library to learn and grow when being an artist was his dream. He is now living out the dream. I think it is a wonderful testament to the power of libraries to inspire and empower people to follow their dreams,” Theri Ray, library director of the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County said.

Homecoming is the 17th commissioned work of the NBC Oklahoma Artist Series. “I wanted to create an iconic image using timeless motifs from the Oklahoma landscape,” Newsom said about his work. “It is with great sincerity and reverence for the natural landscape of Oklahoma and its inhabitants, that this very meaningful and special painting has come into being.” The oil on canvas painting is 84 by 60 inches and was featured in Nature’s Course, Oklahoma Contemporary’s mid-career retrospective of Newsom’s work.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Newsom thrived in his Enid, Oklahoma upbringing but always yearned to travel and explore the world as a painter. Homecoming represents a visual return to his experiences in Oklahoma. John currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and their two children.

After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Fine Arts from New York University, he had his first New York exhibition in 1995, when he was only 25. Since that first show, his work has been exhibited in the United States, across Europe, and in Japan. His paintings are included in the permanent collections of numerous public institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT; and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI. Articles and reviews of his work have appeared in Artforum, Art in America, Flash Art, The New Yorker and The New York Times, among others.

NBC OKLAHOMA ARTIST SERIES

Each year, NBC selects an Oklahoma artist to create an original work of art, which is then exhibited at each NBC location in Altus, Enid, Kingfisher and Oklahoma City. The bank also reproduces the artwork on a limited number of prints, posters and postcards available to customers at NBC locations. Learn more about the series, its artists and how NBC support the arts at  nbcwigwam.art, or for information contact Jarrod Fergeson, director of NBC Oklahoma art collection, at jfergeson@nbcok.com .

ABOUT NBC OKLAHOMA

NBC Oklahoma is a $900 million state bank with seven locations across Oklahoma. It is an Oklahoma-owned bank. Member FDIC. 

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New exhibit at The Wigwam Gallery looks at art that reflects transformation

Media release March 30, 2022

See “Transform” at the Wigwam Gallery in Altus through June 30.

In “Quanah Parker Surrenders to MacKenzie,” Virginia Stroud depicts a historical event in this work, which is gouache on ledger paper and measures 11.5 inches by 18.25 inches. It is on display at The Wigwam Gallery as part of the "Transform" exhibit. 

A new exhibit at The Wigwam Gallery in Altus features 16 works of art from 14 different artists as it examines the concept of transformation, both literally and figuratively.

“Transform” invites viewers to consider how the only constant in life is change. Featured media includes bronze, oil and acrylic paintings, gouache, photo, ink and watercolor.

“Spring shifts us from dormancy towards growth, from winter to warmth, and from long nights to longer days. Seasonal shifts bring the opportunity to reflect on the rhythm of change in our own lives,” said Jarrod Fergeson in describing the exhibit. Fergeson is director of NBC’s art collection and curator of this exhibit.

Exhibit highlights include:

• “Vertigoat,” a bronze sculpture by Tim Cherry that shows a goat becoming one with a cliff.
• Photographer Mike Mergen’s images of polling places that showcase unremarkable locations as places where remarkable change can begin through voting.
• A ledger painting by Virginia Stroud that depicts historic change with Quanah Parker’s surrender to Col. Ranald MacKenzie in 1875.
• A contemporary painting by David Crismon that calls back to the 17th century but references technological glitches.
• The exhibit is designed to make people think and interpret the art against their own lives’ transformations.

See it by appointment during regular hours on weekdays by calling the bank at (580) 477-1100 for appointment. The Wigwam Gallery is located at 121 W Commerce, next door to NBC’s location in downtown Altus. See more about the exhibit and photos of the art at nbcwigwam.art.

ABOUT NBC OKLAHOMA

NBC Oklahoma is a $900 million state bank with seven locations across Oklahoma. It is an Oklahoma-owned bank. Member FDIC. 

ABOUT NBC OKLAHOMA’S ART EFFORTS

 NBC has a collection of private art on display at each of its banks. The bank also has the Wigwam Gallery in Altus, used to promote Oklahoma artists and art and to host events for some nonprofit institutions. NBC Chairman Ken Fergeson has a lifelong interest in art and a personal mission to support artists and the arts as an essential part of strong communities.

For information about the gallery, current exhibits or NBC Oklahoma’s art, contact Jarrod Fergeson, director of NBC’s art collection, at jfergeson@nbcok.com or (405) 748-9100. See more at nbcwigwam.art.

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Statewide traveling exhibit from OVAC lands in Altus at The Wigwam Gallery

Media release Jan. 17, 2022

Scarlet Rock Hosseini's "Faith in Blue" watercolor painting is part of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition's "24 Works on Paper" exhibit at the Wigwam Gallery through Feb. 24, 2023.

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition has brought its traveling exhibit featuring 24 works by Oklahoma artists to NBC’s Wigwam Gallery in Altus.

The exhibit, “24 Works on Paper,” opened Jan. 17 and will be on display through Feb. 24, after which it moves to the Spider Gallery in the Cherokee Arts Center in Tahlequah for the next stop on its 18-month journey.

The stop in Altus marks the third location of 10 total for the “24 Works on Paper” since it opened on Aug. 1 in Weatherford.

This popular show, which takes place every other year, is the only traveling show of art by living Oklahomans and it is part of OVAC’s mission to support Oklahoma’s visual arts community through education, promotion, connection and funding.

"We are excited to exhibit this iteration of 24 Works on Paper with Wigwam Gallery! Connecting artists with communities across the state is a cornerstone of our mission, and Wigwam Gallery has helped us share Oklahoma artists with their community in Altus,” said Keri Smith, Programs and Exhibitions Manager, OVAC

Hosting the show at NBC’s Wigwam Gallery is a perfect fit for NBC, with the community bank’s longtime focus on supporting and promoting the arts as integral to building vibrant communities, said NBC’s Chairman Ken Fergeson.

“NBC has long had a mission of supporting the communities and state we serve, and I have long realized that communities that have a strong arts scene are generally thriving.” Fergeson said. “We want to be a part of that, and we love supporting efforts like OVAC’s with this show to bring the arts to all parts of the state, particularly rural areas.”

In addition to opening the Wigwam Gallery in 2012, the bank has commissioned and/or financed many public artworks throughout the state and annually commissions an Oklahoma artist to create a painting for its longtime NBC Oklahoma Artist Series.

See the OVAC “24 Works on Paper” by appointment by contacting Elizabeth Marcha, vice president, business development for NBC, at (580) 477-1100 or emarcha@nbcok.com.

OVAC also has classroom curriculum guides and videos available for free to arts educators, homeschool groups and other interested parties. Contact keri@ovac-ok.org for more information about those.

News contact: Lillie-Beth Brinkman, Communications Director, 405-748-9182 or lbrinkman@nbcok.com. 

About NBC Oklahoma

NBC Oklahoma is a nearly $900 million state bank with seven locations across Oklahoma. It is an Oklahoma-owned bank. Member FDIC. Website: nbc.bank.

About Wigwam Art Gallery

In 2012, NBC Oklahoma built the Wigwam Art Gallery in Altus, OK, to resemble the 1920s-era Wigwam Movie Theater that was once located there. A vision of NBC Chairman Ken Fergeson, the art gallery is used to promote Oklahoma artists and art. The Wigwam Gallery is located next to NBC Oklahoma in downtown Altus on the corner of Commerce and Hudson. Go online to nbcwigwam.art for information about the gallery, current exhibits or NBC Oklahoma’s commitment to the arts.

Artists participating in the 2022-2024 “24 Works” exhibit are:

• Ben Ezzell, Enid
• Candacee White, Tulsa
• Carla Waugh, Norman
• Chase Kahwinhut Earles, Ada
• Danette Boswell, Edmond
• Emma Difani, Oklahoma City
• Jane A. Iverson-Ross, Edmond
• Jim Weaver, Edmond
• Keri Smith, Oklahoma City
• Laurel Payne, Oklahoma City
• Leslie Dallam, Norman
• May Yang, Tulsa
• Mazen Abufadil, Tulsa
• Michael Diaz, Edmond
• Molly Kaderka, Stillwater
• Nayelly Morales Rojo, Oklahoma City
• Pam Wilks, Oklahoma City
• Rachel Rector, Tulsa
• Sage Edsall, Woodward
• Samantha Friday, Alva
• Sarah Knox, Tulsa
• Scarlet Rock Hosseini, Yukon
• Taylor Graham, Stillwater

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Presenting our 2022 NBC Oklahoma Artist Series artist: Starr Hardridge

Muscogee Nation artist Starr Hardridge depicts the ancient game of stickball as he explores the idea of balance and the duality of mankind in "Little Brother of War," the latest addition to the NBC Oklahoma Artist Series collection. The painting is 36 by 48 inches and is acrylic on Venetian plaster on canvas. Southeastern woodland beadwork inspires Hardridge’s artistic technique, and his meticulous dot-by-dot application evokes beaded artwork. Between now and January, the art will be on display in our various locations as it travels.

Stop by our banks in these communities on these dates to see the painting and pick up a poster of the work.

• ALTUS, 123 W Commerce, on display from Nov. 14 through 29.
• KINGFISHER, 801 S Main, on display from Dec. 5 through 9, coinciding with a holiday open house from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
• ENID, 3202 W Owen K. Garriott on display from Dec. 12-16.
• OKLAHOMA CITY, 6301 N Western, on display from Dec. 19 through 30.
• OKLAHOMA CITY, 13401 N Pennsylvania, on display in January.

The painting is the 18th commissioned work in this series, started by NBC Chairman Ken Fergeson and the bank. Each year, NBC selects an Oklahoma artist to create an original work of art and reproduces the work on a limited series of prints, posters and postcards available to customers.

Read more about the painting, Hardridge and the bank's Artist Series on our Wigwam Gallery website.

nbcwigwam.art 

Ken Fergeson champions the arts for communities in KFOR interview

Communities thrive when they have a vibrant arts and cultural scene, NBC Oklahoma Chairman Ken Fergeson told KFOR's Jack Elliott during this recent interview. Read and see more about Fergeson's mission to boost the arts and artists in Oklahoma.

Artist Spotlight Video: Bert Seabourn, 2015 NBC Artist Series artist

Oklahoma City artist Bert Seabourn painted "Medicine Bird" in 2015 as the 12th painting in NBC Oklahoma Artist Series. In August 2022, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit with Bert, wife, Bonnie Seabourn, and artist daughter Connie Seabourn, about his life, his work and his art. Sadly, Bert died Nov. 17, 2022, but we enjoyed spending time with him before then in his home, surrounded by art -- his own and works by his contemporaries -- from floor to ceiling. 

Artist Spotlight Video: Carol Beesley Hennagin, 2014 NBC Artist Series artist

Carol Beesley Hennagin's painting “The Bluff, Johnson Ranch Near Guymon, OK,” was the 11th painting in the NBC Oklahoma Artist Series in 2014. This 36-inch-by-48-inch oil on canvas depicts Oklahoma's rugged terrain in a colorful way.

In this video, Norman, OK, artist Beesley talks about her adventures as she pursues scenes for her to paint, her view of color and her lifelong passion for being an artist. It's the latest in our Artist Spotlight videos.

See more from the NBC Artist Series, and read more about Beesley at nbcwigwam.art.

Artist Spotlight Video: John Newsom, 2021 NBC Artist Series artist

John Newsom's painting "Homecoming" painting is the 17th commissioned work in NBC Oklahoma's Artist Series. In this new video, he talks about the work, his relationship with NBC Chairman Ken Fergeson and the painting as part of the Oklahoma Contemporary mid-career retrospective of his work. 'John Newsom: Nature's Course' features 31 paintings by Newsom in Oklahoma City between March 24 and through Aug. 15, 2022.

Artist Spotlight Video: Jeff Dodd, 2019 NBC Artist Series artist

Arnett, OK, artist Jeff Dodd's painting, "Frontier Rodeo Company Yearling," is the 15th painting in NBC Oklahoma's Artist Series. The 2019 oil-on-panel painting depicts a herd of horses under an open sky with cumulus clouds and measures 60 inches by 53 inches. In this video, he discusses his work. Read more about him at nbcwigwam.art/dodd.

Artist Spotlight Video: Harold T. Holden, 2004 NBC Artist Series artist

Kremlin, OK, artist Harold T. Holden is a renowned artist whose sculptures and paintings are part of public and private collections all over Oklahoma and beyond. He also was the featured artist for our bank's second-ever NBC Oklahoma Artist Series painting in 2004. Here, he talks with us about his work, "Mornin' Mounts," his art and his friendship with NBC Chairman Ken Fergeson.