An Art and Artist Adventure at Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum by Terry Zinn

Photography by Terry Zinn

The adventure in art can be entertaining and also a reunion with favorite talented artist. The November Collectors Reserve event at Oklahoma’s Gilcrease Museum is such a gathering. The Museum is known for its western heritage art, but the Collectors Reserve brings together many contemporary artists expressing many cultures.

Following your favorite artist over the years and over the county, can be daunting, as it has been for many with the prolific bronze artist, Joshua Tobey. For many years his wildlife bronze creatures could be found in Sedona, Austin, Santa Fe and Loveland, among many galleries.  The multiple award winning artist was present for the recent Collectors Reserve at the Gilcrease, and once again took home the highest award over 100 other artists with the Best In Show.  He exhibited his large owl, Wise Guy, and bears performing a balancing act, Tricks of the Trade, and the Best In Show cougar in repose, Lions View.

Number 2 - DSC_0007 - Joshua and Jo Tobey (1000x775) (2)

Other artists exhibited were: Joan Marron-LaRue, Doug Hyde, Oreland C. Joe Sr., Linda Turma Robertson, Jim Wilcox, Sandy Scott, and Gerald Balciar among others. Cocktails and light refreshments were served as the guest perused the art that they would like to have the opportunity to purchase with a drawing for its set price. The museum provided group prices for a downtown Tulsa hotel and offered shuttles up to the Gilcrease, making the entire evening more enjoyable.

Numbr 3 - Joan la rue

You may want to plan to attend the 2016 Collectors Reserve, or sample the Gilcrease before then with Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain opened January 24 and runs through April 24, 2016 at Gilcrease Museum. Featuring more than 100 pieces, including a broad selection of sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints, mixed media work and the giant pastels for which he is mostly known, the exhibition draws from public and private collections (including the artist’s studio) that affirm this extraordinary artist’s regional, national and international impact. Also see the works of early nineteen hundred artist William R. Leigh, where in 1906, an opportunity to expand the scope of his work came about when the Santa Fe Railroad offered him free passage to the West in exchange for a painting of the Grand Canyon.

If you don’t have a favorite artist, you might start your art adventure at the Gilcrease. For more information, go to: https://gilcrease.org/