Don’t Think Do FEEL—the 2020 annual Northern Oklahoma College student art exhibition can be viewed as a virtual gallery on the college website at http://www.noc.edu/art-exhibition
Art majors Elaine Hutchins and Peyton Weant of Ponca City planned and organized the exhibit as part of the requirements for their Portfolio/Gallery Seminar. Under the director of Audrey Schmitz, gallery director and art instructor, the students gained experience in developing the infrastructure of the exhibit, including the show title and poster design. Additionally, each prepared their own work to be exhibition-ready as part of their professional growth as working artists.
Don’t Think Do FEEL highlight the work of 2020 graduates candidates Hutchins and Weant along with workd of 28 other students enrolled in art, photography and digital imaging classes during the 2019-2020 academic year. The wide variety of work includes watercolor, acrylic and oil painting; sculpture; photography; pastel, pencil, charcoal and ink drawings; glass and ceramic forms; digital images; masks; bas relief tiles and mixed media works. All work selected for the exhibition was created under the direction of NOC faculty members Schmitz, Jena Kodesh, Brad Matson and Ken Crowder.
Newkirk native Weant remarks " Art was once just a childhood hobby for me but has now become my greatest passion. It drives me to further my education in its vast fields of creative knowledge and practice. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride when I look back on where I started and how much I have grown in college, hungry to express my ideas and artistic views. My artwork spans multiple genres including surreal and abstract styles. While I have strong Native American heritage that influences my work , I am also inspired by other cultures such as Ancient Rome and Egypt." Weant plans on continuing his education at University of Central Oklahoma and his dream career is to be a university-level professor in the field of Art History.
A native of North Carolina, Hutchins has been creating art since she was young. She states that "Art enables me to release my emotions, inner thoughts and tumultuous feelings. Through artmaking, I chronicle my sentiments and passions, and when my work is going well, I feel ecstatic." Hutchins identifies drawing as her favorite medium because "I can do it anywhere. To me a successful work looks unique and interesting and depicts deeply what 1 am trying to express. Through the NOC Art Department, I have improved my skills ...
