Oklahoma City, Okla., From October 3-31 Oklahoma high school students are displaying artwork at the Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, located on the Northern Oklahoma College campus, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Arts Institute’s Tour de Quartz exhibition. Artwork featured in the Tour de Quartz exhibit was created during the 2024 Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute (OSAI), a prestigious arts academy held each summer at Quartz Mountain State Park & Lodge in southwestern Oklahoma.During their time at OSAI, students are immersed in one of eight artistic disciplines and taught by nationally renowned artists. Former faculty members include winners of the Pulitzer Prize and the Academy, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy awards. Visual artist Daphne Arthur who teaches at York College, Brooklyn College and Columbia University served as drawing & painting instructor for the 2024 Institute, while Janelle Lynch faculty member of the International Center of Photography instructed photography students.This past summer, drawing & painting students received indepth training in charcoal drawing and acrylic and oil painting and the photography students explored cyanotypes and film photography. The 2024-25 Tour de Quartz exhibit reflects the students’ OSAI experience, with each student artist represented by at least one piece of artwork.Students are selected for OSAI through competitive statewide auditions, and every accepted student attends the program on full scholarship. Auditions are held online beginning each December and run through the middle of February.For more information, visit oaiquartz.org.The Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, located in the Kinzer Performing Arts Center at 1220 E. Grand, is open 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and during evening and weekend events in the KPAC Auditorium. Admission is free. Contact gallery director Audrey Schmitz at 580628-6670 or audrey.schmitz@noc.edu for more information. For more information about the Oklahoma Arts Institute or Tour de Quartz, visit oaiquartz.org or call (405) 605-7500.The Oklahoma Arts Institute is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1977, with a mission to provide exceptional multidisciplinary arts experiences that develop individual talent and inspire a lifelong passion for the arts. In addition to the Summer Arts Institute, OAI administers a series of continuing education workshops for adults every fall.
