Oklahoma high school students are displaying artwork at Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, NOC Tonkawa, from Sept. 5- Oct. 6 in conjunction with the Oklahoma Arts Institute’s Tour de Quartz exhibition.The forty paintings and photographs featured in Tour de Quartz were created during the 2023 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 Richard Hull of the Art Institute of Chicago served as drawing & painting instructor for the 2023 Institute, while Atlanta-based photographer Isaac Diggs instructed photography students.This summer, drawing and painting students received in-depth training in acrylic painting and the photography cohort explored digital and film photography. The 2023-24 Tour de Quartz exhibit reflects the students’ OSAI experience, with each student artist represented by 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 in January and February. For more information, visit oaiquartz.org.Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, located in the Kinzer Performing Arts Center, is open 1 p.m. - 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 580-628-6670 or audrey.schmitz@noc.edu for more information. For more information about the Oklahoma Arts Institute or the 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.
