Artists, Scientists Conjure Nature in Biophilia Exhibition at MAINSITE

Opossum - the Misunderstood by Lauren Rosenfelt

Biophilia — an exhibition and slate of programming that conjures nature with artists and scientists — opens with the work of Hannah Harper, Jennifer Larsen, Grace Potter, Lauren Rosenfelt and Nicholas Czaplewski, PhD on Friday, May 10 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main, Norman.

Curated by Haley Prestifilippo, Biophilia’s title refers to the theory — first described in the late 20th century — that suggests an innate human desire for connection to other forms of life. All the featured artists (several of whom are also practicing scientists) share a propensity for just that, creating work out of a deep admiration and tether to the various forms nature takes all around us. Their work “considers a few of the analytical and emotional frameworks through which we interpret nature.”

“Nature is often referenced as an independent entity, permeating human experience but separate from it,” Prestifilippo said in a curator’s statement. “It is embodied as a mother, a threat, beauty, violence, something to be controlled and something that controls, something to escape and something to escape into. Humans have sorted the innumerable aspects of nature into scientific fields, building chronologies of evolution, ordered taxonomies, and tables of elements; we perpetually attempt to unveil the hidden infrastructures keeping the universe in place.”

The exhibition runs from its opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 10 through a closing reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 12, both as a part of 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. There’s also an artist reception at the midpoint of the exhibit from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14.

As a bonus, there is a full slate of events, including a nature walk, plein air sketch session, poetry workshop and more, that take place in venues across Norman. These are made possible with support from Norman Arts Council, Pioneer Library System and Factory Obscura.

Pioneer Library System will also be on hand at all three receptions at MAINSITE Contemporary Art with activities for the whole family relating to the themes of the exhibition.

The full event schedule is as follows:

Opening Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, May 10 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art
Plein Air Sketch Session with Hannah Harper: 4:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, May 17 at Norman East Library | Learn more and register here
Book Making Session with Curtis Jones: 1-2 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at Resonator
Poetry Workshop with Julie Ann Ward: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 8 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art | Learn more here
Artist Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 14 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art
Nature Walk with Jennifer Larsen and Nicholas Czaplewski, PhD: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 15 at Sutton Wilderness Trail | Learn more here
Open Mic: 5-7 p.m. Sunday, June 30 at The Standard | Learn more here
Closing Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 12 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art

More about the artists:

Nicholas Czaplewski, PhD

Nick Czaplewski (Chap-lev-ski) is a paleontologist and biologist of Polish and Neandertal ancestry, born and naturalized in the Great Plains of North America. He enjoys engaging others in all aspects of the natural world and honors its land and peoples through direct interaction, reciprocity/caretaking, mentoring, volunteerism, and making art. He extends these ideas to his work in deep-time earth history to his perception of indigenous ecological knowledge, paleogeography, and the incredible creative evolutionary potential of life. He understands science as a way of thinking that a lot of people share; the way in which most of us have similar means of encountering the world: seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing, and as a result mostly agreeing that something is probably true. Nick worked for 34 years as a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the University of Oklahoma and as a scientific advisor to the museum’s youth summer field programs.

Hannah Harper

Hannah Harper grew up in the Southern Oklahoma countryside. She was encouraged to pursue creativity at a young age and collected art education from various sources as a child. At 17, she took a workshop with artists John and Terri Moyers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City who soon after took her under their wing and has mentored her ever since. They encouraged her to take workshops with charcoal master Ned Jacob in both Scottsdale, Arizona and Jackson Hole, Wyoming and a semester at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2019 with a BFA in studio art and completed her MFA for painting at the University of Oklahoma in 2023.

Jennifer Larsen

Jennifer Larsen grew up in Colorado and now lives in Norman, Oklahoma. She has been lucky enough to spend most of her life living in rural areas and open/wild places feel much more like home to her than urban spaces. She is a paleontologist at the Sam Noble Museum with a background in biochemistry and biology. She was a volunteer at the Oklahoma City Zoo for many years. She enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including running, hiking, biking, kayaking, and horseback riding. A perfect day would also involve reading, drawing, chocolate and having cats lay on her. She currently lives on a remarkably generous piece of the earth amidst a magnificent menagerie of non-human beings.

Grace Potter

Working primarily in ceramics, Grace Potter makes intricate sculptures that consider her relationship to the more-than-human world through the lenses of ecology and spiritual inquiry. Her work often references sites of reverence: reliquaries, mausoleums and cathedrals, as a tool for investigating hierarchies and value systems. Animals, plants and fungi depicted in the work carry metaphors for personal narratives as well as archetypal myths. She approaches making as a ritual, illuminating the mystical in the mundane and venerating the subjects of her sculptures through time-consuming processes and meticulous craft. Accumulated textures and patterns generate surreal compositions, reflecting the disorienting complexity of the natural world and her temporal place within it. Themes of interconnection, transformation and cycles of life and death guide her practice.

Grace Potter (b. 1996) is a visual artist who grew up in rural Appalachia. She received her BFA in Ceramics with minors in Art History and Anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Grace has completed two Post-Baccalaureates in Ceramics, one at Louisiana State University and the other at the University of Oklahoma. Her work has been exhibited across the country, including in the Red Lodge Clay Center Juried National and at Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, NC. Additionally, Grace has spent time working at the Mendocino Art Center, Cider Creek Collective in Albion, CA, Good Hope Pottery in Trelawny, Jamaica, and IaRex l’Atelier in St. Raphael, France. She is currently living and working in Mendocino, CA.

Lauren Rosenfelt

Lauren Rosenfelt is a freelance, natural science illustrator and artist currently living and working in Norman, Oklahoma. She graduated from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 2014 with a BFA and minor in Liberal Arts. Her work focuses on sharing the importance of native wildlife and plant species. She works with clientele ranging from private commissions to commercial and nonprofit organizations. Her public projects are displayed at “This is Place”, a small public pollinator garden and art space, and habitat signage at the Norman Central library.

Lauren has worked with WildCare Oklahoma, Myriad Botanical Gardens, and the City of Norman, and has artwork on display at Scissortail Park, the Museum of Osteology, DNA Galleries, and Norman Firehouse Art Gallery. She is also an active board member for Inclusion in Art, an Oklahoma art organization dedicated to promoting ethnically, racially, and culturally diverse artists in Oklahoma’s visual arts community.

In January 2022, Lauren began her work as a plant biology master’s student at the University of Oklahoma. She now studies multiple ecosystem functions relating to soils, plants, and invertebrates, specifically pollinators, with the intent to marry her artist mission and ecological research into a career focused on science communication through artistic projects and public outreach. In addition, she works as a graduate research assistant for the Chickasaw Nation at the South-Central Climate Adaptation Science Center as a Sustainability Science Intern.

Norman Arts Opens Up Submissions for Round Two of 2023/2024 Artist Grants

Norman Arts Council Artist Grants
2023/2024 Round Two
Submission Deadline: 11:59 p.m. CST Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Norman Arts Council operates its artist grant program to serve Norman-based artists and further our creative community. While the longstanding Norman Arts Grant Program has benefited local artists through its support of dozens of arts organizations around town, this furthers NAC’s commitment to directly benefit local artists in a variety of ways.

The program offers three grants of $1,000, each in a different category.

The categories include Community Project, Creative Project and Education/Travel.

• Community Project grants help artists initiate a community-based project that leads to artistic creation. Evaluation is based on quality, the community impact and overall concept. Apply here!

• Creative Project grants support creation of new work or body of work. Evaluation is based on quality of creative opportunity, career building potential, and overall concept. Apply here!

• Education/Travel grants support opportunities to participate in conferences, residencies or workshops that provide education and further one’s artistic practice. Evaluation is based on quality of educational opportunity, career building potential, and overall concept. Apply here!

Artists can apply for all three grant opportunities in each cycle, but a maximum of one grant will be awarded to any artist in a given grant cycle.

Only artists who have resided in Norman for the past 12 months are eligible to apply for the Norman Arts Council Artist Grants. Applying artists must be at least 18 years old.

Questions may be directed to Programs & Development Manager Cher Duncan.

Norman Arts Council Hires New Executive Director to Lead Organization

New Norman Arts Council Executive Director Leslie Nottingham begins work in her role on May 1

After a thorough search and interview process, Norman Arts Council is happy to announce the unanimous board approval to hire Leslie Nottingham as its new Executive Director.

Nottingham has a wide range of work and education experience that make her an ideal fit to lead the organization. She comes to Norman from Ocala, Florida, where she served in a similar role as the Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Ocala. Her responsibilities included overseeing fine arts events, managing cultural programs and serving as a liaison between the city and various local arts organizations.

The NAC Board of Directors appointed an Executive Director Search Committee and contracted with CoSpire Consulting to guide the organization through the process of selecting a new Executive Director to continue Norman Arts’ positive trajectory in the years ahead.

Ultimately, Nottingham was selected as the best candidate to do so. She will begin on Wednesday, May 1, shadowing longtime Executive Director Erinn Gavaghan with plenty of opportunity to learn directly to ensure a smooth transition.

"We wish nothing but the best to Erinn in her next chapter in life. It has truly been an honor to serve with her and watch her make her magic,” Norman Arts Council's Board President and Executive Director Search Committee Chair Dennis Brigham said. “We also are beyond pleased and hopeful with the results of our search. I wish to send a special thank you to the members of the search committee who have worked hard and diligently to arrive at this choice. We are confident that Leslie will be a valuable addition to the Norman Arts Council family and look forward to a very exciting future for our organization and the Arts in Norman."

After 13 years at Norman Arts Council, Gavaghan announced her departure last fall, seeking to move closer to family in the Pacific Northwest. She graduated with her PhD from the University of Oklahoma in Art History this past fall and starts her new role as the Executive Director of The Art Center of Corvallis, Oregon in July.

“It is with great confidence that I hand over the leadership of the NAC to Leslie,” Gavaghan said. “I am very excited for the future of the organization and I am sure, with the NAC’s highly talented staff, that the coming years will be very bright for the NAC with Leslie and the team. I will remain in my position with the NAC through the beginning of June to help Leslie become accustomed to our community and arts programs.”

The change at Norman Arts Council comes as The City of Norman itself eyes growth and evolution amidst the University of Oklahoma’s transition into the Southeastern Conference this summer. Nottingham — with a wealth of diverse job experience and qualifications — seems primed to meet the opportunities and challenges that will come with the shift.

She holds a BFA in Theatre: Stage Management from California Institute of the Arts, an Arts & Its Markets Certificate from Sotheby’s London and an MA in the History of Decorative Art from Corcoran College of Art & Design/The Smithsonian Associates.

After a series of fellowships and internships from the likes of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History and Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, she’s held positions with Christie’s Auction House, Hallmark and Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm.

Nottingham landed at The City of Ocala as the Cultural Arts Supervisor in 2020, overseeing public art projects, Ocala’s First Friday Art Walk, Art Park Series, and serving as a liaison between the city, project managers, community stakeholders, artists and the public.

In early 2023, she was elevated to Cultural Arts Manager, expanding her duties to strategic planning in cooperation with the Ocala Municipal Arts Commission, City departments and City management, as well as fostering broad partnerships with local arts organizations, educational institutions, businesses and the media. Nottingham oversaw fiscal operations, promotional initiatives, networking and staff hiring/training, as well as acting as a resource for entities from across the City interested in bettering the local creative community.

The move to Norman brings Nottingham closer to family in Kansas City. She is avid writer and enjoys traveling, especially to Scotland and England. When not working in the arts, you can find her at a local coffee shop.

“I am thrilled to join the fantastic team at NAC and Norman community,” Nottingham said. “The board has offered such a warm welcome, and I’m eager to get started. I look forward to Erinn’s guidance as I transition into the position. I know she will be missed by all and have very large shoes to fill.”

Norman Arts Council has enriched the Norman community by stimulating artistic, cultural and economic growth through the support and promotion of an inclusive arts community since its formation in 1976.

It is known across the region for its unique Hotel-Motel Tax Grant program, supporting dozens of quality arts & cultural organizations each year, as well as its oversight of Norman’s growing public art collection, organizer behind 2nd Friday Norman Art Walks, operation of MAINSITE Contemporary Art, arts education scholarships, grants to Norman artists and more initiatives directed towards supporting our local creative community and making Norman a vibrant place to live/work in and visit.

Norman Arts Council Seeks Art by Norman Public School Students for Gallery of Norman Artists at City of Norman Development Center

The Norman Arts Council, on behalf of the City of Norman, is seeking submissions from Norman Public School Student Artists for a rotating gallery wall in the new Development Center as part of the City Hall Campus.

Submissions are welcomed by visual artists in any two-dimensional medium who:

• Are in grades kindergarten through 12th in Norman Public Schools

DEADLINE to submit is May 15, 2024 @ 11:59pm

This is a juried exhibition and selected artists will be notified by May 24, 2024

Exhibition Dates: June 4, 2024 – December 31, 2024

Submission Guidelines:

· Artwork must be framed and/or ready to hang with two hanging points on the back, ideally D-rings

· Artists may submit up to two works of art for consideration, each must be a separate submission form

· Maximum size is 48” x 48”

· Total number of works selected will be determined by the selection committee

· All submissions must include a one-paragraph statement of the work

· Works on paper must be framed under glass

· Artwork over 25 pounds will not be considered

The Norman Arts Council will process any art sales from the exhibit. Sold works will remain on exhibit through the end of the exhibition. NAC will retain a 30% commission on any sold works.

All selected work must be delivered to MAINSITE, 122 East Main Street between May 28 and June 1, 2024 during regular hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Work must be delivered ready to exhibit. Any work deemed not ready to hang may be omitted from the exhibit.

Work in the exhibit may be for sale. Please indicate on your checklist the sales price of the work. The Norman Arts Council will retain 30% of all art sales.

Join Us for a Celebration of Artful Inlets: A Community Tour with City Leaders and Artists

The public is invited to join mural artists and representatives from the City of Norman — including city staff and elected officials — for a walkthrough of the latest round of Artful Inlets storm drain murals that will be installed in three north Norman parks this Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12.

Celebration of Artful Inlets: A Community Tour with City Leaders and Artists takes place at 5 p.m. Monday, April 15 at Vineyard Park, 3111 Woodcrest Creek Drive.

This year we will be adding six new murals. They are located in Vineyard Park (3111 Woodcrest Drive), Sequoyah Trail Park (410 Sequoya Trail), and Chisholm’s Cattle Trail Park (2515 Wyandotte Way).

This year’s selected artists include: Ruth Borum Loveland, Reb No Fun, Katie Graham, Asha Chidambaram, Deanna Wong and Sophie Miller.

This in the sixth round of Artful Inlets, in which Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman have invited artists to submit designs that transform city storm infrastructure into works of public art. These artful inlets will educate and raise awareness that pollutants that go down storm drains have a devasting impact on our local water quality.

The City of Norman operates and maintains a series of underground pipes, open channels, ditches, and roadways used to collect or convey stormwater runoff from our homes and businesses to the nearest body of water, such as a creek, stream, or lake. In urban areas, stormwater runoff from hard surfaces, like roofs and driveways, flows along the side of the road until it reaches a storm drain, which is an opening or grate in the curb connected by pipes to the nearest waterbody.  

Water and other materials that enter these storm drains are transported directly to our creeks and streams without any treatment.  Some of the pollutants that enter our local creeks and streams with stormwater runoff include grass clippings, oil, trash, fertilizers, pesticides, and pet waste.

This will make a total of 25 Artful Inlets murals across Norman, including locations in Downtown Norman, Lions Park, Colonial Estates Park and these three north Norman parks.

This year’s theme focuses on the City of Norman’s Blue Neighborhood initiative. A 'blue' neighborhood embraces practices that conserve water, protect water quality, improve soil health, and provide vital habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. The City of Norman's Blue Neighborhoods Program is a new neighborhood initiative to improve water quality in the Lake Thunderbird watershed by providing incentives to encourage water conservation, improve soil health, and provide wildlife habitat. More information can be found here: bit.ly/BlueNeighborhoods

In support of this initiative, all designs for this round of Artful Inlets were directed to include the tag line: Think Blue, Act Green!