Red Velvet Coat - Norma Brown

Although Norma Brown specializes in Impressionistic oils of English gardens and landscapes, traveling often to paint on location in England, Scotland and Israel, she is a versatile painter also comfortable with diverse media, including watercolor, acrylic and charcoal.  “Varying both the subject matter and the media is important to me” Norma says.  “It keeps my work from being static, and I learn something new with each piece.  I have learned to develop themes from the natural or accidental confluence of line and color so that my work has become interpretative rather than photographic in style.” Norma’s hope is that “my work is a contribution to the times; a tract or footprint of individuality which shares a bit of the art spirit with fellow strugglers - artist and non-artist alike.” 

Photograph by Nathan Brown

Son Nathan Brown, the second generation, expresses his artistic talents in poetry, music and photography.  A series of his most recent photographs will be included in the exhibition.

“Most of these photos come from my father's home town, Cyril, Oklahoma . . . as well as Santa Fe.  My main concern is ‘found art.’ I do not ‘set up’ shots. They have to be exactly what I found when I walked up.  I'm fascinated by accidental art. In dad's home town, it was a junk yard that has since been torn down.  In Santa Fe, it was a snow storm bigger than anything locals said they had seen in 30 years.”

Nathan Brown worked as a professional songwriter and musician for more than fifteen years in and around Oklahoma City, Nashville, and Austin. He has also performed in Israel and Russia, and worked with artists like Cynthia Clawson, Billy Crockett, and Tom Wopat. He has recorded five of his own albums.  The two most recent are "Why in the Road" and "Driftin' Away."

Nathan holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in English and Journalism from the University of Oklahoma.  In the fall of 2005, he served as the Artist-in-Residence at the University of Central Oklahoma.  Currently, he teaches for the Human Relations and Liberal Studies departments at the University of Oklahoma.

Nathan travels widely, offering readings, creativity workshops and photography exhibitions in an effort to bring back the hint of a smile and the hope for a good story in poems . . . poems unafraid of making sense . . . poems that carry us to better places.  He published Hobson's Choice, in 2002 and, just recently, two new books of poetry: Ashes over the Southwest and Suffer the Little Voices (a finalist for the 2006 Oklahoma Book Award).

Nathan’s daughter Sierra, the third generation in the exhibit, frequently travels with her father and “looks for her own moments.” “She will not have many pictures in the show,” says her father, “but she does have a great little eye.”

Performing Arts Studio Gallery Exhibitions are made possible in part by grants from the Norman Arts Council, the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00.

For additional information, call the PAS at 405-307-9320.