Mid-Del Art Guild Winner's Showcase
The Mid-Del Art Guild held their annual Winner’s Showcase art exhibit reception at the Midwest City Library on Saturday January 5. The back wall of the library features all of the monthly Member’s choice and Judge’s choice winners throughout the year, and the cabinets feature art selected by members just to exhibit.
The Mid-Del Art Guild was founded in 1973 and their purpose is to encourage artists and art appreciation in Eastern Oklahoma country through the promotion of visual arts with lectures, demonstrations and fine art shows.
“I’ve been a member of the guild for a couple of years, I like that they have the instructors that come and demonstrate every month and they have a workshop on the following Saturday that’s usually reasonably priced,” Said artist Susan Schmidt, who had two pieces hanging on the Winner’s Wall. “There’s a variety of mediums that are covered and the artists are excellent and are very sharing with their information. They are a very active guild with lots of opportunities, it’s a very worthwhile organization that every artist should belong to.”
That was definitely a repeated sentiment in talking with all of the different artists present at the reception. Whether it was their first year as a member of the guild, like Danny Phillips, or if they had been a member for 17 years like Sheila Minnich, they all said that the guild provided a great community and fantastic opportunities.
“This is my first art show with the guild. Having the opportunity to come out and show my work is probably the most important reason I decided to join the art guild. I have a passion for it, I get joy out of people enjoying it,” said Phillips.
His painting in the Winner’s Showcase was titled Indian Blanket and was a scenic view of a buffalo.
“I wanted something to reflect Oklahoma, and I think the buffalo kind of says it all. I wanted to capture a time and moment where buffalo did roam here. The theme is Indian blankets, the flowers are Indian blankets and the buffalo hide could be an Indian blanket,” said Phillips.
Another artist in the Winner’s Showcase, Joan Faught, who has been a member of the guild since 2008 told us more about her winning piece as well. It is a collage made out of a variety of materials, including popsicle sticks and a lid from a spam can, although looking at it you would never be able to tell, she made it into such a realistic scene.
“It’s the view from shanty town, it’s a collage combined with just a little bit of painting. It’s a social commentary in that it’s meant to show the contrast between abject poverty and downtown and they are always just right across from one another, including in Oklahoma city,” explained Faught.
New guild president Madeline Dillner, and Vice-President Jan Royce were on hand as well to talk about the different opportunities and reasons to join the guild, while also showing their art. Royce has a couple of pieces in the cabinet, one painting of an Okinawa Garden and one of a field of wildflowers, both colorful and realistic.
“Being a member of the guild is a great way to get to know artists of all levels and all media, we have a bit of it all. It’s great to be around that at least once a month. We’re always welcoming new artists, and I really encourage people to come out and take a look,” said Dillner.
The Guild has meetings at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, except for September. The meetings are held at the Tom Steed Community Learning Center, located in the Rose State College Campus. You can attend two meetings for free before joining the guild, to just check it all out and to see if you like it.
You can visit their website for more information at www.mid-delartguild.com, and follow their Facebook page to keep up to date with their activities.