Normal, OK at Legacy Bank, Edmond, 2009.12.09

Normal, OK: Magnolia Black. Acrylic, collage and prismacolor on canvas. Click image to view source.
Legacy Bank Features Contemporary Oklahoman Artist in Edmond   OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Legacy Bank is currently featuring the art work of contemporary Oklahoman artist Sarah Atlee at the location at 15th and Bryant in Edmond’s Spring Creek Village as part of a program called Art Matters. Art Matters is a program initiated by Legacy Bank to support noteworthy artists in our local community.

Here’s a fun game to play in the car: When you pass a road sign that has two town names on it, pretend they are the first and last names of a person. Invent a personality to go with that name. Who is this person? Where did they come from? What do they do for a living? What are their hobbies? Sarah Atlee has played this game enough to populate an entire imaginary community.

“Normal, OK is a fictional construct, a place in my head, based on real places around me,” says Atlee. “In Normal, everyone has a second job, a quiet dream, a lost love, or a former life. Normal is a town of entrepreneurs, artists, upstanding citizens, troublemakers, friends, and a few enemies. I hope you enjoy your visit.”

Please join me at the Legacy Bank Holiday Open House on Wednesday, December 9th, from 11 am to 2 pm. I will be there sketching from 11:00 until closing time at 5:00. Click here to learn more about Normal, OK.

60 Artists : 60 Minutes, OKC Underground 2009.07.23

What a concept for a show. On June 6th of this year, 60 people gathered at Leadership Square in downtown OKC. Each person was handed a disposable camera by romy owens. Each person had one hour and one roll of film on which to capture downtown as they saw it. At the end of the hour, all 60 cameras were returned to romy for development. romy then chose one shot from each roll of film to mat and frame. The 60 photographs will be on display in the Underground Invited Artist Gallery from July 23 through October 15, 2009.

Please join us for an opening reception this Thursday July 23, 5 to 7 pm. The closest street entrance to the Underground is at Leadership Square.

When I went out for the shoot, I took my digital camera along. (Only 36 frames? On a roll of film? Don't fence me in!) romy has carefully concealed the 60 shots she has chosen, so I don't know which of my photos will be in the show. (If you are Facebook friends with romy, you can see the runners-up in her photos.) However, below are some of my favorite "other" shots from that day. Click any image to see larger.

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Tiles

Jesus Saves Bindery I

Back To Normal now open at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum

Installation view of Back to Normal, photo by romy owens.

My new solo show, Back to Normal: Normal, OK Revisited, is now open at the Gaylord Pickens Museum in Oklahoma City. Come on down!

I'll be giving a public talk in the gallery on Saturday July 18th at 2 pm.

Meet some of the Normal people in here.

This post is part of NaBloPoMo for July 2009.

Profile on the Society of Illustrators LA Blog

Margaret V, acrylic and graphite on masonite, 2005 by Sarah Atlee

The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles blog has posted a profile of me and my work. Click here to read it. Thank you, SILA, for providing your members with an online gallery, and helping the public get to know us a little better.

Hinton Geary Accepted to Society of Illustrators

Normal, OK: Hinton Geary, ink and collage on found fabric.

I'm pleased to announce that Hinton Geary from the Normal, OK series has been accepted to the Society of Illustrators 51st Annual book and exhibition. Ever since I learned about the S of I, I've wanted to be a part of it. My painting Let's Make Some Undies was in the student show in 2005. This will be my first time showing at the Society (or anyplace in NYC) as a professional.

Hinton will be in the Book Illustration category, representing Normal, OK: The Book (which you can order by clicking here).

The exhibition opens at the Society of Illustrators in NYC on January 28th 2009. The awards ceremony for the Book and Editorial categories will be on February 6th. God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be there.