What to do in Oklahoma on Sept. 28, 2009
“Alice” by Matthew Moffett
Today’s featured event:
View “Dog Show,” an exhibit of pet portraits created by Tulsa artist Matthew Moffett, in the East Gallery of the state Capitol.
For many people, the animals we own become family members rather than just family pets and losing one can be just as painful. Moffett started to paint when one of his dogs died of a sudden aneurism and he wanted to commemorate his companion. When he wanted to memorialize his lost friend, he searched for an artist to create a portrait. Not satisfied with the available options for a pet portrait, Moffett decided he would give it a try himself.
The result was not only a portrait which captured the qualities of his beloved dog, but a whole new career was discovered as well. To date, Moffett has painted more than 1,000 pet portraits that are included in collections all over the world, including those of President Gerald Ford and former OU Coach Barry Switzer. His work is not limited to pet portraits; he is an accomplished painter of still-life, cityscapes, and landscapes as well, and he is the owner of a successful artist studio in Tulsa.
A former elementary art teacher, Moffett is currently the director and co-founder of the Tulsa Girls Art School Project. This nonprofit organization provides art instruction and supplies for underprivileged girls in urban elementary schools so that they can develop their own art style and have shows of their art work. All students manage the funds from their show sales in micro-bank accounts within the organization, from which they can buy personal art supplies, pay for shows or supplies and/or college savings bonds for their future studies.
Moffett received a bachelor’s degree at the University of Tulsa and studied Spanish at the Universidad de Malaga, Spain. With no formal art training, Moffett has developed a recognizable style of loose realism marked by bold colors and sweeping lines. He describes his paintings as visual prayers and says there is deep meaning within every work he creates.
“Painting should capture the viewer and take them on a journey,” Moffett says in a news release. “I believe that art is for everybody. Passion for art is something that we nourish and relish as a child and seem to lose in our adulthood. I am lucky because a series of events led me back to creating art and being an artist.”
Curated by the Oklahoma Arts Council, “Dog Show” will be on display in the first floor of Capitol in the East Gallery through Nov.1. The East Gallery is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, go to www.arts.ok.gov.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment