Equality Center ‘First Thursday’ features photographs by Lanette Buchanan

(Tulsa, OK) The May Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) ‘First Thursday’ showcase and exhibit of local artists features the photographic works of Lanette Buchanan. The show, beginning with a reception on Thursday, May 2 from 6-9pm, continues throughout the month.

Lanette received her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her interest in photography began during a course in darkroom processing at the Kansas City Art Institute. Lanette entered the field of museum education and worked for the next 12 years at two of Tulsa’s premier art museums. The exhibition, Phases of Anima, explores Lanette’s perception of the phases of a woman’s life: youthful, pregnant, and experienced. In exhibiting these phases, her photographs of the female nude show what she views as societal expectations: women in their youth are viewed as more desirable or “in their prime.” After childbirth and age, women’s bodies change, but as a result, their experiences, wisdom, and knowledge grow.

Lanette says, “In photographing the female figure, I approach the subject the same way I do any object, - recognizing that attached to the figure are personality, soul, emotions, experiences and insecurities. I focus on the lines, shapes, form, light and shadow, and textures of the body. A person’s poses during a photo shoot reveal a great deal about her; whether she intends to or not, a message is conveyed.”

The show begins with a reception on Thursday, May 2 from 6-9pm at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa. There will be a door prize drawn of the artist’s work; the show continues throughout the month.

Founded by a dedicated group of volunteers in 1980, Oklahomans for Equality/OkEq is Oklahoma’s oldest gay rights organization. From testing for HIV/AIDS and hosting the annual Tulsa Pride and Diversity Celebration to operating the Equality Center and documenting the Tulsa LGBT community’s rich history, OkEq works for social justice and full inclusion for Oklahoma’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens and their allies. For more information, see http://www.okeq.org/