Combined works of art at OkEq in March

The March Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) showcase and exhibit of local artists will feature the combined works of Christina Rhodes, Janet Fadler Davie, Nels Sterling Bentson and Di Klepac beginning with a reception on Thursday, March 3rd from 6-9pm and continuing throughout the month.

This exhibit will be an exciting group showing of new works which will include urban and rural perspectives.

Christina Rhodes is mostly self-taught. She has many passions, including jewelry design and creation - incorporating people's sentimental older pieces of jewelry into the center piece of her new interpretation; her current consuming passion is using acrylics as her painting medium while exploring different subject matter. Her creativity comes from deep within herself and she finds inspiration in everyday life.

For more than thirty years, Janet Fadler Davie has created her art in the form of murals, decorative painting on furniture and faux finishes in homes and businesses throughout Tulsa and across the United States and Mexico. Janet has developed a wide array of decorative painting skills. She is the owner of “The Artist's Loft” - a working studio specializing in high craft and furniture repurposing. Janet's artwork has been published in Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, Oklahoma Magazine and Tulsa People.

Nels Sterling Bentson has shown her art throughout the United States. She creates her art in a variety of mediums but her favorite is painted canvas with works varying in size from miniatures to wall murals, along with commissioned pieces. She speaks of her art: “I like all art and I love water based paint most. I believe water is a spiritual element and transfers a magical effect when the artist and the color moves on the surface of the work. I hope the combination of water and paint will make magic for you also. I feel that Spirit moves the water which moves the paint as I let it work”. She has a B.F.A. in Fine Arts and Art Education from the University of Oklahoma.

 Di Klepac, originally from the Austin area, has lived in Tulsa for over two decades. Di paints what she sees in her subjects, bringing unique meaning to her art. Di’s use of color and forceful strokes in textured tempura reach deep into the soul of the subject matter and pull out the artist’s visions that live on that canvas. She says of her work: “The foremost concern in my work has always been a search for subject matter. My paintings usually reflect an unconscious dream in which the creations are part of the waking world of the dreamer.

“Diversity and quality are always what I hope for in my works - and that hope is a work in progress.”

The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center is located at 621 E. 4th Street in Downtown Tulsa. These combined works will begin with a reception on Thursday, March 3 from 6-9pm where there will be a door prize drawn of the artist’s work; the show continues throughout the month. www.okeq.org.

Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) is Oklahoma’s oldest gay rights organization. From testing for HIV/AIDS, hosting the annual Tulsa Pride and Diversity Celebration to operating the Equality Center, OkEq works for social justice and full inclusion for Oklahoma’s LGBT citizens and their allies.

The Gayly -b 2/28/2016 @ 8:02 a.m. CST