Tulsa’s First Thursday exhibit opens tonight, Sept. 4

Oklahomans for Equality’s (OkEq) showcase and exhibit for September features the works of mixed-media artist Steve Tomlin, in a show that begins with a reception on Thursday, September 4 from 6-9pm. The show continues throughout the month. 

Looking at the broad spectrum of his work, Tomlin works in mixed media. However, he excels in manipulating contemporary acrylics on bold expressionistic canvases. Lately his passion has been dealing with the basic elements and principles of art. Steve says, “Without subject matter, the artist must depend on his heart and soul to orchestrate the beauty of art into the flat surface.”

Tomlin is a graduate of Kansas State College and Pittsburg State University and holds an MS in Art Education. He has created art and instructed budding artists in Tulsa for over 35 years. He is the recipient of awards in both art education and painting.

The 1999 Tulsa Mayfest poster was his creation. He was a featured artist at Philbrook’s Festival of Trees in 2000 and the spotlight artist for the Gilcrease International Miniature Show in 2007. He has had numerous one-man shows in Oklahoma and elsewhere. Tomlin’s work has been shown in many galleries over the years and is now represented by Tulsa’s M. A. Doran Gallery and Paseo Gallery One in Oklahoma City. He has served on the boards of numerous art organizations and still finds time to teach private students.

Steve says, “Every day, my goal is to disappear in the studio; to become an extension of the brush handle….an equal participant within the creative process. I believe people who create, feel a social obligation to do so. The world’s cultures, both thriving and extinct, are measured first and foremost by its successful developments in art.

“Artists today have that calling to attain a higher level. There is a collective consciousness that is realized by artists all over the world. I enjoy the comfort of belonging to the creative segment of society. The only competition in the art world is between what I created yesterday and what I create today.

The show begins with a reception at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street in downtown Tulsa, on Thursday, September 4 from 6-9pm. 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 www.okeq.org

The Gayly – September 4, 2014 @ 10:25am