NOC art students earn honors at Alva art show

Two freshman Northern Oklahoma College art majors took honors at the 2020 Regional Biennial Juried Show at Graceful Arts Center in Alva.

Zoe Oxford, Tonkawa, won Best of Show and 1st Place in Sculpture for her piece titled: Cross Sections of Mo. The work is an abstracted self-portrait made with wood and paint and was created in the course: Fundamentals of Three-Dimensional Design under the direction of NOC Art Faculty Audrey Schmitz.

Kelsey Grigg, Enid, won Honorable Mention for her gridded drawing Foxes and Cicadas. Her graphite and colored pencil work was created in the NOC course: Fundamentals of Two-Dimensional Design under the direction of Faculty Jena Kodesh.

Oxford’s artist statement about Cross Sections of Mo reveals that she, “was inspired throughout this piece by the work of Marisol Escobar. This was my first time to work with wood materials for an art piece. I typically work with oil paints, digitally, or with traditional paper and pencil.”

Grigg had two grid drawings accepted into the exhibit and shares, “One way to look at a grid is as the map of the artist. It can be a guide when navigating unfamiliar territory or a waypoint at a forking road.  I am reminded as I look around at my fellow classmates and peers of our uniqueness. We all interpret the maps and grids set before us differently.  This body of work gives a glimpse into the different ways I interpret what using a grid means to me.”

Juror for the exhibit was Kyle Larson, Assistant Professor of Art and Director of Visual Arts at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.  Graceful Arts Gallery will display the work through the month of November.

Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services which create life-changing experiences and develop students as effective learners and leaders within their communities in a connected, ever changing world.

NOC, a public two-year community college, serves 5,700 students on the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater, online, and the University Center in Ponca City. Of these students about 60% receive financial aid and/or scholarships.  Over 80% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.

NOC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science.  The associate degree fulfills lower-division course work which is applicable towards a bachelor’s degree.

Call (580) 628-6200 for more information about Northern Oklahoma College or visit www.noc.edu .

PHOTO: Below:  A view of Cross Sections of Mo by Zoe Oxford awarded “Best of Show” and “First Place in Sculpture.”  (photo by Audrey Schmitz)

PHOTO, Below:  View of Foxes and Cicadas by Kelsey Grigg awarded “Honorable Mention” in Drawing. (photo by Audrey Schmitz)