From Philadelphia to Oklahoma City: The Story Behind a Meaningful Artistic Collaboration

Photography from Studio Incamminati

By Susan McCalmonT

This September, 1515 Lincoln Gallery will proudly collaborate with Philadelphia-based Studio Incamminati, one of the country's leading schools of contemporary realist art founded by the late master painter Nelson Shanks. Together, we'll present Shanks Family Tradition, an exhibition celebrating the artistic lineage that shaped Nelson's work, alongside Mastering the Portrait, a two-day workshop that brings this tradition directly to Oklahoma City's artistic community.

This partnership is especially meaningful to me, as it grew out of a friendship that started more than 40 years ago. I had the privilege of knowing Nelson personally, decades before he founded Studio Incamminati. I came to admire not only his extraordinary talent as a painter, but his unwavering commitment to artistic excellence and education.

As I reflect on how this collaboration came together, I'm reminded that the most meaningful connections rarely happen by chance. They grow from nurtured relationships and shared beliefs. Both Nelson and I believed that artistic knowledge is meant to be passed down from one generation to the next. That’s exactly what this partnership represents, and why I’m so excited to bring it to our community his fall.

A Friendship That Sparked a Lasting Connection

I first met Nelson in 1984 when he painted me as an example of his portraiture style for the New York gallery Portraits, Inc. What started as a professional commission quickly grew into a lasting friendship.

Years later, our paths crossed again when Nelson came to Oklahoma for a residency at the University of Oklahoma in partnership with the Fred Jones Museum of Art. During his visit, he led master classes and presented an exhibition that included the portrait he had painted of me years before.

Watching Nelson teach was just as inspiring as watching him paint. He had an incredible ability to communicate not only technique, but also the discipline and respect for tradition that defined his own practice.

When he passed away in 2015, the world lost one of its great realist painters. But his greatest legacy wasn’t simply his impressive body of work. It was the passion for learning and artistic excellence that’s lived on in the artists who studied with him and were inspired by his methods.

His commitment became the foundation of Studio Incamminati, a school dedicated to preserving the traditions of representational painting through rigorous training. Today, that legacy continues through its faculty, alumni, and Nelson's own children, who will join us in Oklahoma City this September to teach and exhibit as part of the studio’s collaboration with 1515 LG.

1515 LG and Studio Incamminati’s Shared Vision

One of the reasons I've always admired Studio Incamminati is because I believe in its philosophy. Nelson devoted his life to studying the great masters, particularly the painters of the Italian Renaissance and artists like John Singer Sargent. Under the mentorship of Henry Hensche, he developed an extraordinary understanding of light and color, which served as the foundation of the curriculum he later created for Studio Incamminati.

Representational realism has fascinated me since I was young and has greatly influenced my experience as a collector. I've always admired artists who dedicate themselves to mastering their technique while building upon those that came before them. It’s those same values that are at the heart of Studio Incamminati.

Over the years, I’ve stayed in contact with the school and watched with admiration as they’ve carried Nelson’s curriculum forward. I was delighted a few years ago when I learned there were three Incamminati-trained artists living and working in Oklahoma City. One of them was Chris Brizzard, whom I eventually invited to join 1515 Lincoln Gallery's roster of consigned artists.

Seeing the school's influence already taking root in our own community reinforced how naturally our organizations aligned. We both share a commitment to artistic mastery and preserving the traditions of representational art while ensuring they continue to inspire new waves of artists.

Our shared vision will come to life this September with Shanks Family Tradition, on view September 9–26, opening on September 10th, and curated by Chris Brizzard. The exhibition explores the artistic lineage that shaped Nelson Shanks, tracing a tradition of painters whose techniques were passed from master to student across generations continuing through Studio Incamminati today.

The collaboration extends beyond the gallery walls. On September 12 and 13, Annalisa and Alexander Shanks, Nelson's daughter and son, will join Studio Incamminati instructor Stephen Bush to lead Mastering the Portrait, a two-day workshop exploring every stage of realistic portrait drawing and painting, from gesture and light to color, edges, and finishing detail. Together, the exhibition and workshop will offer Oklahoma City's artistic community a rare opportunity to experience this tradition firsthand.

What Studio Incamminati Means to Its Artists

Chris's experience offers valuable insight into what makes Studio Incamminati's approach so unique. When he was considering where to continue his education, he was deciding between Studio Incamminati and the Florence Academy of Art. After comparing the faculty, student work, and curriculums, he found himself especially drawn to the Incamminati method.

 “I found the Incamminati approach — starting with a gesture and then building structure, form and color on top of that — to be the most interesting and something that I wanted to learn how to do,” Chris explained.

That progression, from gesture to structure and eventually to color, reflects the school's commitment to building strong foundations rather than searching for shortcuts.

The experience was demanding. Chris described his time there as “basically like boot camp,” explaining that every student starts at the same point, regardless of experience, and relies on “tons of repetition and practice” to create habits that eventually become part of how an artist works and thinks.

This kind of discipline isn’t always easy, but it can transform an artist’s relationship with the creative process. Chris says he still hears the voices of his instructors when he works. Depending on what a painting needs, he might remember someone saying, “Stand back and squint!” or “Compare your values!” He also continues to think about the importance of planes in painting, a concept one of his teachers introduced him to and one he still finds fascinating today.

One of his biggest breakthroughs came through gesture drawing. During his first year, he practiced it several times a week, but struggled to let go of his desire to create a “good” drawing. After months of resistance, something shifted.

“After about six or seven months of this, I reached a point where I let go of that,” Chris recalled, “And when I did, I felt that I made a breakthrough and was finally able to loosen up.”

His experience captures something essential about artistic education: growth often requires artists to move beyond perfection, so they can trust the process and allow repetition to change the way they see and respond.

When I asked Chris why institutions like Studio Incamminati remain important, he replied, “A sense of tradition and lineage in art is very important to me. Incredible breakthroughs have been made in the past — why ignore them?”

He explained that Studio Incamminati is distinct in how its approach to color is inspired by the Impressionists, while its understanding of structure, form, and gesture is linked to the Italian Renaissance. In his words, “This is a powerful combination that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Chris perfectly captures what I’ve I long admired about the school. Rather than preserving tradition for tradition's sake, the school equips artists to build upon it, ensuring those lessons continue to inspire future generations.

Building a Lasting Artistic Relationship

My hope is that this exhibition and workshop mark only the beginning of 1515 LG’s relationship with Studio Incamminati. This doesn't currently exist in Oklahoma City, and I believe it has the potential to strengthen our cultural landscape by creating new opportunities for our community.

Chris shares that vision. He imagines 1515 LG hosting future exhibitions featuring Studio Incamminati faculty, alumni, and students, while also serving as a place where instructors can return to lead workshops.

I share his hope. Five years from now, I won't measure the success of this collaboration simply by the number of exhibitions we've presented together. I'll measure it by the relationships we've built, the artists we've supported, and the opportunities we've created for people to connect through art.

Looking back, it's incredible to think this all began with a portrait painted more than four decades ago. What started as a friendship with Nelson has grown into an opportunity to carry forward the values he cared about most.

To me, that's the true significance of this partnership. It honors Nelson's legacy while creating new opportunities for artists and audiences here in Oklahoma City, and I hope it's only the beginning.