First Anniversary
We are delighted to celebrate the anniversary of 1515 Lincoln Gallery's first year in business. Reflecting on the year, seeing how we have grown, made connections, and showcased Oklahoma City's thriving artistic community is rewarding.
We kicked off the year with two joint exhibitions. In January, our gallery hosted the thought-provoking, culture-clashing artworks of Dragana Milovic and XVALA in their exhibition, Geometric Synergy of Art & Architecture and Billion Dollar Meme$. Artists Skip Hill and Nathan Lee graced us in March with their show, The Shaman and the Alchemist, which featured two distinct creative processes and mediums through Hill's paintings and Lee's mixed media sculptures. In April 1515, Lincoln Gallery created a new Meet the Artist series to further our efforts to develop lasting connections and grow our artistic community. The open artist talks have evolved into intimate and respectful spaces where artists and collectors can exchange ideas and have engaging conversations about art and life.
Tunde Darvay and John Wolfe brought their exhibition, Local Spaces / Cosmopolitan Visions and A Place Behind the Sun, to the gallery in the spring. The shared exposition featured Darvay's whimsical paintings on uniquely shaped wood surfaces and Wolfe's daring sculptures crafted from found wood, steel, and ceramic pieces. In May, we held our first Collector's Circle Art & Culture Trip to Montreal to connect art and exploration in unforgettable travel experiences. While in Montreal, we met consigned artist Demetrios Papakostas and visited his studio and Galerie ERGA. Our group of art lovers and collectors explored Montreal's vibrant cultural city and world-renowned contemporary art in museums, restaurants, and galleries.
Our summer shows were vivid commentaries on contemporary American culture. In his summer exhibition, Toys, Decoys, and Aggregated Myths, George Oswalt took us through hyperrealities and synthetic fairy tales. Daniel Edwards' exhibition, Portraits of Greatness: trailblazers of Civil Rights, featured a selection of the artists' pertinent portrait sculptures of trail-blazing musicians and civil rights activists.
Leading into autumn, outdoor painter Katherine Liontas Warren shared her love for the environment in plein air charcoal and watercolors for her exhibition, Nature's Wonders. From surgeon to artist, James Cobb captures the world around him in acute detail with his paintings, which he showcased in his autumn exhibition, Landscapes and Still-Life. To finish the year with a bang, Demetrios Papakostas visited Oklahoma City for his show Along These Lines. Through hard edge and geometric abstraction, Demetrios explores the linearity of experience and how art can capture the shifts we face in our life journeys. After visiting Demetrios on his Canadian home turf, it was an absolute pleasure to have him attend the exhibition opening and host a Meet the Artist event where he discussed his artwork and creative journey.
Alongside our exhibition schedule, we introduced new offerings at the gallery, such as our private viewing experience. The new offering is a tailored experience allowing first-time art buyers and seasoned collectors to visit our extensive archive collection and discover artworks with unfettered access. Our private viewing experience aims to help first-time art buyers and seasoned collectors discover hidden treasures that spark connection and foster meaningful connections through art ownership. This year, we also introduced an exciting food and wine experience championed by chef Nancy Black at our new 1515 Café and for private events. Our food and wine offerings include custom lunch menus, delicious wine, and culinary events to excite your tastebuds and enhance your gallery visit.
It has been valuable to reflect with the 1515 Lincoln Gallery team on the highlights of our year and what we hoped for the year ahead. For our Gallery Assistant, Carly Bixler, joining the team after graduating from Oklahoma University with an art history degree has been an invaluable experience. "From art installation to handling client services, I have already learned so much and am beyond happy to be building a repertoire of skills and experiences here at 1515 Lincoln Gallery," says Carly. She has thrived in helping clients discover art they love and is looking forward to the exhibitions coming in the new year. "We have such a wide variety of artists that we represent with many different styles, making our revolving door of exhibitions even more exciting because they are ever-changing and diverse. Working at 1515 Lincoln Gallery means contributing to Oklahoma City’s artistic community and encouraging art collection and appreciation," says Carly.
Metra Taleghanifard, 1515 Lincoln Gallery's Art Inventory Manager, has enjoyed developing closer relationships with consigned artists over the last year. For Metra, 2023 was about learning to adapt and be innovative in her problem-solving and fostering connections with new and existing artists. "1515 Lincoln Gallery is unique because of the bonds we have as colleagues, with Susan, and with the artistic community," says Metra. Team member Patrick Reynolds says a personal highlight this past year was honing his installation skills. He says, "It has been great learning how to install shows that are sensitive to the space's architecture and the viewer's perception while being seamless at the same time. When crafting a visitor experience, everything counts!" Patrick looks forward to growing the attendance of the gallery's diverse programming and online audience. "1515 differs from other galleries in the range of experiences we provide clients, and I'm looking forward to building upon our work from this year," says Patrick.
At 1515 Lincoln Gallery, we believe art brings people together and lifts them through hardships and triumphs. This year has been a personally difficult one for me with the passing of my husband, a caring man with a deep love for the arts. There are no words to truly describe the experience of grief and loss of my husband, but I find comfort in the compassion of 1515 Lincoln Gallery's community and the support of my team. My husband's passion for the arts lives on in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery and the cherished artistic space we have created together.
When we launched the 1515 Lincoln Gallery a year ago, I wanted to remove the preconceived limitations that most people have of galleries. Together, we sought to create an expansive space for art that goes beyond commodity into community and connection. As I said in a previous blog, Artistic Values, creativity connects all elements of our society, defining our culture and shaping our futures. The arts never fail to touch our collective humanity as we experience the world through the creative spark of another. With your help, we have begun the journey of making the 1515 Lincoln Gallery into the embodiment of these dreams and values, and for that, I am deeply grateful. The incredible artistic community building at 1515 Lincoln Gallery has helped me, our team, and many visitors inspire, heal, and nurture meaningful connections with others who love art. We thank you for your support in 2023 and look forward to another exciting year of artistic community and connection in 2024!
