Press Release
May 21, 2021
Contact: Jacob Krumwiede
Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-237-1907, ext. 223
jkrumwiede@okhistory.org
www.csrhc.org
“24 Works on Paper” Traveling Exhibit at Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid
ENID, Okla. — “24 Works on Paper,” a traveling exhibition of works by living Oklahoma artists sponsored by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC), is now open at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) in Enid. The exhibition features 24 works of art created on paper, including printmaking, drawing, painting and photography. The 2020–2022 guest curator is heather ahtone, Ph.D., senior curator at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.
“Working on paper is magic,” said ahtone, reflecting on the selection process. “Taking beaten pulp that has been pressed flat, and using its naturally textured surface to one’s advantage requires a certain mastery of the hand and the materials. It was a thoroughly enjoyable process and I am grateful to all the artists who submitted and to OVAC for asking me to participate.”
As guest curator, ahtone selected all the works for this touring exhibition, in addition to awarding the Curator's Choice and Award of Merit cash prizes. Irmgard Geul won the Curator’s Choice Award for “The Forest I Remember,” and Mark Sisson won the Award of Merit for “Portrait of Pouya Jahanshahi: Yearning to Break Free.” Additionally, all artworks are included in a full-color catalog, along with an essay by the curator.
“We are excited to host ‘24 Works on Paper’ because it provides a unique opportunity to host works created by living Oklahoma artists,” said Amy Johnson, curator of collections at the CSRHC.
The exhibition will be on view at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center from May 4 to June 12, 2021, before traveling to four more locations bringing original, contemporary Oklahoma artwork to visitors in communities in all regions of the state. Stops on the exhibition’s tour include the Spider Gallery in Tahlequah and Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Centre Arts Gallery in Durant. OVAC also has a digital catalog and education guide available on its website, www.24works.org, for those who would prefer to enjoy the exhibition from home. A virtual tour of the exhibition is archived online at nbcwigwam.art/exhibitions.
The CSRHC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and masks are required indoors. For more information about the CSRHC, please call 580-237-1907, visit www.csrhc.org or email csrhcinfo@okhistory.org. The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is located at 507 S. Fourth St. in Enid.
The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photographs to accompany the story can be acquired by contacting Jake Krumwiede at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center at jkrumwiede@okhistory.org or 580-237-1907 ext. 223.
