FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                      April 24, 2006 

INAUGURAL ART AFFAIR AT RUNNYMEDE TO SHOWCASE NORTHWESTERN ARTISTS 

            More than 25 winning pieces of art from the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Art Society Art Show will be on display in the newly restored Runnymede Hotel May 2 and 3.

            The show will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 2 for lunchtime viewers to enjoy. A reception with refreshments will take place later in the day from 7 to 9 p.m. where many of the winning Northwestern employee and student artists will be in attendance.

            On May 3, the show is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

            Each visitor to the Runnymede show will have the opportunity to vote for a “People’s Choice” winner from among the items on display. Dr. Kenneth Brown, retired Northwestern professor and manager of the Runnymede, said that a local donor has funded a $50 award for this winner.

            Brown said that the extension of Northwestern’s art show will be the inaugural art affair at the Runnymede.

            “The Runnymede committee members have spoken of the Runnymede in many terms and one of those is Alva’s cultural center,” Brown said. “Thus far, the events that we have had centered pretty well on celebrating something or someone. This is an event that focuses on art. We see it as an opening of a series that will feature local and area artists. We’re learning how to best use the facility and welcome comments and advice from artists who might be involved.”

            Angelia Case, sponsor of the Northwestern Art Society that has brought the art show to the Northwestern community for the third time, is excited about the opportunity to further showcase the talents of Northwestern employees and students.

            “The Art Society is so excited that a continuation of our third campus show will be the first to be exhibited at this brand new facility,” Case said. “We were happy to accept the invitation that Dr. Brown extended to us to make this happen.”

            This year, the campus show had 16 university employees and 23 students having works of art on display.

            Case said that the individuals whose items placed first, which also include the division winners and Best of Show pieces, are those items that will be on display at the Runnymede. Northwestern’s “People’s Choice” winner also will have artwork on display downtown.

            Divisions in Northwestern’s show include painting, graphics, photography, textiles and 3D/functional art. Some of the categories included in these divisions include pen and ink, pencil, watercolor, oils and acrylic painting, needlepoint, quilts, ceramics, wood turned items and carved sculpture.

            The Runnymede is owned and operated by the Nescatunga Arts and Humanities Society, which sponsors the annual Nescatunga Arts Festival on the Square each year on the first Saturday in June.

            For more information or to express interest in showing art at the Runnymede, please make suggestions and ideas known to Brown at 1102 Locust St., Alva, OK 73717 or call him at (580) 327-2467.

-NW-

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