Each First Friday of the month, the community is invited to stroll the historic Paseo Arts District. All of the Paseo galleries have reopened, some with abbreviated hours, and most will be open late for First Friday. Restaurants will be open for dining in, patio seating and takeout. All guests are required to wear a mask, practice social distancing and use provided hand sanitizer when shopping. This month’s First Friday is October 2, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Paseo Arts & Creativity Center (PACC) presents two new exhibitions – in Gallery One, “Curiosities Meets Zen” features the assemblage and mixed media works of Mark Brudzinski and Stephanie Brudzinski, and in Gallery Two, an exhibit by the Dorothy Woolbright Painters. Both will open with a reception during First Friday and be on display October 2-31 in the PACC at 3024 Paseo.
Created with fragments of paper and recycled imagery collected from her daily life and wanderings, Stephanie Ferguson-Brudzinski’s works are inspired by the tranquility of the Asian culture and often-overlooked backgrounds, colors, textures, shapes, and negative spaces in everyday printed materials. After years of experimentation in various art forms, Mark has chosen assemblage and mixed media as his preferred medium of expression. His pieces, often based on inspirational quotations and photos, utilize found and repurposed objects. They are then combined and manipulated to convey his interpretation of these items. The collaboration of Stephanie and Mark’s work melds their viewpoints from the different worlds, but share an appreciation of the aesthetic and emotional impact possible in combinations of seemingly unrelated objects. This juxtaposition creates results much greater than the sum of their humble parts: everything from rusty nails and old watches to pink dolls and geishas.
The Dorothy Woolbright Painters are a small but powerful group accomplished oil painters who are continuing their studies in alla prima works and studio production of artworks. Many of them travel to collect direct observations of landscapes, cityscapes and figures in life. They frequently work from still life settings to hone observation skills and connect to a sense of time, place and atmosphere and react to what is directly presented in the moment. They enjoy the camaraderie of working together and sharing their love and appreciation of all types of art.
Oklahoma City’s Unique Arts Destination, the Paseo Arts District is located between NW 27th & 30th Streets and Walker & Hudson. Each First Friday, Paseo galleries offer special themed exhibits, refreshments, guest artists and a variety of live entertainment - all within walking distance. Ten restaurants and a handful of shops round out the Paseo’s distinctive atmosphere.
For more information, call the Paseo Arts Association at (405) 525-2688 or email amanda@thepaseo.org. Visit thepaseo.org/join for membership information.