Places, Faces and Spaces in Tulsa

“Barber,” by Linda Dunbar. Photo provided.

November will bring a month of Places, Faces and Spaces at Oklahomans for Equality’s (OkEq) showcase and exhibit of local artists. Each month brings a new show by a different artist.

The month-long event at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center will begin with a reception on Thursday, November 1, from 6-9 p.m., and features work of Carla Hefley and Linda Dunbar. Their art will be on display throughout the month at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.

These two skilled and award-winning visual artists paint in oils, acrylics, and watercolor, trying to capture the places, faces, and spaces of Tulsa.

Hefley is inspired by the inside world. She may eat somewhere, get her hair cut or walk into a home in Tulsa and find the perfect scene to inspire her. She happens upon the accidental still life, the camera is out, and she snaps a photo to take to the studio and makes it appear on canvas – the Ah-ha moment recreated.

This artist was born in Tulsa but grew up in Broken Arrow. Married for 40 plus years and managing a business with her husband, Tulsa has been her home. Time spent raising two daughters and now, enjoying the time spent with her granddaughter, she now has embarked on a new career path with creating art.

Dunbar paints many things but excels in the portrait. She captures the perfect look and feel of the faces of Tulsa. She is inspired by many mediums and genres, but portraits are her game. She is also adept in capturing many places outside, en plein air.

Dunbar always intended to be an artist but lost her way. She had a degree in education from a very good school, but she even dropped that to raise a splendid family. Then, she only wanted to focus on art.

She muses, “Many things inspire me, so I don't limit myself to one genre or one medium. I've been told I excel at portraits, but they are so different each time I will never have enough time to learn all the nuances in a face. I am in love with abstracts and contemporary art, but some days I feel the need for realism.  Art is so brilliant and thrilling to me I never tire of it in any way.”
These two artists capture places, faces, and spaces in Tulsa.

The show begins with a reception on Thursday, November 1, from 6-9 p.m. at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, located at 621 E. 4th Street in Downtown Tulsa. There will be a door prize drawn at the reception with the winner receiving a piece of work from the artist. The show continues throughout November.

Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) seeks equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. www.okeq.org.



“Apples and Lemons,” by Carla Hefley.

The Gayly. 10/28/2018 @ 11:42 a.m. CST.