NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2008

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Ann Dee Lee
Public Information Director
Oklahoma Arts Council
(405) 521-2931
anndee@arts.ok.gov

NEW WORKS BY NORMAN ARTIST EXHIBITED AT THE STATE CAPITOL

Oklahoma City, OK – Norman artist Corazon Watkins captures nostalgic memories of her past in an exhibit titled A Return to Innocence on display in the Governor’s Gallery at the State Capitol from May 26th to July 27th, 2008. The Governor’s Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the State Capitol and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30-5:00.

Watkins says her works reflects a simplicity of form and color. “Some pieces have texts that were written surreptitiously on canvas. I prefer to create paintings that affect me personally and/or express my feelings as an Asian immigrant and now a transplanted American. Nostalgic memories of my past, my heritage, and my view of the current social, religious, and political views are also suggested - some are done in a satirical approach and some in a more serious tone,” she explained.

Originally from the Philippines, Watkins has been an American citizen since 1976 and has been a practicing studio artist for more than 20 years. Her paintings have been featured in Oklahoma exhibitions including the City Arts Center in Oklahoma City, Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa and the Leslie Powell Gallery in Lawton. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and received several awards and fellowships for her sculpture and painting including a residency in painting at the Fundación Valparaiso in Elmiria, Spain.

Besides her undergraduate degree from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, and her master’s from the University of Oklahoma, Watkins is a member of the Oklahoma Visual Artist Coalition’s Think Tank. She has taught art at the University of Oklahoma and is a member of the Firehouse Art Center’s board of directors in Norman and has directed children’s activities there.

For more information, contact Ann Dee Lee, Public Relations Director, Oklahoma Arts Council, (405) 521-2931 or anndee@arts.ok.gov.

ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA ARTS COUNCIL

The Oklahoma Arts Council is a state agency whose mission is to improve lives through the arts by promoting and sustaining the development of a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education and economic vitality for all Oklahomans.

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