ArtNow is Oklahoma Contemporary's annual exhibition of Oklahoma-based contemporary artists. It closes with an art sale — traditionally the first big party of the year with cocktails, tastemakers and the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind works. Proceeds help keep Oklahoma Contemporary exhibitions open free of charge, year-round.

The 2019 edition introduced audiences to 23 new-to-ArtNow artists. Co-curators Alyson Atchison and Patrick Reynolds (both independent arts professionals based in Oklahoma City) traveled from Locust Grove to Frederick, and all points between, to build an exciting survey of contemporary art being created in Oklahoma.

The exhibition included traditional media — oil painting, photography, ceramics and weaving — as well as crafts appearing for the first time, like tattoo designs and handmade knives.

Increasingly, artists in Oklahoma create installations in addition to their individual pieces. ArtNow 2019 had four installations created just for the exhibition. One ambitious artist filled an entire room with 365 works, one completed every day for a year. Click here to see the complete list of artists.

ArtNow Gallery Talks

Throughout the run of the exhibition, there were four opportunities to hear ArtNow artists talk about their work and artistic practice. These free Tuesday evening programs began at 6 p.m., and each artist spoke for about 10 minutes and took questions.

Jan. 8
Ryan Davis | Darci Lenker | Katharine Norton | Sarah Sullivan | Stella Thomas

Nov. 27
Steven Bayliss | Gayle Singer | Suzanne Thomas

Dec. 4
Gary Batzloff | Steve Breerwood | Joshua Ross

Dec. 11
Alexis Austin | Nicole Emmons | Heyd Fontanot | Monty Little