OSU Alumnus Gives Back, Shows Art on Campus
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Benjamin Harjo Jr. exhibiting, selling “Art and Soul”
(STILLWATER, Okla., Jan. 6, 2010) – Benjamin Harjo Jr. wanted to be a cartoonist,
but fate played a joke on him. Next week, the critically acclaimed artist will return
to his alma mater to show how he got the last laugh.
His show, “Art and Soul,” will have a public opening reception Jan. 14 from 5 p.m.
to 6 p.m. at the Gardiner Art Gallery inside the Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts
on the Oklahoma State University campus. It will be followed by a lecture from 6 p.m.
to 7 p.m. The exhibition of about 25 pieces will be displayed from Jan. 13 through
Feb. 5 with originals and prints for sale. Forty percent of the proceeds will go to
the Department of Art.
Harjo said he wanted to help the department because art is often overlooked and doesn’t
always receive the support it deserves.
“Art is a very important part in people’s lives whether they realize it or not,” Harjo
said. “When they see a movie, ballet, opera or other form of art, there’s art involved.
Some people will wear their finest jewelry. That involves artistic expression as well.”
Chris Ramsay, head of the OSU Department of Art, said the department is excited about
Harjo’s donation, which “means a great deal to our students, faculty and the greater
Stillwater and north central Oklahoma learning community.”
Harjo earned a bachelor of fine arts from OSU in 1974 after transferring from the
Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe. His one-way bus ticket got him there,
where he discovered the cartooning class he was interested in had been canceled.
“I wasn’t coming home anytime soon, so I said I’d make the best of the situation,”
Harjo said with a laugh. “My teacher, Seymour Tubis, involved me in woodblock print
making. That opened a door for me. Through high school I had no formal art training
and didn’t even know how to do a woodcut. Once I learned that, a door of creativity
opened.”
Harjo may not have become a cartoonist like he originally envisioned, but he took
what he learned in Santa Fe and Stillwater, and has found success in three mediums
– woodblock print, pen and ink, and acrylic and gouache. He still infuses his works
with the same sense of humor he hoped would lead to a successful cartoonist career.
“I am drawn to the use of the primary colors and extras drawn from those colors,”
Harjo said. “That seems to evoke a lot of happiness out of people when they see my
artwork. The use of many colors helps to get that feeling out of people. I like bright
color. I’m not afraid of color at all.”
His work is inspired by Native American imagery and legends, incorporating several
symbols, patterns and colors of many cultures.
“Ben Harjo Jr. is an extremely accomplished artist who has a unique vision of storytelling
that is expressed through his colorful graphic prints,” Ramsay said. “He is an important
artist and an exceptional example of the creative spirit that is present in Oklahoma.”
Links to high res images: http://osugiving-hosting.com/osufguest/Harjo/Market
Gamble.jpg: http://osugiving-hosting.com/osufguest/Harjo/Protectors.jpg
