Get ready for fall with Wayne Ruff and Paseo PhotoFest
Written by Lexi Rodriguez
Get ready for fall with the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center featuring photographic work by Wayne Ruff, along with our annual Paseo PhotoFest (juried by Mark Zimmerman). We will also spotlight the work of the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center upstairs studio artists from September 1 through 30, 2023.
In Gallery I, we are showcasing the work of Wayne Ruff in the exhibit Juxtapostional Harmony. Although a meteorologist by profession, photography is Ruff’s perennial hobby and passion.
This collection is my representation of contrasts and congruence between wide-open vistas and delicate small-scale features.
In the expansive landscapes of the Colorado Plateau I am drawn to the colors and forms of the those wide-open views. Eroded sedimentary rock layers give many opportunities to experience them anew at various times of day and across the changing light of the seasons. Buttes, arches and slot canyons provide particularly rich opportunities. However, the narrower view reveals a profusion of textures and hues on much smaller scales. The sinuous curves, erosion pockets and abraded surfaces of the same rock formations tend toward the abstract while reminding us of the whole.
The close-ups of cactus and succulent flowers from our greenhouse and garden seemingly are in stark contrast to the wide-ranging landscapes. However, it is the same fascination with contrasts, textures and spectrum of hues that I find in the landscapes. So small, soft and ephemeral in comparison to the expansive, hard and “permanent” rock formations, the flowers reflect the same qualities of the stone in a very different way.
In Gallery II, the annual juried photography exhibition, Paseo PhotoFest showcases the work of nearly 40 local artists. Paseo PhotoFest takes place each September and showcases all types of photography, including traditional, mixed media and digital. This exhibition will be juried by photographer Mark Zimmerman, who is a photography professor at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography from UCO and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma. His work has been exhibited in galleries nationwide including SOHO Photo Gallery in New York City and the Oklahoma State Capitol. He was recently granted funding from the National Endowment of Arts for a camera obscura installation in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District.
Gallery III will show the work of some of our Paseo Arts and Creativity Center upstairs studio artists, Debbie Flynn, Amy Jo Garner, PJ Acker and Mary Grabow. Their works will feature a mix of paintings and fiber arts. Come experience the art for yourself and celebrate the transition of summer to autumn with us from September 1 through 30, 2023, here at the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center located at 3024 Paseo, Oklahoma City, OK 73103.
