Kaley Patterson
A&E Editor
@KaleyKayPatt
A year ago Hailey Harris sat in the capped and gowned 2014 Cameron graduation crowd, walked across the stage to receive her diploma and moved her tassel from one side to the other – thus beginning her career as an artist.
“Growing up I had always enjoyed art,” Harris said. “I liked to doodle here and there, but I never had any formal training until my first semester at Cameron.
“The professors in the art department are extremely passionate about the subjects they teach, and every one of them has their own interesting approach toward art that allowed for a creative environment for students to learn and grow as individual artists.”
Harris thrived at CU, not only in her creativity, but also within herself.
“My time at Cameron University was honestly the best time of my life,” Harris said. “Cameron allowed me to find out who I wanted to be in life. I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone, meet new people, conquer my fear of public speaking, learn new things and make so many amazing memories that I will never forget.”
Harris recently showcased one of her linocut pieces at Momentum OKC 2015 sponsored by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) on March 6 and 7. Her art appeared at Momentum last year as well. Artists across the state of Oklahoma submit their work to OVAC hopping to be chosen for the show.
Her linocut is titled “Growth from the Inside”, which she completed in honor of her sister. Her showcased piece is the relief print from the carving that was inked and pressed on paper.
Harris said Momentum is a fantastic art show for young artist to participate in because they receive the opportunity to attend classes that prep them for the show and allows them to gain business experience and network opportunities.
“The show also featured three artists chosen for Momentum Spotlight to receive honoraria and curatorial guidance on a site-specific project or body of work for the show,” Harris said. “Eric Piper, a Cameron [alumnus], was chosen to be one of the 2015 Momentum Spotlight artists. I admire Eric’s work tremendously, and I was honored to be able to have my artwork displayed alongside his.”
After the Momentum show, Harris’ art will showcase at the 5 B’s Exhibit, which will take place on March 29 in Pennsylvania at the Wayne Art Center. Professor of Art Kaherine Liontas-Warren will join Harris in the show.
“It is an exhibition that focuses on the theme of Birds, Bats, Bees, Bugs and Butterflies,” Harris said. “Both Kathy and I were honored to have all of our pieces accepted into the show – three pieces each, six total.”
After graduating from CU, Harris obtained a job in her degree field as an assistant graphic designer at Affinitee Graphics in Apache – a design company owned and operated by Cameron alumni.
Harris has only submitted her work to Momentum and the 5 B’s showcases but said she hopes to take more time to focus on creating new works to submit in future shows.