August 25 to September 29, 2006
TURN: Photographic Images by Ken Crowder and Audrey Schmitz

“TURN: Photographic Images by Ken Crowder and Audrey Schmitz” opened Friday with an opening reception from 6 to 8PM at Artsplace Ponca City. The exhibit runs through September 29, 2006.

With their Artsplace exhibit, TURN, artists Ken Crowder and Audrey Schmitz will present recent photographic images that result from “following their senses.” Their works result from making choices - electing to take a turn in the road in anticipation of what may be revealed on the journey. This childlike sense of discovery underlies their optimistic search for balance and order in the world, even though the harshness and intensity of modern society often overpowers the senses.

Audrey and Ken approach the clutter of the world by applying a visual filter in order to see in a new way, to face a new direction, and to turn their camera on a subject in ways that are unique to each of them. Within this individuality of vision, a fundamental shared sensibility and aesthetic is revealed from this couple of eighteen years.

Audrey Schmitz is a full-time instructor of ceramics, sculpture and art history at Northern Oklahoma College and director of the Eleanor Hays Art Gallery. She has developed and/or coordinated more than 55 exhibits to bring national and local artists to Northern and surrounding communities since the opening of the gallery in 1997.In addition to her responsibilities at Northern, Schmitz pursues a professional career, specializing in ceramics, sculpture and fine art photography. During the past year her work has been selected for several juried exhibits including Seven-State Biennial Art Exhibition at the USAO Art Gallery in Chickasha; the Oklahoma Visual Artists Coalition’ s VisionMakers at the Leslie Powell Gallery and Foundation in Lawton; and EdgeArtNow 2006 exhibit at the Individual Artists of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. This spring, hosted by Artsplace of Ponca City, she developed and presented a series of four lectures on global diversity in art.

Ken Crowder is a full time photographer and an adjunct instructor of photography at Northern Oklahoma College. While just a young boy Ken was educated in the basics of photography and darkroom work by his father Hugh.
As a photographer in the US Navy from 1981-88, Ken attended the US Naval School of Photography in Pensacola, FL and Military Photojournalism Course at Syracuse University. During his last three years in the Navy, Ken was assigned as a Navy Photojournalist at the US NATO Command, SACLANT, in Norfolk, VA. Returning to Oklahoma after his military service, Ken became an industrial photographer for the next 5 years. He became a self employed photographer in 1993, photographing portraits, commercial advertising and fine art. Ken has studied with a number of fine art and portrait photographers, including Keith Carter, Olivia Parker, Dave Newman, Douglas Kirkland, Arnold Newman and David Michael Kennedy. He has exhibited work at Northern Oklahoma College, Artspice Gallery and the Individual Artists of Oklahoma both in Oklahoma City and other galleries in Winfield and Hays Kansas.

This exhibit is made possible with the assistance of ConocoPhillips, Head Country Barbecue, Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.



This show is almost entirely made up of images from a recent
trip through parts of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.

When we returned from our trip, both Audrey and I picked out our
favorite images from the trip. We printed out small proof prints
of these images and then proceeded to weed out until we had our
absolute favorites. Audrey is the main force behind the final
groupings of images. She has a very good sense of what belongs with what.

We hope you enjoy the show! Any comments or observations
are most welcomed.

Ken & Audrey