Lafon and Seabourn Paintings

painting and drawin g before assuming the chairmanship of the Art Department at East Central University in Ada in 1964. Following his retirement from that position in 1984, he established a studio in Norman and devoted himself to his artwork. He has served as the Visual Arts Director for the Oklaho ma Arts Institute and a Guest Artist at Wichita State University in 1990.<br><br> Lafon has been the recipient of many honors and awards and in 1992 was recognized by the Governor of Oklahoma. He has presented his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions and his work has been acquired by m any museums, galleries and public collections including the State Art Collections of Oklahoma and Utah, the University of North Car olina Art Museum, Springfield Art Museum, Oklahoma City Art Museum, Philbrook, Southwestern Bell Telephone, Conoco and Koch Industries. He has also completed various public commissions for Warner Brothers, the University of Oklahoma School of Dentistry, and the Ada Publ ic Library, among others.<br><br> Bert Seabourn Primarily a painter of Indian subjects, Bert Seabourn is an American expressionist who also paints non-Indian figures, landscap es, and occasionally flowers. As an expressionist, he uses the technique of dripping, smearing, and splattering the paint--acrylic, oil and watercolor. He also works with graphics.<br><br> In 1976, the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma designated Seabourn a Master Artist, and in 1981, he received the Oklahoma Governor's Art Award. In 1986, his sculpture, "Wind Walker," a 23-foot bronze, was unveiled at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company's State Hea dquarters in Oklahoma City, and in 1997, Oklahoma City University awarded him their highest honor, Honorary Degree of Humane Letters. Seabourn was born in Iraan, Texas, and began drawing cartoons as a child growing up in Purcell, Oklahoma.<br><br> One of his earl y cartoons was published by King Features Syndicate. In 1950, he married Bonnie Jo Tompkins and then joined the Navy as an artist and was stat ioned in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor. In 1955, he and his wife and two daughters settled in Oklahoma City, where he took a job with the Oklahoma Gas and Electr ic Company and enrolled in night art classes.<br><br> He also completed a correspondence course in Commercial Art and Illustration from the famous Art ist Schools of Westport, Connecticut. In 1978, he became a full-time fine artist. In addition to museums, his work is in the personal collection of George and Barbara Bush and is in the Gerald Ford Librar y Collection.<br><br> J RB Art at the Elm s Gallery Lafon and Seabourn are represented in Oklahoma City by JRB Art at The Elms Gallery. JRB Art at The Elms was built in 1920, and is located at 2810 North Walker in Oklahoma City 9s historic Paseo Arts District. It is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.<br><br> to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Phone (405) 528- 6336, or visit www.jrbartgallery.com.<br><br> -End- W I L L R O G E R S W O R L D A I R P O R T Summer Indian by DJ Lafon White Buffalo-Red Sky by Bert Seabourn

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