Icons of the Oklahoma Prairie exhibit closes

The intricately beautiful artwork of Burneta Venosdel will be on display at the Sod House Museum November 14 through December 12. Icons of the Oklahoma Prairie is Venosdel’s tribute to her great-grandparents on both sides of her family. Koppitz, Wagner, McMullen, Bloom, and May were all pioneers of the area, some making the Cherokee Outlet Land Run of 1893.

Venosdel began an appreciation of her natural surroundings in her childhood, but it was not until her retirement from teaching that she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming an artist. With the eye of a conservationist and a steady hand, her detailed sculptures record the likenesses of cattle, horses, birds, and endangered species. “My work is embedded in memories and experiences growing up in the rural areas of northwestern Oklahoma,” said Venosdel. Her figural works capture the likeness of people and faces that speak to the early history of the region.

Venosdel is a national award-winning sculptor and painter who travels across the country, exhibiting her sculptures and paintings to collectors who enjoy her strong, dynamic, western-influenced, and detailed modern pieces. She currently serves as vice president of Women Artists of the West and was the co-chair for the 48th National WAOW Exhibition held in Bartlesville. Venosdel is a Master-Signature member of WAOW and a Signature member of both American Plains Artists and American Women Artists. She attended Bacone College.

The Sod House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located southeast of Aline on State Highway 8. For more information, contact Director Renee Trindle at 580-463-2441 or sodhouse@okhistory.org.

Echoes of Palo Duro Canyon, bronze, by Burneta Venosdel