4th annual Creative Showcase kicks off at RSU

CLAREMORE, Okla. — There’s a new art showcase at the Stratton Taylor Library at Rogers State University.

The fourth annual Creative Showcase kicked off on Monday night with an open house of original art, poetry and other creative expression.

The event runs through Friday, April 26.

The event started in 2021 with a total of 23 submissions.

Kaitlin Crotty, library director and event coordinator, said over the years, they’ve had a variety of works submitted, including instrumental songs, music videos, poetry, essays, paintings, a quilt mixed media, digital art and a Native American lance.

This year, the event had 34 pieces from 26 students, faculty and staff at RSU.

FOX23 spoke with Dylon Nottingham who's a student at RSU majoring in art and had a sculpture he created featured at the event.

The sculpture titled "Stalking Wendigo" depicts a wendigo, a mythological creature originating from Algonquian folklore, going over a rock and presumably looking for its next meal.

"It's based on the Algonquian creature, the wendigo, but given a more modern understanding of it. People understand it more as the deer variation, even though the real one is more humanoid. This one kind of blends," Nottingham said.

Nottingham said his Cherokee heritage and his fascination of Native American mythology inspired him to create the sculpture.

"The wendigo was one that kind of spoke to me in the terms of its animalism. It's a very raw creature," Nottingham said.

He said the sculpture, made from bronze and wood, took around eight months to complete.

He said the event features a multitude of unique pieces and encourages people to come look at his work as well as his peers.

"Each art piece is unique. It really shows the value of the different artists and their techniques and talents that should be valued. Everything from capstone projects to pieces like mine that I just wanted to enter, I think are very unique and ultimately should be seen by many people," Nottingham said.