OKLAHOMA CITY – The Plaza Walls District will welcome two renowned Chickasaw artists at an exhibit of their works now through July 11.
Billy Hensley and Dustin Mater will exhibit paintings at the special event. “It is a small, very intimate venue, so we cannot bring much more than paintings,” Hensley said.
“Plaza Walls and I have been in discussions for a little while for a solo art show, but my objective is to see other Chickasaws be recognized as well, so I asked Dustin to join me.
“It’s always a blast to collaborate with Billy! Whenever he asked me to take part I said yes without hesitation, of course. Then I had to think if I had any paintings on hand. I didn’t have much, so he and I are collaborating on a few pieces, and I’ll be doing a live paint on a canvas he started at the opening event,” Mater said.
Hensley and Mater have joined artistic talent numerous times, including a dynamic portrait of Governor Anoatubby, titled “The Minko,” in 2023.
Hensley’s all-for-one-and-one-for-all attitude is reflected in his creation of “Collective Wisdom” featuring the art of more than 20 First American artists who came together to discover and celebrate commonalities and relationships through their culture and craft.
“Collective Wisdom” is comprised not only of Chickasaws, but many other tribal nation’s artists as well. Indeed, some of the artwork is a collaborative effort by several artists on a single piece. For more than a year now, Hensley’s project has been advocating for and exhibiting First American art at multiple festivals and art exhibits.
“The goal of ‘Collective Wisdom’ is to bring together all of the skill and vision in this group of artists in a collaborative way,” said Hensley. “Each piece is a combination of the strengths and style of those who created it. It is wonderful to see how those individual strengths stand out and also complement the other artists’ contributions to create a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art.”
The Plaza Walls exhibit will feature works completed by Hensley and Mater individually and collectively.
Both are prize winning artists with unique styles and imaginations.
Both also were part of the highly acclaimed “Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art.” Visual Voices was hailed as a world-class art exhibit that traveled the United States beginning in 2018 and introduced art lovers to works inspired by ancient Chickasaw culture and contemporary works in addition.
“I am extremely excited to exhibit my paintings at Plaza Walls. The entire venue is special and has a special feeling about it,” Hensley said. “I’m looking forward to having my work with Billy’s at Plaza Walls and getting to interact with my friend and the audience during the exhibit’s opening evening,” Mater said.
The Plaza District is home to more than a dozen monthly and annual festivals that are offered to the public at no charge.
Located at 1745 NW 16th St. between Classen Blvd. and Penn Ave., the Plaza District is home to galleries, studios, retail shops, restaurants, performance venues and creative services.
For approximately 21 years, Plaza Walls has offered a variety of gourmet dining, retail shops featuring artist-made, vintage and retro clothing, and home furnishings.
Oklahoma’s premier professional theater company, Lyric Theatre, is in the district’s historic Plaza Theatre. Additionally, classes in dance, theater and painting lessons are offered to the public.