Marilyn McBrier Artus is a fine artist interested in addressing women's issues through her work and a art show promoter. Marilyn grew up in Norman and Tulsa Oklahoma. She spent 2 year of college at Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas. She then returned to Oklahoma and finished her fine arts degree from The University of Oklahoma. She worked at United Design Corporation in Noble, OK for 7 years, then Relevant Products for 6 years designing products for the gift industry. She is a fine artist currently located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Her first solo exhibition, " Our Lady of the Anti-Personnel Weapon & Her Stepford Friends" at AKA Gallery in Oklahoma City garnered local and national attention. The exhibit included 9 life size collage images of the Virgin Mary holding various hand embroidered weapons with vintage ads behind the images of Mary. The exhibit also included the "Stepford" series of 9 collage & embroidery pieces that were composed of pin-up queens with religious and anatomical imagery.
Marilyn is one of the founders of The Girlie Show, a 2 day, annual all female art and craft show in Oklahoma City that was founded in 1993. The Girlie Show draws artisans from all over the United States to exhibit, celebrate, encourage and showcase female talent. As well as exhibit and promote creativity, the organization awards a deserving female art or design student a $1,000 scholarship each year.
The Girlie Show founders, Erin Merryweather, Dawn Tyler Harth & Marilyn Artus were awarded the "Great Inspirations" award in 2008 by Creative Oklahoma (CO) a statewide non-profit organization that promotes and catalyzes creative idea generation in individuals and institutions. This award recognizes individuals that create Oklahomans' creative endeavors, solutions or activities as both a stimulus and an example for other corporations, organizations, communities or educational institutions.
Marilyn is also the "headmistress" for the Oklahoma City branch of Dr. Sketchy's Anti Art School, a cabaret life drawing class that was founded in New York City in 2005, by illustrator and former artist's model Molly Crabapple and illustrator A.V. Phibes. Marilyn opened her branch of the international franchise in January of 2009. As of September 2007, Dr. Sketchy's branches exist in over 100 cities around the world. Branches vary in their conservatism, nudity levels and the skill of their artists.
Marilyn also serves as board vice president for Individual Artists of Oklahoma, a non-profit organization that promotes and provides opportunities for Oklahoma artists.
Girlie Show links: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16Crafts-t.html?pagewanted=all http://www.stateofcreativity.com/Creative-Oklahoma-Initiatives/Great-Inspirations
About Marilyn's art links: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-womans-art-featuring-weapon-toting-virgin-mary-gaining-national-spotlight/article/3465942 http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12563933 http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-art-virgin-mary-05,0,5717668.story http://weareaustin.com/fulltext?nxd_id=67416 http://video.foxnews.com/v/4217500/fox-news-flash-fox--friends-edition http://issuu.com/ovac/docs/artfocus-mayjun10/5
Dr. Sketchy's links: http://newsok.com/dr.-sketchys-adds-spice-to-life-drawing/article/3470114 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/arts/design/04kino.html