Oklahoma State University studio art senior, Ashley Farrier, received the Award of Merit at the Momentum OKC 2015 art event held March 6-7 at the Oklahoma City Farmer’s Public Market. The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) hosted the event.

Farrier, who majors in oil painting and minors in drawing, submitted three pieces from her “Royalty Not Lost” series to Momentum OKC this year. The series centers on the narrative of a powerful queen whose declining health leads her to make the necessary steps to prepare her two daughters to take over her duties.

“Royalty Not Lost” parallels Farrier’s own experiences from when her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. The oil paintings “Meet Your New Queen” and “It’s Time to Retire” represent Farrier and her grandmother respectively. “Please Give Me An Answer”, a charcoal and pastel piece, illustrates the fragility of dealing with grievous circumstances.

Farrier also wanted to use the series to address the portrayal of black characters in art throughout history. By painting black characters in positions of royalty, Farrier wants the viewer to question whether her pieces might be a part of an actual moment in history that has since been forgotten.

Momentum OKC is an annual multimedia, interactive art event that features the work of Oklahoma artists, ages 30 and younger. Each year, hundreds of young artists submit their work to be considered. Farrier first heard of Momentum OKC when she was a sophomore and has since been working to have her pieces accepted into the event. This year, she was one of 78 artists who were accepted.

View Farrier’s and 11 other senior studio art students’ work April 8-17 in the Gardiner Gallery of Art for the OSU art department’s Senior Studio Capstone Exhibition. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 12-5 p.m.