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Oklahoma
State Senate For Immediate Release:
May 23, 2006 An original painting was dedicated at the State Capitol Tuesday entitled “Showers of Sunshine: A Landscape of Grady County, Oklahoma.” The work, by artist Linda Tuma Robertson of Edmond, was unveiled during a special ceremony in the House Chamber. The painting was a gift of the Rob McCune family. Rob is the son of the late State Senator John R. McCune who served in the State Legislature from 1969 until 1988. The artwork was commissioned by the Oklahoma Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc., which is headed by former State Senator Charles Ford. “Oklahoma is known for its beautiful sunsets, rolling prairies and unpredictable weather. Most people fear that weather, but as Oklahomans we appreciate the beauty that can be found before and after a storm,” said Ford. “One of the most beautiful sights in Oklahoma is after a storm when you’re driving along the highway and beams of light start peaking through the clouds and flow across the land. It’s something that Oklahomans get to enjoy quite often, but others rarely get to see. I’m glad that Mrs. Robertson was able to catch that beauty and that we’ll be able to display it in the Capitol for others to experience.” ‘Showers of Sunshine’ depicts a scene from the H.E. Bailey turnpike in Grady County, about one-quarter mile south of the tollbooth gate. The artist credits her parents for giving her the opportunity to develop her art talent at a young age and opening her eyes to the natural beauty of the land through trips West and around her native state of Oklahoma. “We always had time to stop and observe a rainbow or watch a thunderhead form,” said Robertson. “My desire is to paint a landscape reflecting my love for nature. I want the viewer to feel my emotion and inspiration which led me to paint the scene.” By the time she was twenty, her work had been displayed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Kerr Museum, the Oklahoma Museum of Art, and the Oklahoma Art Center. Ford thanked the McCune family for their gift. “The McCune family has played a tremendous role in our effort to preserve art in the Capitol for future generations. They have sponsored other artwork over the years and this is yet another gift that will showcase our state’s remarkable beauty,” noted Ford. This and other art commissioned by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical
Preservation Fund, Inc. can be found on the Internet at: http://www.oksenate.gov
under ‘Senate Artwork’.
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