VERBODE &
ISTVAN GALLERY
PRESENTS 
CHRISTIE OWEN
EXHIBITION

Verbode and Istvan Gallery Present: All in All

New Work from OKC Artist Christie Owen

In conjunction with Automobile Alley’s monthly “Shop Hop,” Verbode and Istvan Gallery will be presenting a new art installation by artist Christie. Verbode is a Downtown Real Estate Office focusing on OKC’s urban core.  The Artist’s Reception is scheduled for October 15 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Verbode, 411 N. Broadway in Automobile alley. The show will be up through January 2016.

This collection integrates pieces from Owen’s past with new works. Taking everything into consideration, there are certain aesthetics that link these pieces together and reflect her “less is more” outlook on life and art. Small and large-scale pieces in this body of work explore abstraction, working with various mediums and organic themes. 

This work draws inspiration from nature, industrial objects and matter that can withstand forces of nature. The artist is especially drawn to earthy hues and weathered objects that possess an austere character. The materials and compositions in this body of work show the perpetual change in relation to her time and life experiences. By working mindfully and switching mediums, Owen is always creating something new. “I am trying to draw attention to themes of transformation, capture conditional actions and mirror the way nature affects its surroundings” states the artist.

A native New Yorker, Christie Owen lives in Edmond, Oklahoma and divides her time as an artist and graphic designer. Her 2D and 3D works are included in local and national museums, galleries, public venues, private collections, and retail locations including Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Oklahoma Contemporary, Individual Artists of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Festival of the Arts Sculpture Park, Science Museum Oklahoma and the Chesapeake Arena Thunder Family V.I.P. Lounge.  She is Co-Founder of FRINGE Oklahoma Women’s Art Organization, Co-Founder of Wings of ART auction and gala benefiting local artists and special needs children at Special Care Inc. and owner of Hive Design Web Development and Graphic Design Studio. Christie earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from State University of New York College at Buffalo.

Verbode is located in the TAP Architecture building at 415 N Broadway, Suite 101, and is more than a real estate office.  It is laid out for work, creative incubation and great events. Thanks to the contemporary design and the artwork from Istvan Gallery, Verbode looks more like a gallery than a real estate office.  It's all conducive to doing business with certain kinds of brokers and clientele, said founder and managing broker Sarah Bytyqi, who moved Verbode last year from a downtown business incubator not far away.

“We focus on the urban core of Oklahoma City. We wanted to be a little different in our approach to how we office, so our office is more like a community work space,” she said. “We don't really have private office space. We just collaborate. You can sit on the couch. You can sit at the coffee bar. You can sit at the conference table and just do your work. Clients think it's really nontraditional and fun and exciting,” Bytyqi said. “It's a different concept. They feel more at home — more like they're a guest in our home than they're doing business with us, which we find has really made the process a lot easier.”

Verbode is in Automobile Alley adjacent and celebrates Shop Hop along with other venues on Broadway. 

Owen’s art installation at Verbode will preview with an artists’ reception Thursday, October 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. The show will continue through January 2016. The opening reception is free, open to the public and will include entertainment, light hors d'oeuvres and beverages. 

From staff sources