Steven Eugene Ochs

 

Associate Professor of Art

Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia

Artist/Designer for Images in Concrete

 

 

Specializing in site-specific/original freehand designs that express the interests and values of the public and/or homeowners.

 

Over twenty three years of experience as an artist and teacher of the creative process.

 

Educational Background

 

M.F.A.   Ceramics, Ohio University - Athens, Ohio 1989

 

M.A.      Art Education, University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign, IL 1984

 

B.A.      Art Education, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 1982

 

 

Teaching Experience

 

Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, Arkansas– Assistant Professor 1991-95, Associate Professor 1995-Present, Department Chair 2002-2004

 

Public School Art Instructor in Illinois and Indiana from 1982-1991

 

Awards and Recognitions

 

Three International Juried Art Exhibitions

 

Twenty-two National Juried Art Exhibitions

 

Eight Solo Gallery Exhibitions

 

2002-2003         The Calvin Wetzig Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching

                        Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, AR

 

2003                 Best of Show, 7th Annual Cross Timbers Small Works National Juried Exhibit, Murray State University, Tishomingo, OK

 

1999-2000         Arkansas Higher Education Art Educator of the Year.

                        Arkansas Art Educators, an affiliate of the National Art Education Association                      

1997-98            The Calvin Wetzig Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching 

Southern Arkansas University

 

 

 

Public Art Installations

 

“Magnolia’s Panther Art” Creative workshop in site-specific public art.  Teachers and administrators were guided through the creative process to serve as the design team for their campus.  High Schools students transferred and painted the design to the site with water-based stains.  Roger Loper, High School Prin. Magnolia, AR. 5/2005

 

“El Dorado Wesson Railway” Optical illusion of railroad tracks leading customers to the main office.  Wood grain cut into the ties and metallic silver concrete stain gave the appearance of polished steel   El Dorado, AR.  Jack Reynolds, Pres. 5/ 2005

 

            “Backwoods; Art Nouveau Trees” for the Backwoods Art Gallery on Main Street in the downtown historic El Dorado.  The bricks of the building appear to extend out into the sidewall while intertwining trees move to enhance the entire front of the building.  The design that welcomes the guests into the front door is a composite of architectural elements from the 1920s. 12/2004

 

            The Nature of Things” site-specific sidewalk for a new pet store by the same name.  Downtown historic El Dorado.  Water appears to flow over the door and swirl out onto the public sidewalk.  At the end of each swirl is the head of an animal.  10/2004

 

            Textbook Sidewalk” for Emerson Elementary School in Emerson, AR. The theme was chosen by the children and teachers of the school and was funded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  Depicts the lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly and the Southern Leopard Frog.  Eighty-foot sidewalk mural that was designed, engraved, and colored with water based and acid stains. 7-8/2004

 

“The Learning Garden” for Union Elementary School in Texarkana, AR.  Collaboration between teachers, parents, students, community, and the SAU Sculpture Class.  10/2003-

 

“Texarkana Project”, Phase one completed. Located at 4th and Main and next to the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council.  Design team consisted of SAU Sculpture students; conducted historical research, built a scale model, and participated in public presentations.  Artifacts are embedded into concrete that has been engraved and stained to create a seventy-five foot timeline that depicts the visual history of Texarkana. Fall 2000- present.

 

Millennium Swirl”, Sculptural installation at 400 W. Markham in Little Rock, AR for the Public Art Millennium Forum, sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council and the UALR Urban Studies and Design Project.  The 124’ X  37’ welded steel sculpture was designed and construction by five SAU students and myself.  Spring 2000

 

 

Mexican Muralist, Melchor Peredo, Visiting Artist.  I served as the liaison between the artist, SAU, and the community of Magnolia.  My students assisted Mr. Peredo, from Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, in the construction of a four-paneled boun fresco in the traditional style and technique of Rivera, Orozco, and Sequeirous.  4-6/1999        

 

“Our Children's Perspective of What We Do”,  Mural project within local industry: Children and Grandchildren of the employees of Amfuel created an eighteen-foot mural on the wall of the employee cafeteria.  The instruction was provided by the Public School Art 3213 class, which served as a pre-student teaching practicum.  The images in the mural came from the children’s interpretation after they had been given a guided tour of the factory.  1998

 

 

Conferences Attended

 

            World of Concrete International Convention, Las Vegas, NV.  Guest Speaker on start-to finish overview of designing, jobsite preparation, engraving, color application techniques, photo-documentation, and maintenance. Las Vegas Convention Center, 1/19/2006

 

            Southeastern College Art Conference, Little Rock, AR.  Panelist for the “Public Art and Artists in Arkansas”.  Exhibitor at the Cox Creative Center from Oct 10-Nov 19, 2005.

“Creating Public Art with Decorative Concrete” Presented on 10/29/2005

 

World of Concrete International Convention, Las Vegas, NV, Artistry in Concrete Demonstrator.  Created the 10-foot square “Empowered”. - A site specific design to inspire the international audience to give aid to the children of the tsunami disaster. 1/17-23/2005

 

            American Society of Concrete Contractors, St. Louis, MO Presenter of water-based staining techniques.  Created the eight-foot square “St. Louis Gladiator”- a site specific/event specific work of art, 9/9-11/2004

 

            World of Concrete International Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, 2/9004

 

          Artlinks 2001 Cultural Crossroads.  Keynote: Lily Yeh “The Art of Cultural Transformation”

State House Convention Center, Little Rock, AR 10/29, 2001          

 

Public Art: Blurring the Edges, Pre-conference to Americans for the Arts 2000, Santa Monica, CA 6/8-9/2000

 

Public Art Millennium Forum, Little Rock, AR.  Sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council and the ULAR Urban Studies and Design Project.  Panelists: Blair Sands, Gretchen Freemann, and Vincent Ahern. 5/12-13/2000

 

Public Art: Universities, Students, and Visionaries.  Guest Speaker: Gretchen Freemann, UCA –Conway, AR 1/22/99

 

 

State Level Committees        

 

1998-2002         Public Art Advisory Board, Arkansas Arts Council, Little Rock

2001 Summer    Visual Art Frameworks Committee, Arkansas Department of Education 

2000 Summer    Arts on Tour Review Committee, Arkansas Arts Council

1995                 Art Fellowship Selection Committee, Arkansas Arts Council

 

 

 

 

 

Images in Concrete

 

Gerald Taylor

Owner/Technical Advisor

600 Garland

El Dorado, AR 71730

(870) 862-5633

 

Steven Ochs

Artist/Designer

61 Timberlane

Magnolia, AR 71753

(870) 234-0397