Modella Gallery is taking a step back in time with the upcoming exhibit, "Bee in a Bonnet & Such" with the sharing of nearly 40 black and white photographs, as well as hats, featuring life in Stillwater during the post World War II era. The exhibit will be featured at Modella Gallery from March 3 - April 2, 2022.
The photography is part of over 500 photos that returning Navy veteran and former Stillwater resident, Richard Ward, took of life form 1946-1950 as he and other veterans transcended from military life back to civilian life. Views of Stillwater homecoming parades, Veterans Village, fashion and recreation at area lakes are featured as well as candid family images that may be familiar to longtime Stillwater residents. Richard Ward lived in Stillwater from 1926-1961, attending high school and later working in the family business of the Ward Buick Company located at 9th and Main. The entire family sometimes referred to as "Stillwater's General Motors Family," were inducted into the Stillwater Hall of Fame in 2008.
Dubbed "The Richard Project," son Phil transitioned his idea of simply creating a family album to historical documentation.
The exhibit will also feature hats and styles from that period courtesy of the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar. Photos will also be on display by Richard Ward's son, Phil Ward, a professor of photography and journalism, and also a free-lance artist.
Modella Gallery is a non-profit art gallery dedicated to bringing contemporary arts to Stillwater, Oklahoma The gallery continues to be a program designed to share the works from national and local artists, visual art, musical performances, and hosts special events and projects. Modella Gallery is located at 721 South Main Street in historic downtown Stillwater, Oklahoma. The hours are Thursday and Friday 11 am to 6 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 3 pm. For more information, please contact the gallery at (405) 880-4434 for visit modellaartgallery.org.