USAO emeritus professor to display fine woodwork pieces in Nesbitt Gallery

Last year, Dr. Mike Mather, emeritus professor of biology at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, displayed his talents in woodworking during the “Fancy Firewood” show and sale in the institution’s Nesbitt Gallery.

This year, Mather has donated more sculptures for sale during “Fancy Firewood 2,” which will be held May 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Half of the proceeds from sales will go to the Mather Scholarship Fund in the USAO Foundation, which focuses on student retention, while the other half will fund additional public art at the college.

Born into an artistic family, Mather joined the faculty at USAO in 1976 and remained a beloved figure on campus until he retired in 2010. Though he had previously dabbled in ink and watercolors, he found his real passion in working with wood. Over the years, he gathered wood, acquired tools and built a workshop in his backyard, practicing it as a hobby during his free time.

After retirement, Mather said he “finally had time to pursue the lure of the wood.” He does not buy any of his materials but scrounges old boards or fallen trees of a variety of species. When an idea pops into his head, Mather heads to his workshop and starts tinkering. He calls his creations “fancy firewood.”

For more information, contact Layne Thrift, associate professor of art and gallery director, at (405) 574-1374 or lthrift@usao.edu.