Inside AJ Uphold's bold new show at The Lyon Gallery
Andy Dossett | The Wiley Post
August 4, 2026
For Arthur James "AJ" Uphold, every painting begins the same way: with an idea, a brush and a conversation.
"The painting starts talking to you," he said. "It'll tell you, 'No, you need to put this color here and this color here.' Being an artist is half you, and half the painting."
Artist AJ Uphold stands with several of his works featured in "Fragments of Imagination," on display at The Lyon Gallery through Aug. 27.
Provided by AJ Uphold
That conversation unfolds across nearly 60 paintings and sculptures in "Fragments of Imagination," opening Aug. 7 at The Lyon Art Gallery inside The Center.
The exhibition is the second installment of the gallery's First Impressions: Emerging Artist Series, following Josh Waddell's "Rise of the Robots" exhibition in July.
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The yearlong series was created to support emerging artists as they develop new work for exhibition at The Lyon Gallery. Made possible through grants from the Bartlesville Community Foundation, Lincoln Community Foundation and the Arvest Foundation, the program allows the selected artists the opportunity to present a solo exhibition.
Dozens of artists applied, with a panel of professional artists and community leaders selecting the final four.
The show runs through Aug. 27 and opens with a public reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, where visitors can meet Uphold, enjoy refreshments and enter to win an original artwork donated by the artist.
A lifetime shaped by art
Uphold doesn't remember deciding to become an artist. In many ways, the decision was made for him.
In first grade, he drew a picture of horses that caught his teacher's attention. She showed it to his mother, who responded with a plan.
"My mom made me sit down for an hour every day and draw when I got out of school," he said with a laugh. "I hated it because I wanted to go play with the other kids."
Years later, that reluctant routine became the foundation of a career.
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After studying art in Tulsa and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oklahoma State University, Uphold spent a year in Colorado studying anatomy and painting the human figure for five hours a day under an instructor who had studied alongside Norman Rockwell.
But that's only half of Uphold's story.
He served 28 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a master sergeant after deployments to Kuwait and Baghdad. Through it all, art remained a constant.
Today, he credits his mother and one other person more than anyone else for keeping him creating.
"My wife pushes me a lot," he said. "She's half of this."
His wife not only encouraged him to apply for The Center's emerging artist series, but also helped name the exhibition, planned the gallery layout and often decides where each painting belongs.
"I paint the pictures," Uphold said. "She controls everything else."
Color as the subject
Ask Uphold to describe his work, and one word comes up again and again: color.
"I am a colorist, big time," he said.
He notices color everywhere — painted fingernails, changing hair colors and the shades of trees many people overlook. Green, he insists, is one of the world's most underrated colors.
That fascination spills into paintings that rarely stay grounded in reality.
Nearly 60 paintings and sculptures are featured in AJ Uphold's "Fragments of Imagination," the second exhibition in The Center's First Impressions Emerging Artist Series.
Provided by AJ Uphold
Portraits dissolve into geometric forms. Objects float without regard for gravity. Familiar subjects become abstract landscapes of bold shapes and vivid palettes.
His work isn't interested in perfectly recreating the world. It's interested in reimagining it.
That approach resonated with Caitlyn Kraemer, managing director of The Center.
"Uphold was selected by a panel of professional artists and community leaders to be featured in our First Impressions series," Kraemer said. "I first encountered his work at the Bartlesville Art Association's annual fall show here at The Lyon Gallery, and I'm thrilled to now showcase his vision on a much larger scale. His work brilliantly captures the tension between struggle and hope, using vibrant colors and bold geometry to bring visceral, complex themes to life."
Leaving room for interpretation
Some viewers will notice echoes of faith in Uphold's paintings. Christian imagery occasionally appears, reflecting his upbringing rather than an attempt to preach.
"I was raised a Christian," he said. "I talk to God when something good happens — I always thank Him."
Others may be drawn to the flowers, portraits or painted cow skulls that fill the gallery.
Whatever catches a visitor's eye, Uphold hopes they'll spend time with it.
His paintings feel like puzzles inviting viewers to look longer.
The title "Fragments of Imagination" reflects that philosophy. Rather than presenting complete stories, the works offer pieces of ideas that viewers can assemble for themselves.
More than an exhibition
The opening reception is only the beginning.
On Aug. 27, Uphold will host a free Community Sketch Day at the gallery, inviting artists — and anyone simply curious — to grab a sketchbook and draw alongside him.
He plans to demonstrate his approachable technique for drawing flowers, one petal at a time, while encouraging participants to experiment without worrying about perfection.
That openness reflects the artist himself. Despite decades of experience, a fine arts degree and years exhibiting around Oklahoma, Uphold still seems pleasantly surprised to be preparing for a solo exhibition in Bartlesville.
When The Center invited artists to apply for the series, he almost didn't.
"I thought, 'Why not?'" he said. "I didn't think I had much of a chance."
Now, the gallery walls tell a different story.
"Fragments of Imagination" opens with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at The Lyon Gallery inside The Center, 300 S.E. Adams Blvd. The exhibition runs through Aug. 27. Admission to the reception, exhibition and the Aug. 27 Community Sketch Day is free.