Mary Barton
Photographer / Artist

In 1986, while in college, I decided to become a photojournalist. Over the next seven years I got a front row seat to history, no matter how big or small. State football championships, Presidential visits, famous entertainers, house fires, car wrecks I had a press pass and an unstoppable urge to cover the news…ethical, unscripted and real. 

But in 1994, I was home, in Altus, Oklahoma when I covered a multiple fatality bus wreck in which four children, all under the age of 12, were killed. I had seen that kind of stuff before but this time it was different. And in the span of driving home that night, I made the conscience decision I was finished with photojournalism, cameras, news, film and chasing police cars. That night that I sat my camera bag down and I was finished. 

So where have I been the last 12 years? Well, I changed careers and made a very lucrative living for myself in radio advertising sales. Radio gave me my much needed creative outlet. I learned about different types of businesses from banking to tattooing. Then creating marketing campaigns and presentations for each business as well as provide the voice-overs for commercials and station imaging.  

I picked up the camera sporadically for family gatherings or my nephew’s baseball game but nothing big. That was until the General Manager of the radio station asked me to provide the art for the walls of the station. He wanted pictures that told the story of each person at KBEZ…from the engineer to the on-air personalities…the business manager to the traffic director. And the concerts. He wanted artists and dancers and crowd shots. 

My pictures now are fun and full of color. Maybe I use color for color’s sake. Who cares! I’m having fun. I want to bring art to those who wouldn’t normally like art…like the 20 year old receptionist at the radio station. …or the mechanic who likes cars. Or me for that matter! Artists can sometimes be too depressing or too deep. I’m neither nor is my art. I have found a whole new avenue with digital photography and Adobe Photoshop and I don’t want people to have to think too much when they see my work. I want it to make them happy.