Shooting hoops, slinging paint

Former pro-athlete now practices her craft as a Tulsa artist

The barista handed us our coffee and we shuffled to a 20-year-old sofa that had seen so many posteriors only a sliver of cushion remained. Claudia Riccardi and I laughed as we sunk into interview position at Shades of Brown, a Brookside staple. Riccardi, nearing six feet tall, beams a striking smile and dark skin covered in an eclectic collection of tattoos. In another life, she would have been turning heads on the runway at fashion week. Her current repertoire: artist, hair dresser, local model, mother, and soon-to-be master’s student. 

“I heard you played professional basketball,” I said. She smiled, confirming she played on a professional circuit across the Atlantic in Ireland. 

“In high school I played basketball, softball, track and field. I was a state champion long jumper. I excelled in art classes. I think athletics is a physical expression of the body and art is a physical expression of the heart and mind,” Riccardi said.  

Her work, around 20 pieces, filled the walls of the coffeehouse where we’d met. Most were smaller than 24 inches and incorporated bold lines and graffiti influences. Riccardi pointed to one painting hanging above a vintage chair. It was a partial view of an owl with orange ovals for feathers and large red eyes. My eyes scanned the collection, patterns and layers of spray paint. One work was pink, lime, and turquoise, all bathed in black repeating teardrops, together, reminiscent of a flower. 

With a grin and no regret, Ricarrdi said when basketball or other in life called, she retired the art supplies. “I would just see it. I would gather inspiration and try to figure out my style and what I’m about. I think now that I transitioned out of being an athlete, I have more time to be an artist.” 

“It’s funny, when I was an athlete I was an enforcer-type player, very aggressive. Now, I don’t have to be that person,” said Riccardi. 

Originally from Louisiana, Riccardi earned an athletic scholarship to Oral Roberts University (ORU) for a sport she played just a handful of years. At age 18 she visited T-town and decided it would be the safest landing for a young woman looking to make her mark. Before ORU, Riccardi said she wouldn’t have been able to point out Tulsa on a map. “This is a good spot to be in. I have been here 15 years now,” she said. She graduated with a degree in studio arts. “You don’t look like you went to ORU,” Riccardi said she often hears.

After college, an agent found a position for Riccardi on a professional basketball team in central Ireland. The team won the Irish National Championship with her help; she played forward. After three shoulder surgeries, her body finally gave, sending the retired athlete to Tulsa for a second tour. It has been a decade since she earned a paycheck for playing ball. Riccardi’s seven-year-old son isn’t convinced Mom ever played basketball. For his birthday, he asked for a basketball goal. “Oh, I will show him,” she said. 

Riccardi left the hardwood for the canvas, but certain aspects of athletics carry over, she said. “That work ethic side of it. Make time for this, schedule it. Not in a medium, per say, but in my desire to evolve as an artist, I find motivation from my experience as an athlete.”

Post-basketball, Riccardi went to beauty school. Now, with a full-time job as a hair stylist at Ihloff Salon, along with her two children and her work as an artist, Riccardi has decided to continue her education. “When you become a mom and have a family, everything is centered around your family. I would love to be an art therapist and work with families, use art as a means to connect them,” she said. She will attend Southern Nazarene University to work toward a master’s degree in counseling. Riccardi considers the move as part of her own transition into adulthood.

Riccardi still sees her former teammates. She said they have noted a shift in her demeanor. She is “happy to be in the stage where I am softer, more comfortable and centered,” she said. As for the next pick-up game, “I would love to go shoot around. That sounds fun to me, but I am a little too competitive. I want to win.” 

Art happenings

NOIRE // An examination of African-American culture in its current state through the eyes of nine artists. The show explores ideas of stereotyping, class wars, and the growing complexity of what it means to identify as “black.” // 6/6 through 6/26; Living Arts; 307 E. Brady; 918-585-1234 

FOCUS ON FAVORITES //
Gilcrease is displaying the best of the best from within its expansive collection of artwork and artifacts. Visitors can vote on their favorite pieces // ongoing; Gilcrease Museum; 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road; 918-596-2700 

THEODORE FRIED // A retrospective exhibit of the late Theodore Fried, an immigrant to the U.S. who gained popularity through his modern works during the mid-century, many depicting scenes close to his New York studio and home // through Sept.; Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art; 2021 E. 71st; 918-494-1818

MUSIC ALL AROUND // Sante Fe artist Gregory Horndeski will show his work around the world. He relies mainly on the pallet knife to move brightly colored paint across the canvas to create impressions of nature // through June 21; Joseph Gierek Gallery; 1342 E. 11th; 918-592-5432