NATHANIEL HARDING WILL tell you that he’s just a regular guy from a rural neighborhood outside of Norman, Oklahoma, who loves his city and the quest for oil and gas. A board member for Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, the Antioch Energy founder and president is anything but your typical thirty-something. He graduated cum laude from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in mechanical engineering and Russian. He then served in the Air Force Reserves, deploying to Afghanistan, and later began a political consulting firm.
“I want to live in a cool city,” says Harding, who is a regular donor to the arts center.
When he’s not making oil and gas plays, Harding says, he is enjoying life with his wife and children, serving on the Oklahoma City Streetcar oversight committee, and helping the governor with economic-development
initiatives. His dedication to improving the quality of life in Oklahoma City ultimately led him to Oklahoma Contemporary. Harding admits he didn’t know much about art, but he immediately felt welcome among the
diverse and inclusive community of arts patrons. He has since become an avid art collector.
Harding and his wife, Amanda, support the organization in three ways: through a fund in their name
at the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, through his company, and with personal gifts.
“Oklahoma Contemporary is among our highest priorities for giving, since we believe so much in what they are doing in our community,” he says. “With new ways to approach art, the new campus will literally transform the community. It will feature contemporary artists, provide educational opportunities, and will bring in the community to discover things they never knew existed.”
Inspired by his newfound love of collecting, Harding is especially excited about Antioch Energy’s new artist in-residency program, currently featuring sculptor Morgan Robinson.
“It’s a five-month residency,” Harding says. “We’re doing innovative things simply because we are open to meeting new people in the community and saying yes to an opportunity.”—KELLEY BARNES