Stephen Morris surprised Tambascio’s Italian Grill owner John Tambascio on April 16 with a painting featuring the Dodgingtown Road restaurant and its owner.

The painting, “The Dance at the Folies-Bergère,” is one of many paintings by Morris that will be featured in his upcoming exhibition at Edmond Town Hall. The exhibition is free to the public and will be on display from 11 am-5 pm, Friday through Sunday, April 25-27, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

Morris said he and his wife Laura have long cherished evenings at Tambascio’s, which is their favorite restaurant. During one memorable visit, a conversation with Tambascio sparked a creative idea: Morris would paint a special scene for the restaurant, one that also featured a portrait of John himself.

This caused Morris to embark on a personal artistic journey inspired by his favorite painting, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party,” as well as the iconic works of fellow Impressionist masters — Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s vivid depictions of Paris nightlife, and Édouard Manet’s legendary “Bar at the Folies-Bergère.”

Morris said his goal was to create a work that pays homage to these great painters while capturing the vibrant spirit of his own community.

The result of those efforts is “The Dance at the Folies-Bergère,” Morris’ newest painting. The piece will be formally unveiled at his upcoming exhibition at Edmond Town Hall, offering the public a chance to experience the piece in person alongside other works from his collection.

The painting has already been entered in the upcoming New York Chelsea Art Show competition, which Morris said is the most prestigious art show in the US.

Morris has always held a passion for the arts and, over the years, has gone on to express his creativity in a wide variety of mediums. From oil pointing and masonry to self-publishing a children’s book on Amazon, Morris’s drive to create has not wavered.

He is now the head artist of Destination Ad Art, a local business he started that supplies creative works of art for the community and surrounding area. Morris is not alone, however. He is joined by the lead engineer of Destination Ad Art Mike Hajzer in creating fantastical art pieces and engravings.

Some of the other paintings to be included in the Edmond Town Hall exhibition next weekend are “Water Lily Dancer,” an oil painting featuring a ballerina gracefully dancing across a lake on water lily pads; and a 20” x 15” white jade marble engraving titled “The Intervention of the Sabine Women,” inspired by the painting of the same name by French painter Jacques-Louis David.

Fiona Shaw, a 14-year-old ballet dancer with Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet, served as the model for “Water Lily Dancer.” She will perform a special ballet piece she choreographed herself, inspired by the painting, during a private event for the exhibition on Saturday, April 26.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.