OVAC Workshops: Public Art, Art 365 Proposal Writing

Reaching For A Star by Flickr user Laura Burlton. Click image to view source.

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is gearing up for their 2009-2010 Artist Survival Kit Workshop season. (I'm on the workshop committee, so you can read more about them here in the coming weeks.)

First up is "Dreaming Big: Public Art," two workshops to answer questions and help artists prepare to apply for the Public Art Mentorship. The Public Art Mentorship will offer commissions to three artists, totaling $75,000, as well as the assistance of experienced public artist, Lynn Basa. This workshop will be held in Tulsa on August 22 and in Oklahoma City on August 29.

In September there will be "Artist Proposal Writing" workshops. Each of these will focus on proposals for the next Art 365 and Momentum opportunities. This will be held in Tulsa on September 10 and in Oklahoma City on September 15.

I've been to several of the ASK workshops held by OVAC, and they are not to be missed. I always come away feeling well-informed and energized.

Click here for a full listing of OVAC's upcoming workshops, plus registration links. This page will be updated regularly, so check back.

Not an OVAC member yet? Here's why you should be.

Make Contemporary Art a Part of Your Routine

Collage maquette by Sarah Atlee

No matter where you live, you live near an artist. We are everywhere! Visiting gallery shows, poetry readings, theatre, live music shows, and other art events is a great way to support your local arts community, and enjoy yourself to boot.

If you're in the Oklahoma City area, it's easy to stay in the loop for local arts events. The Weekly Gazette arts calendar is fairly comprehensive. You can also read about local arts in ArtBeat, the Daily Oklahoman, and the Norman Transcript.

If handling paper isn't your thing, visit the OVAC and Plaza District blogs, and sign up for the Untitled Artspace E-newsletter.

To find out about art events in the Tulsa area, Holly Wall's blog is a great place to start. Also, feel free to explore the Oklahoma Artists section of my Links page. Many of those artists have their own blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitter streams.

Never been to a gallery show before? Everyone is welcome, and artists are always happy to answer questions about their work. Dip your toes into the monthly First Friday Art Walk in OKC's historic Paseo District, this coming Friday from 6 to 10 pm. Highlights for July include the Flora & Fauna show at aka gallery, 3001 Paseo. As always, there will be food, art, music, and plenty of atmosphere.

Get'cherself some cultcha, yeah? Your neighborhood artists will thank you.

This post is part of NaBloPoMo for July 2009.

Philbrook Museum Trading Tulips for Tomatoes

Path, from the Philbrook Museum gardens, by Flickr user trp0. Click image to visit on Flickr.

The Tulsa, OK Philbrook Museum of Art is doing something different with their grounds this summer. Faced with a budget shortfall that prevented them from maintaining all of their formal gardens, they decided instead to plant vegetables and harvest them for hungry Oklahomans. NPR reported on this story: click here to listen.

The Urban Tulsa Weekly reports that the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma welcomes the fruit and vegetable donations:

"Fresh produce is one of our most highly coveted items," [community relations director Cindy Stevens] said. "To be able to offer not just fresh produce, but produce picked that day or the day before is something that is a tremendous gift to our programs."

It will help people to eat healthier, too, which is so often a difficulty for low-income families. The seeds and other supplies for the vegetable garden were donated, and with the help of local volunteers, the museum staff is maintaining and harvesting the crops. Read the Philbrook Museum's full press release here.

This is something I love about living in Oklahoma. We seem to have an innate do-it-yourself impulse, and we are serious about supporting our local communities. Kudos to the Philbrook for turning economic hardship into an opportunity to help others.

UPDATE: Speaking of public gardens, here is a cool infographic of the new White House vegetable garden.

Later this month at the Philbrook, I will be giving a public talk about the Peggy Preheim exhibit. Preheim's mind-bogglingly intricate work, mainly miniature pencil drawings, present quasi-personal narratives that pull the viewer into her mysterious world. Come to the museum on Wednesday July 8th at noon to listen and discuss.

This post is part of NaBloPoMo for July 2009.

Dr. Sketchy's OKC with Savonne the Minx, 2009.06.14

The next Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, OKC edition, will be this Sunday evening at aka gallery in the Paseo. Madame Marylin tells us that Savonne the Minx, who hails from Tulsa, is a burlesque ballerina!

Also, she said something about hula hoops. Come on down.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. Click here to see my other Dr. Sketchy's drawings. Click here to see the Dr. Sketchy's OKC pool on Flickr.