What to do in Oklahoma on Feb. 6, 2012: Hear Acoustic Oklahoma at Picasso Cafe
Today’s featured event:
Hear Andy Adams, Brian Pickering and Burlap Tuxedo play at 7 tonight during the weekly Acoustic Oklahoma show at Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo.
For more information, go to www.facebook.com/AcousticOklahoma.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Best Bets for Feb. 3-5, 2012: Sarah Coburn, Omelette Party, Bert Seabourn and Jake Owen
Sarah Coburn
Here are my picks for the Best Bets in entertainment in the Oklahoma City area for this weekend, as listed in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. For entertainment options for the whole state, go to www.wimgo.com:
1. Listen to renowned Muskogee-bred singer Sarah Coburn and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic perform “Great Moments of Opera” at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Center, 201 N Walker. Information: 842-5387 or www.okcphilharmonic.org.
2. Sample gourmet eggs, dance to the music of JetSet Kings and bid in an art raffle at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s 28th annual Omelette Party at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center, 425 E California. Information: 236-3100 or www.okcmoa.com.
3. See new artwork, learn about heart health and see a painting demonstration by Bert Seabourn during a special National Wear Red Day-theme First Friday Gallery Walk, from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday in the Paseo Arts District. Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
4. NORMAN — Hear country singer Jake Owen at 8 p.m. Saturday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Feb. 3: Celebrate Wear Red Day at a special Gallery Walk in the Paseo Arts District
Jo Wise, executive director of the Paseo Arts Association, looking at artworks being collected at Paseo Art Space in Oklahoma City Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, to be judged for selection into the annual Paseo Art Association Member Juried Art Competition and Exhibition to benefit the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Heart Hospital will kickoff "The Heart of Paseo: The Art of Heart" Feb. 3, 2012. The sculpture in cedar and basswood is by Barbara Scott titled "Hope... the Thing with Feathers." Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Today’s featured event:
Celebrate National Wear Red Day for Women and Heart Disease Awareness, which is today, during a special “The Art of the Heart” Paseo Arts District First Friday Gallery Walk from 6 to 10 p.m. in the historic arts district.
The Paseo Arts Association is partnering with the Oklahoma Heart Hospital for its 2012 Paseo Arts Association Members’ Show. They are working together to promote heart health through the arts. Selected works will be displayed at the Paseo Art Space and in the lobbies of the two Oklahoma Heart Hospitals.
Everyone is encouraged to wear red to raise awareness of womens’ risk for heart disease.
The opening reception for the Members’ Show will be from 6 to 10 tonight in the Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo. Various galleries will be distributing tote bags, as well as pedometers, recipe cards, and other heart-healthy items, and many of the districts artists have created artwork that incorporates the color red.
Oklahoma State University fashion merchandising students will be displaying red dress sketches and finished dresses at a.k.a. Gallery, 3001 Paseo. The public will be asked to vote for best design, and the winner will win a cash award.
The winning red dress will be on display at Ruth Meyers in the Nichols Hills Shopping Center, 6471 Avondale Dr.
To read my colleague Heather Warlick-Moore’s story about the Paseo’s Wear Red celebration, click here.
For more information, go to www.thepaseo.com. For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 14, 2012: Laugh at loud at OKC Improv at Ghostlight Theatre Club
Today’s featured event:
Laugh at loud tonight during the latest OKC Improv showcase at Ghostlight Theatre Club, 3110 N Walker in the Paseo Arts District.
At 8 p.m., students from Casady High School will showcase their razor sharp short-form chops, followed by boundary-crossing comedy of The Big O. The darling dames of themed comedy, The MiDolls, will close out the 8 p.m. show. Hoofer Scott Hynes also will be performing improvised tap dance numbers throughout the show.
At 10 p.m., two Tulsa-based groups take the stage: the top-secret short form comedy of Operation Improv, followed by improvised medical sitcom Best Medicine. The 10 p.m. show closes out with the nefarious comedy of Villain: The Musical as they create an entire one-act musical where the bad guy is always the main character.
For more information, go to www.okcimprov.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 9, 2012: Check out Acoustic Oklahoma in the Paseo
Today’s featured event:
Hear Oklahoma musical talents Ray Kester, Jessey Thompson and John Riley at 7 p.m. at the weekly Acoustic Oklahoma showcase at Picasso’s Cafe, 3009 Paseo Drive in the Paseo Arts District.
For more information, go to www.acousticoklahoma.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 6, 2012: Check out the “Paseo Showcase” during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk
The pastel painting "3 Antelope" by Taos, N.M., artist Clive Tyler will be included in the "Paseo Showcase" exhibit opening Friday at Paseo Art Space. The pastel is from Adelante! Gallery.
Today’s featured event:
See new art, hear live music and sample snacks and wine during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk from 6 to 10 tonight in the Paseo Arts District, between NW 28 and Walker and NW 30 and Dewey. The Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo, will feature a “Paseo Showcase” that includes one or more artwork from each of the neighbor’s 20 galleries during the Gallery Walk.
Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com. To read my recent feature about the “Paseo Showcase,” click here.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
OKC Improv kicks off third year with shows, workshops starting this weekend
Twinprov
OKC Improv, Oklahoma’s premier showcase for the best local and regional improvisational comedy and theater, kicks off its third year this weekend with new shows, classes, and workshops.
Performances will take place at 8 and 10 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 7-Feb. 4 at Ghostlight Theatre Club, 3110 N Walker. Tickets are $10 each. $5 for improvisers and improv students. Admission is free if for those celebrating a birthday at the show. Many shows sell out so reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made via eMail at okcimprov@gmail.com or by calling 343-1570. For more information go to www.okcimprov.com.
2011 was an incredible year for OKC Improv. In addition to selling out more than half their shows, classes continue to grow with current and former students forming new groups. Their first semester teaching at Casady High School was a huge success that culminated in two stellar performances and participation in the 2011 Oklahoma Creativity Forum.
OKC Improv’s artistic directors, Buck and Clint Vrazel, represented Oklahoma for the first time at seven different festivals around the country and were recognized by OKCBiz’s “Forty Under 40″ for their innovative leadership and imp,act on the arts community in OKC. OKC Improv also was honored with the distinction of being accepted onto the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Performing Artist Roster.
OKC Improv is looking to make 2012 an even better year, kicking things off with an ambitious five-week run of shows featuring 29 different acts, including four OKC debuts and three world premieres. Austin, Texas-based duo Jorak and Jorak Do Movie will reenact a movie with their distinct Russian flair on Saturday.
OKC Improv hosts two Tulsa-based troupes to the stage on Jan. 14: short-form troupe Operation: Improv and improvised medical sitcom Best Medicine. On Jan. 28, Seattle-based improviser and puppeteer Elizabeth Westermann (Puppet Crush) will be joined on stage by Twinprov for OKC’s first ever puppet improv performance. Westermann will be teaching a workshop on puppet improv from noon to 3 p.m. the next day, Jan. 29.
World premieres include the politically charged One State Two State Red State Blue State made up of Kellen Hodgeson and Tim Huckeby (Ballpark Theater Co., Remote Control), Off-Book: Musical Morsels, a new musical improv project from the cast of Villain: The Musical, and narrative improv super troupe Ballpark Theater Company under the direction of Kyle Gossett (Twinprov, Villain: The Musical).
The upcoming run also will include the return of popular acts such as comedy nerd-pop-folk-rock-hip-hop band The Memepunks, boundary-crossing foursome The Big O, the darling dames of themed comedy The MiDolls, short-form troupes Take-One Productions, Casady Improv, and Homemade Fireworks, Rory Littleton’s one-man show “It’s Momma,” improvisational Shakespeare troupe Fortune’s Fools, playfully inventive husband-and-wife duo Red Letters, the improvised Broadway stylings of Villain: The Musical, the idiosyncratically explosive comedy of C-4, and the nationally acclaimed musical comedy of Twinprov.
OKC Improv is working through a new session of weekly improv classes for adults continuing through Feb. 4 at Ghostlight Theatre Club. The Level 1 class will take place at noon, Level 2 at 2 p.m. and Level 3 at 4 p.m. There will be a Level 1 (Week 1) recap at 11 a.m. Saturday for those who missed the first class in this session on Dec. 31. The first class attended is free; cost is $10 for each additional class. To enroll call (405) 343-1570 or email okcimprov@gmail.com. For more information on classes and workshops go to www.okcimprov.com.
In addition to the normal Saturday Level 1-3 improv classes, OKC Improv will be hosting a series of five advanced workshops on Sundays starting this weekend through Feb. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. at Ghostlight.
Shane McClure (Everybody and Their Dog, Fortunes Fools) will get things started this coming Sunday with a “Stage Combat” workshop (cost $20) followed by “Building a Show” taught by Buck and Clint Vrazel on Jan. 15 (cost $25). OKC Improv Managing Director Eric Webb will teach a workshop on “Management and Publicity” on Jan. 22 (cost $20). Seattle-based improviser and puppeteer Elizabeth Westermann (Puppet Crush) will teach “Puppet Improv” on Jan. 29 (cost $30). For the first time in more than a year and a half, Buck and Clint Vrazel will teach their nationally acclaimed “Freestyle Rap” workshop here in OKC on Feb. 5 (cost $25). Limited spaces are available. To reserve a seat in any of the advanced workshops call (405) 343-1570 or email okcimprov@gmail.com.
OKC Improv is dedicated to the art of improvisational comedy and theater. In addition to producing regular shows featuring the best local and regional improv acts, the organization works to raise awareness and understanding of improv among audiences and practitioners through publicity, outreach, and education including ongoing classes and workshops.
See the schedule for OKC Improv’s winter run after the break.
Paseo Arts District shows its stuff this weekend with “Paseo Showcase” during monthly Gallery Walk
"Sahara Dunes," by acclaimed photographer Greg Davis, will represent Visions in the Paseo gallery in the "Paseo Showcase" exhibit opening Friday at the Paseo Art Space.
Paseo Arts District shows its stuff
Opening during Friday’s monthly Gallery Walk, the Paseo Arts Association’s new exhibit “Paseo Showcase” features one or more artworks from each of the district’s 20 galleries.
During the first of its popular monthly Gallery Walks of 2012, the Paseo Arts Association is showcasing the myriad galleries, restaurants and other businesses in the historic neighborhood.
The exhibit “Paseo Showcase,” featuring one or more artworks from each of the district’s 20 galleries, will open Friday night in the association’s Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo.
“We’re always promoting individual artists, but we rarely have Paseo artists in here because most of them have their own galleries,” said Jo Wise, the association’s executive director.
“It’s just a nice way for people to come and see everything at a glance and get an idea of what’s here.”
The opening reception for the “Paseo Showcase” is set from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday during the Paseo’s First Friday Gallery Walk. Eateries in the district will provide food for the event, and information about other businesses and organizations in the neighborhood will be on display along with art.
As usual, most Paseo galleries will stay open late, show new artwork and serve up refreshments during the Gallery Walk, which will continue from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.
But the “Paseo Showcase” will provide another way for visitors to see what the Paseo has to offer. The two-block-long district, named one of the “Top Ten Greatest Neighborhoods in the United States” by the American Planning Association in 2010, includes 20 galleries with more than 70 artists, three restaurants, a gift store, clothing boutiques, and more.
“Most Paseo artists are in a gallery down here, so they’ll have their shows in their individual galleries. But this is a way to direct people to those galleries,” Wise said. “We have our gallery guides that we give to everyone … so they can take a gallery guide and circle the areas they want to go to.”
Nathan White, a master welder and owner of Aces Fabrication & Design, submitted this steel lamp for the "Paseo Showcase" exhibit.
The showcase should be particularly beneficial for Paseo artists like Nathan White, who opened his custom metal fabricating studio at NW 30 and Walker in July. The master welder is new to the district, and his Aces Fabrication & Design is situated about half a block off Paseo Drive, the neighborhood’s main street.
“It’s gonna open up an opportunity for everyone to come down and see in one spot what everybody does. Then, you can decide to go to the different spaces because it’s a little hard to make ‘em all during the Friday art walk,” said White. who crafts sculptures, chandeliers, furniture and more out of steel.
“I’m off the beaten path a little bit, too, so it kind of gives me a little more exposure down here in the heart of it. … I love it down here, and everybody’s been real helpful. All the other venues have been great.”
With all the galleries participating, the showcase will include an array of sculptures, paintings, photographs, ceramics, jewelry and fabric art.
“It’s going to be a nice variety,” Wise said. “It should cover the gamut … of the art world.”
Glenn Fillmore, owner/director of the Visions in the Paseo, is another relative newcomer to the district looking forward to the showcase. Dedicated solely to photography, his gallery opened in November 2010.
Even frequent visitors to the Paseo can have trouble keeping up with the new artists in the area, he said. His Visions is among three galleries near Paseo Creek that have opened in the past 14 months.
Fillmore submitted for the showcase the stunning desert landscape “Sahara Dunes” by acclaimed National Geographic photographer Greg Davis, whom his gallery represents.
“I wanted something that would really jump out and show off the quality of the work we have down here,” Fillmore said. “I personally think it’ll be great. A lot of people come through the PAA Art Space down there, a lot of people that don’t know we’re down here at the other end of the block.”
For the “Paseo Showcase,” Wise limited each gallery to 40 inches square of wall space — sculptors and potters just had to make sure their pieces could fit in the door — and many of the gallery owners chose to submit one striking piece.
“Some of the galleries that have a number of artists are making small paintings that can be hung together within that 40-inch parameter. They are creative down here,” Wise said. “I thought it was great because I didn’t know how they would pick.”
Cynthia Wolf, owner of Adelante! Gallery, chose three small pieces, including one of her cattle drive photographs, that represent her gallery’s focus on Western and Southwestern fine
Cynthia Wolf, owner/artist of Adelante! Gallery, submitted her photograph "Bringin' Up the Rear" for the "Paseo Showcase" exhibit opening this Friday at the Paseo Art Space.
art.
“This is the first time they’ve had a show like this that I can remember,” said Wolf, who has owned her Paseo gallery for nine years. “I think it’ll be a benefit to me and my gallery. I think it’s a great idea.”
GOING ON
Paseo Gallery Walk
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Paseo Arts District, between NW 28 and Walker and NW 30 and Dewey.
Special event: The Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo, will feature a “Paseo Showcase” that includes one or more artwork from each of the neighbor’s 20 galleries during the Gallery Walk.
Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
-BAM
Paseo gallery JRB Art at the Elms marking New Year’s Day with 9th annual art exhibit and celebration
Paseo art gallery JRB Art at The Elms will welcome 2012 with its ninth annual New Year’s Day exhibit and celebration from 1 to 6 p.m. today.
As is the gallery’s custom, guests will be encouraged to taste black-eyed peas, ham, turkey, collard greens, assorted salads, dips and pastries while feasting their eyes on beautiful artwork.
This month’s exhibit, “Juror’s Choice,” will feature eight new artists working in various media. Also on display will be the gallery’s second annual “Calendar Art” show, exhibiting artwork featured in the JRB Art 2012 wall calendar. These shows will open with today’s reception and from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 during the Paseo Arts District’s monthly First Friday Gallery Walk. These exhibits will be on view through Jan. 28.
This year, JRB Art at The Elms will continue its traditional “Calendar Art” exhibition, featuring artwork from the gallery’s 2012 wall calendar. Featured artists will include Sara Scribner, Eleanor Spiess-Ferris, Heather Gorham, Carol Beesley, Denise Duong, John Wolfe, Brent Learned, Tracey Harris and Mike Wimmer. Everyone attending the opening will receive a free copy of the 2012 calendar.
As its feature exhibition, eight new artists will be featured in the show “Juror’s Choice.” Renowned artist and educator, Carol Beesley, juried this show that features paintings, prints, sculpture and ceramics.
“The artists for this exhibition were chosen for many reasons,” Beesley says in a news release. “ Each has a long history of art-making, of innovation which builds on shared threads of wonder and surprise. Each has a passion for what they do. To sustain this passion requires an almost ineffable impulse to make art. They love what they do! Their work conveys yet another puzzle piece in the story, and like all my favorite artists, their quest is close to their hearts.”
Tommy Lee Ball grew up in Sapulpa and graduated from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha with a degree in photography. Spending a great deal of time in Tulsa and Oklahoma City growing up, he was inspired by the night lights and architecture of the city, finding the colors profoundly beautiful, and the architecture awe-inspiring. Ball translated his eye for perspective and composition from his knack for photography into vibrantly-colorful watercolor paintings of almost impressionistic cityscapes and buildings.
Memories and metaphors drive the content within the biographical nature of Ginna Dowling’s work. The diverse nature of printmaking inspires her to achieve a layering process of transparency and form that represents the shifting perception, depth and variation of meaning in her body of work. A native of Oklahoma City who resides in Norman, Ginna represents the third generation of women artists in her family. She is currently completing her master of fine arts in printmaking at the University of Oklahoma.
Doug Elder received a bachelor of fine arts in drawing from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. He then studied Painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Douglas received his MFA in sculpture at Boston University and then taught drawing and aculpture there for six years. Since 2007, Douglas has been the executive director at the Firehouse Art Center in Norman and is a board member on the Norman Public Arts Board. He has lectured in Drawing at the University of Oklahoma and in 2011 created a centerpiece sculpture for the World Creativity Forum at the university.
New Orleans-born, South Carolina-raised Grace Grothaus moved to Tulsa only four years ago, but her influence in the artistic community is already palpable. After earning her degree at the Kansas City Art Institute while simultaneously running a gallery there, Grothaus accepted a position at Philbrook Museum of Art. A self-proclaimed “synthetic landscape painter,” Grothaus combines different media, playing with plastic, LED lights (some of which have motion sensors so that they interact with the viewer), painting and photography to create a multimedia experience. Grace has recently transplanted to Norman to pursue a graduate degree in Art at the University of Oklahoma.
Trent Lawson is an Oklahoma City native. He received his BFA in studio art from Oklahoma City University and has recently taken on the role of preparator at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Trent’s work is typically recognizable for its texture and use of color. Recently this has been transposed into a newly discovered talent: the medium of velvet painting. Humor, pop culture and kitsch are what you will see in Lawson’s velvet works.
Ruth Borum Loveland graduated with a BFA in studio from the University of Oklahoma in 2005. Since graduation, she has maintained a painting studio on Main Street in Norman. Loveland has appeared in local and national publications and has shown her work regionally since 2005.
Bob Nunn, MFA, is a Dallas native and lifelong art educator. He has maintained his studio in Dallas’ fabled Deep Ellum neighborhood for almost 40 years. Nunn taught painting and drawing at North Lake College for more than 25 years before retiring and devoting his full attention to his art. Nunn’s work has been acquired by several notable institutions and private collectors. His paintings and drawings have been in exhibitions locally, regionally and nationally, garnering numerous awards that include more than a few best of show awards.
Marty Ray received her MFA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she was born. Marty has been teaching art in Dallas Public Schools since 1965, and is presently teaching Ceramics and Sculpture at North Lake College in Irving, Texas. She has received many honors and awards for her teaching, and her work has been featured in several publications, including Ceramics Monthly and Electric Kiln Ceramics. From the beginning, her work has been strongly connected to a love for drawing and painting. Her unique ceramic pieces feature colorful drawings scrawled across the surface of her pottery.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 26, 2011: Catch the debut of The Memepunks at OKC Improv
Today’s featured event:
Check out the debut of new nerd-pop/folk/rock/hip-hop band The Memepunks at OKC Improv’s 10 p.m. Saturday show at Ghostlight Theatre Club, 3110 N Walker. Information: 343-1570 or www.okcimprov.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
