Skip navigation
Oklahoma Arts Conference

2018 Oklahoma Arts Conference


Conference Schedule
Pre-conference
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Wednesday, October 24, 2018Thursday, October 25, 2018Post-conference
Friday, October 26, 2018
9:00am - 9:45am Oklahoma City’s Film Row: A Story of Rebirth
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Bradley Wynn
With the emergence of moving pictures, Oklahoma City’s Film Row district emerged in 1907 and became a thriving mecca of film exchange offices that distributed movies to theaters throughout the state. As technology advanced in the 1960s, the film exchange offices gradually closed their doors, resulting in a derelict downtown district and surrounding neighborhood. Despite over 30 years of neglect and insurmountable challenges, several of the once-vacant historic buildings have been preserved, and the Film Row district is now a cultural destination. Join author, historian, and film-buff Bradley Wynn as he shares Film Row’s story of triumph and transformation.
10:00am - 11:30am A Dynamic Music Industry Conversation with JD McPherson and Scott Booker
Location: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building, 726 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building
Presenters: Scott Booker - Presenter, JD McPherson - Presenter
Join Scott Booker—Executive Director of ACM@UCO and manager of The Flaming Lips—for a dynamic conversation with award-winning Oklahoma native singer-songwriter JD McPherson. The duo will discuss the ins and outs of the music industry from the artist and management perspectives. Whether you’re an individual singer-songwriter, band member, venue owner, music business representative, or someone interested in building the music scene in your area, you will benefit from the exclusive insight being offered in this panel.
10:00am - 11:30am Accessibility in the Arts, Part 2: How
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 2
Presenters: Jack McMahan - Presenter, Matthew Sipress - Presenter, Heather White - Presenter
Making programs, activities, and services accessible is somewhat subjective. This session is dedicated to artists, administrators, and program managers who may or may not know where to begin. Join us for this workshop-style session in which we review accommodation, look at practical examples from leaders in the arts access field, explore simple first steps in becoming more accessible, and discuss the keys to success in advocating for inclusion of your own work.
10:00am - 11:30am An Update on Oklahoma’s New Alcohol Laws (presented by the Oklahoma ABLE Commission)
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 3
Presenters: Captain Dennis McGowen - Presenter
An Update on Oklahoma’s New Alcohol Laws (presented by the Oklahoma ABLE Commission)
Recent changes in Oklahoma’s alcohol laws could effect events, fundraisers, and other programs of interest to arts organizations statewide. This session will help arts managers be fully prepared for the changes. Presented by the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission, this session will provide a synopsis of how the new laws will effect licensing, operation, and the supply and distribution requirements for Oklahoma businesses that sell alcohol. Time will be allotted for questions from those in attendance.
10:00am - 11:30am Chairs by Design with Rosetta Bradford Funches: A Folk and Traditional Arts Experience
Location: Dunlap & Codding , 609 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: Dunlap & Codding
Presenters: Rosetta Funches Bradford - Presenter
Designer Rosetta Funches will demonstrate the technique of chair painting. As an artist skilled in repurposing and recycling materials, Funches will teach the basic techniques for transforming an old piece of furniture into an eye-catching work of art. Come prepared to participate in this creative and colorful happening!
10:00am - 11:30am Creative Placemaking: Mobilizing Local Artists to Enrich Your Business District
Location: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center, 800 W. Sheridan
Room: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center
Presenters: Jun-Li Wang - Featured Presenter
From rural main streets to urban cultural districts, local artists can enrich and expand an authentic identity and brand of a “place” while helping to engage customers and members of the community. Local artists can bring new energy around challenges such as vacant storefronts and changing demographics, plus they can create projects that attract people. In this session, you will learn how to structure and launch an artist-driven creative placemaking project modeled after the Irrigate initiative, a nationally recognized program in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The session will introduce you to a foundational activity, highlight case studies from business districts, touch on finding artists, and explore budgeting and funding options. For advance reading, download a free guide at springboardexchange.org/guide-for-business-districts.
10:00am - 11:30am Engaging Community through Relationships, Relevancy, and Responsibility
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Janet Brown - Featured Presenter
Arts groups are constantly told to “engage” the community, but what does this actually mean? Are we functioning outside the community or within it? Do we see our organizations as merely arts organizations or as community assets? Whether you’re attempting to build audiences or provide services to other areas beyond the arts, your organization’s success is built on relationships, relevancy, and your responsibility as a good community member.
10:00am - 11:30am Establishing Successful Arts After School Programs
Location: Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main Street
Room: Carpenter Square Theatre
Presenters: Marcus Jackson - Moderator, Johann Kimbro - Panelist, Kiona Millirons - Panelist, Wilmari Ruiz - Panelist
The growing challenges caused by reduced revenue in public schools across Oklahoma has resulted in the unfortunate reduction or elimination of several visual and performing arts education programs. While this is harmful to all students, it leaves children and youth in low-income communities with a greater disadvantage because they do not have the resources to participate in these programs elsewhere. Founders and directors of Academia, Oklahoma City Girls Art School, and Bring Back the Music will share why and how they established organizations and programs to meet these challenges and to help fill this void. They will share how they have designed opportunities for students to develop creative thinking skills, enhance self-esteem, and gain life skills that will equip them for college and promising career opportunities.

10:00am - 11:30am Intro to Bollywood Fusion Dance
Location: Race the Space, 11 N. Lee Ave.
Room: Race the Space
Presenters: Emily South - Presenter
Join Emily South to learn the basics of Bollywood Fusion Dance. Combining different dance techniques and immersion of culture to create a new aesthetic, this introductory session will focus on Bollywood dance, a popular style of dance that fuses classical Indian dance with Western dance.
10:00am - 11:30am Mini-Bootcamp Training for Boards
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row Theatre
Presenters: Jerry Wright - Presenter
A healthy and durable relationship between an organization’s Executive Director and Board Chair is required for the organization’s long-term stability and success. This intensive mini-bootcamp will lay the groundwork for executive directors and board chairs to recruit strong board members, clearly define roles and responsibilities, and set high standards for legal duties and governance. Together, we will examine and re-evaluate organizational missions, discuss best practices for great board performance, and set forth to lead with care, loyalty, obedience, and transparency
10:00am - 11:30am Pricing your Work: a Session for Artists
Location: IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: IAO Gallery
Presenters: Naomi Schliesman - Featured Presenter
Discover an analytical approach to defining key elements that will help you calculate the costs and prices of your art for a variety of markets. This session will illustrate the factors of product production that apply to all items in the market. Once you understand what each of the variables are, you will be able to customize a formula that fits your individual business model. This session is designed for artists working in all disciplines.

10:00am - 11:30am Refreshing Your Vision: An Interactive Workshop
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row 2nd Floor
Presenters: Arlene Goldbard - Featured Presenter
Arts activists sometimes get advocacy fatigue: how to summon the energy to make the case one more time to people who don’t seem to be listening? This workshop offers fresh, new ways to look at your work, energizing your creativity and sense of mission.
11:30am - 1:00pm Block Party on Film Row
Location: TBD
Room: TBD
Gather with your fellow conference peers for a fun and informal block party on Shartel Ave. just south of Sheridan Ave. The block party will include some of OKC's favorite food trucks, interactive arts experiences, and live performances by LTZ and the Tap Band. The outdoor block party is sponsored by Fowler Automotive and Arts Council Oklahoma City.
1:00pm - 2:30pm Creating and Sustaining Impact through Planned Giving
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Joe Carter - Presenter, Jennifer Meckling - Presenter
This presentation will provide insight into how to sustain and expand your programs by establishing an endowment and why a planned gifts are attractive to your donor base. It will define the basics of planned giving, why organizations should market planned gifts, the role planned gifts should play in your organization and the psychology behind endowments as seen through the eyes of donors.
1:00pm - 2:00pm EastPoint: New Community Development on Oklahoma City’s East Side
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 3
Presenters: Dr. Quintin Hughes (Dr. Q) - Panelist, Jonathan Dodson - Panelist, Jabee Williams - Panelist
Seeing a need to change the narrative of Oklahoma City’s east side, a team of young business leaders and entrepreneurs from Oklahoma City’s African American community are stepping up to revitalize a stretch of the city’s northeast 23rd Street corridor known as EastPoint. They are working toward creating a vibrant business district in an area of the city that for decades has been neglected. Upon completion, EastPoint will feature several new businesses while serving as an intersection of culture, food, and fellowship. Hear how this team of visionaries and developers has initiated and fostered momentum toward transforming their collective vision into reality.
1:00pm - 2:00pm Evaluating Fundraising Effectiveness
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 2
Presenters: Mike Slack
Frustrated with your fundraising efforts? Don't know why you're not more effective? Don't know why you ARE effective? Aren't sure how to hold your staff, your board, or yourself accountable? In this session, you'll be shown tips, tricks, and hacks for putting a system in place to measure fundraising efficacy.
1:00pm - 3:00pm How Artist-Led Creative Placemaking Can Enhance Your Impact
Location: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center, 800 W. Sheridan
Room: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center
Presenters: Jun-Li Wang
What can creative placemaking do for your work? In this session, we will discuss how to tap into the creativity of local artists as an effective strategy for enhancing sense of place, building community, connecting across sectors, and grappling with community challenges. We will share examples of rural and urban projects that have created positive impacts in community identity, social capital, and community and economic vitality. We will also highlight the Irrigate initiative—a nationally recognized project that leveraged the creative skills of residents in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to mitigate disruptions caused by the development of a light rail transit line. Finally, we will examine best practices and share a scalable approach to catalyzing this work in your communities (available in two toolkits geared towards community organizations and business districts.)
1:00pm - 2:30pm Introduction to Songwriting with Zac Maloy
Location: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building, 726 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building
Presenters: Zac Maloy - Presenter
This session will include a short performance by nationally acclaimed, award-winning songwriter/producer Zac Maloy. Maloy will perform a few songs he’s written for chart topping artists and share some of the stories behind the songs. He will provide professional insight from the songwriting and publishing experience and will dedicate time toward the end of the session for audience Q&A.
1:00pm - 2:00pm K-pop Dance Class
Location: Race the Space, 11 N. Lee Ave.
Room: Race the Space
Presenters: Amber Nillpraphan
South Korean pop music, or K-pop, is a main driver behind the rise of Korean popular culture across the globe in the past decade. Known as Hallyu, this global wave has been felt in industries ranging from entertainment and cosmetics, to food, fashion, and more. K-pop dance is an essential part of the Hallyu movement. A style of dance that is fun and innovative, K-pop dance is also visually compelling and easy to follow. This workshop will highlight the choreography to “Forever Young,” by BlackPink, currently one of the most popular girl groups in the K-pop industry.
1:00pm - 2:00pm Oklahoma’s Soulful Stories: Building Community by Affirming the Past and Empowering the Future
Location: Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main Street
Room: Carpenter Square Theatre
Presenters: Sandra McMillon - Presenter, Vivian Myers - Presenter, Tierney Palmer - Presenter, DWe Williams - Presenter
For more than 20 years, Rhythmically Speaking—an Oklahoma City-based theater and storytelling company—has researched, scripted, and produced original productions chronicling black history in Oklahoma. These “soulful stories” have served to validate and build awareness of the important contributions of black Oklahomans to the history of the state. Stories that have been presented by Rhythmically Speaking include “Sweet Biscuits: Thirteen Remaining Black Towns of Oklahoma,” “Boley Bank Robbery,” “Clara Luper,” “W.J. Edwards,” “Nothing But Mercy,” “John Hope Franklin,” “Tulsa Race Riot,” “Swingin’ and Singing on the Duece,” “Douglass High School Class of 1966,” “Pride on the Eastside,” “Queens of Education,” and “Hannah Diggs Atkins.” This session will explore the contributions of Hannah Diggs Atkins and open discussion on how and why her “soulful story” is a community builder. Participants will learn basic techniques for researching, writing, and producing a history-based performance.
1:00pm - 2:00pm Portfolio Kits for Visual Artists
Location: IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: IAO Gallery
Presenters: Naomi Schliesman
Your portfolio is the core of your promotional material. Focus on the essential elements: sharpening your artist statement, tailoring your artistic résumés, and selecting and formatting your work samples. This session is geared toward the needs of visual artists.
1:00pm - 3:00pm Public Art Office Hours with the Oklahoma Public Art Network
Location: Dunlap & Codding , 609 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: Dunlap & Codding
The Office Hours session offers the opportunity for artists or public art organizers to meet one-on-one or in small groups with a public art expert during the conference. Representatives from the Oklahoma Public Art Network (OPAN) will be available to answer questions and provide technical assistance and coaching for your next project. If you find yourself struggling and are unsure how to navigate the muddy waters of public art projects, here’s a chance to connect with the statewide network and gain some insight. Whether you are an artist who is interested in learning how to get started on your first public art proposal or a civic leader who is interested in developing new public art opportunities in your neighborhood or town, this session can offer you guidance for you planning process. OPAN members can answer your questions about funding, community involvement, city codes, public art’s value in tourism, and much more. Sign up at the conference registration desk at the 21C Museum Hotel with your specific questions or topics of interest.
1:00pm - 2:00pm Take Your Show on the Road
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row Theatre
Presenters: Lance McDaniel - Moderator, Hui Cha Poos - Panelist, Matthew Sipress - Panelist
As education budgets tighten across the state, arts related classes are often the first to be cut. This creative void within schools provides an opportunity for nonprofit arts organizations to step up and inspire with creative programming and outreach. Come hear from RACE Dance, Lyric Theatre, and deadCenter Film about how they create, fund, and manage education outreach programs that travel across the city and around the state.
1:00pm - 2:00pm Walking Tour of Historic Film Row with Bradley Wynn
Location: TBD
Room: TBD
Presenters: Bradley Wynn
Take a walk through the historic Film Row district with author, historian, and history buff, Bradley Wynn and discover the dynamic history of Oklahoma City's authentic film exchange. Each tour is limited to 12 participants. Sign up at the conference registration table. The tour will depart from the lobby of the 21c Museum Hotel.
1:00pm - 2:00pm Working with Mid-America Arts Alliance
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row 2nd Floor
Presenters: Dr. Arthur S. “Art” DeGroat - Presenter, Todd Stein - Presenter, - Presenter
This session will feature a quick overview of programs and services of the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA), your regional arts organization, presented by M-AAA President and CEO Todd Stein and M-AAA Director of Marketing and Communications Margaret Keough. Oklahomans and others who have benefitted from M-AAA programs will then discuss their involvement in M-AAA programs such as Artist INC, Exhibits USA, NEH on the Road, and the M-AAA’s arts and military programming.
2:15pm - 3:15pm An Introduction to Mexican Folkloric Dance
Location: Race the Space, 11 N. Lee Ave.
Room: Race the Space
Presenters: Adelita Dixon-Hernandez - Presenter
In the rich, colorful elements of Mexico’s folkloric dance are its peoples’ past, present, and future. Its various states and diverse regions are uniquely represented through a variety of traditional dances and costuming. This class will focus on the traditions of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, with a dance entitled, “La Bruja” (The Witch). Participants will learn the basic traditional steps that originated in Veracruz. The class will provide a perfect introduction into storytelling and basic traditional footwork that correlates with the art of Mexican Folklorico.
2:15pm - 3:15pm Oklahoma Film Showcase
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row Theatre
Presenters: Sara Thompson - Moderator, Ryan Bellgardt - Panelist, Laron Chapman - Panelist, Megan Hickey - Panelist
Oklahoma boasts hundreds of working filmmakers, film artists, and storytellers working within the art of film. Organized by Sara Thompson, Director of Programming for the deadCenter Film Festival, this showcase will feature film clips from three very different award winning films. The showcase will also include discussions with the directors of the films, which include “You People,” a dramedy about race and acceptance; “The Jurassic Games,” a dinosaur-filled action film; and, “Gray Matter,” a documentary about the impact of Oklahoma’s drastic incarceration rates for women.
2:15pm - 3:15pm Oklahoma K-12 Fine Arts Data Report (presented by the Oklahoma State Department of Education)
Location: Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main Street
Room: Carpenter Square Theatre
Presenters: Elizabeth Maughan - Presenter
Oklahoma public schools offer instruction in dance, drama/theatre, music, and visual art; however, course offerings vary widely in districts across the state. In this session presented by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, data from all fine arts course offerings in K-8 and K-12 public schools in Oklahoma will be introduced, and suggestions will be offered to help fine arts organizations “stand in the gap” to ensure all Oklahoma public school students have access to a fine arts education.
2:15pm - 3:15pm Portfolio Kits for Performing Artists
Location: IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: IAO Gallery
Presenters: Naomi Schliesman - Featured Presenter
Your portfolio is the core of your promotional material. Focus on the essential elements: sharpening your artist statement, tailoring your artistic résumés, and selecting and formatting your work samples. This session is geared toward the needs of performing artists.

2:15pm - 3:15pm Tell M-AAA More
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row 2nd Floor
Presenters: Todd Stein - Presenter, - Presenter
As the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) begins work on its next long-range plan, they want to hear from Oklahomans about ways M-AAA programs and services can serve the needs of those working in the arts in our state. Join M-AAA President and CEO Todd Stein and M-AAA Director of Marketing and Communications Margaret Keough for this guided discussion and visioning session.

2:15pm - 3:15pm The Curse of “Comfortable”: Discussing Casual Harassment in the Performing Arts
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 3
Presenters: Jeff Yenzer - Presenter
The creative world has long been a place where performers and patrons alike can step into the shoes of another person and cast away the regular expectations of the world. In light of societal shifts and efforts like the #MeToo movement, we find that even the creative world is radically changing. While these changes may ultimately be for the better, there still remain many settings in the performing arts where harassment is an issue. In this highly interactive discussion led by human resources entrepreneur and 20-year entertainer Jeff Yenzer, we will discuss often-overlooked pitfalls and explore ways to avoid them. Be prepared to take notes, ask questions, and maintain an objective mindset in order to learn ways to navigate our way toward a better society.
3:30pm - 4:30pm Empathy, Equity, and Belonging: What The World Needs Now
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Arlene Goldbard - Featured Presenter
In challenging and polarized times, it is easy to lose heart. How do we begin to address the gulfs in understanding and relationship that divide us? To heal whatever is broken—our economy, the climate, race relations—as we face all types of fear, we must heal our capacity for self-knowledge, empathy, imagination, and social creativity. We need to change the story to change the world. And to change the story, we need artists. In this keynote, Arlene Goldbard will share a vision of artists as catalysts for empathy, equity and belonging, with gifts that awaken awareness and compassionate action. Goldbard will offer a framework for understanding the great transformation that is needed, and she will advise on finding our most powerful and satisfying role within it.

5:00pm - 7:00pm Closing Reception at Oklahoma Contemporary
Location: Oklahoma Contemporary, 3000 General Pershing Blvd.
Room: Oklahoma Contemporary
The Oklahoma Arts Council, in partnership with Oklahoma Contemporary and the Oklahoma Latino Cultural Center, present a special closing reception of the 2018 Oklahoma Arts Conference. This special event is being offered at no cost (conference registration is not required). The reception will take place at Oklahoma Contemporary’s location on the State Fairgrounds. On display will be exhibitions presented by Inclusion in Art and the Latino Cultural Center in celebration of Latinx arts and culture. The event will feature live mariachi music performances, life hors d’oeuvres, and more.

Complete your conference experience at the closing reception while celebrating Oklahoma’s cultural vibrancy!

Receive updates about the Oklahoma Arts Conference.

Questions?
For more information contact our Director of Rural and Creative Community Outreach.