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Oklahoma Arts Council News

August 2013

New Fine Arts Standards: What Do They Mean for Oklahoma Teachers

This past July, Oklahoma Arts Council staff members were pleased to have a presence at the State Department of Education's Vision 20/20 conference in Oklahoma City. During the conference we were able to talk to teachers and administrators from communities throughout the state who shared stories of how they are incorporating the arts into their lessons in non-arts subjects because their school does not have an art teacher on staff.

A few weeks after the Vision 20/20 conference, the Oklahoma State Department of Education released the C3 standards for visual arts and music.

Read more about the New Fine Arts Standards.

Activity: Art Literacy in Any Classroom

Although the concept of arts integration is not new, teachers are integrating the arts into their subjects with increasing frequency due to the continued defunding of arts programs in schools nationwide and the growing body of research that shows the positive impact of arts education. As Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi points out in her introduction to the new visual arts and music standards, "a quality arts program can contribute greatly to the development of each student's creative thinking and problem-solving skills."

Click here for an activity you can use in the classroom to address art literacy.

New Mexico Seeks Work by Oklahoma Artists

Oklahoma artists are encouraged to submit their work to be considered for purchase by the New Mexico Art in Public Places program. New Mexico wants to diversity its public art collection by purchasing artwork produced by professional artists in neighboring states, including Oklahoma. Artwork in all media and genres suitable for interior or exterior will be considered. Finalists may be required to provide proof of residency.

Purchase contracts will range from $1,000-$40,000 (all inclusive). A committee of artists and arts professionals will review submissions based on the following criteria:

  • The professional qualifications of the artist as evidenced by the supporting materials

  • Ability to create art of unique vision and of the highest caliber

  • A developed and consistent style

  • Artistic merit and superior caliber craftsmanship as evidenced by the images

  • The final pool of artwork will reflect a wide range of cultural, ethnic, and artistic diversity

Submission requirements include:

  • An artist's statement (5000 character limit, including spaces)

  • A current resume or curriculum vitae

  • Three images of previously completed work that is currently available for purchase

Deadline for submission is September 23, 2013. For guidelines and more information view the posting on CallForEntry.org.

View 2013 Oklahoma Arts Conference Schedule, Presenters, Events

Registration is now open for the 2013 Oklahoma Arts Conference! View the current schedule of sessions and panels, a list of featured presenters, and many of the planned events on the conference homepage. Additional sessions and information will be added, so stay tuned.

Some of our scheduled sessions include:

  • What Do Artists and Entrepreneurs Have in Common? Everything!Is Your Organization Financially Healthy?
  • Next in Line: Leadership Transition and Developing New Audiences for the Arts
  • Creative Entrepreneurship 101: A Workshop for Artists
  • The Innovation Station Idea Exchange
  • Engagement + Culture = More Money: How to Market Your Small Town Up the Value Ladder

The conference takes place October 23-24 in Ardmore. Register before September for the earlybird rate of $75. Deadline to register is October 15.

Click here to register for the 2013 Oklahoma Arts Conference.

Submit Governor's Arts Awards Nominations by Friday, August 9

Friday, August 9, is the deadline to submit your 2013 Governor's Arts Awards nominations. The awards are an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations in your community that go above-and-beyond for the arts.

Award categories include the prestigious Governor's Award, Arts in Education, Business in the Arts, Community Service, Media in the Arts, and Public Service in the Arts.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin will honor selected recipients during the 38th annual Governor's Arts Awards event at the state Capitol in the fall.

Click here for more information about the Governor's Arts Awards.

Mentorship Program Offers One-on-One Guidance Statewide

Pursuing a career as an arts administrator? Interested in enhancing your leadership abilities as a young board member? Our ONEAL Mentorship Program connects individuals age 35 and younger with seasoned professionals who can provide important guidance to foster success in your career or board service.

Available to individuals statewide, the ONEAL Mentorship Program involves a six-month commitment, monthly correspondence and a simple reporting process. Mentorship correspondence can take place in person, on the phone or online.

Learn more about the ONEAL Mentorship Program.

Are you a seasoned arts administrator or board member? We need mentors! Click here to apply.

Schools: Here's How We Can Help You!

From online lessons and activities to teaching artists, the Oklahoma Arts Council offers a variety of resources for educators throughout the state as they head back to school. Take a look:

Click here for our Arts in Schools page.

Guthrie to Host Emerging Arts Leaders

Our community arts director, Joshua Lunsford, is headed to Guthrie on Tuesday, August 13, and is inviting new and emerging arts leaders in the area to join him at Hoboken Coffee at 8:00 a.m. The informal meeting is a great opportunity to tell us what's going on in your arts community, brainstorm, discuss your needs or learn more about our programs.

Click here to locate Hoboken Coffee.

To RSVP, email Joshua at joshua.lunsford@arts.ok.gov and let him you're coming!

Three Communities Host ExhibitsUSA Traveling Exhibitions

Looking for unique and compelling exhibits to display for your community? Reduced rates are available for Oklahoma organizations to host 5-week, 7-week or 10-week traveling exhibitions organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Galleries in Bartlesville, Enid and south Oklahoma City are currently featuring ExhibitsUSA exhibitions:

Learn how you can host an ExhibitsUSA traveling exhibition.

View available traveling exhibitions.

Grants Awarded for Artistic Innovations

Congratulations to artists Romy Owens, Bryan Cook, and Oklahoma City Theatre Company for earning grants totaling $36,744 in a new funding category offered by our regional partner agency, Mid-America Arts Alliance! The new category, Artistic Innovations, provides support for the creation of new works. Oklahoma works include:

  • Romy Owens for "An Imagined Motherhood," a site-specific installation

  • Bryan Cook for "Give Nature Time," a year-long exploration culminating in large scale wilderness photographs

  • Oklahoma City Theatre Company for "Native American New Play Festival," which gives a voice and stage to Native writers

Learn more about each project here.

Learn more about Artistic Innovations grants here.

Artists: Apply to Join One of Our Rosters

Performing and teaching artists interested in sharing their talents throughout Oklahoma are invited to apply to join one or both of the Oklahoma Arts Council's artist rosters. Our Performing Artist Roster and Teaching Artist Roster provide a vetted resource list of Oklahoma artists for presenters and educators statewide. Rosters include a wide variety of artistic discplines and genres.

Applications submitted before January 1 will be considered for approval by our Governor-appointed board during its March meeting. Applications submitted before July 1 will be considered for approval during the board's October meeting. Approval dates are subject to change.

Click here to apply for the Oklahoma Performing Artist Roster.

Click here to apply for the Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster.