Oklahoma Arts Council News
June 2013
For Immediate Release
Oklahoma Arts Council Seeks Governor's Arts Awards Nominations
OKLAHOMA CITY ? The Oklahoma Arts Council is seeking nominations for the 38th annual Governor's Arts Awards. The awards honor individuals and organizations whose efforts have impacted the arts in their communities or throughout the state. The governor presents the awards each fall during a special ceremony at the state Capitol. Click to read more...
For Immediate Release
Oklahoma Arts Council Announces Fiscal Year 2014 Appropriations: Sequestration to Impact Arts Funding
OKLAHOMA CITY ? Less funding will be available for the support and development of Oklahoma’s arts and cultural industry in fiscal year 2014 than in 2013, the Oklahoma Arts Council announced today. The Council’s state appropriation will remain at $4,010,087, its 2013 level, while federal sequestration will result in a 6.6 percent reduction in the agency’s National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant. Overall, the Council will have $47,600 less to invest in the industry than last year when its fiscal year begins July 1, 2013.
Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples said the cut in NEA funding due to sequestration was expected because the federal government did not reach a bipartisan agreement on deficit reduction. Sharples indicated the impact would be felt in the arts and cultural industry statewide.
“Our partnership grant from the National Endowment for the Arts is about 15 percent of our total budget, so reductions to it will affect our ability to serve an important industry in our state, one that helps us build a creative workforce, attract businesses, and improve quality of life for Oklahomans.”
Approximately 85 percent of the Council’s budget is comprised of state appropriations, and the remaining 15 percent is provided through a National Endowment for the Arts partnership grant.
In fiscal year 2012, the most recently completed fiscal year for state agencies, 558 Oklahoma Arts Council grants directly impacted 105 communities in 57 counties statewide. Community arts grants supported events ranging from festivals and community theater productions in rural Oklahoma to nationally recognized ballet and philharmonic performances in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Education grants made workshops and artist residencies possible statewide in community and school settings. Council programs such as the Oklahoma Arts Conference and Leadership Arts provided cultural infrastructure development opportunities for hundreds of artists, nonprofit organizations, and civic and business leaders from throughout the state.
Amber Sharples Named Executive Director
Members of the Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board have selected Amber Sharples as the state agency’s new executive director. Sharples replaces Kim Baker, who announced her resignation in March. Sharples has been on staff with the Council since 2006, when she was hired as visual arts director. In 2011, she was promoted to assistant director.
As assistant director, Sharples provided oversight for curatorial and education staff, worked on the agency’s strategic planning process, managed staff evaluations, and developed policies and procedures. During her stint as visual arts director, Sharples successfully wrote a grant to assess the conservation needs of the Capitol and its artwork. Sharples also managed the commissioning and dedication of several new works for the Capitol Art Collection.
Sharples holds a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Oklahoma and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Collections Management and Care from The George Washington University. Prior to working for the Council, Sharples served in the public affairs office at the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Culture in Mexico City.
CERF+ Offers Artists Emergency Readiness and Recovery Assistance
Recent weather-related disasters should remind artists to protect their assets from potential loss. One resource available to artists is CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund), an award-winning nonprofit organization that has helped artists affected by disasters for more than 20 years.
CERF+ helps artists through direct financial and educational assistance including emergency relief assistance, business development support, and resources and referrals on topics such as health, safety and insurance. If you are an artist who has been impacted by recent storms in Oklahoma, or if you want to take steps to protect your work, learn more about CERF+.
Artists: Apply for Business Training Program by June 14
Artists who are interested in becoming successful artist entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for a new program being brought to Oklahoma for the first time by the Mid-America Arts Alliance. Artist INC is a groundbreaking training program geared to meet artists' business needs through a series of one-day workshops over eight weeks. Workshops will begin in October and will help artists establish strategic plans, connect with resources, build peer networks and more.
Workshops will be presented as a collaboative effort involving the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Norman Arts Council, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, Oklahoma Film & Music Office, and the City of Oklahoma City Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Workshops will be held at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center located at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City.
The Artist INC program is limited to 25 participants. Cost is $125 (a $1,000 value). Deadline to apply is June 14.
Read a recent news article about the Artist INC program.
Allan Houser Sculpture Added to State Art Collection
The Oklahoma Arts Council is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Allan Houser's sculpture Dialogue for the State Art Collection. Reflecting Houser's distinct style of long lines and elegant forms, Dialogue depicts two women engaged in what appears to be a conversation and perhaps a moment of one generation passing knowledge to the next.
Considered an important 20th century artist, Houser, a member of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, was raised on a farm near the Oklahoma communities of Apache and Lawton before moving to Santa Fe to hone his creative skills. Houser gained acclaim as a sculptor after World War II when he was commissioned to do a marble carving honoring Native American students who had died in the war. Later, as an arts instructor, Houser began teaching and creating sculptures that integrated the aesthetics of the modernists with narrative ideas. His unique style became highly sought by collectors, and his influence became apparent on other artists.
Dialogue was gifted to the state by Allan Houser, Inc. Click here to read more about Dialogue.
Did you know? Two of Houser's most recognizable sculptures include Sacred Rain Arrow, depicted on the Oklahoma license plate, and As Long As the Waters Flow, a monumental sculpture greeting visitors to the Oklahoma state Capitol.
Oklahoma Cultural Treasure Charles Banks Wilson Dies
World-renowned Oklahoma artist Charles Banks Wilson, a native of Miami, OK, passed away May 3 at the age of 94. Banks' art is included in the permanent collections of the New York Metropolitan Museum, Library of Congress and Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa. His cultural impact in Oklahoma includes numerous works in the Capitol Art Collection and State Art Collection. In addition to Banks' paintings of Jim Thorpe and Sequoyah, the Capitol includes his four prominent murals in the rotunda. In 2001, Banks became the ninth person designated as an Oklahoma Cultural Treasure.
Click here to read a Tulsa World article about Banks' life.
Arts Day 2013: Thank You for Your Support!
Hundreds of individual advocates and dozens of organizations filled the Oklahoma state Capitol rotunda on May 8 to voice their support for the arts in Oklahoma. Congratulations on another successful Arts Day at the Capitol!
The Oklahoma Arts Council thanks all who attended the second annual event and took time to contact their legislators. We especially appreciate Oklahomans for the Arts for organizing Arts Day.
Looking ahead, we are excited for a summer filled with festivals, powwows, visual and performing arts events and more happening throughout the state. The Oklahoma arts industry will gather again October 23-24 in Ardmore for the 2013 Oklahoma Arts Conference. We look forward to seeing you there.
Click here to view photos from Arts Day at the Capitol available on Oklahomans for the Arts' Facebook page.