Oklahoma Arts Council News

Be Part of Leadership Arts XIII! Applications Open Sept. 15

Since 2008, hundreds of Oklahomans from every area of the state have graduated from the Oklahoma Arts Council's Leadership Arts professional development program. The program gives Oklahomans the knowledge and tools to become arts leaders in their communities. Offered every two years, Leadership Arts returns next spring. Applications for the program open September 15.

Thirty Oklahomans representing communities across the state will be selected for the next class—Leadership Arts XIII. Class members meet during four, two-day spring sessions that take place in different Oklahoma communities. They graduate in the fall at the Oklahoma Arts Conference. Curriculum explores the arts' role in economic development, education, workforce development, and quality of life, and sessions include group work, hands-on learning, panel discussions, and tours of community art spaces.

Oklahomans in arts and non-arts fields benefit from participating in Leadership Arts, where they can expand understanding of how the arts contribute to a robust economy, improve the image of communities of all sizes, serve as a centerpiece of community engagement, and cultivate a creative workforce. Past participants have included arts administrators, artists, business and civic leaders, community developers, tribal representatives, educators, volunteers, and others.

Learn more about the requirements and benefits of Leadership Arts. Get ready to apply beginning September 15!

New Creative Aging Grant Program Open through September 16

Since 2021, the Oklahoma Arts Council has worked to establish the groundwork for expanding capacity across the state for organizations to serve older adults through the arts. With initial support from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, the agency's Oklahoma Creative Aging Initiative has featured virtual trainings, special sessions at the Oklahoma Arts Conference, and two full-day professional development opportunities centered on creative aging.

Creative Aging Partnership Grants are the newest offering through the initiative. Made possible by funding from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), grants provide up to $15,000 in funding for creative aging programming such as classes, residencies, and workshops led by teaching artists. Organizations awarded funding also receive training during a three-day online Creative Aging Academy led by Lifetime Arts.

Creative Aging Partnership Grants are available to 501c3 nonprofit organizations; city, county, state, and tribal governments; colleges and universities; and public library branches. Organizations receiving grants in other Oklahoma Arts Council categories are eligible to apply.

Deadline for applications is approaching—September 16 is the final day to submit an application. Learn more about the new grant program.

Kickstart 66 Tour Stops in Sapulpa, Arcadia Approaching—Register Soon

The final 2024 stops for the Kickstart 66 Tour are approaching on September 12 (Sapulpa) and October 3 (Arcadia), and Oklahomans interested in boosting their areas of Route 66 are encouraged to reserve their seat soon for one or both of the stops.

The Kickstart 66 Tour is an economic development program designed to bring resources from multiple statewide entities to businesses and municipalities along or near the historic highway.

Driven by the Oklahoma Arts Council and Oklahoma Main Street Center—both members of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission—tour stops feature presentations by nearly a dozen partner organizations such as the Oklahoma Film & Music Office, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma Museums Associations, and more.

Owners of businesses along Route 66 along with local government officials, nonprofit organizations, museums, historical societies, tribal nation representatives, artists, chambers of commerce, volunteers, and other local stakeholders are encouraged to attend. There is no cost.

Reserve your seat for an upcoming Kickstart 66 Tour stop. Previous stops included Miami in April and Clinton in May.

The Kickstart 66 Tour supports the mission of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell.

Arts and Accessibility Webinar: Navigating ADA Compliance

When it comes to making sure your art programs are accessible to the thousands of Oklahomans who have a disability, addressing every concern may seem like a daunting task. However, vital and achieveable first steps can help set you on a path toward meeting the needs of those with visual, hearing, mobility, sensory, or intellectual/development disabilities.

To help Oklahoma organziations make strides toward increasing arts access, the Oklahoma Arts Council's Accessibility in the Arts webinar series continues in September with "Navigating ADA Compliance and Accessibility with Self-Assessment Tools."

Scheduled September 25, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., the webinar will feature Katharine Hayward, accessibility specialist with the National Endowment for the Arts, and Open Door Arts, a national consulting firm dedicated to increasing access, participation, and representation of people with disabilities in the arts.

n addition to guiding participants through the essentials of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), webinar presenters will demonstrate how to use a self-assessment tool to evaluate and improve program accessibility.

There is no cost to participate. Register for the webinar here.

Two Oklahoma Communities Earn NEA Big Read Grants

Community members in Lawton and Miami will have the chance to participate in community-wide reading programs through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read, a program of the Endowment's in partnership with Arts Midwest. In addition to receiving $20,000 in support of related activities, grantees are provided resources, outreach materials, and training. Activities often include book discussions, writing workshops, Q&As, and other creative programming celebrating unique aspects of a community.

Grants for the reading programs were earned by Lawton's McMahon Auditorium Authority and the Miami Public Library. Lawton's program will center on "The Best We Could Do," a memoir about the lasting effects of one family's escape from war-torn Vietnam in the 1970s to a new life in America. Miami's program will focus on "The Grapes of Wrath," John Steinbeck's book about a family's journey from Oklahoma to California in search of a better life during the Dust Bowl.

"We live in a nation full of so many stories," Torrie Allen, president and CEO of Arts Midwest said in their announcement. "The NEA Big Read offers jumping off points for us to connect, converse, and learn about each other, all inspired by incredible books."

Grantees represented 35 states, with 40 percent of recipients receiving their first NEA Big Read grant.

Oklahomans Awarded Interchange Grants to Ignite Change

Three Oklahomans are among 16 regional artists awarded Mid-America Arts Alliance Interchangegrants. Announced in August, awards fund socially engaged creative practices of artists working in a wide range of disciplines.

Included in the announcement were kara lynch, a time-based interdisciplinary artist, collective art member, and cultural organizer who is part of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship program; Amy Sanders de Melo, a ceramic artist and educator from Tulsa; and, Joe Whittle (Caddo Nation), a photographer and writer from Chickasha.

In addition to receiving $25,000 in funding, Interchange recipients receive professional development opportunities, gain access to a peer network, and take part in one-on-one mentoring to nurture the role artists play as catalysts for change in communities.

VIA Artistic Production Grants Can Support Innovative Projects

Founded in 2013, VIA Art Fund has awarded more than $8 million in funding to groundbreaking artists and leading cultural institutions across the United States. The nonprofit organization—structured uniquely in its funding as a collective, democratic initiative—supports innovative, ambitious works of art and endeavors with far-reaching public impact.

Proposals for VIA Art Fund grants are accepted from artists, curators, cultural organizations, and biennials for the production, exhibition, public dissemination, and institutional acquisition of new works of art. The organization places emphasis on works mounted beyond traditional exhibition environments.

Letters of inquiry are currently being accepted by VIA Art Fund for their Artistic Production Grant spring 2025 award cycle. Letters are evaluated according to how well they fulfill VIA Art Fund's core values of artistic production, thought leadership, and public engagement. Grant awards generally range from $25,000 to $100,000.

Deadline to submit a letter of inquiry is November 4, 2024. Click here to learn more.

Native Performing Arts Fellowship Grants Available

First Peoples Fund has introduced a new program, Native Performing Arts Fellowship, offering support for emerging and established artists to develop and enhance skills and knowledge of their craft.

Open to Native practitioners in all performing arts mediums including theater, music, dance, spoken word and more, the program provides $10,000 that artists can use to further their careers and creative goals. Examples of related activities include taking classes and workshops, creating an effective web presence, consulting with legal and financial professionals, building relationships with collaborators, and more.

Artists who are selected for the program attend an annual multi-day fellowship convening, usually held in the spring.

Deadline to apply is September 23. Learn more about the fellowship here.

Moses, Howard Approved to Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster

Schools, libraries, parks and recreation centers, community service organizations, and others offering art classes and workshops in a variety setting frequently have need to hire qualified Oklahoma teaching artists. To meet this demand, the Oklahoma Arts Council's Teaching Artist Roster offers a vetted list of teaching artists across a wide range of disciplines. Artists are considered for the roster through a rigorous application and interview process.

Two Oklahoma artists were recently approved by the agency's governing board for inclusion on the Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster:

Marshall Moses of Tulsa offers innovative residencies combining literary and performing arts. Participants often learn creative writing, songwriting, spoken word performance, and other skills. Moses is available statewide and provides services in most settings.

Dustin Howard is a musician and Emmy-award winning composer based in Tulsa. In addition to offering instruction in guitar, bass, piano, synth, and drums, Howard teaches recording software. Howard can provide services in most settings and is available in Tulsa, central Oklahoma, northwest and southeast areas of the state.

RELATED: Artists interested in joining the roster can learn more and apply here.

Celebrating Staff Milestones

The staff of the Oklahoma Arts Council is the agency's most valued resource. Each member of the staff is committed to public service, cherishing the opportunity to meet needs of the sector and build a stronger Oklahoma through the arts.

Staff Anniversary

Miranda Gilbert celebrates her first anniversary on staff with the agency in September. As Director of Community Arts and Workforce Programs, Gilbert has the lead role in organizing the biennial Oklahoma Arts Conference and the Leadership Arts program. Among her duties since joining the staff, Gilbert recently initiated a request for proposals for the 2025 Oklahoma Arts Conference. She is currently planning locations and session content for Leadership Arts XIII, with applications opening in mid-September. Gilbert also oversees the agency's Community Arts Experience Grant program.

Congratulations to Miranda for her first year of achievements with the agency!