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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
8:30am - 9:00am Good morning, OKC!
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Robbie Kienzle - Presenter, Douglas Sorocco - Presenter
Join your Oklahoma City hosts as they welcome you to the 2018 Oklahoma Arts Conference and provide information on how to make the most of your entire conference experience. Coffee and breakfast pastries generously provided by Oklahoma Humanities.
9:30am - 11:00am Art Law: Being Creative, Legally
Location: Dunlap & Codding , 609 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: Dunlap & Codding
Presenters: Emily Campbell - Presenter, Douglas Sorocco - Presenter
Art law covers the creation, protection, ownership, licensing, and sale of art. While some art-specific laws exist, legal issues involving art frequently require the analysis of multiple areas of law. In this practical session, you will learn about this complex area of law, including: 1) intellectual property rights in art; 2) moral and economic rights; 3) agreements for the transfer and commission or artwork; 4) licensing agreements for artworks; 5) application of copyright law to artwork, including fair use; 6) interpretation of the Visual Artist Rights Act; and, 7) intersection between trademark law and artwork.
9:30am - 11:00am Creative Aging
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 2
Presenters: Caitlin Cairns - Presenter, Kristen Sorocco - Presenter
This panel presentation will debunk the myth that learning and creativity decline as we age. In fact, not only does research suggest that our brains are wired to continue to be creative as we age, it provides evidence that engaging in creative activities benefits us in our later years of life. Panelists will provide an overview of the types of creative programming that are occurring right here in the Oklahoma City community, and they will highlight the benefits of arts for our older population. Come hear about the innovative arts programs that are improving dignity and self-esteem, physical health, mental health, and social relationships for older adults. Resources on how to get engaged in arts programming and how to implement your own program will be provided.
9:30am - 11:00am Creative Journalism: How KOSU Radio Utilizes Storytelling, Visual Art, and New Mediums
Location: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building, 726 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building
Presenters: Blake N. Behrens - Panelist, Rachel Hubbard - Panelist, Brian Winkeler - Panelist
KOSU is a NPR member public radio station, producing news, entertainment, and music for central and northeastern Oklahoma. With stations on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma City’s Film Row district, and the Tulsa Arts District, KOSU is committed to supporting Oklahoma’s unique art, music, and culture. In this session, panelists will discuss how visual art enhances KOSU’s audio storytelling, promotes the station’s reporting projects, and takes them into new journalistic mediums.
9:30am - 11:00am Entrepreneurship and Marketing for Musicians
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 3
Presenters: Ricardo Sasaki Cajías - Presenter, Wilmari Ruiz - Presenter, Jabee Williams - Presenter
Building a successful music career requires knowledge of how to brand yourself as an artist and how to promote your work. In this session, you will hear from local musicians who have professional experience in branding, marketing, recording, merchandising, and outreach. Participants will gain an understanding of resources that are available to help them build an audience and create new opportunities for their work.
9:30am - 11:00am Finding Your Largest Vision
Location: Holloway House, 701 1/2 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: Holloway House
Presenters: Arlene Goldbard - Featured Presenter
Too often, the artist’s story is shrunk to the size of a pea: Someone has a talent for drawing or singing, acting or dancing; that person finds a way to study and practice; questions of livelihood become part of the conversation; and, compromises are made. As an artist, you have the choice to see yourself merely as, 1) someone who hopes to exchange artistic skills for money and attention; or, 2) someone who is always in the process of becoming an instrument of beauty and meaning, who is always learning to show up in an integrated state—fully present and engaged in all dimensions—and who therefore has a very special role to play in the world. In this session for artists, we will start by exploring what sets you on your path as an artist, and we will dream into your largest vision for what it can mean to you and to the world.
9:30am - 11:00am Igniting Community through Film Festivals
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row Theatre
Presenters: Ben Hlavaty - Moderator, Josh Hope - Panelist, Chase Spivey - Panelist, Kevin Tudor - Panelist
Oklahoma has produced hundreds of working filmmakers who create thousands of movies each year. These filmmakers need places to screen their films and connect with audiences. Luckily, several film festivals have launched in Oklahoma over the past decade to meet that demand. In turn, the new festivals are providing communities new, positive ways to promote themselves and their local artists. Come meet people who have founded new film festivals in Woodward, Jones, Norman, and Oklahoma City, and discover how you can launch a film festival in your community.
9:30am - 11:00am Improvising the Haitian Way: A Movement Workshop
Location: Race the Space, 11 N. Lee Ave.
Room: Race the Space
Presenters: Marie Casimir - Presenter
Learn Afro-Haitian movement blended with contemporary improvisation practices. This workshop features movement vocabulary rooted in folklore and contemporary Haitian social dance that can be transformed into your own authentic movement. A writing exercise will be included to enhance participants’ understanding of interdisciplinary creation and exploration. Teaching rhythm, undulation, improvisation, writing, and adaptation, this workshop is open to everyone.
9:30am - 11:00am Is Your Development Program on Life Support? A Checklist on How to Revive Your Fundraising Efforts
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row 2nd Floor
Presenters: Edwin D. Crane - Presenter
Are you concerned about sustainability, board member involvement, goal-setting, strategic planning, outcomes, or nagging deficiencies? There are certain basic foundational elements that every development program requires, so if you are missing one or more parts, your fundraising is probably in need of a tune-up. The emphasis of this session is on the nuts and bolts and the sequential nature of building up a development program.
9:30am - 11:00am Storytelling Workshop with Albert J. Bostick Jr.: A Folk and Traditional Arts Experience
Location: Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main Street
Room: Carpenter Square Theatre
Presenters: Albert H. Bostick Jr.
“I give you the four directions of the world for you know not where you will end.” Stories travel around the world on the voices and in the hearts of many varied people. Similar stories appear in many different cultures. Let’s follow the trail of stories as they move from culture to culture. We will explore four different concepts: categorizing tales; folk and family tales, based on cultural experiences; oral tradition in African and African-American storytelling; and, utilizing Proverbs as story starters.
9:30am - 11:00am Successful Public Art Proposals for Artists
Location: IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: IAO Gallery
Presenters: Robbie Kienzle - Presenter, Naomi Schliesman - Presenter
This session will equip artists with the knowledge of how to successfully write, submit, and present their public art proposals for approval. From evaluating and responding to public art opportunities, to presenting yourself, to planning and budgeting, presenters Robbie Kienzle and Naomi Schliesman will cover the necessary steps for preparing your proposal for a formal selection process. Time will be allotted for audience Q&A.
9:30am - 11:00am Telling Your Story: Data Collection to Demonstrate Local Impact
Location: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center, 800 W. Sheridan
Room: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center
Presenters: Kelly Tompkins - Presenter, - Presenter
Place-based work is multifaceted, and its value is something the field is still learning to communicate. During this session, Oklahoma cultural district leaders will discuss practical, successful methods for illustrating the impact of their community-building work. Acknowledging the diverse interests of their varied stakeholders, presenters will address the qualitative data they collect—both within their organization as well as from outside sources—and describe what relationships may be necessary to collect data effectively. Finally, presenters will share do-it-yourself tools and ideas for how to visually communicate your message.
9:30am - 11:00am What Do We Want for Our Children?
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Margie J. Reese - Featured Presenter
When it comes to providing arts education for young people across Oklahoma, we find an increasingly challenging reality. Incremental funding cuts in public education and human services have forced the elimination of arts education programs in many schools. So, how do we as a statewide network of arts leaders, educators, artists, and concerned citizens work together to ensure that all Oklahoma children receive the arts education necessary for becoming well-rounded, creative adults? How do we leverage our various connections and partnerships to secure the support needed for investing in arts education? This session will invite participants to build a set of community agreements around arts learning, advocacy, and community assets in order to build a system for delivering high quality arts programs for children across the state.
11:00am - 11:30am Travel to the Farmers Public Market
Location: TBD
Room: TBD
Buses will transport all conference participants to the Farmers Public Market for the General Session Luncheon. Guests can board the bus at one of two locations:

1. Northeast of the Main Entrance of 21c Museum and Hotel (near the entrance to Mary Eddy's). 900 W. Main St.

2. On the Southwest corner of Sheridan Ave. and Lee Ave.

Buses will be available at the Farmers Public Market to assist in getting conference guests back to the Film Row District between 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
11:30am - 1:30pm General Session Luncheon
Location: Oklahoma Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave.
Room: Oklahoma Farmers Public Market
Presenters: Ann Neal - Emcee, Graham Colton - Moderator, Alice Gray Stites - Presenter, Fred Hall - Presenter, Mayor David Holt - Presenter, Dr. Henrietta Mann - Presenter, Amber Sharples - Presenter
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt will welcome guests to the conference during a luncheon session at the Historic Oklahoma Farmers Public Market. A keynote panel discussion led by singer-songwriter and recording artist Graham Colton will feature Alice Gray Stites, chief curator for the national 21c Museum Hotel brand; Fred Hall, chairman and CEO of Hall Capital whose efforts have spearheaded redevelopment of the West Village area adjacent to Film Row; and Mayor David Holt. This special event will feature performances by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the Ambassadors' Concert Choir. Guests will enjoy lunch catered by Picasso Cafe.
1:30pm - 2:00pm Return travel by bus from the Farmers Public Market to the conference venues on Film Row
Location: Oklahoma Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave.
Room: Oklahoma Farmers Public Market
Following the General Session Luncheon, buses will be available at the Farmers Public Market to assist in getting conference guests back to the Film Row District in time for afternoon breakout sessions.
2:00pm - 3:15pm Accessibility in the Arts, Part 1: Who, What, and Why
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 3
Presenters: Jack McMahan - Presenter, Heather White - Presenter
Brush up on the basics of why accessibility in the arts is vital. We’ll discuss the laws, demographics, and philosophies that drive the accessibility movement, and we will review what artists, administrators, and educators need to know when making their services more inclusive. Accessibility in the arts is a growing and inspiring movement. It is essential that you don’t get left behind.
2:00pm - 3:15pm Elevating Arts through Collaboration
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row Theatre
Presenters: Tava Maloy Sofsky - Moderator, Abby Kurin - Panelist, Sharon Ray - Panelist, Amy Young - Panelist
Nothing looks better to funders than organizations that are able to effectively partner with other organizations. And, nothing is more effective at growing audiences and supporters than collaborating with partners who draw new people into your sphere. This session will explore different ways to collaborate with other artists, art forms, art organizations, and even other cities as a way of giving your organization a boost.
2:00pm - 3:15pm Express Yourself: Adults, Come Out and Play!
Location: Race the Space, 11 N. Lee Ave.
Room: Race the Space
Presenters: Tonya Kilburn - Presenter, Hui Cha Poos - Presenter
It’s adult recess time! Get in touch with your inner child and invite her/him to come out and play. This fun workshop will use creative movement—rhythmic, patterned, or improvised movement—to nonverbally communicate ideas, thoughts, and feelings inspired by art, poetry, and music. Human beings have been expressing themselves through dance and creative movement since the beginning of time. You actually do it every day without notice! In this session, you will intentionally harness your inner kinetic self. Be prepared to move your body through space and time with energy and without judgment in a safe and creatively charged environment. Dance training nor experience is necessary. All you need is an attitude for adventure, an interest in exploring your kinesthetic wilderness, a willingness to bring awareness to your body-mind landscape, and a longing for the carefree play of childhood. You will leave feeling invigorated and challenged with a satisfying sense of accomplishment, reminiscent of an afternoon on the playground.

2:00pm - 4:30pm Harnessing Collective Creativity: Soundpainting Workshop with Nicole Poole
Location: Holloway House, 701 1/2 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: Holloway House
Presenters: Nicole Poole - Presenter
In this unique workshop, participants will be immersed in a world of collective creation through “soundpainting,” a revolutionary compositional sign language developed to structure multidisciplinary, collaborative improvisations. In its basic form, through gesture, a composer, or “soundpainter,” relates to a group of performers who then perform their interpretation of the gesture. The resulting composition is uniquely collaborative. Bring your instruments or use your imagination and bring anything that can make a sustainable and repeatable noise of any kind. Use the conference theme, “Panchromatic,” as inspiration for vocal material such as “Purple Rain” or “Yellow Submarine.” Visual artist? Bring color to create a visual sound. All participants will be given a packet containing the basic soundpainting gestures to bring back to their own communities. Fast-paced and fabulously fun, performers and “civilians” alike will lend their talents to create the Oklahoma Arts Conference’s first-ever collaborative orchestra!
2:00pm - 3:15pm How to Establish and Maintain a Major Gifts Program
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Edwin D. Crane - Presenter
Regardless of size, every nonprofit organization should have a fundraising strategy in place that emphasizes the procurement of major gifs that result from a highly personal approach to fundraising. Major gifts are cost-effective and more predictable than direct mail, special events, and grants. Best of all, personal relationship fundraising is more fun!
2:00pm - 3:15pm How to Quickly Start Making Videos that Fit Into Your Outreach Strategy
Location: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building, 726 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building
Presenters: Patrick Kirk - Presenter
In a day and age when producing high quality video is possible for anyone with a smartphone, every organization should plan on integrating video into their outreach strategy. As you consider incorporating this robust medium into your mix of tools, you will likely need to consider what kinds of videos to produce, how often to produce them, and what channels to use in connecting with your potential audience. This session will help you think about video content creation while learning about the tools and skills you’ll need to get started.
2:00pm - 4:30pm Imagination and Inquiry—Fundamentals for Teaching Artists
Location: Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main Street
Room: Carpenter Square Theatre
Presenters: Margie J. Reese - Featured Presenter
Designed for teaching artists of all disciplines, this interactive workshop will help participants envision new ways for expanding their teaching practice from an inquiry-based approach. This highly active session will explore ways to engage young people in critical thinking and creative expression using the artists’ own professional attributes and practice. Participants will develop their vocabulary and methods for more participatory work sessions across a variety of learning environments. This session is limited to 30 participants. Sign up is available at the conference registration desk located in the 21C Museum Hotel.
2:00pm - 4:30pm Managing Your Money: Capitalization Principles that Lead to Success
Location: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center, 800 W. Sheridan
Room: University of Oklahoma Community Design Center
Presenters: Janet Brown - Featured Presenter
Arts organizations of all sizes—small, medium, and large—benefit from understanding capitalization principles that lead to successful fulfillment of missions over time. This workshop will engage participants in a conversation on the proven principles of managing funds. Topics covered will include: types of capital, facility ownership, endowment campaigns, expansion of operations, and more. Encouraged by funders, donors, managers, and artistic directors, the nonprofit culture of the past 50 years has left the sector undercapitalized. It’s time for a change.
2:00pm - 4:30pm Marketing, Promotions, and Social Media for Artists
Location: IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: IAO Gallery
Presenters: Naomi Schliesman - Featured Presenter
Define your product, discover your target audience, make decisions about how you sell your work, and identify a budget and strategy for your artistic business. This session will explore core elements of marketing and promotions by providing research, resources, and exercises that will help you define and refine your artistic product. We will cover strategies for identifying and reaching your target audience with special focus on maximizing your online and social media presence. This session is designed for artists of all disciplines.

2:00pm - 4:30pm Story Circles for Civic Dialogue and Art-Making: 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
A story circle is a small group of individuals sitting in a circle, sharing stories—usually from their own experience or imagination—focusing on a common theme. Each person gets equal time and attention and no interruptions or contradictions, then the group reflects on the body of stories that were shared. Story circles a way to share experiences, exploring commonalities and differences, to have a real dialogue around potentially polarized issues, and to surface stories for use in devising theater, murals, or other arts projects.

As stories are layered, complexity and richness emerge, and so do underlying commonalities between participants and onlookers. The sum of any story circle is a multidimensional exploration of its theme, making the points that there isn’t one way to look at any topic or situation, and that everyone’s story adds wisdom, shedding light where it’s most needed.

Goldbard will help workshop participants learn to master story circles as a powerful democratic dialogue tool. Detailed written instructions will be provided as a takeaway.
2:00pm - 3:15pm The Experience and Beyond
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Gallery 2
Presenters: Kelsey Karper - Presenter, Amber Tait Litwack - Presenter
The popularity and success of Santa Fe’s Meow Wolf has been a motivating factor for new, immersive interactive arts experiences throughout the United States. Learn about the design and launch of two different immersive art models based in Oklahoma. Lead directors of Oklahoma City’s Factory Obscura (“Shift” and “Beyond”) and Tulsa’s “The Experience” at AHHA will discuss the steps each organization took to work with local artists in developing playful, dreamlike environments in which the viewer is encouraged to explore and engage. From artistic collaboration, to reaching new audiences, panelists will discuss how nonprofit arts organizations and independent artist collectives can develop similar creative opportunities.
2:30pm - 3:30pm Guided Tour of 21c Museum Hotel Collection and Exhibitions with Alice Gray Stites
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Presenters: Alice Gray Stites - Presenter
Join Alice Gray Stites, chief curator for 21c Musuem Hotels for a tour of the current exhibition, "Pop Stars," and the site-specific collection at the Oklahoma City location. This tour is limited to 15 people. Sign up at the conference registration table. The tour will begin in the lobby of 21c Museum Hotel.
3:45pm - 4:45pm 90s Hip Hop Dance Class
Location: Race the Space, 11 N. Lee Ave.
Room: Race the Space
Presenters: Hui Cha Poos - Presenter
Let loose and take a stroll down memory lane revisiting dance moves from the 1990s set to your favorite rap and pop artists of the era. This workshop is open to all levels of experience and will focus on dance moves that we all know but perhaps haven’t done in a while or can’t quite recall. Each movement will be named, broken down, and taught with repetition to eventually build to a combination; participants will then perform them for each other. Expect to experience to a degree a cardio vascular workout while you hone coordination skills. A bit of trash talk and whole lot of smiling will also be included.
3:45pm - 4:45pm Expand Your Brand
Location: The Paramount on Film Row, 701 W Sheridan Ave
Room: The Paramount on Film Row Theatre
Presenters: Alyx Picard Davis - Moderator, Kelsey Karper - Panelist, Tiffany McKnight - Panelist, Kyle Roberts - Panelist
Making art for a living is a rewarding but financially daunting experience. Some of the most successful artists are those who find ways to expand their work into new arenas. This session will focus on creating strategies for increasing your potential revenue and expanding your brand by reviewing the career twists and turns of four different artists.
3:45pm - 4:45pm Focused Communication for Arts Organizations
Location: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building, 726 W. Sheridan Ave.
Room: KOSU Studios in the Hart Building
Presenters: Kyle Golding - Presenter
Art is for everyone, but your communication needs to be highly focused. Arts organizations should be creating multiple types of communication for different audiences for different reasons, such as event attendance, fundraising (individual and corporate), advocacy, and more. Effective marketing messaging needs to be focused, tailored, and specific to each audience and each action you’re attempting to create in order to best support and sustain your arts organization. Even though art is for everyone, you must be selective in your communication in order to be efficient. “Everyone” is not a target audience. Marketing that attempts to appeal to all doesn’t work. So, how do you stay inclusive in your approach and expand your audience while being specific and selective in your communication? Let’s talk about it. Artist, arts advocate, and professional marketing expert Kyle Golding will demonstrate the different ways for arts marketing to be focused for the best outcomes. Golding will present strategy, tactics, and measurements for highly effective communication to different stakeholders and supporters with the highest impact and with sustainable results.
5:00pm - 7:00pm Opening Reception
Location: 21c Museum and Hotel, 900 W. Main
Room: 21c Museum and Hotel Main Gallery
Join your Oklahoma City hosts and fellow conference attendees for an evening reception sponsored and hosted by 21c Museum and Hotel. This annual conference tradition allows conference guests a fun time for networking while enjoying hors d'ouevres, live music, and the 21c galleries. Guests will enjoy a special performance by Oklahoma Virtuosi.

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Questions?
For more information contact our Director of Community Arts and Workforce Development.