2018 Oklahoma Arts Conference

Oklahoma Cultural Arts, Heritage and Folk Art Forum

Date: Tuesday – October, 23 2018
Time: 10:00am - 4:30pm
Room: The Paramount on Film Row 2nd Floor
Location: The Paramount on Film Row – 701 W Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK, 73102

Traditional art forms steeped in the history of the diverse people and cultures of Oklahoma are inseparable from our identity as a state. These art forms are uniquely handed down from one generation to the next through informal yet meticulous practice, and because they are precious resources, they deserve our full attention. As the Oklahoma Arts Council embarks on a new initiative to support and elevate Oklahoma's rich folk and traditional arts and cultures, we are pleased to offer this important forum. The forum will center on a discussion of ways to support deeper engagement with Oklahoma's diverse cultural practices. It will also include a focus on ways to engage refugees and new immigrant populations. Oklahoma folk artists, tradition bearers, cultural representatives, and others are encouraged to take part in this special convening, offered through a partnership between the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Facilitated by Jennifer Joy Jameson and DWe Williams, this one-day forum is will offer a space for participants to collectively identify needs, challenges, and new opportunities for sharing and sustaining the rich cultural traditions that exist in Oklahoma. Feedback gathered at this interactive forum will be implemented into the next steps of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s folk and traditional arts initiative. Come be a part of this engaging and exciting new program!

Schedule for the Forum:
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — Registration, coffee and networking
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Part 1: Welcome & Grounding the Space
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. — Break for lunch
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Part 2: Overview of new folk/traditional arts forum; collective visioning;
identifying needs, goals, opportunities, and ways to thrive
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Closing and Gratitude

This program will take place on the 2nd Floor of the Paramount on Film Row. Enter through the south doors (on Sheridan Ave.) and take the stairs to your left. (If you need to use an elevator, please enter through the East entrance (on Lee Ave.).

Parking for the event:
Handicap accessible parking is available in the lot just west of the Paramount Building. Day time parking is available for $10 per day at the parking garage on Sheridan Ave. and Walker Ave.

Facilitator Bios:
Jennifer Joy Jameson is a California public folklorist and cultural organizer with an interest in documenting the ways culture shapes creativity, especially in rural spaces. She directed the Folk and Traditional Arts program at the Mississippi Arts Commission from 2014 to early 2017, and is now based in Los Angeles, working with the statewide Alliance for California Traditional Arts, directing programs, grants, and media work with a focus on cultural equity.

DWe Williams is a lifelong storyteller and producing director of Rhythmically Speaking—an Oklahoma City theater company that combines storytelling, drama, songs, rhythm, and audience participation in its educational programming for youth and families; and, Ebony Voices—a storytelling group that through song and story deals with a wide array of issues and themes related to the perspectives of women. A longtime member of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s teaching and performing rosters, Williams has performed and presented programming in schools, libraries, community settings, churches, and conferences. Notable Ebony Voices productions in which Williams has been involved include “Hannah Atkins,” Nothing But Mercy: A Private Room Please,” “Clara Luper,” “Kathey Williams,” Pride on the Eastside,” and “Queens of Education.”

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