2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference

"Promise in the Road Ahead"

Jennifer Allen-Barron
Jennifer Allen-Barron is the Arts Education Director for the Oklahoma Arts Council. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and French from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to joining the Oklahoma Arts Council, Allen-Barron served as Executive Director of the Paseo Arts Association and as Community Arts Program Director at the Arts Council Oklahoma City. She has held volunteer committee and board member roles for several Oklahoma City-based nonprofits and is a practicing visual artist, working primarily in acrylic paint. In her role with the Oklahoma Arts Council, Allen-Barron works with schools across the state—including alternative education school sites—to develop and expand arts education programs. She oversees the agency's Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster and Online Fine Arts Curriculum, and she leads the agency’s participation in various statewide and national arts education initiatives.

Jennifer Allen-Barron's Schedule

The Oklahoma Arts Education Data Project Dashboard
Date: Wednesday – October, 18 2023 Time: 10:15am - 11:15am Room: Great Plains Ballroom C
How can we as supporters of arts and education find the information we need to take action? How can we empower parents, students, teachers, business leaders, and others to make informed decisions about building our communities and finding the right place for our home or business? This session will feature a panel discussion about one of the most robust tools available for viewing the status of arts education across our state—the Oklahoma Arts Education Data Project Dashboard. Panelists will share about the development of the dashboard and explain how it can be used as a powerful resource in advocating for arts education access. Moderated by Tonnie Dosser of Oklahomans for the Arts, panelists will representatives from the Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma House of Representatives, and Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce. Oklahoma State Representative Toni Hasenbeck will share how people can use the dashboard to advocate for their schools. John Michael Montgomery, President and CEO of Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, will offer guidance on how the dashboard can be helpful for the business community, including for realtors who are selling homes in specific school districts.

Coffee, Networking, and Resource Sharing for Teaching Artists
Date: Thursday – October, 19 2023 Time: 9:00am - 10:00am Room: Elk Room A&B
Designed for arts educators, cultural practitioners, and artists who teach in community settings, this morning meet-up is a chance to get plugged in to the statewide network for teaching artists. Bring your business cards and ideas to share with new peers from across the state. Artists who are considering becoming teaching artists or educators are encouraged to attend!

Community Partnerships in Alternative Education Schools
Date: Thursday – October, 19 2023 Time: 1:45pm - 2:45pm Room: Great Plains Ballroom C
What makes a school-community partnership not only successful, but transformational for both students and partner organizations? Participants in the Oklahoma Arts Council's Arts in Alternative Education Community Partnerships worked side by side with program sites to develop new arts education experiences for some of our state’s most vulnerable students. Alternative education school sites serve students who are at a greater risk of not completing high school for a variety of reasons, which may include inconsistent housing, traumatic experiences, excessive absences, pregnancy or parenting, or juvenile justice involvement. These students often require specific educational interventions. Arts programs can help these students build new skills and develop healthy methods of creative self-expression while allowing them to complete a Fine Arts credit—a requirement for high school completion. During this session, participants in the program’s first year will discuss how their organizations developed meaningful educational programs with local alternative schools. They will offer guidance to help other organizations launch their own school partnerships.

Innovation in Lawton's Arts Education Programs
Date: Thursday – October, 19 2023 Time: 3:15pm - 4:30pm Room: Great Plains Ballroom D
Students in Lawton Public Schools and lifelong learners in Lawton have access to a multitude of engaging opportunities to develop their creative skills and talents. Lawton’s arts education leaders from the Life Ready Center and Lawton Community Theatre will discuss their innovative methods for engaging youth and adults in transformative and multifaceted learning experiences.

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Questions?
For more information contact our Director of Rural and Creative Community Outreach.