2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference

"Promise in the Road Ahead"

Melissa Beck
Melissa Beck is the Director of Community Development for the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce, specializing in bringing people together. She is a journalist and former news director for public radio with a background in sales, marketing, event planning, and stage production. She has worked and volunteered in the nonprofit arts and business community for 16 years. She is a jeweler and jewelry designer by family trade and grew up working in her family’s jewelry and international diamond trade business. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English/Language Arts from Cameron University, multiple certifications from The Gemological Institute of America, is a graduate of the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives Chamber Management Institute and received a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership Arts Administration from Oklahoma City University. Beck worked as the Arts and Science Coordinator for Classical Conversations Lawton campus, served on the board of the Southwest Oklahoma Opera Guild for 14 years, the Lawton Fort Sill Art Council Board, the Lawton Business Women board, and the Arts for All Gala Committee. She is currently the President of Lawton Community Theatre and a board member with the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra. She also serves on the Arts for All Festival Committee, International Festival Committee, REI Women in Business Summit planning committee, and she is co-chair of the 2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference planning committee.

Melissa Beck's Schedule

Good Morning, Lawton!
Date: Wednesday – October, 18 2023 Time: 8:30am - 9:00am Room: Great Plains Ballroom A&B
Join your Lawton Conference Co-chairs Melissa Beck and Jason Poudrier as they welcome you to the 2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference! This session will include a special welcome from Comanche Chairman Mark Woomavovah and a performance by the Comanche Nation Youth Dancers. Special announcements will be made and you will hear how to make the most of your time in Lawton and at the conference.

Arts For All: Heart of the Arts in Lawton
Date: Wednesday – October, 18 2023 Time: 1:30pm - 2:45pm Room: Great Plains Ballroom D
Arts for All, Inc. was created in the 1970s by the City of Lawton’s Arts and Humanities Committee to raise funds for local arts programs. In 1977, the organization became a separate entity. Nearly five decades later, Arts For All remains focused on a mission of raising funds for its member arts groups: Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, Lawton Community Theatre, Lawton-Fort Sill Art Council, Wichita Wildlight Photographic Society, and Lawton Pro Musica. AFA's impact through its member groups is impressive; it reaches more than 100,000 people and more than 19,000 school-aged children every year through workshops, summer school, and performances. Its three annual fundraisers—a fund drive, festival, and gala—help Arts for All promote cooperation and collaboration among area groups. This panel will discuss how Arts For All operates and share how this collaborative, sustainable model has been a cornerstone for Lawton and Ft. Sill’s vibrant art scene.

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