Oklahoma Arts Council News
October 2024
Enid to Host the 2025 Oklahoma Arts Conference!
The Oklahoma Arts Conference returns next fall, with Enid in northwest Oklahoma selected to serve as the host community for 2025! Mark your calendars now to join hundreds of Oklahomans who are leveraging the arts in their communities when we gather in Enid, October 22-24.
Every two years, the Oklahoma Arts Conference convenes nonprofit organizations, artists, community developers, business and civic leaders, educators, and others working in the creative sector for three days of sessions, networking events, performances, tours, and activities designed to equip the sector for success. The conference presents nationally-recognized featured presenters who bring expertise on current topics and needs in the sector. The conference also highlights presenters and panelists from Oklahoma, showcasing examples of the excellent work being done in the arts in communities across the state.
With the eight-block Enid Arts & Entertainment District as the backdrop for the 2025 Oklahoma Arts Conference, attendees can expect an engaging and immersive experience. Look for more details to be announced soon!
Learn more about the Oklahoma Arts Conference.
View photos from the 2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference in Lawton.
Apply for Leadership Arts XIII by November 1
The Oklahoma Arts Council is accepting applications for Leadership Arts XIII through Friday, November 1.
Thirty Oklahomans from communities across the state will be selected to participate in Leadership Arts XIII. The professional development program that equips Oklahomans from all industries and backgrounds to become leaders in the arts in their communities will take place over four two-day spring sessions during 2025—each session is held in a different community.
During Leadership Arts, class members explore research-based curriculum illustrating the arts' role in economic development, education, workforce development, and quality of life. Class members participate in group exercises, hands-on learning, panel discussions, and tours of community art spaces. A special graduation ceremony for class members will be held during the Oklahoma Arts Conference, which will take place in Enid, October 22-24, 2025. Leadership Arts XIII members will join more than 350 Oklahomans representing nearly 90 communities who have graduated from the program and are actively using their knowledge about the arts to strengthen their communities.
Oklahomans in arts and non-arts fields benefit from Leadership Arts. Past participants include arts administrators, artists, business and civic leaders, mayors and city officials, community developers, tribal representatives, educators, volunteers, and others.
Leadership Arts XIII Sessions:
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February 27-28 in Medicine Park
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March 27-28 in Idabel/Hochatown
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April 24-25 in Stillwater
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May 29-30 in Tulsa
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October 22-24 in Enid (Oklahoma Arts Conference)
Visit the Leadership Arts page for information about program requirements, tuition, and more.
Upcoming Creative Aging Webinar Focuses on Music in Memory Care
An upcoming Oklahoma Arts Council Creative Aging Initiative webinar will highlight the transformative power of music in memory care.
On Thursday, October 24, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., Erika Wilhite, arts learning in communities director, will lead "Revitalizing Voices: The Impact of 'Songs by Heart' on Memory Care."
Featuring members of Tulsa Opera, the webinar will spotlight the opera's innovative program "Songs by Heart," which uses professional-level singers to create enriching, interactive experiences in memory care communities. In the program, singers employ a blend of therapeutic techniques—mirroring, verbal and gestural prompts, direct eye contact, and physical touch—to help reconnect memory care community residents with their voices and memories.
Webinar participants will learn about the benefits of singing for older adults, particularly those with dementia and Alzheimer's. Participants will also learn techniques that can be integrated into their programs.
Overtime Rule Change May Affect Arts Organizations
New U.S. Department of Labor overtime rules have taken effect as July 1, 2024, with implications for organizations and their employees nationwide.
Businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other employers are subject to the new regulations, issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Oklahoma are advised to review the rules to ensure compliance.
At the center of the changes is an increase in the standard salary level that helps define which salaries workers are entitled to overtime pay protections. As of July 1, 2024, overtime pay protections were extended to salaried employees whose pay is equivalent to $43,888. This threshold will again change on January 1, 2025, when it increases to a salary level of $58,656. Certain exemptions are outlined in the new rules.
Organizations across Oklahoma's arts and cultural sector are urged to learn more. Helpful resources for review include the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits' August 7 Sector Connections virtual call (view recording here) and this U.S. Department of Labor blog post.
ArtsHERE Funding Announced for Two Oklahoma Organizations
Two Oklahoma organizations are among 112 nationwide awarded funding through the ArtsHEREprogram, a pilot program of the National Endowment for the Arts administered in partnership with South Arts and in collaboration with the other five U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. The program is designed to expand access to arts participation and to deepen meaningful and lasting arts engagement in underserved communities.
Awarded in Oklahoma were:
Art Maker, a nonprofit in Pawhuska that supports Dance Maker Academy and the Wahzhazhe Osage Ballet. Art Maker will use their funding for strategic planning, program development, and outreach activities to promote Osage and Indigenous culture through the arts.
RACE Dance Collective will leverage their funding to relocate its adult dance training facility in an under-resourced community with limited access to the arts. The funding will allow RACE to offer expanded styles of dance training such as Hip Hop, Heels, and Kpop.
The two ArtsHERE grant awads for Oklahoma total $195,000. They additionally participate in peer learning workshops, monthly cohort sessions, and other technical assistance opportunities. Learn more here.
New Program Offers Operational Funding for Small Arts Organizations
Small arts organizations—including nonprofits, art-centric businesses, and more—in Oklahoma with annual operating budgets under $500,000 are encouraged to learn about a new grant program opening soon offering general operating support with no match requirement.
pplications for Cultural Sustainability: Operational Impact Grants for Small Arts Organizations open October 30. The new program is being offered by the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (USRAO) in partnership with the Wallace Foundation in recognition of the need to advance and support the sustainability of small community-based arts organizations. Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) is the regional arts organization serving Oklahoma.
In addition to $50,000 in funding, grantees will receive capacity building support and cohort learning opportunities. Organizations eligible to apply include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; fiscally sponsored artist or ensemble organizations; art-centric business entities; and state or federally recognized tribal governments. Applicant organizations must have at least three years of art programming and predominantly reach underserved communities.
Applications will open October 30 and will close January 10.
Recreation Economy for Rural Communities Planning Assistance
Rural Oklahoma communities seeking to grow their outdoor recreation and tourism economy are encouraged to learn about assistance available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Formed in 2019, the federal agency's Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program supports planning efforts by smaller communities wishing to leverage outdoor activities to help revitalize their main streets. Art galleries and other cultural assets have been part of strategies developed through projects made possible through the assistance.
Through the program, a planning team helps communities bring local residents and stakeholders together to create an action plan with related goals. The process takes place over eight to 12 months, with a facilitated community workshop as the focal point.
Applications for the next round of assistance are due October 16. Applications require a lead organizations—local governments, tribal nations, nonprofit organizations, and colleges and universities can serve as the lead organization for the assistance.
Madeline Curry Brought On to Assist with ARPA Grants
A lot of work goes into administering $10 million in grant awards for nearly 200 organizations. The amount is roughly three times the usual amount awarded by the Oklahoma Arts Council in a year.
To assist the agency with the extra workload, Madeline Curry has been brought on as part-time, temporary ARPA Grant Assistant. Curry was drawn to the position out of a desire to see organizations receive the help needed to support their communities and keep the arts accessible to Oklahomans. Curry has fond memories from growing up in Oklahoma City and attending festivals, theatre productions, and other events sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council.
"Art brings communities together in so many different ways," says Curry, who in her new role looks forward to meeting people in the art world and learning about organizations and programs across the state.
A recent visual arts graduate of Rogers State University, currently working on her master's in art and technology from the University of Oklahoma, Curry is a teaching artist who has been involved the Oklahoma State Department of Education's Art Techprogram.
Curry is available part-time, Fridays and Mondays only. She can be reached at (405) 316-0942 and madeline.curry@arts.ok.gov.
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 Anniversaries
arah Pugh celebrates her second anniversary on staff with the Oklahoma Arts Council in October. Pugh is the Art in Public PlacesProgram Assistant, a part-time role in which she helps facilitate commissionings and financial management of state public art projects, and she helps coordinate event planning tied to visual art dedications for state-owned artwork.
Thomas Tran, Oklahoma Arts Council Grants Director, marks his eighth year with the agency in October. Tran works closely with the hundreds of organizations statewide that apply and receive Oklahoma Arts Council grant funding each year. His recent focus has been on transitioning the agency to a new online grants management system and managing nearly 200 grants made possible through the state's historic $10 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investment in the arts.
Congratulations to Sarah and Thomas on celebrating their anniversaries serving Oklahomans through the arts!