ArtBeat October 2009

Volume 1 // Issue 10 • October 2009

El AnatsuiMatt Moffett BreastImpressions

www.ArtBeatOK.com

FREE MONTHLY

The Art of Art TherapyWith Michael J. Hanes

www.ArtBeatOK.com | page 2

October 2009 | page 3

ArtBeat OklahomaVolume 1 / Issue 10 / October 2009

ArtBeat is a monthly publication dedicated to encouraging and promoting creativity and the arts in Oklahoma. ArtBeat serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement for the individual artist and a foundation of unity and information within the art community as a whole. ArtBeat is a tool for promoting the work of local artists, both established and underground, and art-driven businesses through affordable advertising and a calendar of local events bringing awareness to the many opportunities in the Oklahoma arts scene. Oklahoma is rich with artists and great art; it is our desire to give these incredible Oklahoma artists visibility and connections both with one another and the thriving community of patrons here in our state.

Contentspage 4 // Blog Reviewpage 5 // Champagne & Chocolatepage 6-7 // The Art of Art Therapypage 9 // The Girlie Showpage 10 // Matt Moffettpage 11 // Answers from an Art Therapistpage 12 // An ONEAL Updatepage 13 // Poetry and Passionpage 14 // Artist's Blockpages 16-17 // ARTIST SHOWCASEpage 19 // Chronicles of Calebpage 20 // Sooners in the Land of Enchantmentpage 21 // Flows'n'Prosepage 22 // Re-Creation Challengepage 23 // El Anatsuipages 24-25 // Breast Impressionspage 27 // Frankensteinpage 28 // Cory-O's Curiositiespage 29 // Dear ABpage 30 // Calendar

Cover art by:Michael Hanes

Photo by Art of Living Studios

www.ArtBeatOK.com

Staff

Holly McHargueCory-O CastoeBrady Crandall

Mel SparksMolly O'ConnorCaleb BraudrickMichael J. Hanes

Lori TappJorge L. Arbelaez

"Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing." -Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way

I have long held the idea that "Art Changes the World." It is a core part of my belief system and rarely have I seen it as beautifully explored as in "The Art of Art Therapy" (pgs 6 &7). Artist and Art Therapist Mi-chael J. Hanes takes us on a jour-ney through the healing power of the creative process and then offers his insight to our readers in the new Q&A column, Drawing From Within (pg 11 ). The idea that "Art Changes the World" conjures up images of artist activists using their talents and abilities as a medium for their mes-sage, and that may indeed be one way in which art changes the world. This issue,however, shows another way that art restores, with individu-als finding healing through the cre-ative process. As we participate in the creative process, we may paint, write, draw, sing, play our way into freedom from the things that trouble us. I feel the need to remind you that art and the creative process are not for the chosen few- those whom society has dubbed "artists". Creativity is a birth-right. It is a part of all of us to exercise however much or little that we choose. Art does change the world, one person at a time. One project at a time. One healing creative moment at a time.So go...Be blessed, and MAKE ART!

Missy Hancock:) ArtBeat Managing Editor

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Eric Templeton: Owner/President [email protected] Hancock: Managing Editor [email protected] Grant: Director of Operations [email protected] Amis: Sales Director [email protected] Hancock: Art Director [email protected] Bayne: Layout Designer [email protected] Atterberry: Calendar [email protected] Black: Internet Manager [email protected] Hall: Special Projects Coordinator [email protected] Atterberry: Cntrl OK District Director [email protected] Scoggin: Eastern OK District Director [email protected] Brewer: Edmond Liaison [email protected]


In my first blog review, I talked about keeping up with people I actually know. But what about those random blogs? You know the ones you come across by just surfing, late at night, pushing the "Next Blog" button? It's not boredom; it's that type of fascination when you meet a new person and hear their story for the first time. The difference is you can actually follow this person, day to day, even anonymously if you want.

I found two such blogs doing this very activity: Lettuce Pray (lettuceprayblog.blogspot.com) and The Knight Shift (theknightshift.blogspot.com). Lettuce Pray had such a catchy title and an even catchier motto: "You are what Natalie Portman eats." Ok, this should be interesting. It's actually a clog, a cooking blog. This woman, who goes by Milhouse the Cat, gives step-by-step recipes on delicious, yet everyday normal food. Her husband takes artistic shots of each dish which makes me want to at least try it once. Usually, I have most of the ingredients in the pantry. I love my Joy of Cooking book. It is a most cherished gift that I use often. However, the wording in Joy of Cooking is for someone who actually knows what "dredge" means. I know what it means, but not in relation to meatballs. Milhouse the Cat writes in very plain language; it's like a Dummies for Cooking and I love those Dummies books. Why, you ask? Because I know it's not PC, right? I teach my kids not to call themselves dumb or anyone else. Those books are so ridiculously effective because the authors strip down all that technical mumbo-jumbo and translate for us regular folks.

Milhouse the Cat is like that. She's a wife and mother who happens to cook well. She says that these aren't necessarily original recipes. Rather, she "scours cookbooks, magazines, and the interweb for food that looks yummy. Then I cook it, often adding my own spin." She also provides her family's commentary, like, "this wasn't a repeat." You can rate each dish and see other's ratings. It's extremely handy for me, a novice in the realm of cooking who's always looking for ideas.

The Knight Shift is like your random friend who rarely sleeps. He's confident and well-read plus a big fan of Star Wars. He's got feelers out all over the place. He posts about 2-3 times a day. If you'll remember, a good blog posts every other day and a great one, every day. He's exceeds the normal limits because, I suspect, he uses more of the normal brain capacity. His campaign ad for the School Board in his North Carolina town features this wacky guy wielding a light saber in support of freedom! VHI and The Soup on E! showcased this ground-breaking TV ad. It's pretty funny. I don't think he won, but he did win notoriety. He's just random. He'll post anything from video game reviews to local and national politics to posts entitled, "Pigeons much faster than Internet in South Africa" or "Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson will be B.A. Baracus in THE A-TEAM movie." If an obscure celebrity dies, I usually find out first from Chris Knight. A guy I will most likely never meet.

I did have some contact with each blogger to obtain permission to publish these images (THANKS!). Two very nice strangers. I suspect that both of these bloggers are just normal (well, pretty normal) people just like you and me.

Blog Review: Following StrangersSEARCH BLOG Next Blog Create Blog Sign InFLAG BLOG

Lettuce Pray

The Knight Shift

OCTOBER 2009

by Shar Grant

BLOG ARCHIVES

SeptemberAugust


Champagne & ChocolateHoliday Sale and Silent Auction

Living Arts Fall Gala - Saturday, Nov 21, 2009, 6:00-10:00pm.

artists, everything from paintings to pewter vessels, jewelry to turned wood, photography to pottery, will be priced for the holidays.

Silent Auction: There will be two closing times for the Auction, with one group of artists' work closing at 8:00pm, and another group of work closing at 9:00pm. There will be a "Buy It Now" amount, allowing a buyer to make an immediate purchase to claim their choice.

Ceramic Corset Models will be exhibiting the fabulous ceramic corsets by Nicole Moan of OKC, allowing attendees to "tie one on," if they choose.

GENERAL TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are $20 at the door. Advance tickets are available online at www.livingarts.org, for $15, or from any Gala Committee Member, before the day of the event.

Living Arts of Tulsa presents 2009 "Champagne & Chocolate" Holiday Art

Sale and Silent Auction-one night only--Saturday, November 21 from 6:00-10:00pm at the new location of Living Arts, 307 South Brady, in downtown Tulsa. Steve Liggett is this year's curator and has selected over 100 of the best artists from Oklahoma and beyond to present their best work for sale or auction at this Gala event.

ART PATRONS' PREVIEW PARTYArt Patrons will be invited to the Preview

Party between 5-6pm, before the general public enters for the evening with a pre-purchase credit of $250 or greater. Art Patron tickets give them pre-purchase credit, and they will have the chance to get "first dibs" on the works that they would like to buy, up to the amount of their credit. While browsing the art at the sale/auction, Patrons will enjoy complimentary champagne, chocolate, and hors d'oeuvres, provided by area vendors and restaurants.

GALA OPENS TO GENERAL PUBLIC AT 6:00PM

Complimentary Champagne And Chocolate provided by some of Tulsa's best chocolate makers.

Holiday Art Sale The work of 100 local


Artist Michael J. Hanes & The Art of Art Therapy by Missy Hancock

Felicia* is a six year old girl who has been sex-ually abused by her mother's boyfriend for much of her young life. She is having aggressive behav-ior, uncontrollable tantrums, and problems which include sexually inappropriate behavior. Due to the abuse, Felicia has chaotic and unsettled emo-tions where "good and bad" have become con-fused. She has opposing forces, such as "love and hate" welling up within her. She lacks the words to voice her traumatic experiences as well as an appropriate outlet to express feelings related to her abuse. Enters Michael Hanes, Licensed Art Therapist into this young girl's life. Through the art process, Michael provides a sanctuary for this young tortured soul. She comes to Michael not to talk about her abuse, but to create, to play, and to use the art process to help her "draw" out her pain and trauma.

During each session, Felicia mixes all the col-ors of paint into a messy mixture of brown sludge that she then spreads over a sheet of paper. After that she proceeds to fold the paper in half and pat it down. As the paint seeps out from the sides, Felicia squeals, "Oh no! It's getting out." She folds the page again and again until she has con-fined the brown sludge. Then she takes a card-board box and places the messy object inside. She seals the box shut with masking tape observ-ing, "Now it can't get out!" At times she wipes the brown sludge on her arms and face, staining herself with the messy mixture followed by cleans-ing and washing. She giggles with delight as the sludge rinses from her skin and she is once again cleansed. During this messy process, Michael doesn't interfere, rather he acts as a witness and helps to facilitate the creative process. At the end of the each session, Felicia gives the boxes to Mi-chael for safe keeping. Each time she returns for another session, she closely examines the boxes to see if they have been safely stored. Upon finding her boxes safe, she once again repeats the process. At the end of her therapeutic journey, Michael asks her what she would like to do with the boxes. She can take them, destroy them, or give them away. She smiles with a sense of resolve and says, "Oh, you can keep them. I don't need them anymore."

None of this has been staged by Michael, nor does he try to explain to the six year old what took place. He doesn't tell Felicia that the messy brown sludge she makes each visit represents the "dirty secret" and her chaotic and unsettled emotions re-lated to her sexual trauma. Additionally, he need not explain that the process of creating messy mix-tures is her young mind's way of purging the secret or cleansing her mind and soul. Safely storing the messy objects in boxes and giving them to Michael is also her way of letting go of the secret. Michael doesn't explain anything, rather his job is to create a nurturing and safe environment where she feels

free to play, experiment and take risks with the ma-terials. He functions as a witness to her creative endeavors and helps to facilitate the image mak-ing process. From Felicia's perspective, she hasn't been to therapy, where she has to remember and focus on past abuse, rather to an art session, where she is afforded the opportunity to play and have fun. It is this "fun time" that sets her soul free and aids healing and restoration.

"The beautiful thing about art is that it makes the intangible concrete where it can be seen and touched," says Michael. Michael J. Hanes stum-bled onto Art Therapy when he was at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania, majoring in Studio Art and Art Education. He happened to cross paths with a fellow art student who was majoring in Art Therapy. He asked the student for some informa-

tion on the profession and the rest, as they say, is history. Immediately intrigued, Michael began to pursue his path. Although the Art Therapy pro-gram was closing and not accepting new students, the program director saw something in Michael, and allowed him to enter the program on a tutorial basis. Michael sees himself as an ambassador of Art Therapy and I must say, he certainly fills the bill as Art Therapy Ambassador. Midway through our interview together, I had to stop and exclaim, "I am IN LOVE with this profession!" Art changes the world, the creative process brings healing and restoration; and this profession showcases this in a very beautiful way.

Although art therapy has been practiced in the United States since the 1960's there is the contin-ued challenge to educate people and to legitimize the profession. "Art Therapy is kind of like the step child. Art doesn't want to claim it saying, ‘You're therapists- go over there.' And the men-

tal health field doesn't particularly claim it say-ing, ‘You're artists- go over there.'" And so this amazing "child," who should have a custody bat-tle ensuing over it, between the arts and the men-tal health industry, is a bit estranged from both parents. "A lot of health professionals are still skeptical and suspicious of Art Therapy," says Hanes, "When I first start practicing art therapy in a new place, there is always the ‘What's go-ing on behind that door? What's happening in there?' look." But as more people give testimo-ny to their healing process, it becomes more and more undeniable that Art Therapy has its place in mental health. Michael points out, however, that Art Therapy isn't just for the clinical setting,

it is also used in nursing homes, schools, and even the business world.

"Creativity is innate and contagious!" shares Michael, who works in a variety of settings in-cluding the Oklahoma County Jail and the Federal Public Defender Office, Department of Habeas Corpus. Often adults are initially resistant to the idea of going to Art Therapy. "I gave up color-ing years ago!" are the kind of comments Michael often hears. Michael invites them to come and just watch, listen to some good music, and before they know it, they are engaged in the art process. Cli-ents often announce, "I thought I was going to hate this, but this is fun."

"Some see it as a therapeutic tool, others as a profession." Michael explained to me the difference between "Art as therapy," and Art Therapy. Many different kinds of mental health professionals use

art as a tool in therapy, this is "Art as therapy." Art Therapists view the art process as central to heal-ing and restoration. It is the creative process itself that is transforming and life changing. Art Thera-pists believe that as individuals participate in the process of making art, as they make and do things, they work through and solve their problems.

Michael often uses a technique called Road Drawings, with his adult and adolescent clients, in which he asks them to draw a road. He asks them questions such as "Is this a fast road, a slow road, a curvy road, straight road, flat road, hilly road? Is it made of dirt, black top, stone, or cement? What is the condition of your road? Is there more than one road or more than one lane? Where does the road lead? Are there intersections? Is there anything alongside your road, around your road, or in your road? Are there any signs along your road?" The simple activity of drawing a road reveals much about where the individual is in their road to recov-ery. The road drawing has the ability to represent a person's origins, experiences to date and intent for the future. He showed me examples of Road Drawings from the book he wrote on the subject, "Roads to the Unconscious: A Manual for Under-standing Road Drawings".

It was amazing to see how a drug addict re-vealed his lack of intention to let go of his addic-tion through the simple drawing of a road. "It's a very powerful technique," says Michael. "When we look together at their Road Drawings, the im-age reveals their unconscious motives, urges and feelings. The image was created by their own hand, therefore its content is undeniable. Together,

we process the imagery and help them find insight and understanding into the symbols represented in their drawing. Art is extremely powerful. There is a wealth of unconscious material and the art brings it to the preconscious level where it can ultimately be integrated into conscious awareness." Michael believes that nothing in the process is accidental. As clients make their art, Michael is tracking and calibrating their choice of materials, how the media is applied, the content in the picture and any spon-taneous statements or associations. "Everything has purpose and meaning." When they come to Art Therapy, our goal is to play, experiment and to take risks with the materials," says Hanes. And in the end, Michael reminds them, "The image came from within you. It's a part of you. It's an exten-sion of you." Michael points out that the beautiful thing about a road is its reparative nature. "Roads are in constant repair and change, so too are peo-ple. Each of us can be the architect of our road of life. Roads offer the opportunity for hope and change."

"Art Therapists are visual people, they are art-ists themselves. There is a process we have to be leery of, called "clinification," Micheal warns. Many Art Therapists forget their roots in the visual arts and focus more on their role as a clinician or counselor." Often Michael encounters other Art Therapists who share how they haven't been in the studio for years. This is a real problem. "How can you abandon art? I have to make it into the studio at least once a week; it is my own personal therapy that keeps balance in my life. And besides, it's just fun." Michael embraces his creativity and is

an accomplished sculptor, although he has pursued many different medium in his art career. His love for art and good design makes his home a feast for the eyes. His organic and sensual style is a complement to any Eames, Saarinen, Panton, Ja-cobsen, Betoia, or Knoll décor.

Currently, Michael has a passion for sculpting with metal. While Michael enjoys welding togeth-er pieces of scrap metal to create his masterpieces, he also takes great pleasure in finding the perfect piece of scrap metal that is already a work of art just waiting to be mounted. "Artists often strive their entire lifetime to reach simplicity and pure rawness in their artwork. Simplicity is so graceful and powerful. I have always been drawn to that." Michael loves that Picasso flair, artwork that some might say "a kid could do that," Michael responds with a sigh of deep appreciation. "ABSOLUTE-LY!"

Michael spends a few hours every Saturday dig-ging through the local metal scrap yard in search for raw materials. "It's like being a kid again. Like finding a treasure!" And whether Michael works the found objects together into a fine sculpture, or simply has the eyes to see that perfect piece of metal that needs only to be properly displayed on a base, Michael's art is as captivating as he is.

To learn more about Michael, his work as an Art Therapist and his art, go to www.artpsycho-therapy.com or www.sculptaculardesigns.com

*Names and details have been changed to pro-tect the clients involved.

Photos by Art of Living Studios


Artist Michael J. Hanes & The Art of Art Therapy by Missy Hancock

Felicia* is a six year old girl who has been sex-ually abused by her mother's boyfriend for much of her young life. She is having aggressive behav-ior, uncontrollable tantrums, and problems which include sexually inappropriate behavior. Due to the abuse, Felicia has chaotic and unsettled emo-tions where "good and bad" have become con-fused. She has opposing forces, such as "love and hate" welling up within her. She lacks the words to voice her traumatic experiences as well as an appropriate outlet to express feelings related to her abuse. Enters Michael Hanes, Licensed Art Therapist into this young girl's life. Through the art process, Michael provides a sanctuary for this young tortured soul. She comes to Michael not to talk about her abuse, but to create, to play, and to use the art process to help her "draw" out her pain and trauma.

During each session, Felicia mixes all the col-ors of paint into a messy mixture of brown sludge that she then spreads over a sheet of paper. After that she proceeds to fold the paper in half and pat it down. As the paint seeps out from the sides, Felicia squeals, "Oh no! It's getting out." She folds the page again and again until she has con-fined the brown sludge. Then she takes a card-board box and places the messy object inside. She seals the box shut with masking tape observ-ing, "Now it can't get out!" At times she wipes the brown sludge on her arms and face, staining herself with the messy mixture followed by cleans-ing and washing. She giggles with delight as the sludge rinses from her skin and she is once again cleansed. During this messy process, Michael doesn't interfere, rather he acts as a witness and helps to facilitate the creative process. At the end of the each session, Felicia gives the boxes to Mi-chael for safe keeping. Each time she returns for another session, she closely examines the boxes to see if they have been safely stored. Upon finding her boxes safe, she once again repeats the process. At the end of her therapeutic journey, Michael asks her what she would like to do with the boxes. She can take them, destroy them, or give them away. She smiles with a sense of resolve and says, "Oh, you can keep them. I don't need them anymore."

None of this has been staged by Michael, nor does he try to explain to the six year old what took place. He doesn't tell Felicia that the messy brown sludge she makes each visit represents the "dirty secret" and her chaotic and unsettled emotions re-lated to her sexual trauma. Additionally, he need not explain that the process of creating messy mix-tures is her young mind's way of purging the secret or cleansing her mind and soul. Safely storing the messy objects in boxes and giving them to Michael is also her way of letting go of the secret. Michael doesn't explain anything, rather his job is to create a nurturing and safe environment where she feels

free to play, experiment and take risks with the ma-terials. He functions as a witness to her creative endeavors and helps to facilitate the image mak-ing process. From Felicia's perspective, she hasn't been to therapy, where she has to remember and focus on past abuse, rather to an art session, where she is afforded the opportunity to play and have fun. It is this "fun time" that sets her soul free and aids healing and restoration.

"The beautiful thing about art is that it makes the intangible concrete where it can be seen and touched," says Michael. Michael J. Hanes stum-bled onto Art Therapy when he was at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania, majoring in Studio Art and Art Education. He happened to cross paths with a fellow art student who was majoring in Art Therapy. He asked the student for some informa-

tion on the profession and the rest, as they say, is history. Immediately intrigued, Michael began to pursue his path. Although the Art Therapy pro-gram was closing and not accepting new students, the program director saw something in Michael, and allowed him to enter the program on a tutorial basis. Michael sees himself as an ambassador of Art Therapy and I must say, he certainly fills the bill as Art Therapy Ambassador. Midway through our interview together, I had to stop and exclaim, "I am IN LOVE with this profession!" Art changes the world, the creative process brings healing and restoration; and this profession showcases this in a very beautiful way.

Although art therapy has been practiced in the United States since the 1960's there is the contin-ued challenge to educate people and to legitimize the profession. "Art Therapy is kind of like the step child. Art doesn't want to claim it saying, ‘You're therapists- go over there.' And the men-

tal health field doesn't particularly claim it say-ing, ‘You're artists- go over there.'" And so this amazing "child," who should have a custody bat-tle ensuing over it, between the arts and the men-tal health industry, is a bit estranged from both parents. "A lot of health professionals are still skeptical and suspicious of Art Therapy," says Hanes, "When I first start practicing art therapy in a new place, there is always the ‘What's go-ing on behind that door? What's happening in there?' look." But as more people give testimo-ny to their healing process, it becomes more and more undeniable that Art Therapy has its place in mental health. Michael points out, however, that Art Therapy isn't just for the clinical setting,

it is also used in nursing homes, schools, and even the business world.

"Creativity is innate and contagious!" shares Michael, who works in a variety of settings in-cluding the Oklahoma County Jail and the Federal Public Defender Office, Department of Habeas Corpus. Often adults are initially resistant to the idea of going to Art Therapy. "I gave up color-ing years ago!" are the kind of comments Michael often hears. Michael invites them to come and just watch, listen to some good music, and before they know it, they are engaged in the art process. Cli-ents often announce, "I thought I was going to hate this, but this is fun."

"Some see it as a therapeutic tool, others as a profession." Michael explained to me the difference between "Art as therapy," and Art Therapy. Many different kinds of mental health professionals use

art as a tool in therapy, this is "Art as therapy." Art Therapists view the art process as central to heal-ing and restoration. It is the creative process itself that is transforming and life changing. Art Thera-pists believe that as individuals participate in the process of making art, as they make and do things, they work through and solve their problems.

Michael often uses a technique called Road Drawings, with his adult and adolescent clients, in which he asks them to draw a road. He asks them questions such as "Is this a fast road, a slow road, a curvy road, straight road, flat road, hilly road? Is it made of dirt, black top, stone, or cement? What is the condition of your road? Is there more than one road or more than one lane? Where does the road lead? Are there intersections? Is there anything alongside your road, around your road, or in your road? Are there any signs along your road?" The simple activity of drawing a road reveals much about where the individual is in their road to recov-ery. The road drawing has the ability to represent a person's origins, experiences to date and intent for the future. He showed me examples of Road Drawings from the book he wrote on the subject, "Roads to the Unconscious: A Manual for Under-standing Road Drawings".

It was amazing to see how a drug addict re-vealed his lack of intention to let go of his addic-tion through the simple drawing of a road. "It's a very powerful technique," says Michael. "When we look together at their Road Drawings, the im-age reveals their unconscious motives, urges and feelings. The image was created by their own hand, therefore its content is undeniable. Together,

we process the imagery and help them find insight and understanding into the symbols represented in their drawing. Art is extremely powerful. There is a wealth of unconscious material and the art brings it to the preconscious level where it can ultimately be integrated into conscious awareness." Michael believes that nothing in the process is accidental. As clients make their art, Michael is tracking and calibrating their choice of materials, how the media is applied, the content in the picture and any spon-taneous statements or associations. "Everything has purpose and meaning." When they come to Art Therapy, our goal is to play, experiment and to take risks with the materials," says Hanes. And in the end, Michael reminds them, "The image came from within you. It's a part of you. It's an exten-sion of you." Michael points out that the beautiful thing about a road is its reparative nature. "Roads are in constant repair and change, so too are peo-ple. Each of us can be the architect of our road of life. Roads offer the opportunity for hope and change."

"Art Therapists are visual people, they are art-ists themselves. There is a process we have to be leery of, called "clinification," Micheal warns. Many Art Therapists forget their roots in the visual arts and focus more on their role as a clinician or counselor." Often Michael encounters other Art Therapists who share how they haven't been in the studio for years. This is a real problem. "How can you abandon art? I have to make it into the studio at least once a week; it is my own personal therapy that keeps balance in my life. And besides, it's just fun." Michael embraces his creativity and is

an accomplished sculptor, although he has pursued many different medium in his art career. His love for art and good design makes his home a feast for the eyes. His organic and sensual style is a complement to any Eames, Saarinen, Panton, Ja-cobsen, Betoia, or Knoll décor.

Currently, Michael has a passion for sculpting with metal. While Michael enjoys welding togeth-er pieces of scrap metal to create his masterpieces, he also takes great pleasure in finding the perfect piece of scrap metal that is already a work of art just waiting to be mounted. "Artists often strive their entire lifetime to reach simplicity and pure rawness in their artwork. Simplicity is so graceful and powerful. I have always been drawn to that." Michael loves that Picasso flair, artwork that some might say "a kid could do that," Michael responds with a sigh of deep appreciation. "ABSOLUTE-LY!"

Michael spends a few hours every Saturday dig-ging through the local metal scrap yard in search for raw materials. "It's like being a kid again. Like finding a treasure!" And whether Michael works the found objects together into a fine sculpture, or simply has the eyes to see that perfect piece of metal that needs only to be properly displayed on a base, Michael's art is as captivating as he is.

To learn more about Michael, his work as an Art Therapist and his art, go to www.artpsycho-therapy.com or www.sculptaculardesigns.com

*Names and details have been changed to pro-tect the clients involved.



The sixth annual Girlie Show, an all-female art show and party, will be rocking into town on

Friday, November 6th and Saturday, November 7th at the Farmer’s Public Market Building in Oklahoma City. Friday night’s event, from 8 p.m. to midnight, features an energetic party atmosphere, with music from local DJs, cash bar, and food from more than 15 local restaurants. Saturday is a more laid-back setting, open from noon to 5 p.m., and showcasing local music talent throughout the day. During both days, the show’s 40-50 artists, designers and crafters, selected by jury, showcase and sell their work – a unique and wide-ranging mix of fine art, handmade goods and designs, fashion, and anything that falls into the category the show’s founders, Erin Merryweather, Dawn Tyler-Harth and Marilyn Artus, describe as “mixed she-dia”. “We really encourage people to challenge the definition of art”, Artus said; “this is a unique concept in terms of art shows. We provide an opportunity for those who feel their work doesn’t necessarily fit into a fine art gallery, but don’t just fall into the craft show category, either.” While a majority of the artists are from Oklahoma, The Girlie Show has featured artists from all over the U.S. and even Canada. There are 40 artist booth spaces available, but even with some spaces shared by more than one artist, the selection process is a difficult one. Last year, more than 150 artists submitted applications, creating a selection process that Tyler-Harth describes as an emotional one: “It’s such a challenge! We want more than anything to encourage these designers and artists to get out there and show their work and have confidence in their talent, because we have such amazing talent in Oklahoma. But we just can’t fit everyone in and it’s really heartbreaking sometimes!” Tickets to Friday night’s event will be available for $15 approximately two weeks prior to the show at local ticket outlets (to be announced). Tickets will also be available at the door for $20. Tickets to Saturday’s event are available at the door only for $5, or admission is free with a ticket stub from Friday night. Attendance at last year’s Friday night event exceeded 1800 people and more than 800 came on Saturday. For more information, visit www.thegirlieshow.net.


"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. "

(Anatole France)

For many people, the animals we own become family members rather than just family pets and losing one can be just as painful. Matthew Moffett started to paint when one of his dogs died of a sudden aneurysm and he wanted to commemorate his companion. Matt sought out an artist to paint his beloved pet and was quoted a hefty $5,000 price tag. With a desire to memorialize his lost friend, WITHOUT having to take out a second mortgage to do so, Moffett decided he would give it a try himself. And so an artistic calling was discovered!

The result was not only a portrait which captured the qualities of his beloved dog, but a whole new career was discovered as well. To date, Moffett has painted over 1,000 pet portraits that are included in collections all over the world, including those of President Gerald Ford and former OU Coach Barry Switzer. His work is not limited to pet portraits; he is an accomplished painter of still-life, cityscapes, and landscapes as well, and he is the owner of a successful artist studio in Tulsa.

Curated by the Oklahoma Arts Council, Moffett's most recent exhibit Dog Show will be on display in the first floor of Capitol in the East Gallery through November 1. The East Gallery is open daily from 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.

Whoever said artists were lazy apparently has not met Matt. In addition to being one of Tulsa's most inspiring artists, Matt also teaches Tulsa youth how to tune into their own artistic souls. A former elementary art teacher, Moffett is the director and co-founder of the Tulsa

Girls Art School, which you may have heard referred to as TGAS or Tulsa GAS Project. His charitably funded non-profit provides after school and summer school arts education to elementary school-aged girls living in Tulsa's underprivileged neighborhoods so that they can develop their own art style and have shows of their work. All students manage the funds from their show sales in micro-bank accounts within the organization, from which they can buy personal art supplies, pay for shows or supplies and/or college savings bonds for their future studies. This project nurtures the creativity of the girls and educates them in how to grow and live as a career artist.

Moffett received a bachelor's degree at the University of Tulsa and studied Spanish at the Universidad de Malaga, Spain. With no formal art training, Moffett has developed a recognizable style of loose realism marked by bold colors and sweeping lines. He describes his paintings as visual prayers and says there is deep meaning within every work he creates.

"Painting should capture the viewer and take them on a journey," Moffett says. "I believe that art is for everybody. Passion for art is something that we nourish and relish as a child and seem to lose in our adulthood. I am lucky because a series of events led me back to creating art and being an artist."

by Mel Sparks

Claudia’s Babies Hamilton’s Sassy

Alice in Wonderland

Max Ballou, King of Sticks


Drawing From Within: Answers From An Art Therapistby Michael J. Hanes,Art Therapist

Q: My child is always drawing pictures

of monsters. Should I be concerned?

A: Parents should not become alarmed if they find their

child drawing monsters. Sometimes a monster is just a monster. Children often find inspiration for their art from everyday experiences in life. Did the child recently view a monster movie? Was the child recently playing with a toy monster or a game based on mon-sters? Even seasonal events, such as Halloween will increase the emergence of monsters in drawings. Children are analogous to little recording devices with legs. A child's mind will record everything around him/her and play back those experiences through the im-age making process.

As an art therapist, I have witnessed a multitude of monster drawings pro-duced by children in psychiatric settings. These menacing creatures often attempt to destroy the child's self-esteem and leave in their wake anxiety and pain. For children from violent homes, the monster can embody an abusive parent, neglect, incest, and severe emotional

trauma. The menacing creature can represent uncaring and cruel forces that the child must do battle with. Addition-ally, it may symbolize the child's own submerged hostility and rage.

Monsters can often symbolize diffi-culties to be overcome and of obstacles to be surmounted if in the end some material, physical or spiritual treasure is to be won or obtained by the child. For example, a child may do battle with a monster (abusive parent) in order to gain and earn the love and acceptance of a desired love object. It is the mas-tery of fear and a display of heroism in which the child has to prove his capa-bilities and his/her worthiness.

For the emotionally troubled child, monsters can symbolize a psychic function that reflects an overactive and misguided imagination, an unhealthy distortion or diseased functioning of the life force. While monsters may stand for external threats, they also reveal internal dangers. They are images of the ultimate anxiety which causes opposed attitudes, unbridled desire and timid inhibition. Often these children will exhibit behavioral problems and extreme impulsivity. Monsters symbolize irrational forces and spread chaos. Monsters are also related to rites of passage, they swallow the old

individual so that the new individual may be born.

To gain insight into the significance of your child's art, take time to al-low him/her to elaborate on the images. Ask your child to tell a story about the images and events that appear in their pictures. Should your child be in battle with a monster, en-courage them to discover or create abil-ities to defend or ward off the menacing creature. What are the monster's weak-nesses and what special powers can your child develop to defend against and triumph over the monster? Could your child somehow befriend the mon-ster and develop a relationship where both can co-exist peacefully?

Always provide support, encourage-ment, and reassurance to your child. Lastly, should you believe that your child is suffering from emotional diffi-culties, contact a mental health profes-sional for consultation and assistance.

To have your questions answered by Art Therapist Michael J. Hanes, send them to [email protected]

Michael J Hanes, ATR-BC, LPC is a Registered Art Therapist-Board Certified and a Licensed Professional Counselor. He has been a graduate faculty member at the

University of Oklahoma and an undergraduate faculty member at Oklahoma State University-OKC. He is currently faculty at Phoenix University-OKC and is a guest lecturer at the University of Oklahoma. Michael has 21 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. He has 12 years of experience working with co-occurring populations in the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Michael is a consultant to the Federal Public Defender Office, Habeas Corpus Division where he completes psychological evaluations on death row inmates. He is a respected author, having been published numerous times in such publications as American Journal of Art Therapy, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association and The Arts in Psychotherapy: An International Journal. He is author of the book, Roads to the Unconscious: A Manual for Understanding Road Drawings. Michael has lectured at numerous conferences, seminars, and workshops across the United States and around the world. He is currently the Director of Continuous Quality Improvement, Medical Records and Contracts at Red Rock Behavioral Health Services. In addition, he is a part-time psychotherapist for the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Michael has over 16 years of experience as a director, manager and group facilitator.

Drawings by Jazlyn, Journey, and Lizzy Hancock


As the ONEAL Network con-tinues to grow, the goal is to share ongoing professional development opportunities that will benefit Okla-homa's New and Emerging Arts Leaders. One service that is offered through the Oklahoma Arts Council is the Leadership Arts Class. The purpose of Leadership Arts is to de-velop a statewide network of com-munity arts leaders and advocates. Leadership Arts class members will learn how arts and cultural develop-ment can be harnessed to create eco-nomic opportunity, provide a high quality of life and ignite the creative potential of Oklahoma's youth.

Applications for Leadership Arts 2010 will be available online, and you can find out more information by visiting: www.arts.ok.gov or by contacting Georgia Williams at 405-521-2024 or [email protected]

James Wallace is Performing

Arts Coordinator for the Chickasaw Nation. He was a member of Lead-ership Arts Class 2, and here are his thoughts on that experience:

I moved back to Oklahoma after a 10 year hiatus. I never thought I would return to live in this small college town I once graduated in. I lived in England, Los Angeles and New York City. How in the world did I end up back in Ada, Oklahoma? Well, I was looking for a change.

I had been back to Oklahoma off and on to visit friends and fam-ily. I would spend my trips catch-ing up with people and finding out what was happening in their lives. I consistently heard about their re-hearsals, the shows they had just done, exhibitions they were getting ready for, or spaces they were look-ing at for this project or the other. When I would head back to my tiny New York apartment I was left with

this feeling that I was missing some-thing. It took a while but I finally realized that what I was missing was opportunity.

Oklahoma was developing in the arts in ways I hadn't seen 10 years ago. The small college town I once called home was developing economically, building an arts dis-trict and my alma mater was getting ready to open a multi-million dol-lar fine arts center. I was curious and wanted to be closer to see what would happen.

After several months of wonder-ing if I had made the right decision to move, I finally landed a job that sounded promising. And it was the first "real job" I had that was di-rectly related to my college degrees. Through this job I was introduced to Georgia Williams with the Okla-homa Arts Council and she told me about a program they were doing called Leadership Arts. It sounded like a great opportunity.

The Leadership Arts class of 2009 was a diverse group. There were 36 of us from all over the state. Different ages, different backgrounds. Some people were arts administrators, gallery own-ers, artists, community arts leaders and more. We visited four differ-ent communities in Oklahoma that ranged in size and development. We were hosted by Lawton, Bartlesville, Ada and Oklahoma City. For each session we were asked to complete short reading assignments and con-duct short community interviews to better understand how the arts play

a direct role in benefiting the com-munity and entire state. Class mem-bers were able to share their success stories, discuss their struggles, find ways to overcome challenges and find ways to advance the arts. These sessions showed us all how the arts benefit the quality of life, the local economy and provide educational opportunities for youth. The people I met through this class were abso-lutely amazing and inspirational. It was a great networking experience and one of the best ways to build a strong statewide support system for people in the arts.

When I left Oklahoma years ago there was a common way of think-ing that in order to really advance in the arts you had to leave the state. It's just not true. I knew the state was growing; but until I took part in Leadership Arts, I didn't really see the impact the arts was having throughout Oklahoma. I wish a class like this existed when I gradu-ated from college. It didn't. I wish I had known about vast opportuni-ties and possibilities when I was just starting out. I didn't. But the class does exist now and the opportunities and possibilities are there. Leader-ship Arts is one of the best tools to help you realize your potential and the potential of your state. You owe it to yourself and your future to take advantage of this invaluable resource. It will be one more rea-son you'll be glad you never left. Or one more reason you'll be glad you moved back. Trust me - it's a great opportunity.

by Molly O'Connor


“Poetry and Passion” An Evening of Musical Works

by Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms

Concert pianist Daniel Blumenthal, an Oklaho-ma City favorite, returns for this concert featuring works of three of the most renowned composers in the history of music. A German-born American pi-anist, Mr. Blumenthal first studied music in Paris at age 5. Throughout his childhood he exhibited pre-cocious keyboard talent. He did his undergraduate studies at American University in Washington, DC and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he received his Bachelor of Music. He re-ceived his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from The Juilliard School of Music in New York City. In the early 1980's, Mr. Blumenthal won a string of important competitions: the Sydney In-ternational Piano Competition (1981), The Leeds (1981), the Geneva International Music Competi-tion (1982), the Busoni Competition (1982), and the Queen Elizabeth International Music Competi-tion of Belgium (1983).

Following his competition victories, he quickly rose to international fame, and he began to con-certize regularly with many of the world's finest orchestras in some of the most world's most dis-tinguished concert halls, including an appearance in Carnegie Hall in 1983. His recordings soon began appearing, and they have continued without interruption since then. He enjoys an international

Oklahoma City's own chamber music ensemble - Brightmusic - hosts a return visit to OKC of concert pianist Daniel Blumenthal from Brussels, Belgium, for the second

concert of Brightmusic's 2009-2010 season. Mr. Blumenthal and five of the Brightmusic musicians will perform works of the Classical and Romantic masters: Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms.

The works on the program are Beethoven's Trio in B-flat Major for clarinet, cello and piano, op. 11; Chopin's Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, op. 65; and Brahms' Quartet for piano and strings in G minor, op. 25.

The Brightmusic musicians who will appear are: Gregory Lee (violin), Royce McLarry (viola), Jonathan Ruck (cello), Tomasz Zieba (cello) and Chad Burrow (clarinet).

The concert will take place on Tuesday, November 3, at 7:30 pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, 127 NW 7th and Robinson. Admission is free, although donations are always appreciated. A reception with the musicians will follow the concert.

Musical Works To Be Performed:

Ludwig van Beethoven, Trio in B-flat Major for Clari-net, Cello and Piano, op. 11: Beethoven wrote this work in Vienna in 1797 at the age of 27. By this time, Beethoven had established his reputation as a virtuoso pianist and was beginning to be recognized as a com-poser. Also by this time, he may have begun to have intimations of his deafness. He published this work in 1798 and dedicated it to a countess who, a few years before (so the story goes) had literally gotten down on her knees to implore Beethoven to play. Beethoven de-signed this light and flashy trio for instant popularity. In the words of one biographer, it moves "from a glittering first movement and slow movement to the circus style of its finale," which reflects variations on a "hit song" from a recent comic opera.Frédéric Chopin, Sonata for Cello and Piano in G mi-

nor, op. 65: Chopin composed this work - the last pub-lished in his lifetime - in 1845-46. He and the cellist to whom he dedicated the sonata premiered the work in Paris in February 1848 at what was to be Chopin's last public concert. The mood of this sonata has been called "grave and autumnal." In many passages, it contrasts a calm cello part with an agitated piano part. The third movement contains what one writer has called one of Chopin's "most poignantly elegiac melodies."Johannes Brahms, Quartet for Piano and Strings in G

minor, op. 25: Some music scholars view Brahms as the quintessential master of Romantic chamber music. Brahms composed this work from 1856-61 (ages 23-28) and performed the piano part at its premiere in Vienna in 1862. This work demonstrates Brahms' ability to combine classical forms with Romantic inventiveness. Movement I presents "heroic themes in repose;" Move-ment II is "introspective ... beautiful and mysterious;" Movement III reflects "dreamy grandness;" and Move-ment IV, the so-called Gypsy Rondo, is "pure fire." This piano quartet reaches back to Schubert and forward to Schoenberg.

reputation as a piano soloist, as a concert musician and as a chamber musician. He is known for his versatility and the breadth and depth of repertoire, which includes such diverse composers as J.S. Bach, Scott Joplin, Bussoni, Chopin, Gershwin, Prokofiev, Joseph Marx, Arensky, Schubert, Cz-erny and many others. In the new century he often favors chamber music collaborations with other well-known artists. In his February 2006 concert at Carnegie Hall, he played works by Prokofiev, Mozart and Schubert with violinist Yossif Ivanov. Mr. Blumenthal's discography now includes more than 80 recordings for labels that include Naxos, Pavane and Angel Records.

Mr. Blumenthal is a Professor at the Royal Con-servatory of Music in Brussels, and at the Thy Masterclass Chamber Music Festival in Denmark. In 1995 he was on the jury of the Queen Elisa-beth Competition for Piano. He is an honorary member and musical advisor of Icons of Europe, Brussels. You may visit his website at www.dan-ielblumenthal.com. Mr. Blumenthal last appeared in Oklahoma City with Brightmusic at its Novem-ber 2007 concert. Brightmusic is delighted that Mr. Blumenthal has returned to Oklahoma City for this concert.

More About Guest Artist Daniel Blumenthal


“”

When we find ourselves stuck in a creative rut, it is a good time to change things up. Many of us don't like change. We like our systems and rou-tines. We live life in patterns. It is our security. However, when we need a burst of creativity, we may have to surrender these securities. Safety is not part of creativity. Creativity involves an ele-ment of danger, risk, and if it is nothing else, it is something new. Creativity is all about something new, something different, and something out of the ordinary. We cannot embrace creativity and be un-willing to let go of our same old securities.

There is a term we like to use in our home. It is "Risk Food Poisoning". The idea is that we can become accustomed to going to corporately owned restaurants (especially in Oklahoma) and know that we can trust that these establishments operate well within the parameters of health code regula-tions. We may be naïve to think this, but we trust just the same. In an effort to change things up, we have discovered that it is much more exciting to go out and find some mom and pop, locally owned and operated food establishment -- what some may consider a "dive" -- and try what they have to of-fer. We often discover something incredibly deli-cious. Only once did we receive a meal that we be-lieved might actually poison us. Some of the best tacos I've had came from a portable taco stand. We discovered our favorite tortilla soup at a local res-taurant, that some friends did indeed call a dive. Missy figured out how to recreate both dishes and she added them to our regular menu. We wouldn't enjoy these dishes if we hadn't "risked food poi-soning." But it's not just about the food, it is also about the experience. It is about experiencing a different culture, developing interesting stories, and experiencing different characters.

By changing things up, we gain experience in something we otherwise would know nothing

Need a Creative Boost? Change it up!

about. By creating a broad spectrum of experienc-es, we have more to pull from when we are looking for creative inspiration. By letting go of the old, we make room for the new and when the new be-comes old, then the old will be new to us again.

I think we instinctively change things up when our creativity wanes, but our logic/rules/business

person, we'll call them our "worker" part of our-selves, wants to chastise us for implementing a technique that could very well pull us out of our rut. We get uninspired in our work and so we natu-rally change gears.

There are many different ways to change things up. You might be stuck writing and rewriting chap-

By Shawn and Missy Hancock

ter seven, unable to resolve the conflict your main character is having with his father. And because you are stuck, you start itching to redecorate your workspace. You've just been dying to paint it lime green and you can hardly think of a better time than now, but your "worker" self, who is keeping tabs on how many pages you are completing each day, chastises you. "Just write! You are just avoid-ing the inevitable," the worker tells you.

(I want to take just a moment here to acknowl-edge that your "worker" self IS looking out for you. And there is a big difference between a cre-ative block and simple procrastination. In procras-tination, one just keeps "putting off" the work, pre-venting themselves from getting into the project enough to find creative success. In a block, one has legitimately invested themselves in the proj-ect and found some measure of success, but finds themselves unable to complete the project at hand. So...don't use this "Change It Up" message as a cop out to procrastinate. If you are procrastinat-ing, you know it. Cut it out, sit down and do the damn work, already! Just make yourself, whether you want to or not.)

However, if you find yourself sitting and fuming and staring at the page and writing and rewriting the same three pages over and over again and then staring at the page some more; cut yourself some slack. This actually might be a good time to paint your workspace lime green, or engage in what-ever wonderful project nourishes your creative soul. Often a writer may paint themselves into a resolution for their character. And the paintbrush will fall to the wayside, and they'll find themselves back on their computer typing away!

The old adage "Variety is the spice of life!" proves itself to be true in the creative realm. SO, if you want to boost your creativity- remember CHANGE IT UP!

Creativity is all about something new, something different, and something out of the ordinary.



To submit your art, send us a picture of your work and your contact info to [email protected]



Relient Kwith Barcelona

and CopelandOctober 21, 8 p.m.

The Los Angeles Times has praised Relient K for “its smart blend of punk and power pop.” Relient K will be joined by Barcelona and Copeland for “A Three Hour Tour.”

“An eclectic musical style ranging from Blues to Bluegrass…” World-renowned fiddle sensation, Kyle Dillingham, heads the band.

Fiddler on the Roof

In the little village of Anatevka, Tevye, a poor dairyman, tries to instill in his five daughters the traditions of his tight-knit Jewish community.

Take a musical journey and find yourself surprised at all the things you can do with percussion instruments.

For ticket information, call 405-297-2264 or 1-800-364-7111. Tickets also available at the Rose State College Performing Arts Theatre box office located at I-40 and Hudiburg Drive, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., 2 hours before show time and online at www.myticketoffice.com.

FlesheaterPhotography

FLESHEATERPHOTOGRAPHY@yahoo.comFLESHEATERPHOTOGRAPHY.blogspot.com

www.FLICKR.com/FLESHEATERPHOTOGRAPHY

It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.

-Pablo Picasso


“The Blood Soaked Road to a Dream”Chronicles of Caleb

By Caleb Braudrick

People change...Change jobs, change their minds, change their shorts,

change their life...It's what we do. Many times, it's due to being

uncomfortable with a situation or a current mind set. Sometimes, it's solely because you dove into something head first, prayerfully and thoughtfully, but it ends up sucking the life out of you.

Neither of the above reason, but a little of both of the above reasons, are why I changed my life.

Lying on our bed one evening, just staring at the ceiling, I uttered the phrase, "I can't help them." My wife was sitting next to me and she knew exactly what I meant. You see, I had been in school for almost 2 years by this point, pursuing my degree in special education. All I wanted to do was help these kids. I wanted to do something for them. Two things started to happen: the more work I did in public schools, the more I saw children with autism being ignored and feared. My heart broke for them. I knew I couldn't do anything for them in the school setting. The other thing that started to happen was the burning in my heart to make films. This wasn't a new feeling. It's something I have been battling with since I was very young. For a long time, making movies is all I wanted to do. I liked to write scripts, I loved shooting little movies with our old camcorder, I loved being drawn in by a director. As I got older, however, the idea of being a filmmaker became too unrealistic and I slowly started to push it out of my head.

Then it came roaring back. Out of nowhere.So my wife looked at me as only she can and said,

"Do it." It was more than encouragement, it was a challenge.

We started talking about the ways to get into this, the things we could do, the people we could help. We started talking about creativity and how God had put me on this earth to create, not to just exist.

The funny thing about God, I felt His spirit tugging on me about this long before I voiced my thoughts to Amber. It was almost as if he too was challenging me. I felt a very strong sense that God was telling me, "You can continue down this road if you wish... but you'll never know what could happen if you don't balls up and do something." That's how God talks to me, by the way.

So we were off and running. I changed my major to Broadcasting at UCO, since they do not have a film school and enrolled in the incredible film program at OCCC. The ball was rolling.

Fast forward to a week ago...As most of my nearest and dearest know, I have a

deep and profound love for horror movies. I love The Exorcist, The Shining, anything zombie related.... but I also love the low budget horror films. Drive-In Massacre, The Last Slumber Party, Skinned Alive... but especially Lunch Meat.

Ever since Benny peered at me holding that severed appendage on the cover of the ridiculously huge box on the shelf at Hacker's Video in Tuttle, Oklahoma, I was hypnotized. Lunch Meat was everything a B-horror fan could want. Backwoods freaks? Check. Cannibalism? Check. Excessive gore? Double check. In short, Lunch Meat is to horror movies what menstruation is to women. It's messy, it's gross... but it's a beautiful necessity for life.

So we rented it, my brothers and I. Watching it for the first time was not unlike making out for the first time. You could not deny the awkwardness of it, but you just didn't want it to end. Lunch Meat became a bit of a mythological event because, outside of Tuttle, we had never seen this movie. We would tell people about it, but they would look at us with a gaze usually reserved for father's reacting to their children informing them that they want to be an actor.

Like many wonderful things in life, Lunch Meat disappeared. Hacker's went the way of the digital video disc and sold off all of the VHS, including Lunch Meat. By the time I found out about the liquidation, Lunch Meat had already been rescued by some other aficionado. I was heart broken.

Last week, I got an early morning text from my brother informing me that he had read, via the IMDB message boards, that someone was making a sequel to Lunch Meat. "Shocked" doesn't encapsulate my initial feeling. I couldn't believe that someone else had even seen this movie, let alone loved it enough to make a sequel. I felt something stir inside of me. I knew, if someone took the time to make this movie, I had to at least take the time to thank them for such a righteous endeavor. Thankfully, the filmmaker included his email address in one of his posts. I sent him a short email just thanking him for taking on Lunch Meat 2 and also asking him if he knew where I could get a copy of the first one. Apparently, it's become a bit of a collector's item, going for big bucks on eBay. So I pressed "send" and went on with my day.

Damian emailed me back the next day. I had expected a, "thanks for the message..." email, but Damian took the time to not only thank me, but tell me about the production thus far. It was a very sweet and thoughtful message. I was extremely happy to find that not everyone involved in the film world was self-absorbed. I emailed

him back, grilling him with questions about financing and any nuggets of film making wisdom this gentleman wanted to throw my way. After all, I am a film student. What better education is there than sitting under the learning tree of someone out there doing it? Damian was gracious enough to answer all of my annoying questions and even gave me his phone number in case I wanted to talk more about film. I gave him my number as well and thought, at best I'd made an ally in the film world. Someone I could bother with my naive questions until it was my time to helm my own project. I actually talked to Damian that night and discovered that he was a much more energetic, passionate, and incredibly grounded artist than even his emails revealed. We talked film, gore, and swapped horror stories about our families. The conversation ended with Damian asking me if I'd be interested in being a part of the crew of Lunch Meat 2, which is shooting in Texas in about a year.

Well, of course!I couldn't believe it! Not only was a sequel to my

favorite low-budget horror movie being filmed, I was going to be involved in a small part of it! I didn't care if I was just cleaning after the crew or bringing people water, I was just ecstatic to be on the team.

As if it couldn't get any better... God kicked the door opened that had been previously cracked.

A few days later, Damian let me know that he had been thinking about it, and he wondered if I'd be interested in being his 1st AD- First Assistant Director. For those that don't know, this is a little bit bigger than fetching water and mopping up Karo syrup and red food coloring. This is a big part of the film making process. I wanted to be excited.... but I was too nervous to feel that way yet.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "Are you sure you trust me that much?"

And Damian assured me that he did. He told me that I have a love for the original and the genre in general, and he couldn't think of anyone better. Wow. Just wow.

So here I am....follower of Christ, husband, student, filmmaker.

I can't tell you where this road will eventually lead, but I can sure tell you where it will start. In Texas, about a year from now, helping create a sequel to one of my favorite movies, ever.

Life is good.

You can follow Caleb's exploits as a human, husband and filmmaker at these wonderful, socially engaging sites: theincrediblecaleb.blogspot.com, twitter.com/CaleboftheDead


Sooners in the Land of Enchantment: Oklahoma Artists and New Mexico

Deep within the history of Oklahoma art lies a connection with New Mexico, an enchanted land and home to Western and Native American artists who inspired Sooner artists for decades and beyond.

A new exhibition at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Oklahoma, examines this influence of New Mexican artists in the early 20th century and the landscape and cultures that changed the way Oklahomans approached art.

Sooners in the Land of Enchantment: Oklahoma Artists and New Mexico opens Friday, Oct. 9, with a special reception from 7 to 9 p.m. A guest lecture by Eugene B. Adkins Curator Mark White will accompany this exhibition's free opening at 6 p.m. The opening reception also doubles as the Museum Association's 2010 membership party. Association members and the public are invited.

The exhibition will remain on display through Jan. 3, 2010.

Artists such as Oscar Jacobson, Nan Sheets, and the painters and dancers who eventually became known as the Kiowa Five began visiting the "Land of Enchantment" in the early decades of the 20th century, forming important relationships with artists who resided there. In the post-World War II period, other Oklahomans, such as T. C. Cannon, Allan Houser, Woody Crumbo, and Doel Reed made New Mexico their home and produced engaging bodies of work that have become closely identified with New Mexican art history.

To this end, the exhibition will not only include the works of Oklahoma artists, but also the prominent New Mexican artists with whom they associated such as Ernest Blumenschein, Victor Higgins, Maria Martinez and Bert Phillips.

"Oscar Jacobson was among the first to form close relationships with the Santa Fe and Taos colonies," White said. Jacobson's friends included modernists like Frank Applegate, Josef Bakos and B.J.O. Nordfeldt.

Jacobson, director of the University of Oklahoma School of Art in 1915, was later named the first director of what would become the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. He not only exhibited many of these artists at OU, but also purchased their works of art for the permanent collection.

His summer visits to New Mexico drew him to both the pueblos and to the Santa Fe Indian School, where the Studio under Dorothy Dunn was helping to foster modern Native painting.

"Just as Jacobson had begun to acquire the paintings of Kiowa artists for the collection at OU, he also began collecting paintings from the Studio and became one of its early important patrons," White said.

Apart from the Kiowa, many of Jacobson's fellow professors and his students visited New Mexico in the 1920s, including Ina Annette, Leonard Good and Lawrence Williams.

Jacobson and his OU colleagues were not the only Oklahomans to frequent New Mexico in the 1920s. Alexandre Hogue, a Dallas artist who would eventually chair the University of Tulsa art department, visited Taos sporadically throughout the decade and became close friends with many of the Taos artists. Like Hogue, Oklahoma City painter Nan Sheets became well acquainted with the Taos Society of Artists.

In the postwar years, Taos, in particular, drew numerous Oklahomans, some of whom decided to settle. Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Crumbo (Potawatomi) relocated to Taos in 1952, where he opened a serigraph studio to produce affordable mass-produced prints. Tulsan Bettina Steinke also moved to Taos in 1956 after exhibiting regularly at the gallery of Charles Reynolds, another Oklahoma expatriate.

But perhaps the most influential of the Oklahomans to resettle in Taos was Oklahoma State University professor Doel Reed. After frequent visits in the 1940s and 1950s, he purchased a house in Talpa in 1959. Reed found inspiration in the small Spanish villages and the rugged topography of northern New Mexico.

While artists like Reed, Steinke and Crumbo settled in Taos in the postwar period, there were a number of Oklahomans who were drawn to Santa Fe. Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache) arrived in Santa Fe in 1934 to study at the Studio and was later hired in 1962 as a faculty member of the school that replaced it, the Institute of American Indian Art.

Another Oklahoman, T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/

Caddo), enrolled at IAIA in 1964 and developed a fondness for Santa Fe, where he lived intermittently for the rest of his life.

Sooners in the Land of Enchantment draws almost exclusively from the permanent collection at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, with loans from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is located in the OU Arts District on the corner of Elm Avenue and Boyd Street, at 555 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman campus.

Admission to the museum is free to all OU students with a current student ID and all museum association members, $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children 6 to 17 years of age, $2 for OU faculty/staff, and free for children 5 and under. Admission is free on Tuesdays. The museum's Web site is www.ou.edu/fjjma. Information and accommodations on the basis of disability are available by calling (405) 325-4938.

Construction on a new wing is under way, but the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is open and fully functional with exhibitions and programming throughout the entire construction process.

Oscar Brousse Jacobson (U.S., b. Sweden, 1882-1966)In the Navajo Country, 1938Oil on canvas, 20 x 26 in.Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; 1987 Oscar Brousse Jacobson is one of many Western and Native American artists going on display soon as part of a new ex-hibition at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Sooners in the Land of Enchantment: Oklahoma Artists and New Mexico opens Oct. 10 on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus. This 1938 oil on canvas by Jacobson, In the Navajo Country, joins other images of landscapes and Southwest culture throughout the exhibition.


We have two great poems for you to consume this month. "The Summer" comes from Boe Toahty, who is a student at UCO. "Seated. Tired" comes from Terry Turner who is a student at Rose State. As always, we welcome

submissions of any style of poetry at [email protected].

The Summer by Boe Toahty

This one is for you so pay attention, please.

To all those who've ever experiencedMonsters and nicotine firecrackers

Had peach cake with popcornBlack berries and wine cake and dinosaurs

Realized everything worth fighting for is not materialLeft an hour too soon but laid under the stars instead

Missed the exit just for a few more minutes of not feeling aloneHad greedy needy impulses

But knew the debt wasn't important in the long runTo ever feel like heaven despite what's growling in your face.

Knows heartache and headachesDespite the chemicals that failed as solutions

Gone to the mallGone to the store

Gotten stonedBeen alone

Wanted holly hung in every doorwayAs the kids danced to the eighties greatest hits

Discovered ZenDiscovered center

Stayed home with the superhero who wouldn't be alive if it weren't for youEver emptied an ashtray into the wind

Or let the window take care of the ash for you?It's all going to the same place anyway

And we'll be thereTake your timeWe'll be there

If you've ever burnt a candle, starred at the wax, and thought of lifeRealizing we are only brick

And circumstance is the mortarDon't you think it should be the great wall of the world

Instead of separate houses?And they will be united under the sole purpose of what's beautiful

And what's peaceful

We are all heading that wayFrom everywhere with love

We'll be there

Seated. Tired. by Terry Turner

Legs are heavy feel like metal.

I groan from the wait in rooms like dahlia tint.

A windy Friday afternoon.A kitchen forth from tomato

Powder coating. The record playerScratches and whispers.

The house is vibrant with catBlurs and tiny barkings.

The red couch sits upon the tileWith my shoes humble on the floor.

Wait for the racket your carMakes when it pulls into the driveway.

Long for the sound your keys make When they lull at the door.


In this current age of re-using and re-cycling, it can be both interesting and daunting to apply "going green" to the art world's aesthetics.

Hearing the old saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," we think of creating something useful out of something someone else throws out. But what about the appeal to the art world? Sure, we can create something useful, but what about something beautiful? It is easy to find an old couch, cover it with a slipcover, and stick it in your apartment, but maybe not so easy to take trash and create something that evokes emotion or passion. But through some web-sleuthing, here are some things I have found that people have created with re-used materials:

-Hanging mandalas and spinners made from old CDs

-Rainsticks made from cardboard tubing (they sound and look like the wooden ones!)

-Those oh-so-famous record bowls! (I have even seen a dress made from records!)

"Going Green"

We have a challenge for you! It's kind of like a double-dog dare, and how can you resist a double-dog dare? Every couple of months, we will present a challenge, in which, you, the reader, will be asked to re-create some ordinary everyday item into something completely new and wonderful. You can make art, home décor, or simply find another really cool use for the items we suggest. Send pics of your RE-creations to [email protected] and the winners will receive a gift certificate to Paseo's Sauced, as well as be recognized as a creative genius by having their entries showcased in our RE-creation Challenge article.

December's challenge is "Deck the Halls: Holiday decorations." Every year, people spend more and more on holiday decorations, only to throw them out for something new. You can make us a wreath, menorah, a Yule log, even a re-cycled tree! If it is something you use to "deck your halls," it qualifies! The winner will be featured in our December issue and will also win a local gift certificate, be featured on our website, and of course receive word fame galore! Send your entries to [email protected] by November 10th!

-An installation known as "Earth Tear", a giant tear shape made from recycled bottles (1993)

-Numerous mosaics and sculptures from almost anything!

-A popular material to re-use in art form is of course, the beverage containers- bottle caps, aluminum cans, and others are constantly offering themselves up to be turned into everything from jewelry to furniture... there are companies that now boast beautiful glass pieces made from recycled glass...

-Architectural pieces can also be re-used as art, think those lovely tin ceiling pieces, clawfoots from the old bathtubs, antique doorknobs, even old windows and panels...

Don't miss the opportunity to see the exquisite re-cycled art on display at [ARTSPACE] at Untitled, 1 NE 3rd St., OKC through November 7th of West African artist, El Anatsui's most recent works. El Anatsui presents his large-scale wall reliefs resembling traditional African kente cloths.

The pieces often measure 12 to 15 feet wide are made of thousands of pieces of stitched together aluminum cut out of discarded liquor bottle screw-tops from distilleries in the artist's hometown of Nsukka, Nigeria. As an artist, Anatsui came to prominence during the explosive West African post-independence art movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. He has since received world-wide critical attention for his experimental sculptural style that draws on his heritage but pushes boundaries due to his use of unconventional materials and methods of presentation. No one can dispute Anatsui's ability to transform trash into fine art.

As an artist, when you throw something away, first consider if it can be used on another project. Can you re-use your injured canvases in another way? Maybe your neighbor has painted their house but has leftovers with no purpose... The remnants may not be "remnant" at all, but really the beginning of something else beautiful!

Below are some links to get you started... www.generationgreen.com

some of the ideas above with picswww.greenecoservices.comrethinkrecycleredesign.org

the site for the Rethink Recycle Redesign art show for Sustainable OKC

check this one out for inspiration!

The Next RE-creation Challenge


[Artspace] at Untitled is pleased to present an exhibition of West African artist El Anatsui's most recent works, September 18 through November 7, 2009. Anatsui's art takes the form of large-scale wall reliefs resembling traditional African kente cloths. The works that often measure 12 to 15 feet wide are made of thousands of pieces of stitched together aluminum cut out of screw tops found on liquor bottles from distilleries in the artist's hometown of Nsukka, Nigeria.

As an artist, Anatsui came to prominence during the explosive West African post-independence art movements of the late 1960s and 1970s. He has since received worldwide critical attention for his experimental sculptural style that draws on his heritage but pushes boundaries due to his use of unconventional materials and methods of presentation.

Born in the Volta region of Ghana in 1944, El Anatsui studied art at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumase, graduating in 1969. He remained as an instructor at the University in Ghana until 1975 when he took a teaching post at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu Province. Today, he holds the position of head of

the sculpture department at UNN.Anatsui's "cloth series" began around 2003 when

he discovered a discarded bag of bottle tops while scavenging through refuse to be used to make his sculpture. The hundreds of shiny liquor bottle caps attracted him so he took them home to his studio, but it wasn't until six months later that the idea came to him to cut them out and sew them together with copper wire, ultimately assembling them into cloth-like strips. Anatsui utilizes as many as twenty assistants who assist with the sewing of the metal pieces and one finished sculpture may take as long as four months to complete.

Anatsui has also referred to this series as "Gawu" which is a word derived from his native Ewe language. It translates roughly as "metal cloak". Some critics believe this series comments on consumerism, waste, the social problems of alcoholism, and the transformation of recycled materials. To the artist himself, it is important that his materials are derived from the everyday world around him. He states, "Art grows out of each particular situation and I believe that artists are better off working with whatever their environment throws up. I think that's what has been happening

in Africa for a long time, in fact not only in Africa but the whole world, except that maybe in the West they might have developed these 'professional' materials. But I don't think that working with such prescribed materials would be very interesting to me--industrially produced colors for painting. I believe that color is inherent in everything, and it's possible to get color from around you, and that you're better off picking something which relates to your circumstances and your environment." For more information about [Artspace] at Untitled, visit www.artspaceatuntitled.org or call 405.815.9995.

[Artspace] at Untitled is a non-profit contemporary arts center located in downtown Oklahoma City committed to stimulating new ideas and creative thought through contemporary art. [Artspace] at Untitled is dedicated to providing access to quality exhibitions, educational programs, performances, and publications and to involving the community in collaborative outreach efforts. This exhibition is free and open to the public.

For more information about [Artspace] at Untitled, visit artspaceatuntitled.org or call 405.815.9995

E L A N A T S U I

through November 7, 2009[A r t space ] a t Un t i t l ed


by Joy Scoggin

Fundraising Through Art For Breast Cancer Support


If you happen to be strolling through Woodland Hills Mall this month, you may notice some eye-catching busts of

various shapes, sizes, and colors. “What’s going on,” you might ask?

In 2007, Judi Grove was facing a lumpec-tomy. Before her body would be changed for the rest of her life, she wanted to capture an image of what her breasts had been. They were important to her; they served an integral part in her life. They helped raise her fam-ily. She says she planned to paint the cast a solid red before an artist friend, Jane Lester, offered to do a little more. When the cast was returned, it had been transformed into a piece of art. Colorful stained glass shards emblazed the bust now with red ribbon trim. It was just the first of many to come. Out of this action, Breast Impressions was born.

Since, Judi has turned this personal expe-rience into a non-profit organization helping women around the world capture an impor-tant piece of their lives before it is forever changed. Since May 2007, she has donated over 190 cast kits to women not only in the U.S. but to Canada, the UK, even as far as Australia. This is a universal sentiment. This effort is a testament to how breast cancer af-fects us and how widely spread this disease is. Whatever the causes, diets, pollutants, or hormones injected into our meats, the num-ber of women with breast cancer under the age of 40 is growing. These women face different emotional challenges than women over 40. Some of these younger women are still dating; some have not yet had children. Judi makes extra effort to reach those young women. She traded in her full-time job as a life insurance agent and now shares Breast Impressions around the U.S., often working with area derby girls raising money and breast cancer awareness. In Akron, she helped raise $4,385 and with 10 derby groups she raised over $20,000. In July 2010, she will be repre-senting Breast Impressions at the roller derby convention RollerCon in Las Vegas. She says if there is one thing that she wishes to accom-plish with Breast Impressions it would be to influence high schools to include breast can-cer awareness programs. She suggests young women check out Young Survival Coalition. (www.youngsurvival.org)

To help raise awareness and charitable

funding, Breast Impressions throws a few events each year in October also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 2009’s Kick Off will start Saturday, October 3rd, running from 10am to 5pm at Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa. Sparkle, the breast cancer survivor boxer will be in her “kissing booth” raising funds at $1 per smooch. On Sunday, October 25th at 3pm, breast cancer survivors rang-ing from 20 to 76 years old will model in the Breast Impressions Fashion Show. 7pm that evening sparks the 3rd Annual Gala where the busts will be auctioned. Proceeds will go to Project Woman, a nonprofit organization helping women locally here in Oklahoma. (www.projectwoman.org)

If you’re interested in participating, you can! Next summer, Breast Impressions will accept new models for casts. Artists can con-tact through the website any time of the year and will be entered into an artist database. When the casts are ready, all artists will be contacted. Artists receive the casts and have about 2 to 3 months to work their magic with their chosen cast. Sometimes models work with the artists and sometimes the models re-main anonymous. Judi is amazed every year how artists capture their model’s spirit—especially the anonymous models. The artist and model may have never met, but some-how these casts carry an unspoken essence. Each of these casts has a story, a history, and a life of its own.

Breast Impressions is very excited about promoting young artists even those with no previous public exhibition experience. This year, Amber McHenry of Tulsa exhibits her first public art piece: an eye-catching bust covered with multiracial women with large eyes. Artists range in experience, age, and mediums. This year, there are 29 artists par-ticipating. A few of them who you may have heard of are Marty Coleman, Christine Sharp Crowe, Sean Griffin, Grace Grothaus, and Lauren Lunsford.

“No two women are alike. No two breasts are alike,” Judy says. When you view these various artworks, before being auctioned at the gala, you’ll also notice no two artists are alike.

For more information or to purchase tickets for one of the events, please visit the Breast Im-pressions website www.breastimpressions.com.



FrankensteinBy Missy Hancock

I heard the most magnificent story of how Mary Shelley came to write Frankenstein, and it challenged me to let the companionship

of fellow artists push me forward. Too often we gather with fellow creatives to watch a movie or "just hang out" but how often do we spark one another on to create new and exciting works of art?

It was a dark and stormy night...(well, it was!) when Mary Godwin was awakened by a dreadful dream. The dream would be the basis for Frankenstein, which would give birth to a genre of horror fiction and also be considered by some to be the first fully realized work of science fiction. This particular dream had roots in the plans and discussions earlier in the evening and of evenings past.

Romantic Poet Percy Shelley, Mary Godwin (who would marry Percy later that year and become Mary Shelley), Lord Byron, Villa Diodati, Claire Clairemont, and John Polidori had been forced inside that summer eve by lightening and dreadful storms. And so the young intellectuals spoke about galvanism and the possibility of restoring a corpse to life, of Luigi Calvani's experiments with electric shocks to make dead frogs muscles twitch, and of the experiments of natural philosopher and poet Erasmus Darwin who was said to have animated dead matter.

The group later entertained themselves by

reading aloud to one another German ghost stories from Fantasmagoria. And so it was then, that their host Lord Byron proposed a contest in which they would all create and present their own devilish tales. The legend goes that Mary Godwin, then eighteen, at first drew a blank, but later that night woke up from a dreadful dream. In Mary's introduction in the 1831 edition of Frankenstein, Mary says:

"I saw [in the dream] the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world."

The next day Mary shared her dream or story with the others and it was so enthusiastically received that with Percy's encouragement, Mary spent the next two years finishing it into a full length novel.

It is also told that John Polidori's, The Vampyre (which is thought by some to be the inspiration behind Brom Stoker's Dracula) was born out of this same contest of comrades. And so I'm left to wonder...what classics will be born out of our friendships with fellow artists? That, I believe, is up to us.

See Frankentstein October 30-November 8thOklahoma Children's Theatre and Theatre OCU presents "Frankenstein" Adapted by Victor Gialanella, form the novel by Mary Shelley. This classic tale of horror and suspense details the ill-fated experiment of young Dr. Frankenstein, who gives life to a creature both hideous and touching. Performances are October 30-November 8, 2009, at the Burg Theatre in the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center on the OCU

campus. For performance times and ticket information call the Box Office at 951-0011.

Directed by Lyn Adams, this play blends moments of brooding terror and sudden shock with questions of morality and the dangers of unrestrained scientific inquiry. With a cast of both local and OCU Theatre

Department performers, this production is recommended for Middle and High School students.



Dear AB,I am a graphic artist for a corporation and work in a high stress, non-creative envi-ronment. Quitting is not an option. How do I keep from going postal? Dear Going Postal,We searched far and wide looking for com-passionate, experienced, graphic designers who could feel your pain and respond in an insightful way. Unfortunately, you elimi-nated our initial response when you said “Quitting is not an option!” as we were ready to encourage you to start up your freelance career! Our first bit of advice comes from Graphic Designer, Lori Tapp, from Edmond, Oklahoma, who has worked in a variety of corporate settings over the past decade or so. There are several remedies for a non-cre-ative work environment in my opinion...1) Surround your space with fun, creative elements. Whether it's a toy on top of your computer screen, graphic design books and magazines, artwork on your desk, fun fabric lining your cubicle or a combination of all of these, it is important to keep your area full of visual stimulus and FUN!

2) Get out of the office at least once a week. Working through lunch, although it may fulfill your need to be productive, can sometimes stifle your creativity. It is im-

Dear portant to get out and smell the fresh air. If you pack a lunch, go to a park or to a book-store, thrift store or cafe to browse through books or junk to get your mind away from the hypnotizing computer screen in front of you!

3) Steer clear from people who drain your creativity. There's no need to be rude, but if there's certain people who suck the life out of you, you can't afford to hang out with them! You need all the energy and life you can scramble up for that next project!

4) Surf the web for new and exciting design ideas, Photoshop tips, brushes, fonts, etc. There is a wealth of information out there just waiting for you to discover it. Although you may take some pride in making every-thing 'from scratch', there are times when you can use elements you find to create an original design without eating up all your time and energy. Our next bit of advice comes from Fort Worth Designer, Jorge L. Arbelaez. Al-though Jorge currently runs his own graph-ic design company, he spent a decade work-ing for a high stress advertising agency. Humm... keeping creative and not going postal in a high-stress environment… (Like I used to have at the Ad agency where I

used to work)… My advice would be to:1) Make your space your own: Fill your cubical/office with art that inspires you... your favorite artists, movie posters, car-toonists, or photography.2) Play great instrumental music: Sound-tracks, classical, mellow, something to soothe the atmosphere a little.3) Go out for lunch... preferably to a park... Nature always rejuvenates me. Clear blue skies, fresh air… a nice walk after you eat… sit under a tree and relax... meditate. Take your sketch pad and doodle… like you did when you were a kid and wanted to be a "Graphic Artist"…get back to the basics. We also want to encourage you to be sure and have another outlet for your art. Don’t think of your graphic art position as your creative outlet. While you certainly use your creative talents in your job, you are not allowed to have any kind of ownership over your art there. Don’t lose sight of your personal pursuit as an artist. If you are otherwise fulfilled creatively, it may take some of the weight off of your job. We hope this helps! If you have an art related question you would like to see covered in the pages of ArtBeat, send them to Dear AB at [email protected]. If we can’t answer them, we will find someone who can!


Mondays: Free Art Exhibitions, Short Films, Drama, Live Music/ 8:30pm/ The Venue/ [email protected] Evenings: Cocktails on the Skyline/ 5-10:30pm/ $5, members FREE/ OKC Museum of ArtFree local vineyard wine tastings/ Strebel Creek Vineyard/ strebelcreek.com or 405-720-1119Free first-Monday-of-the-month: Natural History Museum/ Norman/ all yearFirst Fridays: Paseo Art Walk/ 6-10pm/ Paseo District (OKC)/ FREE/ Continues Sat./ Noon-6pm/ thepaseo.com Second Fridays: “LIVE on the Plaza”/ 7-11pm/ Plaza District (OKC)/ FREE/ plazadistrict.orgSecond Sundays: Featured Poet/ 2pm/ Norman Train Depot (Norman)/ FREEThird Thursdays: Featured Poet/ 7pm/ Benedict Street Market Place (Shawnee)/ FREE Every Sunday: Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREESecond Sunday: Song Circle/ 5-10pm/ IAO Gallery new location (706 W. Sheridan)/ FREELast Sundays: Featured Poet + Open Mic./ 2pm/ Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place (OKC)/ FREEFourth Fridays: Featured Poet + Open Mic. / 7:30pm / IAO Gallery new location (706 W. Sheridan)/ FREESecond Fridays: Circuit of Art/ 6-10pm/ Main Street in Norman/ FREESecond Fridays: Art “à la CART”/ 6-9pm/ Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman/ FREELast Saturdays: Downtown D.I.Y. / 7-10pm/ OKC Coworking Collaborative (723 N. Hudson)/ $3, members FREE OCTOBER 2nd-4th• Trick Con Treat 2009: “Things That Go Bump in the Night”/ Fri. 10am - Sun. 4pm/ Biltmore Hotel (OKC) whole weekend membership: $30/ for more details & early-bird special: trickcontreat.com

OCTOBER 7th-9th• Oklahoma Arts Conference: registration Wed. 11am/ free 3hr pre-conference session 1pm closing remarks Fri. 2:30/ Wes Watkins Conference Center (Stillwater)/$50/ okarts.wordpress.com

OCTOBER 1st, 7th, 13th, & 21st• ART:21-Art in the 21st Century: Film Screening Episode 1: Compassion; Oct. 1/ Episode 2: Fantasy; Oct. 7/ episode 3:Transformation; Oct. 13 Episode 4: Systems; Oct. 21/ begins 12:20 pm/ Fred Jones Art Center (OU Campus), room 205/ FREE

OCTOBER 3rd - 25th• Woodland Hills Mall (Tulsa) and Breast Impressions team up to raise breast cancer awareness. Auction of local artist’s cast decoration/ BreastImpressions.com under the October 2009 Activities Tab Cocktails on the Skyline/ OKC Museum of Art/ 5-10:30pm/ $5, members free/ (405) 236-3100• Oklahomans for Equality feature artist Patty S. Porter/ 6-9pm/ Dennis R. Neill Equality Center (Tulsa)/ FREE Paseo Art Walk/ shops are open late with snacks and wine / 6-10pm /Paseo District (OKC)/ free• Don Emrick art exhibition reception/ 6-9pm/ TAC Gallery (Tulsa)/ FREE/ tacgallery.org• Walk-In Glass Blowing/ Noon-6pm/ Tulsa Glassblowing Studio/ demo: FREE/ glassblowing self-experience: $45• Walk-In Glass Blowing/ 6-9pm/ FREE demo with visiting artist Jeremy Burdge/ Tulsa Glassblowing Studio• Annalisa Campbell/ “Chance Encounters” opening reception/ 6-10pm/ In Your Eye Gallery (Paseo, OKC)/ FREE Paseo Art Walk/ shops open late with snacks and wine/ noon-6pm/ Paseo District (OKC)/ FREE• Rock Island Arts Fest!/ 10am-8pm/ Rock Island Depot (Chickasha)/FREE/ more info: rockislandartsfestival.org• Plaza District Festival!/ 3-11pm/ Plaza District (OKC)/ FREE• Walk-In Glass Blowing/ Noon-6pm/ Tulsa Glassblowing Studio/ demo: FREE/ glassblowing self-experience: $45 Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE/ (405) 329-496 Art Exhibitions Short Films Live Drama & Music/ The Venue/ 8:30pm / FREE/ [email protected] Sam Noble Natural History Museum in Norman/ FREE/ (405)325-4712 • Oklahoma Arts Conference/ 11am registration/ Wes Watkins Conference Center/ Stillwater Cocktails on the Skyline/ 5-10:30pm/ OKC Museum of Art/ $5, members free/ (405) 236-3100• Oklahoma Arts Conference/ 11am registration/ Wes Watkins Conference Center/ Stillwater “LIVE on the Plaza”/ 7-11pm/ shops open late/ Plaza District (OKC)/ FREE/ plazadistrict.org Circuit of Art / 6-10pm/ Main Street in Norman/ FREE Art “à la CART”/ 6-9pm/ Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman/ FREE/ (405) 325-3272/ www.ou.edu• Oklahoma Arts Conference/ 11am registration/ Wes Watkins Conference Center/ Stillwater • Kids afternoon: story time & craft making/1-4pm/ Joe’s Addiction Coffee Shop/ FREE/ joesaddiction.com Featured Poet/ 2pm/ Norman Train Depot (Norman)/ FREE Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE/ (405) 329-4968 Song Circle/ 5-10pm/ IAO Gallery new location (706 W. Sheridan)/ FREE/ 405-232-6060/ www.iaogallery.org• Dr.Sketchy’s Anti Art School/ 6pm/ AKA Gallery (Paseo District, OKC)/ $10/ bring your sketchbook!• Jia Zhang Ke: “Still Life” film/ 2pm/ OCU’s Kerr McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business/ FREE Art Exhibitions Short Films Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm / FREE/ The Venue/ [email protected]

• Josephine W. Johnson’s “Now in November” book discussion/ 7pm/ OCU’s Walker Center, room 151/ FREE Cocktails on the Skyline/ 5-10:30pm/ OKC Museum of Art/ $5, members free/ (405) 236-3100 Featured Poet/ 7pm/ Benedict Street Market Place (Shawnee)/ FREE• “Paint Portraits Like a Master”/ 10am-4pm/ National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum/ $275• Mad Hatter’s Ball/ 8pm/ UCO Jazz Lab/ $5 students, $10 gen admission/ DRESS UP!!! • “Paint Portraits Like a Master”/ 10am-4pm/ National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum/ $275• The OK Art Guild’s 54th Fall Show opening reception/ 6-8pm/ 50 Penn Place - 2nd floor (OKC)/ thru Oct. 30th • Kids afternoon: story time & craft making/1-4pm/ Joe’s Addiction Coffee Shop/ FREE/ joesaddiction.com Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE/ (405) 329-4968 Art Exhibitions Short Films Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm/FREE/ The Venue/ [email protected] Cocktails on the Skyline/ 5-10:30pm/ OKC Museum of Art/ $5, members free/ (405) 236-3100 Featured Poet + Open Mic./ 7:30pm/ IAO Gallery new location (706 W. Sheridan)/ FREE/ iaogallery.org• “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”- Musical/ 8pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students • Kids afternoon: story time & craft making/1-4pm/ Joe’s Addiction Coffee Shop/ FREE/ joesaddiction.com• “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”- Musical/ 8pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight / Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE/ (405) 329-4968 Featured Poet + Open Mic. / 2pm / Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place (OKC) // fullcirclebooks.com• Maria Novaro: “Danzon” film/ 2pm/ OCU’s Kerr McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business/ FREE• “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”/ 3pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students Art Exhibitions Short Films Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm / FREE/ The Venue/ [email protected]• Edmond Art Association Monthly Member’s Meeting/ 7pm/ Fine Arts Institute/ Guest Artist: Bob Willis (sculpture demo)/ $2, members free/ edmondart.org • Sanora Babb’s “Whose Names are Unknown”/ 7pm/ OCU’s Walker Center, room 151/ FREE Cocktails on the Skyline/ 5-10:30pm/ OKC Museum of Art/ members free, $5 gen/ (405) 236-3100• “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”- Musical/ 8pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students • “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”- Musical/ 8pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students Downtown D.I.Y. / 7-10pm / OKC Co working Collaborative (723 N. Hudson) / $3, free for members• 43rd annual Woodcarvers Exhibition, Demo & Sale/ 9am-5pm/ Fairgrounds Centennial Building/ $4 at the door• Deadline for entries into the Edmond Art Association Outdoor Fall Show & Sale/ edmondart.org• “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”- Musical/ 8pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students

Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke / 8pm-midnight / Pita Pit (Norman) / free// (405) 329-4968• 43rd Woodcarvers Exhibition, Demo & Sale/ 11am-4pm/ Fairgrounds Centennial Building/ $4 at the door• “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”- Musical/ 3pm/ Rupel Jones Theatre (OU)/ $25, $15 students Art Exhibitions Short Films &/or Live Drama&Music/ 8:30pm / FREE/ The Venue// [email protected] • Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma: “Poetry & Passion”/ 7:30pm/ Saint Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral (OKC)/ FREE Cocktails on the Skyline/ 5-10:30pm/ OKC Museum of Art/ $5, members free/ (405) 236-3100 • Michael Combs/ “Primitive Seasons” reception/ 6-9pm/ Tulsa Artist’s Coalition Gallery/ FREE/ tacgallery.com • The Edmond Art Association Outdoor Fall Show & Sale/ 9am-5pm/ Spring Creek Plaza/ FREE/ edmondart.org

• Oklahoma City Indian Clinic fund raiser, the Red Feather Gala/ National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on Nov 14, 2009. Call for American Indian Artists to donate a 10x10 canvas. We will supply the canvas. www.okcic.com. • Tulsa Artists’ Coalition call for entries; Frost On Winter: A Juried Exhibition: Dec, 2009Three poems by Robert Frost, have been selected. Pick Up a Copy of these Poems and an Entry Form at the T.A.C. Gallery. OPEN TO ALL MEDIA! OPEN TO ALL ARTISTS! Submission deadline: Nov 30. Exhibition runs from Dec 4 - Jan 2. Contact: Janice McCormick at 592-0041 or 366-3394 for more information.

OCTOBEREvents to look forward to every month

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ArtBeat October 2009