Entertainment: A Big Hit!

Despite Pandemic, Organizers Pleased with 2020 OKM

Normally held in June each year, OKM postponed and reformatted its 36th annual festival due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although the festival was reformatted down to two virtual concerts online and a socially distanced in-person concert, OKM’s festival leaders are exchanging air high fives after pushing forward through a challenging year.

“It has been a difficult year for the arts everywhere, but the staff and board of OKM persisted to bring music to our community, even if it was online through social media”, said Ryan Martin, OKM’s marketing director.

The festival saw huge numbers on Tina Guo’s, Dallas String Quartet’s, and OKM’s social platforms during its 36th season.

“During Tina Guo’s livestream performance, we had well over 25,000 views between OKM’s and Guo’s Facebook and YouTube platforms. It was very exciting to virtually connect with her fans all over the world during the concert,” said Martin.

OKM Music took place September 5, 6, and 10, 2020 with Tina Guo and Dallas String Quartet performing virtual online performances and the Clark Gibson Quintet and Balsam Range performing a socially distanced concert. Originally scheduled for the new Tower Center at Unity square, the September 10 performance was moved indoors to the Bartlesville Community Center due to weather.

To ensure everyone’s safety at the Bartlesville Community Center, OKM followed the CDC, federal, state, and local health guidelines by encouraging facial coverings, checking temperatures, handing out personal hand sanitizers, having ample hand sanitizing stations available, as well as spreading guests out in the BCC auditorium. For guests that weren’t comfortable attending in-person, OKM partnered with the Bartlesville Monthly Magazine by offering a Facebook livestream online of the September 10 performance.

“We had hundreds, if not thousands, of out-of-town guests attend our performances online. We had viewers from different areas of the country, such as Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, and California, to name a few. Globally, we had guests join OKM from Germany, the U.K., and even Sweden. OKM truly is an international festival, and we are proud to continue this tradition each year,” said Mary Lynn Mihm, OKM’s chairman of the board.

OKM leaders are now busy planning year-round events, such as a virtual Oktoberfest, virtual Christkindl Market, and of course the big summer festival in 2021.

“OKM certainly hopes for another 36 years of music festivals. However, this can only be possible with the support of the city, the chamber of commerce, the art community, tourism, schools, local businesses, and most importantly — the citizens of Bartlesville. We hope that support continues and grows going forward. The arts are important to a community. They provide a quality of life that has a ripple effect on economics, community pride, education, and uniting citizens,” said Mihm.