ionOklahoma Magazine February/March 2018

ionOK.com

Bennie Owen 1905-1926 122 WINS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Bud Wilkinson 1947-1963 145 WINS

Barry Switzer 1973-1988 157 WINS

Celebrating Bob Stoops, the winningest head football coach at OU 1999-2016 190 Wins 2018 Symphony Showhouse — a Jewel of European Charm Flying High in Ada Public Schools Citizen Potawatomi Cultural Center Grand Opening City Rep Brings Judy Collins Concert to OCCC

OU is the only major college football program with four 100 win Head Coaches

Lifestyle … Culture … Entertainment

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publisher : Don Swift assistant : Joni Yeager editor : Tim Farley editiorial assistant : Darian Woolbright videographer : Jeremy Gossett director of photography : Michael Downes web site developer : Patrick Moore with Set Sail Media web site developer : Nina Jones, Data Design Inc. illustration : Rosemary Burke graphic design : Wendy Mills Advertising Sales Tina Layman Photographers Jeremy Gossett Hugh Scott, Jr. Tracy Reece Jerry Hymer

Advertising Consultants Peter Preksto Contributors fashion : Linda Miller art : Joy Reed Belt people : Peggy Gandy social issues : Robbie Robertson community : Lauren Wright contributing writer : Sandi Davis contributing writer : Greg Horton contributing writer : M.A. Smith contributing writer : M. J. Van Deventer contributing writer : Julie York

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12

Contents COVER STORY

12

Bob Stoops: Celebrating the winningest head football coach at OU

by Tim Farley

CULTURE

18

After the Flood — Cultural Heritage Center Re-opens Better than Ever

by Jane Goodspeed

LEADERSHIP

33

Magic at the Corner of Detroit and Archer

by Garland McWatters

SPORTS

33 38 44 44 68

OKC Thunder 2018 Schedule OKC Dodgers 2018 Schedule OKC Energy 2018 Schedule Commentary: Inconsistency May Just Be Oklahoma City’s Identity This Year

by Addam Francisco

TRAVEL

48

Moody Mansion’s Lasting Impression

by Linda Miller

FASHION

42

Bitter Winter makes Spring Fashion More Inviting, Welcome

by Linda Miller

8 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

63

REVIEW

26

Greens demonstrate how Bible impacted their lives, decisions

by Linda Miller

EDUCATION

63 ART

Ada Schools Get ‘High’ Marks with Aviation Program

by Linda Miller

28 40

Native American Artists’ Work Showcased Jim Keffer — Painting the Prairie Landscape

76

by M. J. Van Deventer

56

A Night to Remember: Many Awarded at the Fourth Annual TAF Awards Banquet

SCIENCE

Allied Arts 2018 Fundraiser Kick Off

64

OU Researcher Takes Lead in New Era of Space Research

by Chip Minty

70

MUSIC

70

Jimmy Webb: A Living Legend Songwriter…

by Don Swift

SYMPHONY

72

The 2018 Symphony Show House: “A Jewel of European Charm”

by Don Swift

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 9

Publisher’s Note Welcome to the world of ion Oklahoma Online Magazine. We are all about the Oklahoma

“Like” us on facebook facebook.com/pages/ IonOklahoma-Online

follow us on twitter @IonOklahoma

Lifestyle, people, places, events and travel.

2018 will be an election year and for many Oklahomans living in our cities and towns across the state they will need to become more knowledgeable about the critical issues and how they are negatively affecting our lives.

As we all know Oklahoma has struggled in 2017 with the budget shortfall and have yet to find a way to balance the state budget. Oklahoma lawmakers need to hear that we expect them to come together in a bipartisan way and pass the educational reform our state desperately needs and balance the budget.

Many other states have been confronted with these same type budget problems and with strong leadership in their state governments found successful solutions. Oklahoma legislators need to step up and find those budget solutions for Oklahoma early in 2018.

Oklahoma is a state that offers an affordable, quality lifestyle and many opportunities for entrepreneurial young people. Adequately funding education in Oklahoma must be a priority in 2018. Oklahoma’s economy needs to become more diversified by attracting other industries. I would like to congratulate Oklahoma City and Tulsa for being recognized nationally again in 2017 among two of the top cities in the nation for small business startups.

Are you one of those who get much of their daily information over the internet and on your computer or Smart phone? Ion Oklahoma Online www.ionok.com can be easily saved as one of your favorite news-entertainment websites.

If you enjoy reading about many of Oklahoma’s success stories involving the progress Oklahoma and its people are making then you will want to bookmark ion Oklahoma. So many great things happening in Oklahoma don’t get much media coverage because of all the negative news being reported every day.

Let us hear from you regarding any feature stories about Oklahoma that you would like for our editors to review since we are always looking for those special stories to share with our ion subscribers.

Sincerely, Don Swift Publisher, ion Oklahoma Magazine www.ionok.com

10 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

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Make your event

THE ONE people will talk about

Celebrating the Winningest

After Bob’s final OU-Texas game in 2016. (Ty Russell/OU Athletics)

Head Football Coach at OU

BY TIM FARLEY

B

ob Stoops didn’t come to the University of Oklahoma to develop a personal legacy that would leave him as the winningest head coach in school history. He wasn’t thinking about statues or busts that would eventually be constructed in his honor.

COVER STORY

Rather, this 38-year-old with no head coaching experience came to the OU campus in 1999 with the idea that he, his coaching staff and players would “just work and try to succeed.” After OU suffered through three straight losing seasons, there were no grand illusions of a national championship or winning the Big 12 title when Stoops walked on campus 18 years ago. Yet, as everyone in Sooner Nation knows success was almost immediate for this coaching legend and his teams.

The ’99 squad finished 7-5 after losing to Ole Miss in the Independence Bowl. Then came the 2000 season and an eventual national title.

“When I came here, I told a lot of people, ‘let’s go back and watch those ’74 and ’75 national championship teams. Let’s watch those guys because this is what we want to be. This is how we’re supposed to play.’ It gave us an image to live up to,” Stoops said.

Stoops’ image will be forever displayed on the University of Oklahoma college campus after his statue is unveiled in April. Details about the unveiling will be

DECEMBER 2017/ JANUARY 2018 ionOklahoma 13

Stoops’ 1998 Introduction Press Conference. (OU Athletics)

published later.

“I’m incredibly appreciative,” Stoops said of the statue. “I’ve always felt so grateful to be here. It’s a very humbling experience.”

As far as Stoops is concerned, OU’s powerhouse football image was reinvented during the middle of the 1999 season as the Sooners whipped No. 13 Texas A&M, 51-6, in front of a sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium in Norman. OU had been drubbed the previous two seasons by the Aggies, 29-0 and 51-7, respectively.

“A&M had been wearing us out and I wasn’t even there yet,” Stoops recalled. “I remember pointing to that game and thinking A&M should not be wearing us out like that. I wasn’t here and it made me mad. Players from the ’99 team don’t get talked about enough, but it 14 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

was that game that turned things around for us. We whipped them (Texas A&M) instead of them whipping us. People forget about that game, but I don’t. That game made other people start thinking about us again.”

The win over A&M in ’99 didn’t establish Stoops as the greatest OU coach of all time, but it was a start.

During the 2000 national championship season, the No. 3 Sooners overcame a 14-0 first quarter deficit to defeat No. 1 Nebraska the seventh week of the season.

The following week, OU was ranked No. 1, a position it would maintain the rest of the season. Heading into the Nebraska game, the Sooners had defeated No. 11 Texas and No. 2 Kansas State.

Eventually, OU defeated Florida State 13-2 in the national title game as Stoops and OU were back on top as a college football powerhouse.

Eighteen years later, Stoops is considered an OU

(OU Athletics)

coaching legend with the likes of Barry Switzer, Bud Wilkinson and Bennie Owen.

“I never dreamed of it being an 18-year journey,” Stoops said. “I never thought I’d be spoken of in the same sentence with those greats. You get here and you read all about them but for people to talk about you and them in the same conversation is an honor.”

Stoops finished his career with 190 wins, surpassing Switzer’s 157-win total in 2013. OU also laid claim to 10 Big 12 titles during Stoops’ career. On a national level, Stoops was the only coach to win a national championship and every BCS bowl game (Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta) during the BCS era. Stoops-led teams also played for the national title during the 2003, 2004 and 2008 seasons, but came up short to LSU 2114, USC 55-19 and 24-14 to Florida, respectively.

After arriving at OU, Stoops attended the dedication of the Barry Switzer Center, which drew football greats such as the Selmon brothers, who were the lynchpins to a dominating OU defense in the mid-1970s.

“When you see them there, you realize the scope of

what they all did back then,” Stoops said. “You realize what a legacy they left. It could be intimidating, but that’s not my way. I embraced being around Coach Switzer and the players.”

(OU Athletics)

Looking back Winning a national title wasn’t on Stoops’ mind when he started his 18-year coaching career at OU. “It was more about following the processes,” he said.

“Spring drills, summer workouts, hitting the gym. Heck no, you don’t think about that (national championship).

But we were doing everything we could to give us a chance. You don’t think about it because you’re so consumed working week to week.”

As most Sooner faithful will know, Stoops was never about statistics and number of games won. Instead, he focused on relationships with his assistant coaches, players and administrators.

“I think I’m most proud of the incredible consistency we had,” he said. “We had more 11-win seasons than FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 15

we did seven-win seasons. We had consistent, strong success and that’s hard to find. This wasn’t just me, but everybody. I will look back at it very fondly.”

So will Sooner football fans.

Stoops’ teams won 11 or more games 12 times, including the perfect 13-0 team in 2000.

With plenty of good years ahead of him, Stoops isn’t saying where life will take him next. Yet, he is grateful to the university, OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione, university President David Boren, his coaches, players and the fans.

“The time here was great for me and my family,” Stoops said. “I’m not afraid to turn the page and see what’s next. It’s still too soon to tell. I’m figuring out what path I want to take. I’m still too close to the team and attached to the players not to pay attention to what they’re doing. As time goes on, I’ll drift away from that.”

Some of the most treasured experiences were never made public and that’s fine with Stoops.

“It’s the locker room, the team meetings, chapel.

That’s what you miss the most,” he said. “There’s so much to these young men beyond playing football.

There are so many players over the years who have done great things off the field. They impress you with their funny, neat personalities and their faith. I appreciate their heart and the teammates they were to each other.”

16 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

(OU Athletics)

Stadium photo: Ashton Edwards

Stoops doesn’t express any regret about retiring from OU. “I’ve lived an incredible life,” he said. “I’ve played and coached the sport I love, and I’ve been around some incredible young men. I’ve been able to embrace all the highs and lows that come with a job like this. If you’ve been able to support your family and had fun, you’ve been blessed.”

“Big Game Bob,” as Stoops was dubbed early in his career by OU beat writers, provided fans with some tremendous highs such as fake field goals, fake punts and courageous fourth-down calls that led to first downs or touchdowns. Of course, there were the big wins over rivals Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Winning those games were huge for fans, but for Stoops it was another week of preparation for another game on the schedule.

Winning the Sugar Bowl to end the 2016 season, Bob’s last game. (Ty Russell/OU Athletics)

“I never believed in getting up more for a rivalry game than other games. You’re all in for every game you play. You can’t care more about one game than another.

I understand all the hoopla when we played ranked teams and all the outside factors, but if we beat Texas and lose six or seven other games, you haven’t done much.”

With his OU coaching career over, Stoops is quick to credit first-year OU head coach Lincoln Riley for all the success the Sooners enjoyed in 2017.

“Lincoln Riley is credited with building it this year and came within one overtime play of playing for the national title. It (football program) has been left in good hands. I’m on board to help whenever he wants, but they’re in great shape to chase championships,” Stoops said.

I never believed in getting up more for a rivalry game than other games.

You’re all in for every game you play.

You can’t care more about one game than another.”

Stoops – a Youngstown, Ohio, native who was raised in a football family – may not have come to OU to become a coaching legend, but that’s how he ended a distinguished career – as one of the best ever. n

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 17

CULTURE

Cultural Heritage Center Re-Opens Better than Ever

BY JANE GOODSPEED

T

he Cultural Heritage Center of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation opened in January 2006, but this January was the first time the center was open to the public since flooding damage forced its closure in early spring of 2014.

Nearly four years ago a disused—and uncapped—City of 18 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Shawnee water main located under the Cultural Heritage Center was accidentally turned on.

“The result was thousands of gallons of water flooding the building, causing structural damage to the building as well as irreparable damage to cultural artifacts that were invaluable to the Potawatomi people,” spokesperson Kelly Hughes said. >>

Above: Following reconstruction of the flooded museum, there are many new displays of cultural artifacts and tribal history.

Left: Hon. John “Rocky” Barrett, an energy company executive who since 1985 has served as the highly effective Tribal Chairman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

<<

Forty percent of the 46,000-square-foot museum was damaged, forcing the museum’s closing and worsening the traditionally poor relations between Shawnee and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

Renovations and remediation began in 2016, funded by insurance and grants. The 46,000 square-foot museum is located at 1899 S. Gordon Cooper Dr. in Shawnee, near the Fire Lake Casino.

Kelli Mosteller, executive director of the Cultural Heritage Center, said the Citizen Potawatomi Nation has reopened the museum for the heritage of its people. >> 20 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 21

Above: Original and replica historical documents chart the betrayals and triumphs of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Right: The Cultural Heritage Center includes a collection of ceremonial garments, called regalia, historical and modern.

<< “Renovations and upgrades will allow us to continue to educate our community about the Potawatomi Nation’s culture, heritage, and history,” she said. “It will be the start of a new era for the center and our people.”

Digital displays and interactive exhibits throughout the museum include an astrology exhibit, a life-size replica of a handmade Potawatomi canoe, and a traditional Potawatomi-style home.

Additional exhibits and displays include both exact replicas and original documents of treaties and legal papers, a traditional Potawatomi wedding dress, and many other artifacts.

One of the center’s key exhibits is the wall of moccasins, which features 86 pairs of moccasins that were handmade

by tribal members. Each pair of moccasins represents ten of the 859 Potawatomi who were forced out of their home in the Great Lakes to walk the Trail of Death.

“These exhibits tell more of a complete story,” Mosteller said. “We began with some of our oral traditions, continued through early ways of life, discussed some conflict and the forced removals before we arrived at recent history.”

A tour through the center takes visitors on a journey through Native American, Oklahoma, and U.S. history, beginning with pre-European contact all the way through present date.

The Cultural Heritage Center incorporates into each exhibit the Potawatomi tradition of pitching in. No

22 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

exhibit on the museum floor is the product of one person’s work. Rather, it is a collaborative effort among the curator, collections manager, auxiliary staff and the community. Where possible, the staff incorporates the artwork and talents of tribal members.

Items used in the exhibits are largely crafted by tribal members, found on tribal property or brought in from the Nation’s ancestral home in the Great Lakes Region.

Mosteller said, “I think an important thing to remember is that this is a cultural center and not just a museum.

This space needs to reflect on the past and be a changing, dynamic, and living thing as well. We’re a strong and thriving tribe and that should be reflected in this cultural center.” n

Oklahoma City Community College 2017-2018 Performing Arts Series Presents

The Concert

(with special guest Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary)

Experience the enduring power and popularity of American folk music, celebrating the music of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel and more!

Thursday, March 29, 7:30 PM Tickets: $49 tickets.occc.edu • Box Office 877-288-5996 • www.occc.edu/pas Download the New VPAC at OCCC Mobile App Now!

Presenting sponsor:

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REVIEW Greens demonstrate how Bible impacted their lives, decisions

BY LINDA MILLER

I

n 2009, Steve and Jackie Green bought a biblical manuscript.

That was the start of an adventure that would culminate with the opening of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. That one purchase was a turning point in their lives. They share their journey and story in “This Dangerous Book.”

Their hope is that the book gives readers a peek into their lives as they seek to follow the principles of the Bible and relate some of what they’ve learned along the way.

Steve is president of Hobby Lobby. He and Jackie are the founders and primary curators of the museum which opened in November.

The Greens always have turned to the Bible in times of joy, hardship and worship. They reach for the Bible for strength, guidance and support.

Though a Bible museum occasionally had been mentioned by a family member, it wasn’t Steve and Jackie’s dream. Not initially. But acquiring artifacts fueled them with more purpose and anticipation. Discovery invigorated them. As the collection grew they felt responsible for keeping it safe. They wanted others to learn the stories and see the artifacts up close.

Exhibits were held in five cities with the first in

26 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Oklahoma City in 2011.

They quickly realized how important and monumental the manuscripts and artifacts are and how impactful and personal it is to see them on display. The Greens now possess one of the largest biblical artifact collections in the world.

As they touch on stories in the Bible and the Bible’s story, the Greens also share their own. Early in their marriage they had financial problems. At 29, Jackie was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Then came a tough decision to live debt-free when many young people were living beyond their means.

Much later as busy parents with five children, they followed God’s calling and adopted a baby girl from China.

They also relate one wellpublicized business decision that stemmed from the Affordable Care Act mandate that would force Hobby Lobby, the family business, to provide and pay for four potentially life-terminating drugs and devices.

The mandate went against their beliefs and after a two-year court battle, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in their favor.

The book recounts how the Bible shaped our nation’s founding, how throughout history it has been a source of devotion and hatred. But they also remind that the Bible’s vast reach is undeniable. Not only is it the best-selling book every year, the Bible has been translated into 650 languages.

Throughout the book the Greens reference how the Bible shaped or influenced events in the world. At the museum, an entire floor is devoted to the impact of the Bible on the world.

And, of course, there’s the story of

how the Museum of the Bible came to be, why Washington, D.C. was chosen and the decision to look at the Bible in three different ways – its history, its narrative, its impact.

The Greens say beyond Bibles, the greatest discovery on their biblical artifact adventure was the sheer number and diversity of artifacts related to the Bible, including Torah scrolls, letters, prayer and hymn books, crosses and homilies.

As their story and journey continues, the Greens reiterate that the star of this book is the Bible.

But they write in such a way as “to enlighten people of faith and inform the curious,” said U.S. Sen. James Lankford in his praise for the book.

“The story of the Bible is a big story, an enduring one, and one that transcends time and any one person or nation,” the authors write. “We simply invite you to examine its narrative, its history, and its impact.

“That’s our invitation.” n

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 27

ART NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS’ WORK SHOWCASED

S

ix American Indian artists will have their artwork exhibited March 1 through June 30 at four separate locations in Oklahoma.

Works by Billy Hensley, Paula Loftin and Daniel Worchester will be showcased in Chickasaw Country locations in south-central Oklahoma.

Visitors can view Hensley’s paintings at the Chickasaw Nation Welcome Center in Davis, Loftin’s photography at the Chickasaw Visitor Center in Sulphur and Worcester’s photography at the Chickasaw Nation Information Center in Tishomingo.

Exhibit C in Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City will feature the awardwinning art of Yatika Starr Fields, Hoka Skenadore and Josh Johnico in a show titled “Transitions.”

“Ego Trippin” by Hoka Skenadore

28 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Billy Hensley, Chickasaw Nation Welcome Center, Davis.

Hensley brings modern Chickasaw culture to the mainstream art scene by creating paintings that incorporate native Chickasaw culture with special techniques.

“Cheef” by Josh Johnico

“I strive to focus on what it meant to be Chickasaw long ago, and what it means to be Chickasaw in today’s world,” Hensley said. “I find inspiration for my work in everyday life and through the nostalgia that being Chickasaw brings.”

Throughout his adult life Billy has practiced and studied art, but he remains a mostly self-taught artist. With the desire to help bring Chickasaw artists into the global art community, Hensley said he continuously works toward developing new skills and improving current techniques.

“I feel the viewer interprets the work through their own life lenses, and that is where the meaning truly lies,” Hensley said.

An artist reception will be held for Hensley from noon to 2 p.m. March 3 at the Chickasaw Nation Welcome Center.

Paula Loftin, Chickasaw Visitor Center, Sulphur.

Loftin, a Choctaw citizen and Oklahoma native, carries a lifelong love of photography, horses, cowboys and the Western lifestyle. She combines those interests with an artistic talent that captures the heart of western life.

Whether it’s cowboys, ranch life, mustangs in the wild or beautiful landscapes and nature, Loftin captures the essence of today’s West and brings it alive. Her sharp photography provides a peek into modern Western culture.

An artist reception for Lotfin will be from 3 to 5 p.m. March 3 at the Chickasaw Visitor Center.

Daniel Worcester, Chickasaw Nation Information Center, Tishomingo.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 29

“Tent Metaphor” by Yatika Starr Fields

Worcester is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and has been capturing works of art through a lens since receiving his first camera as a gift in 1966. Worcester then borrowed a Cannon 35mm from a friend, and his love for photography quickly grew. Black and white photography became the mainstay of capturing his subjects on film.

Worcester transitioned to digital photography in 2007 when he began producing his own commercial images. His current compositions include “Native Americans in Pop Culture and Advertising” and images capturing natural Chickasaw surroundings throughout Oklahoma.

Inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 2009, Worcester was also named Honored One at the 2013 Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City and given the 2017 Silver Feather 30 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Award by the Chickasaw Nation. He has received many prestigious awards for his continuing work in the art of bladesmithing as well as writing three books of poetry.

An artist reception will be from 1 to 3 p.m. March 10 at the Chickasaw Nation Information Center.

For more information on the artists’ receptions, visit www.chickasawcountry.com.

Yatika Starr Fields, Hoka Skenadore and Josh Johnico, Exhibit C, downtown Oklahoma City.

Fields, Skenadore, and Johnico each have a background in graffiti and street art and have recently transitioned their careers to focus on fine art. Through their creations, they celebrate Native American culture and test the boundaries of

“Longhorn Baby” by Paula Loftin

traditional art to make it their own.

Fields, recently named a Tulsa Art Fellow, paints murals across the world. While attending the Art Institute of Boston, he became interested in graffiti aesthetic and landscape painting, which inspires his current works. The swirling patterns of his canvasses and murals are filled with movement and vibrant colors. Fields said his work is meant to “influence viewers to rethink and reshape their relationships to the world around them.”

For the last decade, Fields lived on the East coast, as well as in Seattle, where the energy of urban life inspired and fed the creative force behind his artwork. Now, Fields lives and works in Tulsa in conjunction with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.

Skenadore said he grew up in a home where he learned to appreciate traditional Native American art alongside fine art.

On his own, he embraced the D.I.Y. ethos of punk rock and hip-hop culture and painted graffiti art. Skenadore lives in Norman and is building off his bachelor of fine arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., to pursue a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.

With a background in graffiti, murals, painting and printmaking, Skenadore said his work is a vehicle for creating a less rigid definition of native art and its potentialities.

Through his art, Skenadore said his aim is to “bridge the gaps between the gallery, the gutter and everything in between.”

Johnico brings a unique take on contemporary art, painting mostly on canvas. Although Johnico has been creative for as long as he can remember, he said taking art classes at a community college restarted his passion for painting and native art.

Through his paintings, Johnico said he works to give concepts new life, sometimes painting his own version of old black and white photos.

“I look at native art as a way to keep Native American history alive, while presenting the culture in a new way,” Johnico said.

The public is invited to an artists reception from 2 to 5 p.m.

March 24 at Exhibit C. For more information about the artists or other art at Exhibit C, visit exhibitcgallery.com. n

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 31

LEADERSHIP Magic at the corner of Detroit and Archer

BY GARLAND MCWATTERS

Y

ou can see it as you top the Detroit Avenue bridge that spans the railroad tracks, traveling north into Tulsa’s arts district. There, on the northwest corner of Detroit and Archer, is Magic City Books, the product of Jeff Martin’s and Cindy Hulsey’s passion for literature.

Hulsey, who describes herself as, “not a risk taker,” says she vividly remembers the day in February 2015 when Martin approached her about opening an independent bookstore.

They were at an author event sponsored by BookSmart Tulsa, founded by Martin. “I said, ‘let’s do it.’”

That was about the same time the George Kaiser Family Foundation announced they would renovate the deteriorating Archer warehouse erected in 1926. Martin and Hulsey formed the Tulsa Literary Coalition foundation and latched onto the corner space as the future home for Magic City Books. It opened for business on November 20, 2017.

Like minds find each other Their collaboration began incidentally when Martin was employed by a chain book retailer, planning author events as part of his community relations duties. Hulsey said that she and her husband would go into the bookstore and Jeff would engage them with suggestions for book purchases.

Above: Co-founders, Cindy Hulsey and Jeff Martin Right: Cindy prepares for opening day (photo/Mike Simons) Below: The Appoloosa reading room

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ion Oklahoma 33

Above: Jeff speaks to opening day crowd Below: Cindy helps Mayor G.T. Bynum cut ceremonial ribbon held

by Jim Morgan and Lorri Sizemore of the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce.

34 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

The opening day crowd gathers early

Martin explained, “I got a notice one day, on a cold snowy day, that the job I was doing was being gotten rid of. . . . I thought, why can’t I start my own thing?”

His original idea for BookSmart Tulsa was to have a citywide book club where people would get together in bars and talk about books they were reading. He learned early on that his idea did not appeal to a broad audience. He quickly changed to a visiting author program where he would bring in one author a month and vary the topics to attract different audiences. What began in 2009 as a goal to have one event per month quickly grew to 50 or more events a year.

“We did it with no money. We did it through asking and being willing to hear the word, ‘No.’” Martin said they would ask local businesses to donate services to the visiting authors, such as meals, hotel rooms, and tickets for flights.

“I kind of just dove in and said, let’s figure it out. . . . I had no track record. We had to prove we could bring in audiences. I had to prove we could get media coverage. It took some time to build up.”

When the timing is right Martin said that he and Hulsey began talking speculatively about the bookstore in late 2014. The timing was right for Hulsey.

“I was at a point in my life when I was ready to make a change,” she said.

After seventeen years with the Tulsa library system, Hulsey could take early retirement.

“It was like the culmination of a life’s dream, but we wanted more than to have just a bookstore. We wanted to have a nonprofit organization that would offer literary programs in

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 35

Above: The first customers enter Magic City Books.

Right: Cindy (r) interviews author and sociologist, Michelle Janning

addition to the author events and that could really have an impact.”

Hulsey said she had no idea how to start a non-profit, but she knew how to do research. She rolled up her sleeves and, with the help of good legal advice, co-founded the non-profit Tulsa Literary Coalition. They got a board of trustees together and partnered with the Tulsa Community Foundation until the IRS approved their 501c(3) status.

“I think because we had a clear vision of what we wanted the end product to look like we just kept taking baby steps in that direction. There were many days when I felt like I have no clue about what I’m doing, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other, and before you knew it, we had a bookstore.”

Martin said they decided on the name Magic City Books, because Tulsa had been known as the Magic City back in the early 20th century. Tulsa was a place one could come and build a fortune, mostly because of the opportunities of the oil business. The store is one block off the historic Greenwood district, and at the gateway into Tulsa’s burgeoning arts district.

36 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

The vision grows Martin says he has dreams of Tulsa offering a literary festival in the next few years that brings in renowned authors and also features local authors. He and Hulsey believe the Tulsa Literary Coalition is filling the literary niche in an otherwise booming revitalization of the arts in Tulsa.

Martin says when they opened the doors in November, they already had a built in support base from the years of BookSmart events. The evidence was a crowd of hundreds waiting to go inside after the ribbon cutting.

“People have something inside them that was touched by the opening of this place and the idea of this place, and the place they want to live.”

Martin proudly says that Tulsa represents the best idea of

what Oklahoma can be, and, “any city worth a damn needs at least one good independent bookstore, and that’s kind of what we’re doing here.”

Listen to Miller and Hulsey describe their experience of

founding the Tulsa Literary Coalition and opening Magic City Books on The Spirit of Leading Podcast at http://www.inpoweredtolead.com/044-jeff-martin-and-cindyhulsey-open-magic-city-books-podcast/ n

Below: Jeff hosts BookSmart Tulsa event

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 37

Home Games in boldface

2018 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BASKETBALL SEASON Fri March 2

8:00pm

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Phoenix

Sat March 3

9:00pm

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland

Tue March 6

7:00pm

Houston Rockets

Oklahoma City

Thu March 8

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Oklahoma City

Sat March 10

7:30pm

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Mon March 12

7:00pm

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Oklahoma City

Tue March 13

6:30pm

Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta

Fri March 16

7:00pm

LA Clippers

Oklahoma City

Sun March 18

12:00pm

Toronto Raptors

Toronto

Tue March 20

7:00pm

Boston Celtics

Boston

Fri March 23

7:00pm

Miami Heat

Oklahoma City

Sun March 25

6:00pm

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City

Thu March 29

7:00pm

San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio

Fri March 30

7:00pm

Denver Nugget

Oklahoma City

Sun April 1

5:00pm

New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans

Tue April 3

7:00pm

Golden State Warriors

Oklahoma City

Watch the game on TNT

Sat April 7

7:30pm

Houston Rockets

Houston

Watch the game on ABC

Mon April 9

6:30pm

Miami Heat

Miami

Wed April 11

7:00pm

Memphis Grizzlies

Oklahoma City

Watch the game on TNT

Watch the game on ABC

Watch the game on NBATV

Watch the game on TNT

Watch the game on TNT

JIM KEFFER â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Taos Gorge by Jim Keffer.

40 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

ART

Painting the Prairie Landscape

BY M. J. VAN DEVENTER Art courtesy of JRB Art at the Elms Gallery

I

magine my surprise to walk into La Mesa, one of Santa Fe’s trendy art galleries on Canyon Road, and see I’m surrounded by the colorful, compelling art of Oklahoma City artist Jim Keffer.

The gallery owner, Mary Larsen, noticed my interest and explained the art was by a prominent Oklahoma City artist. I said, “I know.”

Ms. Larsen excused herself for a moment and returned with Jim, who was on one of his regular art forays in Santa Fe. It only took a moment to renew our acquaintance that stemmed from a show of his work at the JRB Art at the Elms Gallery in Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District. It’s always fun when the phrase “It’s a small world” becomes reality.

In Jim Keffer’s acrylic paintings, his southwestern skies are a brilliant turquoise or other compelling shades of blue. Puffy

white clouds punctuate his skies. Quaint prairie houses and old abandoned buildings are often bright scarlet red, Keffer’s signature color and the color of his canvases when he begins painting. This red is like the red hue so often seen in the paintings of Mike Larsen, Keffer’s friend.

The landscape ranges from emerald green to the rich, undulating hues of sand. Keffer’s colors have a translucent quality that adds to the charm of his work. His artistic subjects have the look of forgotten or abandoned prairie structures and reflect the compelling simplicity of his artistic style. Keffer is a no-frills artist.

At age 65, Keffer shuttles between his native Oklahoma, New Mexico and occasionally California to create paintings that reflect his quaint, stylized version of the Southwestern landscape, a landscape he believes is vanishing all too quickly. He would like to think his paintings help preserve the history of the ever-changing Southwestern landscape.

Keffer came to his artist’s easel quite late in his life. He says, “For the first 47 years of my life, it was like art was inside me, but other things were more important. I was noticing the rural landscape. I remember my father was always drawing. By age six I was drawing cartoon characters from comic books on sketch pads. Art classes through the ninth grade also furthered my interest. I was absorbing these scenes. I was gathering material. They were my muse.”

Ojo Caliente Door

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 41

Home with a View

“When I was five-years-old, I thought of myself as an artist. I recall thinking how I might paint something,” he says.

“But I didn’t. I did take a high school woodworking class, but that still wasn’t art.”

All that time though, art ~ real art ~ the kind artists create on canvas ~ was percolating inside Keffer.

He began making colorful primitive hand-crafted furniture ~ the kind of original furnishings so popular in Santa Fe and Taos homes. He calls 1994 a turning point, when he quit his job after 21 years at Dayton Tires.

“I walked out knowing I would never go back. I had a five-year plan about becoming an artist,” he recalls. He built a home near Guthrie, with his own hands. In the late 1990s, he built a twostory barn/studio, where he now paints every day.

While he still makes and sells his

signature furniture, he began painting full time in 1999. Self-taught, he studied the art of French impressionists, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Paul Gaugin and Paul Cezanne. He also admired the work of the late Oklahomaborn artist T. C. Cannon. He mentions Bert Seabourn as another artist whose work was familiar to him.

In 1980, Keffer bought his first art book on the art of French artist Pierre Bonnard at a show at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, when it was still located at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. He entered his first art show in 2001, exhibiting both his paintings and his furniture.

“I sold my first painting for $25 at a Norman art festival,” he laughs.

Sometimes his furniture sold, and his paintings didn’t ... and vice versa.

It is the compelling landscapes of the American Southwest, especially those in

42 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

New Mexico, Oklahoma and occasionally California, that draw him to create paintings he describes as “modern primitive.” His art reflects his fascination for the solitude of the desert and rural settings, which are now the dominant theme of his art.

Keffer thinks starting late in life as an artist allowed his maturity to bring a strong work ethic to his time at the easel.

“The desire to express myself was welling up within me ~ it practically filled my whole being. I could feel it getting to the top of my head and I knew it was time to start painting. I was lucky that I began selling paintings about a year after I began to exhibit in local shows,” he says.

“When I start a painting, I have no idea what I’m going to paint,” Keffer says. “The painting process actually begins when I start sketching. I get my

TeePee and Storm

sketchbook out, flip through the pages, decide it’s time for a sketch to become a painting and then stretch the canvas

myself. That gets me in touch with my muse, shall we say.”

His work is featured at JRB Art at the Turkey Hollow

Elms Gallery, La Mesa in Santa Fe, The Gallery at Round Top, Texas, Aunt Gertrude’s House, Guthrie and the Copper Moon, Taos, New Mexico. An annual participant at Oklahoma City’s Spring Arts Festival, he was the poster artist for the 2000 event and won “Best of Show at the 2007 Paseo Arts Festival.” His collectors live throughout the United States and Europe.

Keffer is a solitary painter.

“I had never even had a conversation with another artist when I began to paint. No one, not even my wife Laurie, is allowed in the studio when I’m painting,” he says.

For company, there’s music. His dog and his cats are his only audience. They seldom, if ever, critique his art. n

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 43

APRIL SUN MON TUE WED THU 1

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PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE TEAMS AMERICAN NORTHERN DIVISION COS COLORADO SPRINGS SKY SOX (BREWERS) IOW IOWA CUBS (CUBS) OKC OKLAHOMA CITY DODGERS (DODGERS) OMA OMAHA STORM CHASERS (ROYALS)

AMERICAN SOUTHERN DIVISION MEM MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (CARDINALS) NAS NASHVILLE SOUNDS (ATHLETICS) NO NEW ORLEANS BABY CAKES (MARLINS) RR ROUND ROCK EXPRESS (RANGERS)

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JUNE

AUGUST

SUN MON TUE WED THU

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ELP ELP OFF

PACIFIC NORTHERN DIVISION FRE FRESNO GRIZZLIES (ASTROS) RNO RENO ACES (DIAMONDBACKS) SAC SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS (GIANTS) TAC TACOMA RAINIERS (MARINERS)

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2018 PCL PLAY

OFF ABQ ABQ ABQ ELP ELP 29

23

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NO 22

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SEPTEMBER

RR 15

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COS COS

SUN MON TUE WED THU 3

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IOW OFF OMA OMA OMA COS COS

NAS NAS NAS NAS

1

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MEM

PACIFIC SOUTHERN DIVISION ABQ ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES (ROCKIES) ELP EL PASO CHIHUAHUAS (PADRES) LV LAS VEGAS51S (METS) SL SALT LAKE BEES (ANGELS)

| CHICKASAW BRICKTOWN BALLPARK OKLAHOMA CITY DODGERS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73104 | 405.218.1000 2 S. MICKEY MANTLE DR.

14

15

POR 7PM

SPR 7:30PM

TUL

STL

7PM

7PM

PHX

RENO

9PM

9PM

OC

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7PM

9PM

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RENO

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7PM

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7PM

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7PM

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LA

7:30PM

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SEA 7:30PM

RM 8PM

STL 7:30PM

SAC

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6PM

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TEAMS COS / Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC FRE / Fresno FC LA / LA Galaxy II LAS / Las V egas Lights FC OC / Orange County SC PHX / Phoenix Rising FC POR / Portland T imbers FC 2 RENO / Reno 1868 FC RGV / Rio Grande V alley FC Toros RM / Real Monarchs SLC SAC / Sacramento Republic FC SAN / San Antonio FC SEA / Seattle Sounders FC 2 SPR / Swope Park Rangers STL / Saint Louis FC TUL / T ulsa Roughnecks FC

SEEKING OKLAHOMA’S PROMINENT FUTURE LEADERS

SEND US YOUR NOMINATIONS

ion Oklahoma Online aims at finding the next generation of leaders in the state of Oklahoma with the Eighth Annual “Next Gen” awards gala.

Next Gen Under 30 will recognize innovative, creative-thinking and inspiring young individuals who push the boundaries beyond their years in 15 different career categories – arts, entertainment, business, media, sports, technology and more.

To nominate a candidate, go to ion Oklahoma Online’s website: www.ionok.com/nextgenunder30 or visit www.nextgenunder30.com Any nominee 30 years old or younger in 2018 qualifies. Nomination deadline is Friday, August 24th, 2018.

Winners will be announced September 7th on www.nextgenunder30.com Monday, Oct 1 10:30 -12 will be the Day at the Capitol with Lt Governor Todd Lamb.

nextgen AWARDS CEREMONY OCTOBER 2018

ion Oklahoma Online | 220 West Wilshire Blvd, #F2 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116 | 405.607.0930

TRAVEL

MOODY MANSION’S LASTING IMPRESSION M

BY LINDA MILLER

ore than 120 years after it was built, Moody Mansion in Galveston’s historic district still stands tall and majestic, a nod to the influential and philanthropic family who filled the rooms with love and life.

48 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

The four-story, 31-room house is one of this Texas city’s popular sites. Its story tells of great prosperity and horrific devastation in what at one time was the state’s largest city. It’s a history lesson and a peek at life in the early 20th Century complete with an up-close look at elaborate fixtures and furnishings, intricate woodwork and interesting architectural design.

Dark wood and pink silk wallcovering accent the library.

The mansion was built from 1893 to 1895 for a widowed Galveston socialite who had always wanted a grand home. After her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, she set her plan into action by tearing down her former house

and hiring an English architect who lived in Galveston. His eclectic approach mixed elements from different cultures and periods.

Interiors were supervised by a New York design firm whose clients

included Thomas Edison and William Rockefeller.

Outside and inside the home was stately and grandiose. But the owner died in 1899 and her heirs put the house up for sale. Bidding stalled after a destructive hurricane tore through Galveston in 1900 killing 6,000. The house stood strong despite winds of up to 145 miles per hour. Two weeks later, on Sept. 25, nearby residents William L. Jr. and Libbie Moody bought the 28,000square-foot house for their original bid of $20,000, a fraction of the $100,000 cost of construction. In 1905, Moody bought two lots next door to give him and his wife and A huge stained-glass window overlooks the stairway landing.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 49

Above: Large widows flood the master bedroom with light.

Left: Moody Mansionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parlor is covered in gold and blue silk wallcovering.

their four children space for recreation and exercise.

Moody, first working with his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s firm and then later guiding it, became an influential financier in the first half of the century with interests in cotton, banking, hotels and newspapers owning more than 50 companies. He also owned 11 ranches in Texas and Oklahoma.

The Moody Mansion was home to Moody family members until 1986 when it was turned into a history museum and opened to the public in 1991. The museum was the wish of daughter Mary Moody Northen, the last family member to reside in the home.

Today visitors get a glimpse into life in Galveston and at the Moody Mansion with much of the focus on the early years.

Now restored to its early splendor from the 1910s, complete with family furnishings and personal items, the expansive and opulent home commands attention at first glance. A red brick and limestone exterior and Romanesque style of architecture make it difficult to miss. The front of the home is perched high, facing 50 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

south. Five balconies offer sweeping views.

Once inside, beautiful features await. A massive stained-glass window overlooks the stairway landing.

The parlor, perhaps the most opulent room in the house, is covered in elegant silk wallcovering with golddecorated plaster friezes or bands. The ballroom sat unfinished for a decade after the home was built, but now reflects the character and personality of the Moody family. A large gilded and gold-leaf mirror covers the ceiling and the room is decorated the way it was when daughter Mary made her social debut in 1911.

The dining room features a coffered ceiling and gold leaf accents. It was at the dining table that Mary learned the family business. When her father died in 1954, she became head of the family enterprises and expanded philanthropy opportunities.

Because the home is all about details, the master bedroom has a high ceiling and massive windows that face the ocean. Another feature is the large rainfall shower head in the tub Moody used. The shower had its own gas heater for a constant flow of hot water. The home also has a one-person elevator, a dumbwaiter, heated drying racks in the laundry room and speaking tubes for communication with the staff.

Moody Mansion is a gem, a must-see for anyone interested in history or architecture Moody Mansion is at 2618 Broadway in Galveston.

Self-guided audio tours include 20 rooms. A behindthe-scenes tour is also offered. For more information, call (409) 762-7668 or go to moodymansion.org. n

FASHION

s n o i t a t p m e T w e N Bitter winter makes

SPRING FASHION more inviting, welcome

BY LINDA MILLER

I

f there’s one thing that can make spring fashion even more appealing, it’s a bitter winter.

Not that this season’s offerings need much help.

They’re plenty tempting and attractive on their own.

Now all that’s needed is a long stretch of warm weather. It’ll be the perfect complement for sunny yellow, neon colors and pale hues such as lilac, pink, baby blue and green.

Prints stand out, too, including tropical, florals and stripes.

Vince Camuto rumple satin top, available at Dillard’s.

52 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

ABOVE: Lafayette 148 New York “Placid” multi print blue coat, available at CK & Co. LEFT Top: Worth New York feminine and flirty black dress with sheer insets, available from Cindi Shelby, cmsstyle@sbcglobal.net.

Middle: Worth New York palm print suit, available from Cindi Shelby, cmsstyle@sbcglobal.net.

Bottom: Worth New York reversible silver to white leather jacket, available from Cindi Shelby, cmsstyle@sbcglobal.net.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 53

And let’s not forget all the sheer accents, drawstrings, zippers, exaggerated sleeves, fringe, sequins, clear plastic details, ruffles, lace and shine. Details are important. So are flirty and feminine dresses.

While luxury athleisure, trench coats, kneelength shorts and utility looks complete spring’s trend list, there’s also a strong movement toward relaxed or deconstructed versions of the suit. It’s a pulled together look, but not always a matching jacket with skirt or pants. Consider a motorcycle jacket over a sheath dress or a cardigan with a pleated skirt.

Want more? Asymmetric styles offer lots of interest and navy is a softer yet sophisticated alternative to black for evening. n

Adrianna Papell pink one-shoulder jumpsuit, available at Dillard’s.

54 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

ABOVE: Rachel Zoe tuxedo dress with gold buttons, available at CK & Co. LEFT: Elie Tahari pastel blue floral-applique dress with V-neck illusion, available at CK & Co.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 55

ART

FEBRUARY IS ALLIED ARTS MONTH

56 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

ALLIED ARTS 2018 FUNDRAISER KICK OFF

U

nder the leadership of campaign chairs Aimee and David Harlow, Allied Arts kicked off its 2018 fundraising campaign to raise at least $3.125 million for central Oklahoma’s cultural community.

Allied Arts board chair Tricia Everest welcomed more than 400 sponsors and volunteers who attended the kickoff event at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on Thursday evening, January 18.

The event featured inspiring performances by a variety of nonprofit organizations supported by Allied Arts through allocations and grants. Funds are needed to ensure free and affordable programming for all, arts education in underserved schools, and healing arts for the sick, disabled and veterans.

The event gave these artists the opportunity to tell their personal stories about how their lives have been transformed by the arts.

Performers represented at the Allied Arts kickoff event included: El Sistema, Life Change Ballroom, Oklahoma Youth Orchestras and The Sooner Theatre.

The annual campaign also provides an opportunity to honor individuals for their philanthropic leadership and contributions to the community. In 2018, Allied Arts will recognize Polly and Larry Nichols. The Nichols have been committed to making Oklahoma a great place to call home.

Through their service with Allied Arts, as well as a number of cultural nonprofits including Arts Council Oklahoma City, Myriad Gardens, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage

Canterbury Youth Choir Students.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 57

Metropolitan School of Dance

Museum, Oklahoma City Ballet and Science Museum Oklahoma, the Nichols have donated countless hours and significant resources in the effort to enhance quality of life for all. Campaign funds provide grants to more than 40 arts and cultural organizations in Oklahoma.

For Allied Arts member agencies, funds are used to offset operating costs; underwrite productions, performances and exhibits; create new programming and provide free and affordable arts programming. In addition, the campaign reaches beyond member agencies by awarding grants to qualified nonprofit cultural organizations to expand the reach of arts education and strengthen organizational capacities.

“Allied Arts receives no city, state or federal funding and yet we fund programs that reach all 77 counties,” said Allied Arts President/CEO Deborah McAuliffe Senner. “This is a community-wide campaign, and as such, the arts need the support and attention of the entire community. A gift of any size can make a difference.”

Just $10 provides a pair of ballet slippers for an afterschool program, while $25 underwrites 50 quality music lessons for financially disadvantaged students. A $100 donation provides visual arts programming for 15 seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

58 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Some donation levels provide benefits for the donor.

Individuals donating $50 or more receive the OKCityCard, a premier entertainment discount card offering year-round savings at more than 400 arts events and activities, local retail stores and restaurants. Those donating $1,000, $1,500, $2,500 or more will receive additional benefits.

Additionally, Mike Turpen was presented with the inaugural Aubrey McClendon Visionary Award for the Arts in honor of his dedication to fundraising for the Oklahoma cultural community. To close the event, Senner invited the community to become ambassadors for the arts.

“Together we can make it to $3.125 million and beyond!”

For more information or to contribute, please visit alliedartsokc.com or call (405) 278-8944. Donations are tax deductible and accepted any time.

Cimarron Opera Performance.

As a United Arts Fund, Allied Arts works to broaden support for the arts by raising financial support for cultural organizations, encouraging participation and attendance, advocating for arts education, and promoting excellence in the arts and arts management.

Since its founding in 1971, the organization has raised more than $63 million to advance the arts in central Oklahoma. Learn more at alliedartsokc.com. Allied Arts contributes to approximately 40 organizations annually.

Member agencies include: · Ambassadors’ Concert ChoirArts Council Oklahoa City · Canterbury Voices · Carpenter Square Theatre · Cimarron Opera · deadCENTER Film Festival · Firehouse Art Center · Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO) · Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and Thelma Gaylord Academy · Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art · Metropolitan School of Dance · National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum · OK City Chorus · Oklahoma Children’s Theatre · Oklahoma City Ballet · Oklahoma City Museum of Art · Oklahoma City Philharmonic · Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center · Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park · Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) · Oklahoma Youth Orchestras · Opry Heritage Foundation of Oklahoma · Prairie Dance Theatre · Red Earth, Inc. · Science Museum Oklahoma · The Sooner Theatre For more information, contact Allied Arts at 405-278-8944 or visit alliedartsokc.com. n Oklahoma City Museum of Art Healing Arts.

Firehouse Art Center Student Painting.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 59

8:-;-6<;

EDUCATION

Ada High School students attend the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association “Fly In” at Max Westheimer Airport in Norman.

Ada schools get ‘high’ marks with aviation program

BY LINDA MILLER Photos Provided

A

da School District students are spreading their wings thanks to a new aviation program.

The high school is one of 29 in the nation to field test the new aviation curriculum developed by Purdue University and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The program is designed to help students learn more about the aviation industry and career opportunities in aeronautics.

“The Sky is Not the Limit” was implemented for the 2017-18 school year after the district was approached by the Ada city manager and members of the Experimental Aircraft FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ion Oklahoma 61

Students and teachers volunteer at the “Fly the Ford” event at the Ada Regional Airport.

Association Chapter 1005 about incorporating aviation activities and guest speakers into its existing STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – efforts That was in the fall of 2016. To better understand aviation in the classroom and a new AOPA Aviation Curriculum that was being developed, the EAA offered to send Paula J. Kedy, executive director, for academics and instruction for Ada schools, and STEM coordinator Andrea Appleman to the National High School Aviation STEM Symposium in Seattle. They were intrigued, applied for an opportunity to become involved and were accepted.

Introduction to Aviation, the first course in a series of courses, was offered to freshmen this year, with about 20 students enrolled. Course work curriculum during the field test rolls out one year at a time and will be available to grades 9 through 12 next year. Students can enroll in one of three career pathways that may include Pilot, Aeronautical Engineering and Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

“The most remarkable thing about the implementation of our new program has been the involvement of our community,” Kedy said. “The district has received support from aviation enthusiasts throughout the community and our students are the benefactors of their amazing generosity. What started as a small idea to incorporate a few aviation activities into our curriculum has become a true aviation program that will benefit our community and our state for years to come.”

Kedy said work continues daily to write grants to fund the program, engage students with visits to aviation sites and from aviation leaders, and provide a career pathway for students.

Along with the addition of new course work in high school, the district has put in place comprehensive components to complement and maximize the curriculum and increase aviation appeal to students of all ages.

62 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Ada High School students participate in “Aviation Day” at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Right: Ada Regional Airport Manager Yancy Wood works with students on flight simulators provided by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and local businessman Bob Cantrell.

Those include aeronautics awareness for grades 6 to 8 with plans to add pre-k to elementary; a Flight Club for interested students; campus visits to aviation departments at OU, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and OSU; and a “fly-In” with college aviation students coming to Ada to talk to students.

The district plans to continue developing partnerships with the City of Ada, the Ada Regional Airport, Chapter 1005 of the EAA as well as aviation business and industry leaders.

As the program goes forward, funding is paramount. The program has received grant funding from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, Tinker Air Force Base and the DART Foundation.

In such a short time, Kedy said the community understands the program’s importance and are giving of time and money. The aircraft manager often visits the classrooms.

“All these people are stepping up to the plate to ensure this program is working,” she said. n FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 63

SCIENCE OU Researcher Takes Lead in New Era of Space Research

BY CHIP MINTY

A

tmospheric studies have been around a while at the University of Oklahoma, but today, there’s a new guy on campus, and he’s looking at the sky in a whole new

way.

Instead of standing on the ground and looking up, he’s creating a vantage point in space, so he can look down.

And, when his platform finally gets launched, he’ll be looking at a whole new world.

University of Oklahoma researcher Berrien Moore has been studying carbon in the atmosphere for nearly 50 years, long before climate change was part of the political vernacular.

The dean of OU’s College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences is now serving as the primary investigator for GeoCarb, a geostationary carbon cycle observatory, funded through a $166 million grant from NASA. Once the device is designed, built and launched into space four years from now, it will give researchers an unprecedented view of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere.

These days, the words “carbon” and “climate” have been married in a political melting pot of national and international debate, but Moore and his team hold themselves above the fray and focus on an objective pursuit of science, gathering data that might lead to more informed public policy decisions.

“It’s not a policy mission, and it’s not a climate mission. It’s a mission to provide data for researchers to use,” said Sean 64 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

tSean Crowell - Photo Credit OU (Photographer Hugh Scott)

Berrien Moore, University of Oklahoma researcher .

Crowell, GeoCarb’s project scientist and a member of Moore’s team for the past six years.

The data GeoCarb produces will help scientists answer questions about the carbon cycle, which involves far more than just the atmosphere.

Through GeoCarb, they will monitor soil and plants along with carbon in the atmosphere as they construct a better understanding of how carbon moves on Earth and what influences its migration.

Carbon is a fundamental element and a building block of life. Bacteria in the soil use carbon to help build their tiny bodies. Plants grow by drawing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and carbon dissolved in the oceans supports phytoplankton, a food source for a wide range of sea life.

GeoCarb is being designed to monitor these activities and much more, said Crowell, who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from OU. When finished, GeoCarb will be a 300-pound cube, about the size of a living room recliner, packed with technology designed to beam millions of observations back to earth each day. It will be attached to a telecommunications satellite that will fly in geostatic orbit over South America.

“We’re super excited about all of the great science that will come out of this project,” said Crowell. “The sheer amount of information is going to revolutionize carbon cycle science in the Western Hemisphere.”

Moore is trained in theoretical mathematics and moved to OU in 2010 after serving as director of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire.

He said Bob Frost, the former NASA administrator under the Carter administration, inspired him to study Earth the same way scientists have been studying other plants – from afar. To do that, he needed an observatory, a satellite and a rocket, and the only way to get them was through a grant from NASA. Moore had never won a grant from NASA, but he and his team were determined. After two failed attempts, they finally succeeded in late 2016, clearing the way to move forward with GeoCarb, a collaboration with institutions and commercial organizations in the United States, Australia, Mexico, France, Germany and Japan.

Winning the grant was a major victory for him, his team FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 65

GeoCarb Instrument rendering.

and for OU, and it will have a lasting benefit for the university, Moore said.

The grant puts OU on NASA’s radar as an institution with a team experienced in space research, and it puts the university on a path to compete for other large, prestigious NASA grants.

“There is nothing like experience to help you take that next step,” he said.

OU Vice President for Research Kelvin Droegemeier said GeoCarb could open new doors for the university.

“It’s a big deal because it will create a lot of opportunities in other areas,” he said.

OU is now in a good position to compete for NASA grants in related areas, such as biology, microbiology, plant science, data analysis, computer science and mechanical engineering.

“We have had NASA grants before, but not as much as from other agencies,” Droegemeier said. “It’s an agency we would like to do more with.”

The GeoCarb project is building momentum, Crowell says.

Recent additions to the GeoCarb staff include a deputy program manager, an outreach coordinator, a financial manager and a staff assistant.

The project held a successful design review meeting with NASA last fall, and it is preparing for a second review later this summer.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, and the group is working 66 ionOklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

toward a launch date in the summer of 2022, when their observatory will be carried into space by SES Government Solutions, a communications satellite company.

Once in place, GeoCarb will be orbiting 22,236 miles above the Americas with views spanning from the southern tip of the Hudson Bay to the southern tip of South America.

It will monitor atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and solar-induced fluorescence. A continuous stream of data will allow scientists to do real-time analysis of patterns and cycles that might further explain the nature of carbon and ecology.

Its specialized lenses can detect wave lengths of light that people can’t see, such as florescence, which is emitted by plants as they perform photosynthesis. Florescence could hold clues to where and why carbon concentrates occur.

If plants are under stress from drought or disease, the photosynthetic process slows, causing a reduction in the amount of florescent light from those plants. This is important because healthy plants consume carbon through the photosynthetic process. So, in regions where photosynthesis is constrained, less carbon is being consumed by plants, which may lead to carbon accumulations in the atmosphere.

GeoCarb will give scientists a bird’s-eye view, allowing them to monitor florescence, and measure how drought and plant disease can affect regional carbon volumes.

GeoCarb Artist Rendering. Photo Credit: NASA & Lockheed Martin.

Carbon emissions occur through human activity and through natural processes, and GeoCarb is being designed to observe both types of emissions as they occur, Crowell said.

The mission will monitor carbon dioxide emissions from natural sources such as the soil, decaying plants, wild fires and the oceans. It also will identify carbon monoxide emissions, which occur through the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas.

Distinguishing between the two types of emissions will allow researchers to isolate what humans are accountable for, and that is critical information for policymakers, Crowell said.

Moore said GeoCarb also will be keeping an eye on the weather.

Just as geostationary weather satellites can sit and stare at storms and map them, GeoCarb will allow researchers to see how different weather patterns influence carbon dioxide and methane concentrations, Moore said.

Large-scale weather patterns such as El Niño and La Niña affect the large-scale pattern of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and that’s extremely important, he said.

Scientists also will use GeoCarb to measure how much carbon dioxide the Amazon Basin removes from the

atmosphere, and they will use it to estimate methane emissions over the continental United States. That will be important information for the energy industry, said Moore, who is the Chesapeake Energy Corporation Chair of Climate Studies.

The GeoCarb project represents a new method NASA is using to support smaller-scale scientific discovery missions in space. Through its Earth Venture Mission program, the space agency captures efficiencies by awarding grants to external entities, such as OU, which then partner with private entities to help design their instruments and carry them into space.

Obtaining the NASA grant was challenging, a little like a professional golfer, winning his first major tournament, but now OU is in a great position to win other NASA grants, Moore says.

It gives OU a unique opportunity to surprise and enchant in the dawn of a new era of space research, he said.

“I can see these missions changing the face of Earth science from space,” Moore said. “You don’t have to pay for a separate spacecraft or launcher. Your essentially buying condo space on a spacecraft and paying for a data downlink.”

“The future is very exciting.” n FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 67

SPORTS COMMENTARY May Just Be Oklahoma City’s Identity This Year

BY ADDAM FRANCISCO

T

he big three experiment is chalk full of inconsistencies from players' interpersonal interactions to their play on the court. As result, Thunder fans remain in disarray with no clue where to place their emotions on a day-to-day basis.

Early in the season, growing pains were expected. You knew the Thunder weren't going to be a well-oiled machine out of the gate but assumed that Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony would use their experience to figure things out. Who wouldn't think that? Three guys averaging 65.5 points per game should be able to figure out an offensive formula to win games. Adding George, one of the NBA's premier two-way players to play alongside Westbrook and Andre Roberson looked on paper to be one of the most lethal defensive backcourts in the league. The simple fact that there are a combined three decades of basketball between them with no title to show for it lent many to think they were hungry and humble enough to make everything work.

"Early in the season" initially meant the first 25 games. As the Thunder still weren't playing with any consistency, we stretched it to 35 games and so on. Well, now more than halfway through an 82-game season the question still persists. Can the Thunder play consistent basketball? Can they figure out their roles? How will the bench perform?

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Russell Westbrook presses down court. Photo: Torrey Purvey 2017 ©

The Thunder played consistent basketball for a small stretch of this season. Between Dec. 18 and Dec. 27, they rattled off six straight games where they were victorious in the end. During that time, they seemed to play relatively consistent basketball and that's when everyone thought this super team was turning that corner. As a matter of fact, the Thunder were (12-5) in the month of December. However, to start 2018 the Thunder regressed, losing three of their next five games to the (17-29) Phoenix Suns, the Portland Trail Blazers without Damian Lillard, and the Minnesota

Terrance Ferguson guards an opponent. Photo: Torrey Purvey 2017 Š

Timberwolves, all in embarrassing fashion. All the positive they did in December seemed to dissolve after the new year and the inconsistencies continued.

OKC is in the midst of another winning streak in the middle of January, which included the highest-scoring outing for the Thunder all season after walloping the Cleveland Cavaliers 148-124. That was arguably the most complete game the big three played all season, yet no one feels comfortable with the team's current state. There's absolutely no certainty within the fanbase because they Thunder are just so unpredictable.

They are so unpredictable that they are predictable. Looking through the entire season, the trend of the Thunder are that they underperform when playing teams with lesser talent but step up to the plate when they play elite competition. That's evidenced by a (15-10) record against non-playoff teams where they would barely squeak by their opponents, if not lose and an (11-10) record against elite competition where they defeated four of the NBA's best teams convincingly and competed well even in loses. It's just a common trend that has been noticed, which isn't necessarily bad. If you're able to cope with some bad losses during the season then you may be

in for a treat come playoff time.

Regardless, inconsistency isn't a healthy trait for a team to have. For the Thunder to play consistent basketball, they need at least two of their big three contributing mightily both offensively and defensively. They have the luxury where one of the members of the big three could have a subpar game and they'd still be able to beat most NBA teams with ease. As of late (despite the Cavaliers game), only one of the big three has a big game, which makes them equivalent to a middle of the road team with one star.

Also, OKC's key rotation off the bench has to contribute more than they have been. Averaging just 27.3 combined points won't cut it against stacked teams like the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Not even against the Minnesota Timberwolves who have an exceptional bench unit as well as a big three.

Whether the Thunder are trending upward or downward is still a cold case, no one knows. They may have just beaten the Cavaliers but will they struggle against a non-playoff contending team the next week? For some reason, it feels like nobody will know just how good or bad the Thunder are until the playoffs unfold. n

An opponent moves to block Thunder player.

Photo: Torrey Purvey 2017 Š

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 69

MUSIC

A Living Legend Songwriter…

BY DON SWIFT

F

or more than 40 years Oklahoma’s Jimmy Webb has been creating incredible songs, many of which have become cherished standards over the years from well-known and talented singers.

For example, Glen Campbell, Linda Ronstadt, Richard Harris, Art Garfunkel, The Fifth Dimension, and Donna Summer to name just a few.

And he’s still doing it.

Now on tour with songs from the “Still Within the Sound of My Voice” CD, Jimmy Webb is engaging his audiences like never before. Although some people might still not recognize his name, they will know the songs: “Wichita Lineman,” “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” “Galveston,” “The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress,” “All I Know,” “The Highwayman,” “Up, Up and Away,” “MacArthur Park,” and many more. And those are only the famous ones. Webb is one of those rare songwriters who manage to bring a genuine measure of magic to everything he touches.

In the late 1960s, when Webb was barely 21, he was showered with Grammy after Grammy for his songwriting talents. These songs established Webb — the son of a strict Baptist minister from Elk City, Oklahoma, who moved his family to Southern California in the mid-’60s — as a successful young pop music singer / song-writer with a god given talent.

Now 63, Webb still is a marvelous storyteller with the unique style and an endless storehouse of real-life rock ’n’ roll adventure stories, set mostly in Hollywood and London in the late ’60s and ’70s.

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What makes Webb concerts so enjoyable is that part of him is still a wide-eyed Oklahoma country boy with a unique and inquisitive personality about everything going on in the big city.

Jimmy’s background is 100 percent Americana and rooted in gospel and country.

As a boy he played piano in church and listened to his father’s Ernest Tubb records.

On the Jimmy Webb “Just Across The River” CD there are a number of featured recording artists that join Webb in some of his newest songs such as “Oklahoma Nights” featuring Vince Gill, “Where Worlds End” featuring Michael McDonald, “If You See Me Getting Smaller” featuring Willie Nelson along with other songs to enjoy.

Today Webb has the distinctive style of a pop-country singer/songwriter. He has five sons and a daughter, age 19 to 35, by his first wife. He now lives in Oyster Bay, N.Y with his wife Laura Savini, a successful marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in public television. He is also vice-chairman of Ascap, the organization that protects musicians’ copyrights.

At an age when other singers are losing their voices, Webb finds his mood lively and natural with unguarded singing which he used to consider a liability. And in song after song he vocally holds his own with his guests. Unlike many of his peers whose songwriting talents are in decline, Webb is still at the top of his game.

Singers like Rosemary Clooney (who died in 2002) and Michael Feinstein have turned his ballad “Time Flies,” written

for a musical version of Ray Bradbury’s book “Dandelion Wine,” into a nightclub standard. And Judy Collins has included his sweeping biographical song, “Paul Gauguin in the South Seas,” on her new album, “Paradise” (Wildflower).

As Webb looks back, his life, especially during the past decade, sounds like an extended healing process from damage inflicted by early fame and fortune.

“When you’re in your early 20s, nobody can tell you anything,” he said. “You’re burning through this money, and you think you’re always going to be able to write hit songs, and that the world is always going to be the way you want it to be.”

“There wasn’t a smidgen of teamwork in me,” he continued as he recalled his embattled relationship with his early mentor, the country-pop singer and songwriter Johnny Rivers, to whom he was under contract. “I would go through the motions of cooperation, but in actual fact I wasn’t cooperating with anybody. I was very unkind. Many times since then, I’ve wondered, would I do it the same way? I probably would, because I would be 20 years old and I would be selfish.”

Webb was a classic example of an artist craving the one thing he didn’t have.

But as we all grow older the more we fine tune our lives and those talents we all have been given and Webb is no different.

Webb is again in his life at the top of his game doing those things he loves and following his passion.

A Webb concert can be an enjoyable, memorable experience and one the audience will not soon forget. n

Jimmy Webb Concert

“Tribute to Glen Campbell” Oklahoma City Community College Performing Arts Center 7777 South May Ave. Oklahoma City

April 23, 2018 7:30pm – 9:30pm Benefitting

Oklahoma City

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SYMPHONY

THE 2018 SYMPHONY SHOW HOUSE

“A Jewel of European Charm”

BY DON SWIFT

F

or more than 40 years, the Oklahoma City Orchestra League’s Symphony Show House has been considered one of the most successful annual “show house” events in Oklahoma and an important source of charitable fundraising.

The Symphony Show House is more than just a home tour.

Since its founding in 1948, the Orchestra League has contributed almost $5 million to the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and brought the joy of music to more than two 72 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

million adults and children through its educational programs.

The 45th Symphony Show House is located in the “Dutch Forrest” neighborhood easily accessible to Edmond and Oklahoma City communities beginning May 5. The event continues through May 20.

The home tour is open noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

For more information, call 405-601-4245 or visit www.okcorchestraleague.org. Tickets go on sale April 1.

Easy “No Hassle” Parking. Shuttle Service courtesy of Express Employment Professionals

Top Oklahoma decorators and designers transform rooms into beautiful spaces filled with hundreds of remarkable and unique items — and almost everything is on sale.

Gorgeous furniture, elegant finishes, stunning ornaments and decor of every style around every corner can be enjoyed at the Symphony Show House.

The Orchestra League was founded under the leadership of Mary Ruth Ferguson, Mrs. Hugh Johnson, and Lou Dudley as a fundraising and support arm of the Oklahoma City Symphony.

Mary Ruth Ferguson served as the first president with a membership of 50 volunteers who called themselves the Women’s Committee.

In 1987, the Women’s Committee was separately incorporated as the Oklahoma City Orchestra League (OCOL), Inc., and was no longer an arm of the parent orchestra. Like orchestras across the nation, labor disputes rendered symphonic music silent from June 1987 until January 1990.

During this time, the Oklahoma City Orchestra League continued to function and eagerly embraced the new Philharmonic under the direction of Maestro Joel Levine The Orchestra League enjoys a long-standing partnership with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and provides financial support with funds raised annually. Orchestra League volunteers work year round to carry out eight award-winning educational programs and instrumental competitions that touch the lives of thousands of children and adults in the Oklahoma City area and beyond.

The Orchestra League plays an inspiring role in Oklahoma City’s renaissance and sets the standard for orchestra leagues across the nation.

Left to right: JANE KRIZER 2018 Co-Chair, LISA REED Executive Director, JUDY AUSTIN 2018 Co-Chair

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ionOklahoma 73

2017-18 will be a busy year for the league. Along with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic the Orchestra League will say farewell to Joel Levine and welcome to Alexander

Mickelthwate. On October 27, there will be a gala sendoff to Maestro Levine at the 3rd annual Maestro’s Ball.

2018 OKLAHOMA CITY ORCHESTRA LEAGUE MEMBERS

LISA REED Executive Director

GRACE MEDINA Office Administrator

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President - Carol McCoy, Ph.D. President Elect - Wendi Wilson Treasurer - Judy Moore Secretary - Glenna Tanenbaum Ways &amp; Means VP - Judy Austin Membership VP - Debbie Minter Education VP - Martha Pendleton Competitions VP - Margaret Biggs Past-President - Julia Hunt

BOARD MEMBERS Members At Large (Serving 3-Year Terms): Matt Thomas Julia Assef Thomas Rossiter

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Members At Large (Serving 2-Year Terms): Dixie Jensen Rita Dearmon Joan Bryant Kirstin Reynolds Members At Large (Serving 1-Year Terms): Jean Hartsuck Rachel S. Morris Newt Brown Ex-Officio: Lisa Reed Eddie Walker

2018 SYMPHONY SHOW HOUSE DESIGNER Names and Room LISTING AAA Landscaping

Front Gardens

Mathis Brothers

Entry

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Black Scintilla

Master Closet

Designer’s Market

Master Bath - Master Side Patio,

Lorec Ranch

Game/Bar Room

Olde World Finishes

Niche between Game Room & Exit

Caroline Romano Designs

½ Bath – Public Bathroom

Enchanted Cottage

Kitchen – Pantry – Breakfast Room

Alicia Zupan –Ethan Allen

Butler’s Pantry – Dining Room

Traditions Fine Furniture

Great Room – Stairs Up – Second Floor Landing –Sitting Room

Fabricologie – Refunk My Junk

Upstairs Bedroom 1 – Bathroom – Closet

UCO Design Team

Upstairs Bedroom 2 – Bathroom – Closet

OCOL

Upstairs Bedroom Hallway

Mister Roberts

Office

Paint Inspirations

Upstairs ½ Bath

Interiors By Ronette

Study Desk and Nook – Back Stairs to First Floor

Carte’s Interiors

Mother in law Bedroom – Mother in law Bathroom

Arminis

Back Patios

Lezley Lynch Designs

Back Hall (next to utility room)

Home Dazzle

Utility Room

Vintage Gypsy

Boutique

Home Dazzle

Boutique

Shuttle Transportation

Express Employment Professionals

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 ion Oklahoma 75

EDUCATION A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Many Awarded at the Fourth Annual TAF Awards Banquet

T

he Teachers Appreciation Foundation shared the successes of students, teachers and many others recently during the fourth annual TAF Awards at the Sheraton Midwest City Hotel The TAF Awards, known as the Grammy’s for educators, is structured to give accolades and awards to school teachers, custodians, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, and administrators in the Oklahoma City metropolitan school districts. The TAF Awards also recognizes community leaders that have created amazing platforms for education.

“We were extremely excited to award Katie Francis the 2018 TAF Education in Business Development Award. She is a young Girl Scout that sold more than 100,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in 2017. Her work ethic and tenacity are admired by adults and teens and as an organization that always supports teens thriving in excellence, we felt honored to present this award to her this year,” said Karim Muhammad, executive director of the Teachers Appreciation Foundation.

Also awarded was Patrice Allen, the founder of “Teachers Make the Difference,” a program that helps teachers better prepare to face the classroom challenges. She received the 2018 TAF Presidents Award for Educational Excellence.

Allen, who previously served four years as principal of Edwards Elementary in Oklahoma City, decided enough was enough. She recognized a gap between becoming a teacher and being an effective teacher.

“Our teachers need a tried and tested curriculum that will provide them the confidence, efficiency and excellence required to teach according to the Oklahoma Standard,” Allen said.

Well acquainted with the Oklahoma Standard, the former 76 ion Oklahoma FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

Katie Francis received the Business Development Award.

principal at Edwards Elementary served as an instructional coach for the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

“With the state suffering from education budget cuts, teacher retention and resources, it’s critical that we support politicians that are in the forefront fighting for education in the State of Oklahoma,” Muhammad said.

Award recipient David Holt.

Award recipient Stephan Moore.

Below: Teens who were awarded scholarships.

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Politicians who recieved awards for supporting education issues: John Pettis, George Young, An astacia Pittman, Jason Lowe and David Holt Below: Patrice Allen is honored as the founder of “Teachers Make the Difference” program

City Councilman John Pettis, State Representative George Young, Senator Anastacia Pittman, State Representative Jason Lowe and recently elected Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt were also given awards.

Also awarded were former University of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops, Stephan Moore of Shiloh Youth Camp, young entrepreneur and beauty brand creator Margo Gianos and many more.

The Teachers Appreciation Foundation believes, “The school village will teach the child.” This motto was inspired by Ms. Miniimah Muhammad, the president and cofounder of the organization, who served for more than 30 years in the Oklahoma City School District.

The Fourth Annual TAF Awards serves as a platform that brings life and excitement to the unsung heroes who have dedicated their lives to teach the future of this country.

Several teens were given $500 scholarships for their outstanding achievements in education, making the evening a night to remember. n