ionOklahoma Magazine - August/September 2018 by don swift

ionOK.com

AUG/SEPT 2018

Kevin Stitt, Businessman Aiming for Governor’s Chair

Autumn Pop-Up Art Show

OKC Charity Polo Match: UK vs USA - 9 September 2018

Gray Frederickson Talks Movie Career at Oklahoma Hall of Fame

International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine

National Interview Day Hosted by Express Employment Professionals

Myriad Gardens has full slate of fun, educational events in September Oklahoma State Fair Opens Sept 13: Old-fashioned fun, New-fashioned fair

Lifestyle … Culture … Entertainment

:HÂ·UH FKDQJLQJ KHDOWK FDUH DQG RXU QDPH

St. Anthony is now SSM Health St. Anthony )RU RYHU \HDUV ZHÂ·YH EHHQ FKDQJLQJ KHDOWK FDUH LQ 2NODKRPD 1RZ ZHÂ·UH FKDQJLQJ RXU QDPH 6W $QWKRQ\ LV QRZ 660 +HDOWK 6W $QWKRQ\ EXW ZKR ZH DUH RQ WKH LQVLGH LV VWLOO WKH VDPH :HÂ·YH DOZD\V EHHQ D SDUW RI 660 +HDOWK Â² JXLGHG E\ RXU 0LVVLRQ URRWHG LQ IDLWK Â®

:HÂ·UH D FRPPXQLW\ RI 6DLQWV LQ $FWLRQ PDNLQJ KHDOWK FDUH PRUH DFFHVVLEOH ZKHQ DQG ZKHUH \RX QHHG LW Â®

660 +HDOWK 6W $QWKRQ\ :H DUH 6DLQWV LQ $FWLRQ

SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oklahoma City SSM Health Bone & Joint Hospital at St. Anthony SSM Health St. Anthony South SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Shawnee SSM Health St. Anthony Healthplex SSM Health Medical Group

Benefitting

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 contributing writer : Dorian Quillen

BIG & RICH

SAVE

AARON WATSON

SAVE

3 FREE

O R D E R T I C K E T S N OW A N D S AV A E ! o k s t ateffair.com

Contents COVER STORY 14 Kevin Stitt Makes Run for Governor’s Chair by Tim Farley

PEOPLE 22 Benefit Polo Match Planned in Jones by Linda Miller

32 64

Quiet On the Set with Professor Gray Frederickson Tulsa Great Raft Race — ‘It’s like a floating art show’ by Garland C. McWatters

Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Campaign by Dorian Quillen

FASHION 36 A Peek at Fall Fashion by Linda Miller

ART 49 The International Influence on Western Art Coming To America – Artists Share Their International Roots by M. J.Van Deventer

Artist’s Travelogue Highlights His Heroes by M. J.Van Deventer

Autumn Pop-Up Art Show by Dorian Quillen

Santa Fe, New Mexico: World’s Largest Folk Art Festival Celebrated its 15th Year by Don Swift

76 83

Experience Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado by Laura Waggoner

10 ion Oklahoma AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

TRAVEL 28 Sun Studio: A high note in musical history by Linda Miller

Celebrating the Artesian Hotel by Linda Miller

BUSINESS 43 Express Employment Professionals hosts Inaugural National Interview Day EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT 68 September in the Myriad Botanical Gardens means full slate of fun, educational events 40 Oklahoma State Fair comes to Oklahoma City in September 96 A Breakthrough Ice Experience! Cirque du Soleil’s First Ever On-Ice Production CRYSTAL coming to Oklahoma City

PHOTO ESSAY

One Woman’s Work photography by Karen Swift

SPORTS 44 OU 2018 Football Schedule 45 OSU 2018 Football Schedule 46 OKC Thunder 2018-2019 Schedule IN EVERY ISSUE 12 Publisher’s Note

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 11

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Welcome to the world of ion Oklahoma Online Magazine — we are all about the Oklahoma 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 much more knowledgeable about the critical issues and how the candidates are planning to address the many issues impacting our lives. More specifically, all Oklahomans need to understand the importance of getting out to vote. The Oklahoma lawmakers need to hear that we expect them to come together in a bipartisan way and pass the educational reform that our state desperately needs and then balance the budget. Many other states have been confronted with these same budget issues as Oklahoma and with strong leadership in their state governments found successful solutions. Oklahoma legislators need to do A MUCH BETTER JOB and step up to find those budget solutions for Oklahoma in 20182019. Oklahoma is a state that offers a affordable quality lifestyle and many opportunities for entrepreneurial young people. Adequately funding education in Oklahoma must be priority No. 1 in 2018-2019. Also, 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 newsentertainment 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. Let us hear from you regarding any feature stories about Oklahoma you would like for our editors to review, as we are always looking for those special stories to share with our ion subscribers. Sincerely, Don Swift Publisher, ion Oklahoma Magazine www.ionok.com

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

COVER STORY

Stitt makes run at governor’s chair Candidate claims voters want businessman, political outsider as state's top leader BY TIM FARLEY

evin stitt has never been elected to public office, which he’s used as a main selling point in his quest to become Oklahoma’s next governor. Instead, Stitt is a Tulsa businessman who used $1,000 and a computer to start and develop Gateway Mortgage, which is one of the largest mortgage service companies in the United States. The company currently employs 1,200 people with 161 offices in 41 states. During his many campaign stops the last several months, Stitt talked most about his desire to operate state government more like a business than using political agendas for private purposes. “I started thinking about the governor’s race about a year ago and as I traveled to our different offices I was witnessing all of the positive growth in Texas, Tennessee and all these other states,” he said. Upon his return to Oklahoma each time, Stitt was seeing nothing other than budget problems at the state Capitol and a tarnished image of all politicians including Gov. Mary Fallin. There wasn’t much good coming from the Capitol, he observed. Oklahoma has been ranked at the bottom of most lists including those

14 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

related to education, health care and corrections. At the same time, Oklahoma leads the nation in teen pregnancies and is one of the worst states when dealing with poverty issues. “It’s the same ol’, same ‘ol,” the Republican gubernatorial candidate said. “Nothing will change if we keep electing the same people. The governor’s job is to have the vision. I want us to be in the top 10 in growth, education and infrastructure.” With the runoff election set for Aug. 28, Stitt is not afraid to talk about himself or his Republican runoff opponent Mick Cornett, whose campaign has put out numerous negative campaign commercials including one that touts the derogatory slogan “Bull-Stitt.” But Stitt has continued to move forward.

“There’s a lot of distrust of the mayor from the largest city in Oklahoma. I want people to know I’m the conservative in the race, not Mick Cornett. People need to look at the resumes and decide who they want as our next governor.” Stitt touts his private sector experience with balanced budgets and continually finding ways to operate efficiently with the ups and downs of the state and national economies. Stitt claims he has an eight-year plan to place Oklahoma in the top 10 for infrastructure. “You can’t stop and start that area of government,” he said. “We have to stop taking $280 million from the county commissioners’ roads and bridges fund and find a new way to fund those projects.” Stitt says he’s the only candidate in the gubernatorial race talking about giving the governor more power to hire

August/september 2018 ionOklahoma 15

and ﬁre agency heads. “We have to be more accountable to the voters,” he said. “There needs to be an accountability structure in state government and that’s not happening right now.” Stitt wants to reduce and streamline Oklahoma’s 400 agencies, boards and commissions. He also wants to audit all state agencies, budget all state funds and require a lineitem veto. About 30 percent of all state funds can be budgeted by the legislature because of previous ﬁnancial commitments that must be kept every year. Stitt wants education reform by raising teacher pay to match the salaries of teachers in a six-state region. However, Stitt said he would not have raised taxes to fund teacher pay hikes as the legislature did earlier this year without reforms. “We’ve had band-aids for education such as the lottery, para-mutual betting, liquor by the drink. This is not a

16 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

Republican problem and it’s not a Democrat problem. It’s an Oklahoma problem,” he said of the state’s public education system. Stitt also advocates line-item budgeting for the state education department, expanding the use of video technology to deliver Advanced Placement courses across the state and reviewing ways to empower local communities to best fund the needs of their local schools. The candidate’s platform also includes advancing pro-life priorities, protecting 2nd Amendment rights, and fostering a healthier Oklahoma

Nothing will change if we keep electing the same people. The governor’s job is to have the vision. I want us to be in the top 10 in growth, education and infrastructure.” — Kevin Stitt

with Medicaid reform. The health reforms include selling health insurance across state lines to stimulate competition and reduce premiums, auditing Medicaid and bringing more telemedicine to rural Oklahoma. As a political outsider, Stitt said he wouldn’t hesitate to conduct meetings with all GOP caucuses and Democrats to develop a non-partisan way of solving the state’s problems. “I’ve reached out to all House and Senate members about the problems we have in Oklahoma,” he said. “I would go off-site with our

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 17

Kevin Stitt sits with his wife Sara and their children.

management team just like I do with my company, develop a plan and execute it during the year. As career politicians, the people out there now don’t want to make the tough decisions. I talked to Steve Largent recently and he said we have the same issues that were there 15 years ago.” Stitt is an advocate of ending the political gridlock at the state Capitol. “We didn’t get this way overnight and we’re not going to get out of it overnight,” he said. “I want to have meetings at the governor’s mansion and get some work done. In all 77 counties, people are looking for something different.” If elected, the Tulsa businessman claims he won’t be concerned about re-election to a second term. 18 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

“If you’re worried about getting elected or re-elected, you never make the tough decisions. I will be a governor for all four million Oklahomans,” he said. “I’ve called all of the House members and senators and I have a plan. I want to meet with all of them and develop a consensus about the future of Oklahoma. We don’t need a former Oklahoma City mayor who was there 16 years as the governor of Oklahoma. I’m the best leader and I have the best vision for Oklahoma.” State and national leaders have the same opinion. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak endorsed Stitt along with a dozen state representatives and senators. In addition, U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz gave his endorsement to Stitt earlier this month. Cruz

I’ve called all of the House members and senators and I have a plan. I want to meet with all of them and develop a consensus about the future of Oklahoma… I’m the best leader and I have the best vision for Oklahoma.” — Kevin Stitt August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 19

was Oklahoma’s pick for president on Super Tuesday 2016. Former U.S. Tom Coburn endorsed Stitt and criticized Cornett for his “distasteful” negative political ads. Cornett has attacked Stitt for his business practices, but Coburn stood up for Stitt based on his own experiences in Congress. “The negative political ads by Mick Cornett and his base are distasteful and a misrepresentation of Kevin Stitt and his business. As a U.S. senator during the subprime mortgage crisis, I can attest ﬁrst hand that if these fees and ﬁnes from many years ago were truly egregious, Kevin Stitt would not be in business today. Furthermore, the accusations that Kevin Stitt took bailout money is a gross 20 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

misrepresentation of the TARP program. Kevin’s company is not a ﬁnancial institution that could have accepted the bailout money meant to support failing banks.” From the moment he entered the governor’s race, Stitt has continually maintained Oklahoma needs an outsider void of political interests and personal agendas that will further a career in government. “People are wanting an outsider and a businessman,” he said. “The people I talk to are excited about our campaign.” The winner of the Aug. 28 GOP runoff will face Democrat Drew Edmondson in the November general election. Edmondson won the Democratic primary election in June by a wide margin. n

PEOPLE

A benefit polo match will take place in September at the OKC Polo Club in Jones.

BENEFIT POLO MATCH PLANNED IN JONES BY LINDA MILLER

olo is often referred to as the sport of kings, but everyone can enjoy an upcoming beneﬁt match in Jones.

The inaugural Oklahoma City Charity Polo match is scheduled Sept. 9 at the OKC Polo Club. Funds raised will beneﬁt Smart Start Central Oklahoma, a nonproﬁt organization that focuses on early childhood education. Guest of honor is Bill Cameron, chairman and CEO of American Fidelity. Adria Dunn, a native of Wisconsin who moved to Oklahoma City after living in Asia for 10 years, is spearheading the

event. It was while she was in Asia that her enthusiasm for the sport grew. She has attended polo events in Miami, New York and England and is eager to revive that experience and bring more spectators to the sport in Oklahoma. Polo is believed to be the oldest organized sport in the world, dating to 600 B.C. with an origin in Asia and roots in ancient warfare. Fast forward to 1876 and James Gordon Bennett Jr., publisher of the New York Herald, brings polo to New York from England and helps establish the Westchester Polo Club, the ﬁrst club in America. Polo has had waves of popularity in the U.S. and in

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 23

Oklahoma. The OKC Polo Club is the only remaining polo club in the metro and the hope is this event will help the sport regain the popularity it once had in the state. Not only is it an opportunity to introduce polo to those who’ve never seen it but it’s also a way to help children. Smart Start Central Oklahoma based in Oklahoma City works with families from disadvantaged backgrounds to help provide a “smart start” for their children. Professional development programs are available for teachers and classes for parents. Dunn hopes to increase awareness about Smart Start Central Oklahoma as well as raise $100,000 for the organization. Every $1,000 can help 13 children in the program. Funds raised by the event will allow the nonproﬁt to expand its reach by sharing its programs with other groups that want to provide a better start for young children. What better way to bring awareness to both polo and early childhood education. It’s a win-win. The polo match will feature the U.S. with players from Oklahoma State University against the UK. The British team will be led by well-known polo player Major Peter Hunter. Spectators can lunch under a tent or picnic in the tailgate section. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the event will continue to about 5 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to dress to the nines. Need a little inspiration? In the movie “Pretty Woman,” Julia Roberts’ character Vivian attended a polo match wearing a brown polka dot sundress and matching hat. VIP tickets are $175; others, $75; and tailgating tickets, $40. A prize goes to the best tailgate picnic. A rafﬂe includes suites at Remington Park, clothing from Q Clothier and jewelry from Kendra Scott. OKC Polo Club is at 11301 E Memorial Road in Jones. For tickets, go to okccharitypolo.com. n

24 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

THE SPORT OF KINGS Attending polo match is a social event for most BY DON SWIFT

POLO IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST KNOWN TEAM SPORTS. It has become known as the “sport of kings” and very popular around the world in more than 100 countries who are members of the Federation of International Polo. It is played professionally in 16 countries. On September 9, the Oklahoma City Polo Club in Jones, Oklahoma, will host Team USA in a match with Team UK that will beneﬁt a local non-proﬁt organiza-tion. Smart Start Central Oklahoma is dedicated to ensuring all children in Oklahoma County receive the smart start they need and deserve for school readiness and development. Polo’s appeal is in its social aspects as well as the speed and exhilaration involved in watching horses running at each other. It’s the speed and the beauty of horses that people fall in love with at these matches. As we all know. the game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring goals by hitting a small hard ball with a long-handled wooden mallet through the opposing team’s goal. Each team has four mounted riders on horseback, and the game usually lasts one to three hours, divided into six 7-minute periods called chukkas (“chukkers”). There are four-minute rest periods for changing horses between each of the chukkas and a 10-minute halftime. Play is continuous and is only stopped for penalties, broken tack (equipment) or injury to horse or player. The object is to score goals by hitting the ball between the goal posts, no matter how high in the air. If the ball goes wide of the goal, the defending team is allowed a free ‘knock-in’ from the place where the ball crossed the goal

line, thus getting the ball back into play. all polo tournaments and levels of play and players are organized within and between polo clubs, including membership, rules, safety, fields and arenas. the polo playing field is 300 by 160 yards (270 by 150 m), the area of approximately six soccer fields or nine football fields (10 acres). the playing field is carefully maintained with closely mowed turf providing a safe, fast playing surface. Goals are posts which are set eight yards apart, centered at each end of the field. the surface of a polo field requires careful and constant grounds maintenance to keep the surface in good playing condition. during halftime of a match, spectators are invited to go onto the field to participate in a polo tradition called “divot stamping”, which was developed not only to help replace the mounds of earth (divots) that are torn up by the horses’ hooves, but also to afford spectators the opportunity to walk about and socialize. the sept. 9 benefit will begin with the gates opening at 11:30 a.m. Join guest of honor bill cameron who wishes to provide better opportunities for the children and families of Oklahoma. visit www.okccharitypolo.com for more details. people attending polo matches enjoy wearing their latest semi-casual summer fashion attire while joining friends for a lunch and afternoon of the sport of kings. polo is in your face, aggressive horsemanship at its best. yes, polo looks crazy and intense, because it totally is. n

Polo and Hetherington BY DON SWIFT

Whenever many OklahOmans think abOut Or discuss the spOrt Of polo, the clark hetherington family from norman, Oklahoma, will almost always be mentioned during those conservations. clark hetherington’s first love was his family, but his passion was polo. clark was first exposed to polo as an rOtc cadet at the university of Oklahoma in the day when the cadet corps still had horse-drawn occasions and used those same horses to ride and play polo. clark’s mother, helen, was the equestrian instructor at the time, and clark ended up as the captain of the Ou polo team in the late 1930s. after the war, clark continued his polo life and got his first Clark Hetherington exposure to real competitive polo, horse training and ownership through the generosity and guidance of Willis hartman at his club in Wichita kansas. clark and his wife marian traveled almost every weekend during the season to Wichita to play with mr. hartman and the many friends they met and played polo with. bob and lynn moore and their family was one of those new relationships. that friendship grew into a true partnership in polo that changed the polo landscape in the norman and Oklahoma city area forever. bob moore loved the sport as much as clark and with his sons mark and ted, the hetherington and moore families developed the central Oklahoma polo dynasty that lasted for many years. clark started the broad acres polo club in 1954 with the original single field located on Ou land, which was part of the navy base just north of robinson street by the airport. in 1959, clark bought all of the land where norman north high school AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 ion Oklahoma 25

Eight Goal Team (left to right): Glen Hart, Rudy Salinas, Bob Moore, Susie Hetherington, Clark Hetherington, Bill Hetherington and Michael Butler.

and adjoining development is now on North Stubbeman Street, again north of Robinson where he built barns, two ﬁelds and a small clubhouse. Broad Acres Polo Club was located there until the mid-1960s. Clark then sold that property and bought what is now called Grandview Estates and Polo Club residential developments along and east of NW 48th in west Norman. Clark and Bob had been exploring polo possibilities in Norman during the late 1950s and early 1960s when Bob had the opportunity to buy a car dealership in Oklahoma City. Clark, of course, could not encourage Bob enough. So, Bob and Lynn made a huge decision to buy the dealership, relocate their family to Norman, build a beautiful home within a block of Clark and Marian’s and the polo dynasty began. The result was a partnership and with the help of many member

patron players and sponsors, developed Broad Acres Polo ﬁrst at the location in west Norman and then expanded greatly when Bob and his family bought and developed one of the most perfect polo facilities anywhere, located south of the Canadian river and west of Highway 9, now just west and north of Riverwind Casino. Those ﬁelds with adjoining land owned by the Smicklas family and the incredible facilities became the preferred location by professional and amateur players alike for many local and United States Polo Association national tournaments. While not the active club of the past, the Moore family still owns the land and have been breeding and training horses there for years. In 1985, Clark and Marian made their own major change in life when Clark got the opportunity to become the managing director and vice president

26 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

of a new major polo facility in Wellington, Florida, just west of West Palm Beach. It was considered the No. 1 polo and equestrian facility of the time. Clark accepted, sold all of his property in Norman and moved his construction company and polo operation to the Palm Beach Polo & Country Club. For a decade, Clark ran the polo operation with the help of many polo patrons and sponsors who contributed to the No. 1 facility in the world. Their time there allowed Clark and Marian to become friends with and play polo with the likes of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Sylvester (Sly) Stallone, Tommy Lee Jones and his wife, Dawn, Doug Shehan, Bill Divane, and had the support of people like Zsa Zsa Gabor and Stephanie Powers. During those years, Clark developed what is today the accepted USPA professional umpiring system for polo and he is known as the “father of professional umpiring”. Clark Hetherington passed away at the age of 90 in 2012, but not before being inducted into the United States Polo Association Polo Hall of Fame in 2004. n

405.495.4423 sales@ideasinice.com

Make your event

THE ONE people will talk about

TRAVEL

SUN STUDIO A high note in musical history BY LINDA MILLER

n memphis, music and musicians ﬁgure prominently in the city’s past, present and future.

Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home and now one of the city’s most popular attractions, draws visitors from around the world. Beale Street is known as home of the blues where live music can be heard every day and well into the night. About a mile away from that famous street is Sun Studio, heralded as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. This is hallowed ground and a must-see for anyone who still listens to – or at least appreciates — music by Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. This is where visitors can sit at the same piano Lewis played while recording his many hits. There’s the microphone used by almost every

This microphone, above, was used by most of the recording artists on the Sun Records label. Right, Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio. 28 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018i

Sun Studio, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll in Memphis, Tenn.

recording artist on the Sun Records label. And the television that then salesman Cash sold to Marion Keisker, the assistant to record executive Sam Phillips, the man behind the Sun Records label. Keisker, incidentally, is credited with ﬁrst recording Presley, but all the praise went to Phillips. Not that he doesn’t deserve glory. Those early hitmakers on his label helped set rock ‘n’ roll on a path that changed and inﬂuenced music history. And Phillips’ role lives on at Sun Studio. In the 1950s, it was all about cool cats and cool cars. Phillips was a Memphis disc jockey with a Saturday radio program that was broadcast from the Peabody Hotel ’s Skyway Room. In 1950, he opened the Memphis Recording Service and with a friend began a record label called It’s the

Phillips – The Hottest Thing in the Country. He was contracted to record five singles by B.B. King and others. But the label was short-lived due to conflicts with other record companies over first option for leased masters of “How Many More Years” and “Baby Ride with Me” by Howling Wolf and Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, widely considered to be the first rock ‘n’ roll song. So, what does Phillips do? He started his own Sun Records label which produced a few successes, including one by the Prisonaires, real inmates from the Nashville State Penitentiary. Wearing shackles and chains, they recorded “Just Walkin’ in the Rain.” The novelty caused a buzz around town, but Phillips was still waiting for the one. August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 29

Before he was famous, Johnny Cash sold televisions. An assistant at Sun Studio bought this one.

Conway Twitty now on board. All that and more is shared on the Sun Studio tour. Visitors are surrounded with the history of Sun and early rock ‘n’ roll. The tour includes a peek at Control Room C from the WHBQ Studios in Hotel Chisca, where a popular radio show was broadcast until 1959. The room was excavated piece by piece from the abandoned hotel and reassembled at Sun Studio in 2014. Visitors can hear the music, see the Then in walks a tall, lanky teen who wanted to record “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” for his mother’s birthday. Early on Sun Records had a custom recording service where people could just walk in and record a song. Presley strolled in on his lunch break. Phillips was out so his assistant Keisker managed the recording and liked what she heard. She made an extra copy for Phillips and kept mentioning the young man’s name at every opportunity. Phillips just wasn’t into the sound. Not yet, anyway. He liked blues; didn’t care for ballads. But Phillips continued to work with him off and on for nearly a year. On July 5, 1954, Presley and musicians Bill Black and Scotty Moore were once again in the studio working on a country tune and a Bing Crosby song. Phillips still wasn’t sold. To shake off some of the tension, the trio took a

break and started rocking out a fast version of the blues tune “That’s All Right.” Phillips hit the record button. It was a regional hit. Phillips ﬁnally found the sound he wanted. A mix of country and rhythm and blues. Rockabilly. Rock ‘n’ roll. The rest is, well, music history. Presley’s star was on the rise, at least in the South, but he only recorded ﬁve singles for Sun Records. Just 18 months into a three-year deal, Phillips sold Presley’s contract to RCA for $40,000. He knew his small company couldn’t give Presley national exposure and he needed money to promote his other artists. It was the largest amount paid for a single performer at the time. Presley’s success spurred plenty of interest in Sun with Carl Perkins, Cash, Lewis, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich and A chair signed by blues great B.B. King.

30 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

musical instruments and take selﬁes of themselves doing their best Presley impersonation in front of that wellused microphone. They see and hear how Cash got his snare drum sound on a guitar. They learn how Lewis, Perkins, Cash and Presley, quickly dubbed the Million Dollar Quartet, came together on Dec. 4, 1956 for an impromptu jam session at the recording studio. Those were the good times. Then came the bad. In 1969, after several years of declining business, Phillips sold Sun Records and the next year a plumbing company bought the building. There wasn’t much to sing

about until 1987 when Sun Studio returned to its original location at 706 Union Street and roared back to life as a working studio and tourist attraction. That same year U2 came to Memphis and recorded three tracks from their “Rattle and Hum” album. They left behind their drum set, also on display. Maroon 5 recorded there, along with John Mellancamp, Ringo Starr, Def Leppard and more. The Sun Studio tour is only 45 minutes long, but it’s fun and informative. Along with the tour, the studio continues to share its piece of history by marketing its hit recordings,

The Million Dollar Quartet, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, photographed during an impromptu jam session.

boxed sets and collectible memorabilia. Phillips died of respiratory failure on July 30, 2003, a day before the original Sun Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark. No doubt, he would have loved the sound of that. Sun Studio is at 706 Union Street in Memphis, Tenn. For more information on history, tours and cost, go sunstudio.com. n

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 31

PEOPLE

QUIET ON THE SET with Professor Gray Frederickson The Oklahoma Hall of Fame Second Century Members host “An Evening with Gray Frederickson, Oklahoman & Notable Hollywood Television and Film Producer.” BY LOUIE ELDER

or most in the Hollywood ﬁlm industry, having three ﬁlms of the top ten from the American Film institute, an Oscar and tremendous respect and love from their peers is the work of a lifetime.

And that’s Oklahoma-born Gray Frederickson, who came back to his home state to give back. In 1999, at the urging of the Oklahoma Film Commission, Ackerman McQueen advertising and then-Governor Frank Keating, Frederickson overcame what was, initially, stage fright to become an educator. Oklahoma City Community College had been sponsoring a ﬁlm institute, a training program which gave its students from 18-75 an opportunity to learn the basics of moviemaking. At the same time, Bud Elder from the Oklahoma Film Gray Frederickson with Matt and Joe Stansberry.

32 ion Oklahoma August/september

Gray Frederickson’s Oscar for the movie Godfather II and the Emmy Award for Mike Hammer TV Series.

Commission invited Frederickson to come speak and size up the situation for a real live film school. After one speech to a full crowd, Frederickson decided that he could be effective in the classroom. Within a year, he and his family moved back to Oklahoma. “There are film schools all over L.A. and New York,” Frederickson said. “However, most are scams, with poor facilities and instructors who had never seriously worked in the film industry” At first, Frederickson said OU, UCO and OCU all were interested in housing the program. However, it landed at OCCC, mostly because the school would offer an effort toward technology, which had been its founders’ goal since the beginning.

“Some ﬁlm schools teach by showing ﬁlms to students and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Frederickson said. “But it was always our goal to put students immediately in the

commercial, industrial and feature industry.” The first task for Frederickson was to use his Hollywood connections to donate all sorts of equipment including light kits, tracks and sound systems. After that, Frederickson made an arrangement with Avid, the industry standard for editing, to donate their newest equipment with continued updates as the technology evolved. Then came the Reds, the finest digital cameras in the world. Now the school has 30 of them. With the equipment in hand and students filling up the classrooms, Frederickson started doing that he did best – making movies.

Mark Stansberry interviewing Gray Frederickson. August/september ion Oklahoma 33

Oklahoma Hall of Fame & Gaylord Pickens Museum front lawn and reception area.

“We wanted to show our students the latest model of profit for films – make them on a tight budget and market them as a product to movie distributors all over the world,” he said. “With the right distributors, any film could be playing in New York or on Netflix or pay per view on airplanes or hotel rooms,” he said. It is all about the budget, locations can be found anywhere. So, very quickly, as the school began enrolling students, Frederickson started making movies and utilizing the student talent. First came “Cloud 9,” a girls’ volleyball comedy starring Burt Reynolds, “The Hunt,” “Soul’s Midnight, “Surveillance” and many documentaries, all of which were filmed in Oklahoma. Frederickson’s next step was to fulfill his dream at OCCC by building a 6,000-square-foot sound stage to his specifications. “For real, we have the best soundstage in the Bailey Gordon with Second Century Officer Sara Pezeshkian. 34 ion Oklahoma August/september

Oklahoma Hall of Fame & Gaylord Pickens Museum Chesapeake Theater and parking lot entrance.

southwestern part of the United States,” Frederickson said. “We’ve had many professional shoots for commercials, music videos, industrials and even features.” Perhaps the pinnacle of the studio’s success was a project initiated between Frederickson and longtime partner Francis Ford Coppola, whose vision for the future of film has become a reality at Oklahoma City Community College. The five-time Oscar winner held the successful staging, lensing and screening of “Distant Vision,” a live movie performance piece created in real time. The final live performance of a 52-minute version of Coppola’s semi-autobiographical cinematic story took place on the soundstage at OCCC and was screened in theaters as near as Bricktown and far away as Paris, France. “Ultimately, this experiment at OCCC was an attempt for me to try ‘Live Cinema.’ We started out with these scenes, and as we began to progress, I typically, as

what happened with ‘Apocalypse Now,’ overreach.” The esteemed writer/director selected OCCC as “a private place where no one’s going to give me any pressure if I fail” to put together a “proof of concept” workshop for his new groundbreaking, proprietary cinema concept, which is hybrid of live theater, television and film. Since the program began, more 100 graduates are earning their living by working in Oklahoma’s film industry. “And that number doesn’t count professionals in the industry who want to expand their knowledge,” Frederickson said. Next up for the film school are several potential feature films. “We work with experienced producers, screenwriters and actors every day,” Frederickson said. “I think we’ll be able to announce some big-time movies here pretty soon.” n

August/september ion Oklahoma 35

FASHION

A peek at

n o i h s a F l l a F BY LINDA MILLER

Fall weather isn’t that far away. Not next week or maybe even next month, but it’s coming, right along with football season, the Oklahoma state Fair and OKC thunder games. So, let’s hope – or at least pretend — this isn’t one of those high temperature, high humidity days and anticipate some of the stylish offerings ahead.

Now for specifics. Here’s what to expect this season.

Q Black, as expected, along with red, rust, yellow and fuchsia. Julie Vos gold bangles from CK & Co.

Lafayette 148 New York velvet blazer from CK & Co.

L’Agence jumpsuit from CK & Co.

36 ion Oklahoma August/september

Q Florals, menswear prints, plaids and plenty of leopard. Often mixed intentionally. Q 1980s power dressing. Q Oversize outerwear and statement coats. Q Faux furs. Q Metallics and shine. Q Details such as ruching, rufďŹ&#x201A;es, sequins, bows, pockets, contrasting piping, layering and sleeve interest.

Âˇ

Worth New York tiger stripe sweater and plaid skirt and taupe turtleneck sweater and pants from Cindi Shelby, cshelby@worthnewyork.com

August/september ion Oklahoma 37

Q Western-inspired boots with fringe and metal toecaps, Q Big necklaces and earrings. Q Handbags with visible logos and labels. block heels, bold prints, mules and Mary Janes. Q Dangle earrings, architectural cuffs, jewelry with leaf motifs, chokers and crystal pins on lapels and hats. Newbury Kustom yellow dress and Just Black jean jacket, left, and tank by Sweet Claire, Freeloader Q Gold jewelry and gold hardware.

cardigan and Just Black jeans, all from Gil’s Clothing.

“Paige” print high heel pump by Dee Keller from Betsy King A Shoe Boutique. “Nala” purple suede mule by Splendid from Betsy King A Shoe Boutique.

38 ion Oklahoma August/september

EVENTS

Comes to Oklahoma City in September Shows, rides and everything fried is waiting for adults and children

he 2018 Oklahoma state Fair will be in Oklahoma City thursday, september 13 through sunday, september 23.

Celebrate what’s possible as five Disney heroines spark the courage inside us all in Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream! In her Disney On Ice debut, see how far Moana will go in an epic adventure with demigod, Maui, to save her island and discover her true identity. Join Belle as she fearlessly befriends the enchanted castle staff and reveals the Beast’s gentleness. Experience Anna’s devotion to her sister, Elsa, on her life-changing journey to stop an eternal winter. Explore with Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, Cinderella and friends from around the Disney Kingdom as they find the heart and determination to overcome obstacles and make their dreams come true. Journey with Mickey and Minnie to uncover why no goal is too big when we find the strength to shape our own destiny at Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream! Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream will be performing 10 shows in Jim Norick Arena: • Thursday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m. • Friday, September 14, at 7:30 p.m. • Saturday, September 15, at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. • Sunday, September 16, at 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. 40 ion Oklahoma August/september

Action-packed bull riding followed by a high-energy country music concert, the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour during the Oklahoma State Fair is one incredible show! Go HOG WILD! These little oinkers run as fast as their pudgy legs can take ‘em, all to win a cookie waiting at the finish line.

Experience the ride of a lifetime aboard North America’s largest traveling Ferris Wheel. Thirty-six gondolas, holding up to six riders each, will reach a peak height of 155 feet allowing views up to 15 miles. Comprised of more than 500 pieces and over half a million LED lights, this 400,000 lb. spectacle will be the thing to do at the State Fair.

• Monday, September 17, at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. • Tuesday, September 18, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream start at just $15 and include an outside gate admission ticket to the Oklahoma State Fair when purchased by September 12, 2017. An additional outside gate admission ticket is required if event tickets are purchased after September 12, 2017. Outside gate admission tickets are priced at $12 for adults (ages 12+), $6 for children (ages 6-11), and free for children 5 & under. PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour & Concerts

Big & Rich will take to the stage after the bulls have stopped bucking at the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour & Concerts on Friday, September 21. This legendary country duo has performed for adoring fans all over the United States and more. As the writers of dozens of hits, these two are an act that can’t be missed. When the dust settles on Saturday night, Aaron Watson will be front and center. Watson has taken the country music scene by storm with his records, including The Underdog August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 41

Under a canopy of trees, colorful umbrellas and surrounded by a lush landscape, visitors will find the Patio to be a serene atmosphere complete with generous seating, great wine, beer and live entertainment.

which debuted on Billboard at number 1 and, most recently, Vaquero. After touring across the United States and Europe, with more than 2,500 shows performed, Watson will wrap up the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour & Concerts at the The bull riding action begins each night at 7:30 p.m. with concert following immediately: â&#x20AC;˘ Friday, September 21, 7:30 p.m. (featuring a musical performance by Big & Rich) Tickets to Big & Rich range from $25 to $38 â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, September 22, 7:30 p.m. (featuring a musical performance by Aaron Watson) Tickets to Aaron Watson range from $22 to $35 Tickets for the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour & Concerts include an outside gate admission

42 ion Oklahoma August/september

ticket to the Oklahoma State Fair when purchased by September 12, 2017. An additional outside gate admission ticket is required if event tickets are purchased after September 12, 2017. Outside gate admission tickets are priced at $12 for adults (ages 12+), $6 for children (ages 6-11), and free for children 5 & under. Tickets to the 2018 Oklahoma State Fair, including Disney On Ice, PRCA Xtreme Bulls, outside gate admission tickets and carnival armbands, go on sale Saturday, July 7 at 10 a.m. To stay up-todate on all the Fair fun, visit www.okstatefair.com. n

BUSINESS

Inaugural National Interview Day Termed Successful Event was hosted by Express Employment Professionals

he inaugural National interview Day, hosted by express employment professionals, drew job seekers to franchise ofﬁces across North America on Aug. 9 as the stafﬁng giant heads into one of the busiest times of the year for hiring.

page and hosted Facebook Live sessions featuring common interview etiquette questions. These included the art of a firm handshake, why it’s important to keep your cell phone out of sight during the interview, and how to answer the dreaded “What are your weaknesses?” question. Several offices also celebrated the day with drawings for prizes such as a Kindle Fire and gift cards, while others The event was conceptualized by Express as a new way to hosted barbeques or a beach party themed event, complete with light-up palm trees. One office in recruit and educate candidates in a Michigan even provided a free historically tight labor market. In training session on best practices for addition to the normal labor demands interviews. by client companies, hiring is ramping “I know for our office, just from our up for the fall as businesses head into National Interview Day interviews a period of increased seasonal alone, we are starting one associate recruiting needs. on Monday, we sent one associate “We encourage job seekers to walk that day out to a face-to-face into any of our offices every day and fill interview with a client, and we have out an application, but National another associate who will be Interview Day was a great kick-off for meeting with a client on Monday,” the upcoming hiring blitz,” said Bill said Emily Clark with the Lake City, Stoller, Express CEO. “Whether you are Florida, Express office. “What a new to the workforce or looking for a Bill Stoller Express CEO. success!” change, everyone can benefit from Stoller was pleased with the results, as well. interview tips and practice highlighted during this event.” “Our first National Interview Day was exciting and we were Applicants were encouraged to register online before the event to expedite the process and reserve a time to interview thrilled to see other companies in the industry follow our lead and embrace our efforts,” Stoller said. “We look forward with a recruiter. as the interview momentum from this day carries us toward To add to the excitement of the day, Express offices in Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Washington and even as far north our ultimate goal of putting a million people to work.” n as Ontario took over the Express Headquarters Facebook August/september ion Oklahoma 43

2018 SOONERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

2018 Oklahoma Sooners Football Schedule Date

Opponent

Time/TV

Saturday Sep. 1

Florida Atlantic Owls

Saturday Sep. 8

UCLA Bruins

Saturday Sep. 15

at Iowa State Cyclones

Saturday Sep. 22

Army Black Knights

6:00pm CT TV TBA

Saturday Sep. 29

Baylor Bears

Time TBA TV TBA

Saturday Oct. 6

Texas Longhorns

Time TBA FOX/FS1

Saturday Oct. 20

at TCU Horned Frogs

Time TBA TV TBA

Saturday Oct. 27

Kansas State Wildcats

Time TBA TV TBA

Saturday Nov. 3

at Texas Tech Red Raiders

Time TBA TV TBA

Saturday Nov. 10

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Time TBA TV TBA

Saturday Nov. 17

Kansas Jayhawks

Time TBA TV TBA

at West Virginia Mountaineers

7:00pm CT ESPN

Big 12 Championship Game

Time TBA TV TBA

Friday Nov. 23 Saturday Dec. 1

Gaylord Family OK Mem. Stadium, Norman, OK

Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA

Gaylord Family OK Mem. Stadium, Norman, OK

Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX

Gaylord Family OK Mem. Stadium, Norman, OK

Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX

Gaylord Family OK Mem. Stadium, Norman, OK

Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

44 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

11:00am CT FOX Noon CT FOX 11:00am CT ABC/ESPN/2/U

2018 COWBOYS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Location

Time

AUG 30

Missouri State

Stillwater, OK

7 p.m. CT

SEPT 8

South Alabama

Stillwater, OK

7 p.m. CT

SEPT 15

Boise State

Stillwater, OK

2:30 p.m. CT

SEPT 22

Texas Tech

Stillwater, OK

TBA

SEPT 29

Kansas

Lawrence, KS

TBA

OCT

Iowa State

Stillwater, OK

TBA

OCT 13

Kansas State

Manhattan, KS

TBA

OCT 27

Texas

Stillwater, OK

TBA

NOV 3

Baylor

Waco, TX

TBA

NOV 10

Oklahoma

Norman, OK

TBA

NOV 17

West Virginia

Stillwater, OK

TBA

NOV 24

TCU

Fort Worth, TX

TBA

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 45 August/september

2018-2019 BOLD = Home Game DATE

Oct. 16 Oct. 19 Oct. 21 Oct. 25 Oct. 28 Oct. 30 Nov. 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 5 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 10 Nov. 12 Nov. 14 Nov. 17 Nov. 19 Nov. 21 Nov. 23 Nov. 24 Nov. 28 Nov. 30 Dec. 3 Dec. 5 Dec. 7 Dec. 10 Dec. 12

46 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

OPPONENT

at Golden State at LA Sacramento Boston Phoenix LA at Charlotte at Washington New Orleans at Cleveland Houston at Dallas Phoenix New York at Phoenix at Sacramento at Golden State Charlotte Denver Cleveland Atlanta at Detroit at Brooklyn at Chicago Utah at New Orleans

TIME 9:30 9:30 6:00 7:00 6:00 7:00 6:00 7:00 7:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 7:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 9:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:00

BASKETBALL SCHEDULE DATE

Dec. 14 Dec. 15 Dec. 17

Dec. 19 Dec. 22 Dec. 23 Dec. 25 Dec. 28 Dec. 30 Dec. 31 Jan. 2 Jan. 4 Jan. 6 Jan. 8 Jan. 10 Jan. 12 Jan. 15 Jan. 17 Jan. 19 Jan. 21 Jan. 22 Jan. 24 Jan. 27 Jan. 29 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 5 Feb. 7 Feb. 9

OPPONENT

TIME

at Sacramento at Utah Minnesota at Houston at Phoenix at Dallas Dallas at Los Angeles at Portland Washington Minnesota at San Antonio San Antonio at Atlanta Los Angeles at Philadelphia at New York Portland New Orleans Milwaukee at Orlando at Miami at Boston Orlando Memphis at Houston

9:00 8:00 7:00 2:00 8:00 6:00 7:00 9:30 9:30 6:00 7:00 8:30 7:00 6:30 8:30 2:30 11:30 7:00 7:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 1:00 7:00 7:00 7:30

at Denver LA Chicago

9:00 8:00 7:00

DATE

Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 22 Feb. 23 Feb. 26 Feb. 28 Mar. 2 Mar. 3 Mar. 5 Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar. 11 Mar. 13 Mar. 14 Mar. 16 Mar. 18 Mar. 20 Mar. 22 Mar. 25 Mar. 27 Mar. 29 Mar. 31 Apr. 2 Apr. 5 Apr. 7 Apr. 9 Apr. 10

OPPONENT

Portland at New Orleans Utah Sacramento at Denver Philadelphia at San Antonio Memphis at Minnesota at Portland at LA at Utah Brooklyn at Indiana Golden State Miami Toronto at Toronto at Memphis Indiana Denver Dallas Los Angeles Detroit at Minnesota Houston at Milwaukee

TIME

7:00 7:00 8:30 7:00 19:30 8:30 7:30 6:00 7:00 9:30 9:30 8:00 7:00 6:00 7:30 7:00 8:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 2:30 7:00 7:00 2:30 8:30 7:00

Times listed are Central Standard Time (CST)

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 47

ART

The International Influence on Western Art Coming To America – Artists Share Their International Roots BY M.J. VAN DEVENTER

oes it matter where an artist grows up? How does their youth in a foreign country impact their art?

What happens when they move from their native country and discover the beauty of the great American West? Those were among questions artist Randal Dutra posed to three internationally known artists during a panel discussion at the 2018 Prix de West art show at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Kent Ullberg was born in 1945 and grew up in Sweden. Mian Situ, a native of China, grew up under the reign of Mao Tse Tung. Francois Koch is of South African heritage. Dutra grew up on California soil and ﬁrst earned fame for his animated portrayals of dinosaurs in Hollywood’s Jurassic Park movie series. That era of world history could well be considered a foreign country in itself. All the seminar needed for even more impact was to have Neil Diamond’s song, “Coming to America,” playing

Kent Ulberg and his 1998 sculpture, Ocean’s Cradle.

August/september ion Oklahoma 49

Artist Mian Situ and his painting, Blasting a Route for Central Pacific Sierra Navada Mountain

in the background. He wrote that as a tribute to his grandmother, who moved to the United States from Kiev, Russia, more than a century ago. The artistic trio proﬁled their journey from being a native of a foreign country to their journey to becoming a citizen of the United States. That song could well have been the musical theme song for their lively presentation. Ullberg, a Prix de West wildlife artist for 40 years, won the Prix de West Purchase Award in 1998. He grew up on a Swedish island and was always close to nature and the sea. His father was a plein air artist. He studied abstract impressionism and natural history at the Swedish University College of Art in Stockholm and later worked at museums in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Botswana, Africa as a taxidermist. That post inspired his love for sculpting animals, especially creatures of the sea. He emigrated to the United States as a guide for the Denver Museum of Art in the midst of the western cowboy 50 August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma

craze and has been an award- winning artist ever since, now residing in Corpus Christi, Texas. During the summer of 2017, the Carl Millesgarden Museum in Stockholm hosted a retrospective featuring 42 of Ullberg’s wildlife sculptures. He won the Prix de West Purchase Award in 1998 and has been a Prix de West artist for 40 years. He received the Carl Runguis Award from the National Museum of Wildlife Art, given to artists, authors and conservationists who have made signiﬁcant contributions to the interpretation and conservation of wildlife and its habitat. Situ spent his early years in southern China, painting portraits of Mao Tse Tung. At age 13, China’s Cultural Revolution changed his life and momentarily stopped his education. But, a book on the Italian art Renaissance inspired him. He would copy the paintings in that book for

Artist Randal Dutra and his oil on linen titled “Pebble Talk-Killdeer”

inspiration. He graduated from the Guangzhou Institute of Fine Arts, then worked as an art instructor for six years, earning less than $12 a month. Eventually, he moved to Canada, where he lived for 10 years and worked as a street artist, often painting 20-30 portraits a day. He emigrated to the United States in 1998. He continued as a street artist in Los Angeles and later studied at the Chicago Institute of Art. He had three mentors there who helped him build a foundation for an art career. During that time, Situ says, “I learned to always ask myself, ‘what is important?’ ” For him, the answer was always art. “I had freedom in the United States,” he remembers. “That was the hardest part of coming here. I was not used to freedom. In China our professions were chosen for us.” Howard Terpening, a two-time Prix de West Purchase Award winner, opened doors for Situ, arranging for him to participate in the most prestigious art shows in the country, where Situ consistently won top awards. This year he won the largest art prize of all in western art – the National Cowboy Museum’s Prix de West Purchase Award.

His subject? An oft-forgotten piece of Western American history – Chinese immigrants blasting a route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains for the Central Pacific Railroad in 1855. Upon receiving the prestigious honor, Situ profusely thanked his wife, in his broken English, for her steadfast support of his career. A beautiful petite Oriental woman, she was also the exquisite model for two of Situ’s other paintings in the show: Magnolia Blossom and In Pink, both large oil on canvas paintings that flanked both sides of the Chinese immigrant workers in the gallery exhibition. Koch grew up in South Africa and studied art at the Johannesburg School of Art. Born in 1944, he worked as an illustrator for a while but became frustrated with that field and, in 1974, turned his attention to fine art as a painter of landscapes and wildlife, especially the leaves, water buffalo and elephants of his native country. For the next 22 years, Koch worked to establish himself as one of the most renowned landscape and wildlife artists in South Africa. He enjoyed numerous commissions and soldout one-man shows. However, America beckoned. He first came to the United States in 1996 on a scouting tour to explore the art scene. He returned in 1998 and in 2000 had his first one-man show at Settlers West Gallery in Tucson, Arizona. The show sold August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 51

Days of Gold, a painting by Francois Koch

out before the opening night doors ever opened. The same response happened in 2002 and 2004 at Settlers West, a premier Western art gallery. He was mesmerized by the western landscape he ﬁrst experienced in Tucson. “It appealed to me. I now prefer the dryness of Montana and Wyoming,” he recalls. “It was all new to me. I had to adapt to the bright colors. I fell in love with the landscape.” His big break in Western Art came from meeting the artists of the “Tucson Seven,” an early band of western artists who loved to explore and paint the western landscape together. Among those artists were Prix de West painters and sculptors, George Carlson, Ned Jacob, Ken Bunn, Bob Kuhn and Hollis Williford. They all encouraged his talent. “They gave me the courage to jump off the ship – to learn about the heritage of the West,” Koch said. “I realized here I could do my dream. People were so open and I fell in love with the West. The adjustment was so easy, although I had to adjust to the bright colors, John Clymer.” Now, he is an American citizen, lives in Georgetown, Texas and has been a Prix de West artist for 13 years. “I’m the most grateful American you will ever meet,” Koch noted. 52 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

While Mian Situ was the only Chinese artist on the stage for this seminar, three other Oriental artists were included in the 2018 art show – Kang Cho, Z. S. Liang and Benjamin Wu. However, they couldn’t claim being among the first Orientals to be tapped for inclusion in this nationally known art venue. The late Chen Chi had that lone distinction for almost a decade in the 1990s. His paintings not only reflected the landscape of his native China, but his adopted home in New York City. He arrived in New York in 1947. An art critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote, “It would be easy to call him a Chinese impressionist. But his lushly colorful and atmospheric scenes defy easy explanation. Within the framework of an identifiable style and use of incidental figures, the mood changes vastly as he adapts to a different locale or time of day. He is often hailed as a bridge between eastern and western culture through painting.” What these American transplants bring to their art is an enormous appreciation, not only for their freedom to express themselves through art, but a true love of the American West’s history, landscape and people. n

ART

Artist’s Travelogue Highlights His Heroes BY M. J.VAN DEVENTER

ward-winning artist Andrew peters took his audience on an informal tour of famous paintings, artists and the places they painted when he presented a seminar at the recent prix de West invitational at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage museum. His mission was not only to take his audience on an artist’s world travels, but also to show art enthusiasts how to look at a painting and consider the subtle techniques artists use to draw people into a work of art. For his large audience, it was like a whirlwind trip to some of art history’s most famous paintings in some of the most exotic settings in the world. He began his lecture with John Singer Sargent’s 1912 painting, “Two Girls Fishing.” At first glance, it seems an innocent, pastoral painting. Two young sisters, Rose and Violet Ormand, delicate beauties wearing hats and holding fishing poles, are sitting side by side near a small stream of swirling water on a bright sunny day. A large bowl is behind them, just waiting for their first catch. But a great raft of river debris intrudes on the painting’s gentle first impression. “Look at Violet,” Peters urged, “She’s in the painting’s foreground, giving her more importance. She is also more intense than her sister. She really wants to catch a fish and be the first to do so.” Aha! The viewer has discovered friction and competition between the painting’s characters. The painting becomes instantly more compelling.

Andrew Peters

Peters urged not only looking at the obvious structure of a painting – a pyramid shape in this work of art – but searching for the contrasts in color, shape and placement of ﬁgures in the painting. Look for possible emotional conﬂict within a painting, whether it’s people, animals or nature. Study the color hues for shading and dark or light tones. Look at the landscape from the ground to the sky. Find the painting’s major light source. In other words, be observant. Don’t just give a work of art a cursory glance and move on. Study it, peer into the August/september ion Oklahoma 53

Wildland Nativity by Andrew Peters

painting and savor its many elements. —————— With that advice for his audience to consider, Peters began his fascinating travelogue gleaned through his many years as an award-winning artist. As a youth, Peters’ mother arranged for private painting lessons for him at the Joslyn Art Gallery in Omaha, Nebraska. His early mentor in ecology was James Malkowski at a Nebraska nature center. His bachelor’s degree is in wildlife biology from Iowa State University. After graduating, he began his career as a freelance artist painting birds for galleries and commissions. Then travel beckoned. On the home front, Peters studied the work of the “Taos Ten,” a group of ragtag artists, many of whom had been Bohemians in Paris. Several of them

just happened to be on a mountain road headed from Denver to Taos when a wagon wheel broke. They found Taos so rustic and inspiring they spent the rest of their lives there, painting the Native Americans at the Taos Pueblo and the majestic scenery of northern New Mexico. The names of those artists are now legendary in the annals of southwestern American art – Joseph Sharp, Victor Higgins, Bert Phillips, E. Martin Hemmings and others. The National Cowboy Museum has a gallery dedicated to the art of the Taos Ten. Trips to Taos eventually led Peters to live in Santa Fe for a while and experience the multi-cultural art spirit of New Mexico’s capital city. With so many compelling views to paint there, he focused on honing his skills as a landscape painter during that time.

54 ion Oklahoma August/september

Peters followed a trail to Morocco and found that country’s exotic textures and landscape similar to the sun-drenched melting pot culture of Santa Fe. The sunlight and shadows he found in Morocco were similar to those he discovered while painting the old farmhouses of New Mexico. “The trick was to learn how to paint my subjects in full sunlight,” he says. When Peters discovered the wildlife art of Carl Rungius, he followed that artist’s path through the Canadian Rockies. He visited the Wind River Mountain Range where Rungius captured the impressive terrain on canvas. “I saw where he lived and painted, especially Lake O’Hara and the Alpine Lake,” Peters noted. Inspired by the art of the Russian impressionistic artist, Isaac Levitan, Peters traveled to the Carpathian Mountains in the Ukraine. “I slept where darkness catches you,” he said. “I painted houses and taught lessons there about light and shadow.” He returned close to his youthful roots in Montana, where Karl Bodmer painted cranes, parakeets and endangered species at the mouth of the Platte River in 1833.

“I painted acrylic trumpeter swans there in 1967,” Peters recalled. One of Peters’ paintings in the 2018 Prix de West show was titled “Wildland Nativity” and featured two trumpeter cyngets, their mother and the cob patrolling to protect them from predators. Peters’ fascination with Bodmer continued through his early years as an artist. He was impressed with that artist’s paintings of the Blackfeet Indians at Fort McKenzie in 1833. “He painted them one by one. I was so impressed with his sensitivity to the Blackfeet, and his ability to hone his craft under stress because the Blackfeet had been at odds with white men for three decades,” Peters noted. Peters also was intrigued with the paintings Bodmer did of the Mandan Indians, a tribe wiped out by a smallpox epidemic. “He gave us a priceless view of a bygone culture. He was the quintessential artist – He was brave, productive and gifted,” Peters noted. While touring Central and South America, surveying his painting subjects in their primitive homes and indigenous clothing, Peters realized, “I was becoming Karl Bodmer. Traveling around Africa for most of a year, painting native tribes there, I wanted to see how Bodmer did it. I learned emulating your hero is very ticklish work.” Today, Peters considers Prix de West artists Tucker Smith and Ralph Oberg as his friends and mentors. Peters and Smith share a special bond. Both have won the Prix de West Purchase Award – Smith in 1990 and Peters in 2015. That honor deﬁnitely creates a lifetime bond among the participating artists. Peters says, “Winning the Prix de West Award was the greatest honor of my career.” n

Pheasant Season - above Height of Summer-below by Andrew Peters

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 55

•

Access to the best in-home WiFi experience—including hassle-free setup and support

•

Over 250,000 WiFi hotspots when you travel

•

Free Security Software protects your computer from viruses and spyware (a $169 value)

600-7647 COX.COM/INTERNET

COX SOLUTIONS STORE®

*Max download speeds are increasing to 50Mbps for Preferred and 100Mbps for Premier. See cox.com for speed availability in your local area. Speed comparison based on max download speed of Cox Preferred package (50Mbps download) vs. AT&T U-verse Pro 3 Mbps service. Offer expires 9/30/14 and is available to new residential Internet customers in Cox service areas. $19.99/month includes Cox High Speed Internet Essential when customer newly subscribes to both Cox High Speed Internet Essential and Cox Advanced TV or higher. Total bundle rate varies by market. After 12 months, bundle rate increases by $20/month for months 13-24. Regular rates apply thereafter. See www.cox.com. 2-year service agreement required. Early termination fees may apply. Additional Internet packages are available and may be required for access to all advertised features. WiFi network access available to residential customers with Cox Internet Preferred or higher service at hotspots in select locations outside of Cox service areas. See cox.com/hotspots for available coverage areas and hotspots. Equipment fees, installation charges, taxes, fees and surcharges additional. Not all services and features available everywhere. A credit check and/or deposit may be required. Offer not combinable with other offers. Equipment required. Uninterrupted or error free service not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary. Other restrictions may apply. ©2014 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

PHOTO ESSAY

One Woman’s Work Photography by Karen Swift “My Dad gave me the photography bug when I was very young. He was a gunner/photographer during WWII, and we always had cameras in our house,” says Karen Swift. During her professional career she managed her own ﬁlm production company and served as VP Creative Director of the sales promotion agency she founded in Chicago, Illinois. Today she captures images from around the world. Her work has been selected from over 500 entries for exhibition in the juried photography competition, Camera USA and her photography has been exhibited at the Naples Art Association Gallery. Commercial images hang in various businesses and homes from Minnesota to Florida. She serves on the Steering Committee for the Pelican Bay Photo Guild in Naples, Florida where she currently resides. You can see more of Karen’s work in her National Geographic gallery on line at yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/287925 Clockwise from top: Aspen, the largest living thing in the world! Every aspen you see is part of the same genetic individual. Natural beauty is all around when you hike the wilderness trails in Colorado. Bucking broncos are part of the weekly Snowmass rodeo and barbecue. August/september ion Oklahoma 57

Clockwise from top: Redstone, once a booming coalmining town, now boasts a population of 130. Step inside the General Store in the Historic District and go back in time. The mountains and sky are reflected in the cool lake waters, which host a family of beavers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their lodge in the lower left corner of the photo. The llamas make a special appearance at the Saturday Market in Aspen, center right. The Ballet Folklorico dancers spin along the parade route wearing costumes that reflect the traditional culture of Mexico. Poppies flourish in a garden.

Clockwise from top: Children cool off in the Dancing Water fountain in Aspen, the world’s first computerized fountain. Thirsty dogs are welcome here too. Paved trails stretch from Snowmass Village and Aspen to Carbondale and beyond. Cyclists and hikers yield the right-of-way to wildlife. Woody Creek Tavern is a popular lunch spot where “It’s not who you are that’s important, it’s how you conduct yourself.” The interior walls are covered and layered with photos of their patrons since 1980.

Clockwise from above: Riders with US flags are always part of the Aspen Independence Day parade. Posters on the town bulletin board offer a chance to learn the history of Aspen. Columbines are the state flower of Colorado and grow wild in abundance around Aspen.

Clockwise from top: Hiking trails through the forest are threaded with rushing streams. Pink cowboy hats, a red tutu and red boots are the outfits of choice for the girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first rodeo. Markets all around feature locally made crafts, locally grown produce, music and an abundance of good will. Inside The Hotel Jerome visitors are immersed in the history of Aspen. The Jerome was built as a private home in 1889 during the peak of the silver mining boom. Children wave flags at the old fashion Independence Day parade where local residents and visitors come together in celebration of the red, white and blue.

ART

AUTUMN POP-UP ART SHOW BY DORIAN QUILLEN

n art show featuring contemporary lighting provides an ideal background for the exhibition, according to Suzanne Mears, one of the featured artists. abstract art by four well-known “The gallery is really, really cool,” local artists will be Mears said. “It could be anywhere in showcased next the world, it’s so chic,” she said. month at the Nault Fine Art The show’s name is as trendy as the gallery in midtown art gallery. Oklahoma City. “The Pop-Ups are when, all of the Autumn Pop-Up, a show exhibiting new sudden, for no expected reason, work from the studios of Anthony Dyke, something really fantastic happens,” Susan Morrison-Dyke, Suzanne Mears Mears said. and Christie Owen will open with a Mears will be joined by artists reception from 6-9 pm on Friday, Sept. Anthony Dyke, Susan Morrison-Dyke and 14 and will offer a combination of tactile Susan Morrison - “Rosy Tinted Studio” Christie Owens. and visceral paintings that display the “The four of us got together and decided we were going to kindred spirits of the artists and their love for the physical take over the gallery and host an incredible show, so that’s act of painting. what we are doing,” Mears said. The opening reception is free and open to the public and All four artists show their work and have collectors across visitors will be able to meet the artists and enjoy the United States. While each has worked in a variety of refreshments from Vanessa House Brewing Co. and live mediums, the show will feature paintings only. music by jazz musician Josh Fudge. “The paintings of the work in our show are contemporary The venue itself has loft-like ceilings and the natural

Christie Owen

Susan Morrison-Dyke

62 ion Oklahoma August/september

Anthony Dyke

Suzanne Mears

Suzanne Mears “Blue Soliloquy”

abstract,” Mears said. “The thing with abstract is that it involves the viewer. We’re not saying, ‘this is a tree,’ you have to appreciate that this is a tree,” Mears said. “We’re suggesting colors and mood and we’re saying now you can decide the story for yourself,” she said. “We’re all contemporary, colorful, bold and big,” Mears said. Mears has been an artist for 40 years and her work includes kiln formed glass, ceramic, collage, watercolor and some steel. Her work is exuberant and optimistic, and she has created a series of paintings speciﬁcally for the Autumn Pop-Up show that are colorful and fun. “My work is happy and that’s my message,” she said. “If my work makes you feel good and makes you happy when you look at it, that’s what I want.” While Mears’ work is organic and doesn’t adhere to structured lines, the

other three artists bring different styles to the show. Christie Owen’s art features a minimalist approach where texture and light become the subjects. Her paintings use a variety of techniques and applications to invite the viewer to notice organic surface qualities within quiet compositions. Anthony Dyke is an artist who draws

inspiration from interior spaces and his urban surroundings. He manipulates images that are often reduced to shapes and areas of color through an intuitive process. Susan Morrison-Dyke’s colorful works are constructed with ﬁgurative and narrative content. Morrison ﬁnds inspiration in the spiritual geometry of ancient art, the reductive design and abstraction of mid-century modern and the fresh inventiveness of cubism. The artists are excited to display their work together at the “Autumn Pop-Up” show. “We all know each other, like each other and we’re very excited about the show,” Mears said. Nault Gallery is located at 816 N. Walker Ave. in Oklahoma City. Autumn Pop-Up opens Sept. 14 and closes November 9. Visitors can view the show Tuesday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit naultfineart.com or call 405-642-4414.

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 63

PEOPLE

Tulsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great

64 ion Oklahoma August/september

Raft Race ‘It’s like a floating art show’ BY GARLAND C. MCWATTERS

he 2018 tulsa great raft race on Labor Day will be a gateway event to a 100-day long celebration to open a new city park called the gathering place on the eastern shore of the Arkansas river. The two are separate, but complimentary events, which is exactly what Tulsa Raft Race executive director Seth Erkenbeck hoped could happen when he suggested to the Tulsa Young Professionals in 2012 that they get up a group

Seth Erkenbeck

of 50 to 100 TYPROS members to canoe across the river for a happy hour at the Blue Rose Café. Erkenbeck claims all he wanted to do was call attention to the recreational possibilities associated with the river if developed. Erkenbeck did not know at the time there had ever been a Labor Day great raft race between 1973 and 1991 that attracted thousands of participants and tens of thousands spectators lining the river banks from Sand Springs to downtown Tulsa. TYPROS executive director at the time, Brian Paschal, remembered attending the event as a child, and the vision to revive the race took off. The only problem was the lack of consistent water ﬂow in the river due to the Keystone Dam. “It took us a couple of years before we talked to the right people so we could solidify an agreement with Public Service Company of Oklahoma, who has the power plant on the river, Southwestern Power, and the Corp of Engineers. So there was a lot of back channels.” Once the water issue was settled, the race to have the ﬁrst race was on with less than 120 days to plan and execute it. “We had a lot of people tells us to wait a year. There was going to be a Vision [2025] package vote in 2016. We thought if we could get 1,000 people on the river and 10,000 to see the show, that would paint a picture for the public.” August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 65

The 2016 race was an unqualiﬁed success, and the Vision 2025 package passed overwhelmingly in the spring. The Gathering Place project received $4.5 million of Vision funds to help with its overall $350 million price tag. Erkenbeck predicts the Great Raft Race will continue to grow. His enthusiasm for the quality of life possibilities along the Arkansas River is contagious. “It’s almost like a new playground for Tulsa. We have River Parks Trail system for running and Tulsa Kayak biking. We have Turkey Mountain. We’re going to have the Gathering Place. The river is going to going to go.” be a fourth playground. People are going to be able to do Erkenbeck also is president of the TYPROS Foundation that new activities that we have not been able to do in Tulsa.” provides strategic funding to projects that, “engage young The Great Raft Race is a family event that ends with a Tulsans in placemaking, innovation and community celebration in River West Festival Park, 2105 S. Jackson engagement.” Avenue from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Labor Day, with many To register a raft and crew, or to register to ﬂoat on a family oriented activities. rented raft, go to The Tulsa Great Raft Race While Erkenbeck gets much of the individual credit as tulsaraftrace.com/registration.html executive director of the Tulsa Great Raft Race, he is quick For information about the opening of The Gather Place, see to credit his friends and the many volunteers who co-created www.gatheringplace.org the modern rendition. Listen to Seth Erkenbeck’s story on The Spirit of Leading “It takes a village 100 percent. [You] never know the value Podcast, www.inpoweredtolead.com/046-the-tulsa-greatof a contact until it’s made. Bringing people together who raft-race-revived-seth-erkenbeck/ are like-minded and motivated. You never know where it’s Waterfight !!!

66 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

Tulsa skyline over Arkansas River.

ENTERTAINMENT

MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS September in the Gardens means full slate of fun, educational events

Full Moon Rike Ride. Photo by Doug Hoke.

he temperatures may be falling but myriad botanical gardens is gearing up for a september packed with activities that feature beautiful butterflies, a mariachi band and the music of a national touring artist who is making a stop for a free concert on the grounds. Follow the incredible journey of the monarch butterfly as we feature the award-winning documentary Flight of the Butterflies on The Devon Lawn on Sept. 6. The seasonal 68 ion Oklahoma August/september

plaza will be the site of a Latin Foodie and Mariachi Fest on Sept. 14 and we will cap off the month with the Gardens’ signature concert Sept. 29 featuring rising star Parker Millsap, a Purcell native who has had a string of successes in recent years including his performance with Elton John at the Apple Music Festival in London, an Austin City Limits taping and an Americana Music Association nomination for Album of the Year. And did someone say “Pumpkinville?” October is fast approaching and we’ve already got Pumpkinville mapped

out with plenty of fun fall activities. The Children’s Garden will be transformed into a New England Pumpkin Town destined to be wicked awesome. For more information or to registration for events visit myriadgardens.org.

EVENTS

u Thursday, September 6, 6-9pm u The Devon Lawn u FREE All ages welcome Educational and entertaining, this movie showing includes fun before the movie starts - how to plant and maintain a pollinator garden to attract butterflies to your yard, kids’ crafts, face painting, food trucks and more. Visit the various booths and then settle in to watch a screening of the Flight of the Butterflies and see that the monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. Follow the monarch’s perilous journey and experience millions of them in the remote mountain peaks of Mexico.

Foodie Friday Latin Food and Mariachi Fest

Yoga in the Park Photo by Lisa Woodard

Yoga in the Gardens Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union and Stephenson Cancer Center u Give-away sponsor Athleta u Tuesdays, 5:45pm u Instructed by This Land Yoga u Tuesdays, 5:45pm. Late arrivals not accepted after 5:50pm u Members $5; Nonmembers $10 u Check-in at the north lobby to receive your wrist band u Must be 16 and older This is an all-levels class led by Lisa Woodward from This Land Yoga. Class participants should bring a yoga mat and water. Meet in the south lobby for check-in each week. Drop in for a session or two or enjoy the entire series.

Flight of the Butterflies Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union u Partners include Okies for Monarchs and The Oklahoma Nature Conservancy

u Friday, September 14, 7-11pm u Presented with help from Tango PR u Seasonal Plaza and Park House Event Center u Music and outdoor activities FREE u VIP Area inside the Park House Event Center Member: $40, Nonmember: $45, Ages 21 & Up u Register online at myriadgardens.org Come enjoy a FREE mariachi concert under the stars as we kick off Hispanic Heritage month at the Gardens. Visit our food trucks onsite or enjoy a savory snack from Pitchfork in the Park. We will have lawn games and beverages for purchase from Double Shot Bar Services. Take it up a notch with a VIP ticket, guests will have access to the Park House Event Center that will include: a private bar, tequila and food samples from some of the best Hispanic restaurants in OKC.

Myriad Gardens Signature Concert featuring Parker Millsap Sponsored by Ad Astra Foundation u The Devon Lawn and Band Shell u Saturday, September 29 u Chase Kerby and the Villains 7:30 p.m. u Headliner Park Millsap 9 p.m. u FREE, All ages welcome u VIP Tickets $35: receive one drink ticket and appetizers at August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 69

our cocktail hour in the Meinders Terrace and front row reserved area seating for the concert as well as an individual motorized fan. u Purchase VIP tickets online at myriadgardens.org Join us for a music ﬁlled night under the stars beginning at 7:30 p.m. on The Devon Lawn! The evening will kick off with Chase Kerby and the Villains, an Indie, Americana, Rock band based out of Oklahoma. At 9 p.m. our headliner, Parker Millsap, will perform. At 25 years of age, Oklahoma native Parker Millsap is quickly making a name for himself with his captivating live performances, soulful sound and character-driven narratives. He’s had a string of highlights in recent years including his network television debut on Conan, a performance with Elton John at the Apple Music Festival in London, an Austin City Limits taping and an Americana Music Association nomination for Album of the Year. He has also received praise from The New York Times, The Boston Globe, LA Times, Austin Chronicle and Rolling Stone to name a few.

will enjoy creating a small craft after the story. For groups of 10 or more please call Kodi Clifford at (405)-835-6789.

Sprouting Chefs: Pinwheels with Pizzazz

u Saturday, September 8, 11am-12:30pm u Member $12; Nonmember $15 u Best for ages 8 to 12 u Register online at myriadgardens.org In this family cooking class, we’ll learn about pinwheels some basic recipes and then how you can get creative with them, combining your favorite ﬂavors or using what you have in your pantry. We’ll practice preparing fresh vegetables and fruits, rolling up 3 different creations and then enjoying them.

CHILDREN

Evening Bug Hunt

Reading Wednesdays

u Wednesdays, 10am u Children’s Garden Porch (or north lobby in case of inclement weather) u FREE Best for ages 2 to 5 Bring your youngster for story time each Wednesday at 10am. Books are nature-themed and selected based on the season. We’ll begin with an interactive song and children 70 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

u Friday, September 14, 6:30-7:30pm u Member $6; Nonmember $7 u Best for ages 6 to 11 u Register online at myriadgardens.org Come learn about the ﬂying, crawling and creeping creatures that come out at night in the Gardens. We’ll start by learning about what types of bugs like the dark, gather our bug hunting equipment and then go exploring. We’ll learn how to take care of our friendly bug neighbors and create a craft to take home.

Family Workshop: Mushrooms and Gnomes in the Gardens u Saturday, September 15, 1-2pm

u Member $6; Nonmember $8 u Best for ages 6 to 10 u Register online at myriadgardens.org Learn all about mushrooms in this crafty and hands-on class. We’ll learn about the basic types of mushrooms and where they grow. Then we’ll ﬁnish by making mushrooms and gnomes out of recycled materials, making a little scene to take home and display in a garden or window. If the weather is right, we’ll also go on a mushroom hunt.

ADULTS Myriad Kitchen: Organic Vegetables Saturday, September 8, 1-3pm Member $18; Nonmember $25 Pam Patty, RD/LD, Community Wellness Dietician for Integris Health Register online at myriadgardens.org This demonstration class will showcase seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, corn, squash, cabbage, mushrooms, and root vegetables). Participants will sample recipes by Pam Patty, Community Wellness Dietician for Integris Health, as she prepares succulent, mouthwatering dishes featuring organic vegetables. Pam will also share essential tips for wellness, plant-based diets, and sustainable living.

Fall Fairy Fashion

u Saturday, September 22, 10-11am u Member $4; Nonmember $5 u Best for ages 5 to 9 u Register online at myriadgardens.org Fairies are known for their great style, and fall fairies are especially colorful! Join us on the Autumn Equinox as we create our very own fall fairies from natural materials. We will read a fairy book for fashion inspiration, then head out for a walk around the Children’s Garden to collect materials to create our fabulous fairies. Costumes welcome!

Water Marbling Workshop

u Thursday, September 13, 6-8pm u Member $20; Nonmember $25 u Kanuni Yilmaz, Principal, Dove Science Academy u Register online at myriadgardens.org This ancient practice teaches patience, balance and harmony. All materials are natural and organic: seaweed, branches of rose, horsehair brushes, ox gall liquid, water, and paints. In Ebru, each painting is as unique as the human creating the art is. Disposable aprons will be provided to shield clothes as you create personalized works.

Growing Your Fall Garden

u Thursday, September 20, 6-8pm u Member $10; Nonmember $12 August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 71

u Dale Spoonemore, From Seed to Spoon u Register online at myriadgardens.org In this class, From Seed to Spoon creator, Dale Spoonemore will guide you in growing the highest quality produce in cooler temperatures. He will also demonstrate helpful techniques in growing and harvesting a backyard garden with ease. Once you begin to immerse yourself in the joys of autumn gardening, you may extend your growing season every year.

PUBLIC EVENTS BEING HELD AT THE MYRIAD GARDENS

Harvesting and Preserving Herbs

u Sat, September 22, 10am-Noon u Member $14; Nonmember $19 u Lori Coats, My Raggedy Herbs u Register online at myriadgardens.org Have you ever planted a few herbs and then wondered what to do with them after they matured? Join Lori Coats, Backyard Kitchen Gardener and owner of My Raggedy Herbs, and learn how stress-free it is to harvest and preserve your bounty. No more wasting your precious produce! Discover fun tips and useful techniques for drying, freezing and utilizing the herbs that you have grown.

Gardens Walking Tour

u Last Saturday of the Month, 10-11am u Meet in the North Lobby and Walk the Garden Grounds u FREE u Walkups Welcome u Geared towards adults, children and leashed dogs always welcome Expand your knowledge of Oklahoma plants and ﬁnd inspiration for your own garden with our educational walking tours. Each month will feature different plants from our outdoor collection that make great choices for our region – from spring color to drought tolerant choices and more. Selfguided plant tour handouts are available in our north lobby.

VegFestOKC

u September 8, 9am-5pm u The Devon Lawn u vegfestokc.com

Hamlet

u September 14-30, 8pm (Thursdays-Saturdays) u Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park u Water Stage u oklahomashakespeare.com

Wiggle Out Loud

u September 17, 11am-6pm u The Devon Lawn/Bandshell u wiggleoutloud.com

October = Pumpkinville!

u Seventh Annual Pumpkinville is Friday, October 5 through Sunday, October 22

72 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

Pumpkinville Sensory Night

One of the most treasured fall traditions in Oklahoma City – Pumpkinville presented by OGE Energy Corp. – will be October 5-22, 2018 at Myriad Botanical Gardens. The popular Children’s Garden will be transformed into a New England-themed Pumpkin Town that will feature thousands of pumpkins, hundreds of gourds, a variety of fall foliage and tons of fun activities. More than 16,000 pumpkins ﬁll the Children’s Garden along with imaginative displays, creative crafts and fun games that celebrated the fall season. Visitors can enjoy riding the Pumpkinville Express Train on Saturday’s and Sunday’s, Paint-A-Pumpkin, ride the Carousel at the Myriad Gardens, enjoy harvest themed vendors and other activities that were held onsite as part of our festivities. AS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, Myriad Gardens Foundation depends on the generosity of visitors and friends to maintain the Gardens and to fund the 400-plus events held at the Gardens each year for all of the community to enjoy. Pumpkinville is a prime fundraising event with all proceeds beneﬁtting the operations of the Gardens. Pumpkinville visitors are encouraged to purchase a family membership for $65 which entitles up to eight members of the same household to enter Pumpkinville, plus year-round free admission to the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory and more. Join online at myriadgardens.org.

u Children’s Garden u Friday, October 5, 6-7:30 p.m. u Myriad Gardens Members $10 per participant, adults FREE u Non-Members $12 per participant, adults FREE u Register online at myriadgardens.org An event tailored for families with children with special needs, join us inside Pumpkinville for an evening of fall festivities! This event provides a more controlled and welcoming environment to experience our fall festival. No loud music and smaller crowds. Siblings are welcome! We will have festive booths, crafts and activities for everyone to enjoy. A light snack will be provided for registered participants. Registered guests that need handicap accessible parking should contact Rebekah Wade at rwade@myriadgardens.org.

Spooky Pooch Parade Sponsored by Midtown Vets u The Devon Lawn u Sunday, October 21, 2-3:30 p.m. u $10 per member dog u $12 per non-member dog u Register online at myriadgardens.org Help us wind down the fall season by joining us for our Spooky Pooch Parade on The Devon Lawn. Enjoy spooky music by DJ Brian Smith, booths and fun for the entire family. The event will kick off with a performance from the OKC Disc Dogs, followed by our parade of pooches. Special guest judges will present prizes to the best and most creatively dressed pooches! You don’t have to register a dog to take part in the fun or even have a dog. Bring the family and be an observer and visit Pumpkinville. n

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 73

Great Summing Up of Life “ATTITUDE” BY GWEN FAULCONER-LIPPERT

Coincidence or Not??? If A b C D e F g H i J K L m N O p Q r s t u V W X Y Z

Equals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then

K+N+O+W+L+e+D+g+e 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

H+A+r+D+W+O+r+K 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 98% both are important, but fall just short of 100%.

But

A+t+t+i+t+u+D+e 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100% 74 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

The Bestselling Book by Kent Frates

Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases Six cases that remain the talk of the courtroom Oklahoma has had more than its share of sensational legal battles with national ramifications, but for the first time in one volume, attorney/historian Kent Frates reveals the facts behind six cases that helped shape the history of the state—and the nation. From bloody murders, to political scandal, to the horrific act of domestic terrorism known as the Oklahoma City Bombing, OKLAHOMA’S MOST NOTORIOUS CASES captures the stories, the times, and the import of these landmark trials.

Read the book that inspired the serial podcast We Will Always Remember (RealMysteries.us | weekly Feb. 12 to April 23) www.

Order now by visiting

OkMostNotoriousCases.com

or calling toll free 877.536.7634

Only

$24 Includes 16 pages of historic photos!

available at Full Circle Bookstore, OKC Best of Books, Edmond The Bookseller, Ardmore The Book Place, Broken Arrow and Barnes & Noble

ART

World’s Largest Folk Art Festival Celebrated its 15th Year BY DON SWIFT

n several occasions every year the streets and sidewalks in santa Fe come alive with thousands of art and culture lovers from across the nation and around the world.

July 2018 was one of those special occasions with record crowds traveling to Santa Fe. The 2018 International Folk Art Market (IFAM) featured 162 folk artists from 53 countries who shared their cherished craft traditions, art, and fashions with more than 22,000 market attendees. Collectively, these creators of textiles, jewelry, beadwork, basketry, sculpture, ceramics, rugs, metal work, clothing, home accessories and more showcase many unique and colorful hand-made items from their culture. The “ART + IMPACT” brand was created and adopted in 2018 to best describe many of the market experiences and successes. 76 ion Oklahoma August/september

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 77

Over the years the IFAM storyline has been outstanding. For example, hosting a total of 1,000 artists from 98 countries, generating $28 million from artist sales (with 90 percent going to the artists), attracting 233,000 potential customers, and an estimated economic impact of $142 million are all notable highlights from this event. Clare Hertel, one of the marketing and communications specialists with the IFAM stated in early July 2018, “We are featuring 150 Master Artists and 30 Folk Artists from over 50 countries and Nobel Peace Prize-Winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus as our Honorary Chair” and “with the projected record attendance there will be free Parkand-Ride Services throughout all of Santa Fe to and from the market every day.” “Innovation Inspirations” returned to the 2018 Market after a successful debut a year earlier. This Market Initiative celebrates and encourages artists who are actively promoting within their

78 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 79

communities their folk-art traditions, personal expressions, and fresh perspectives. Santa Fe is the perfect model partner to host this type of festival. It is a city rich in its own history, culture and craft traditions. Santa Feâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vitality as an arts and cultural destination provides an unbelievable volunteer base of more than 6,700 individuals not only from Santa Fe but throughout New Mexico. The large number of volunteers is a requirement for this large event to be successful over a three-day weekend every July. The International Folk Art Market Santa Fe is a unique one-of-a-kind festival I can recommend and has something to enjoy for the whole family. I have placed this festival on my special event calendar for July 2019.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW for July 12,13, & 14, 2019 n

80 August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 81

RECO RECOGNITION OGNITI = RETENTION Nominate a young oung professional you know that is deser ving recognition. Just go to

under un der

nextgenunder30.com

oklahoma oklahoma

DO YOU KNOW

OVER-ACHIEVERS/UNDER OVER-ACHIEVERS/ -ACHIEVERS/UNDER UNDER 30

doing amazing things in Oklahoma. The he next generation of leaders in Oklahoma will be recognized at the Eighth Annual NextGen Under 30 Oklahoma awards. Nominate innovative, creative-thinking and inspiring young individuals who push the boundaries aries beyond their years. ears. TTo o nominate a candidate, cand d go to nextgenunder30.com All nominees must be 30 years or younger at sometime during 2018. Applications must be submitted by Fridayy, August 1, 1 2018. Award winners will be notified on September 7, 2018 and recognized at the NextGen Award Ceremony Friday November 2, 2018 Embassy Suites Hotel Norman.

A state-wide event, with talented, high-achieving Millennials nominated in 15 categories ories as Oklahoma’’ss best and brightest hope for the future These high achievers are nominated by members of their communities. Distinguished judges select 15 winners in each category. Day At The Capitol Monday October 1, 2018 10:30 – 12:00 NextGen Networking Luncheon 1:00 – 3:00

oOK on n OK magazine i

ion Oklahoma Magazine 20 W. Wilshire Blvd Ste F2 Oklahoma City OK 73116 Office: (405) 607.0930 (405) 816.3338

ART

Anderson Ranch is a premier destination in America for art making and a catalyst for critical dialogue in the contemporary art world.

ART

Experience Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village BY LAURA WAGGONER

very summer during the past 51 years this ďŹ ve-acre campus comes alive with art students from all across the nation. they come to attend special creative workshops. Anderson Ranch has a long history of providing students with a variety of fully equipped studios, a world-renowned faculty, and the opportunity to develop and grow their artistic talents. Students meet on campus over meals, in the library, and at lectures and stimulating talks several times a week. Nancy Wilhelms, Executive Director of Anderson Ranch, shares â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of us have an inner artist and artistic intelligence just waiting to be developed and tapped.â&#x20AC;? Anderson Ranch is a premier destination in America for art making and a catalyst for critical dialogue in the contemporary art world. Anderson Ranch is just 15 minutes from Aspen and 160 miles west of Denver, Colorado. The fresh mountain air at 8,200 feet is a wonderful venue and environment to stimulate creativity.

84 ion Oklahoma August/september

The studio workshop programs include the following: Children’s & Teen Art Classes Ceramics Sculpture Digital Fabrication (Fablab) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking Furniture Design & 3D Design Sustainability Woodworking & Woodturning Photography & New Media The Scholarship/Partnership Program allows talented students from top colleges and universities across the

country with an opportunity to take advanced workshops every summer. The General Campus includes 14 buildings with 55,000 square feet of facilities that includes eight studio buildings, lecture hall, café admin ofﬁces, two galleries, 18 room dormitory (30 student capacity) as well as four single family homes and several apartments for artistic staff. There are approximately 25 staff members. All the studios are open, so people can walk from one studio to the next and have a conversation with a woodworker in one and painter in another. There are approximately 140 summer workshop programs August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 85

Clockwise from the top: The main entrance; three views of the cafe; Left and above, digital fabrication technology and a student of digital fabrication technology 86 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Workshop building and a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art class

Above, three views of Schermer Meeting Hall Bottom, the cafe area.

in ceramics, photography and digital media, printmaking, sculpture. Furniture design ad woodworking, woodturning, painting and drawing and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshops. About 1,300 students attend summer workshops at Anderson Ranch. One of the newest workshops in 2018 is all about digital fabrication technology in what the Anderson Ranch has named the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fablab.â&#x20AC;? In this lab are exciting cutting-edge tools available to learn more about digital fabrication and processes. For example, 3-D printers, 3-D scanners, epilog laser engraver and cutter, vinyl cutter, makerbot replicator, and illustrator and makerware software are all used to create certain artistic products. This ranch is truly a unique artistic experience and a must to visit when summer vacationing in Colorado. Visit www.andersonranch.org for more information or call 970.923.3183. n

88 ion Oklahoma August/september 2018

Ê " > >Ê >}>â i Ê ÓÓäÊ 7i Ã Ì Ê 7 Ã À i Ê -Ì i Ê ÓÊ Ê " > >Ê

Ì Þ ] Ê " Ê ÇÎ££ÈÊ Ê {äx° ÈäÇ° ä ÎäÊ NÊ NÊ NÊ

TRAVEL

Celebrating the

The new Artesian Hotel, Casino and Spa opened on Aug. 2, 2013 and recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with a grand party. The original Artestian Hotel in Sulphur, left, opened in 1906 and burned to the ground in 1962

90 ion Oklahoma August/september

Artesian Hotel BY LINDA MILLER

n 2013, much of the town of sulphur came out to celebrate the rebirth of the Artesian Hotel, Casino and spa.

built on the same corner as the original and was enthusiastically welcomed back, much like a cherished friend. Those who remember the original will notice the similarity of old and new, including the red brick and distinctive corner The five-year anniversary earlier this month called for another round of festivities with a Great Gatsby theme and a turrets. Inside it is contemporary and elegant with an ornate 1920s-inspired party that paid homage to the hotel’s heyday. lobby, marble floors, mosaic tile and massive columns. Historic photographs of the area hang in the rooms, bringing Those who missed the event or who’ve never been to the reminders of the past into the present. luxury hotel can still take in all the The boutique hotel is like a mineral Artesian has to offer and revel in its The boutique hotel is bath, welcoming you to step in and history, architecture, shopping and other amenities. like a mineral bath, soak up all it has to offer. The original hotel opened in 1906, welcoming you to step Along with 81 rooms, guests can enjoy the traditional bathhouse, the quickly becoming a draw for tourists, in and soak up all it Springs Restaurant, banquet room, politicians and celebrities, including has to offer. indoor and outdoor swimming pool, actors John Wayne and Roy Rogers, and fitness center, the Fountain Club Oklahoma Gov. William “Alfalfa Bill” Lounge and the Sole Sole’renity Spa. Shops at the Artesian Murray. The Sulphur area was known for its dozens of and the casino offer more to see and do. mineral springs and the ornate and opulent Artesian Nearby are even more attractions including the Chickasaw became the place to relax, unwind, be surrounded by nature National Recreation Area, Chickasaw Cultural Center, Lake and enjoy a mineral bath. And possibly get a glimpse of of the Arbuckles, Lake Murray, zip line adventures, Rusty someone famous. Nail Winery and Turner Falls. Sulphur is 12 miles east of I-35 Its remote location in a small town with no large city nearby didn’t hamper its popularity. Perhaps that added to it. and about a 90-minute drive from Oklahoma City. For more information about the Artesian Hotel, Casino Fire destroyed the Artesian in 1962 and the Artesian Motor and Spa, go to artesianhotel.com. For more about Hotel, with emphasis on convenience for automobile things to do in the area, go to chickasawcountry.com travelers, was built in 1965. It was purchased seven years or sulphurchamber.com. n later by the Chickasaw Nation and renamed Chickasaw Motor Inn. The new Artestian Hotel, Casino and Spa was August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 91

PEOPLE

Shrine rendering

Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Campaign BY DORIAN QUILLEN Contributing Writer

e touched so many people during his life and now the blessed stanley rother’s ministry will continue after his death due to an extraordinary undertaking by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. As a major part of its “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign, Oklahoma City Archdiocese Archbishop Paul Coakley has announced a Challenge Goal of $80 million to establish the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, Museum and Pilgrim Center in Oklahoma City. 92 ion Oklahoma August/september

Rother was born and raised on a farm in Okarche before deciding to enter the priesthood during the 1960s. Rother was assassinated in 1981 while serving the Catholic Church in Guatemala. He was beatified in September 2017 during a ceremony that attracted Catholics from throughout the nation and the world to Oklahoma City. The beatification was held at the Cox Convention Center with about 20,000 people attending. The beatification leaves Rother one step from sainthood. When the Shrine is completed, the church will be the largest Catholic church in the state of Oklahoma with a

Rother baptizing an infant.

seating capacity of 2,000. The Shrine will host larger archdiocesan events like ordinations and the Rite of Election, and will serve as a visible legacy of the presence of the Catholic church in Oklahoma and the incredible witness of the life and death of Blessed Stanley Rother. The Shrine will also be the ﬁnal resting place of Blessed Stanley Rother and will be a place for pilgrims around the world to come and learn about his life and sacriﬁce, as well as pray for his intercession. The Pilgrim Center will be the point of entry to the Shrine and will contain information about the life and ministry of Blessed Stanley Rother, as well a screening area for a short documentary. The Museum will serve as an archive for his life and ministry by containing some of his personal artifacts. A recent anonymous donor contribution of $1 million to the “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign, as well as strong support from local parishes, has Peter de Keratry, executive director of stewardship and development for the Oklahoma City Diocese, hopeful that the Challenge Goal will be met. After reviewing the results of a professional feasibility and planning study completed before the campaign, the minimum campaign goal for the Shrine was set at $55 million. “The One Church, Many Disciples” campaign was launched July 1, 2017, by Archbishop Coakley,” de Keratry

said. “Archbishop Coakley made the ﬁrst gift to the campaign, but the second gift was from a family that gave $7.5 million, which we did not count on in our feasibility study, so the ﬁrst thing we did was raise the goal to $60 million,” de Keratry said. “We went forward with the campaign and what we call a “lead gift” effort and people responded dramatically to Archbishop Coakley,” he said. “We’ve had 48 families now give almost $25 million in lead gifts for the projects involved in the campaign,” de Keratry said. “It was a great way to kick off the campaign and a shot in the arm for everybody involved.” Additionally, a local Yukon church is nearing its goal for the campaign. “The Rev. Rex Arnold and the community of the St. John’s Nepomuk church in Yukon have a campaign goal of $3.35 million and have raised just over $2.8 million,” de Keratry said.

Rother during Carnival. August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 93

Father Rother with village children.

Parishioners gather with Father Rother during a service.

Because of the early success, the archbishop decided to add an element to the campus of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, so the campaign goal was raised again. “We decided to do an extra $5 million building for a Museum and Pilgrim Center for people who come to visit to learn about the life and ministry of Blessed Stanley Rother,” de Keratry said. “That took the campaign from $60 million to $65 million,” he said. “Of interest is the first gift to that project was from a non-Catholic couple here in the city,” he said. “We also had a $1 million anonymous gift toward that project, so we are raising some money outside of the Archdiocese in Oklahoma City now for the Museum and Pilgrim Center, so that’s been very positive,” he said. The “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign is conducted in waves of parishes over time, with two waves complete and two yet to come. With both initial waves coming in significantly over their goals, de Keratry believes Archbishop Coakley’s Challenge Goal of $80 million is well within reach. “The third wave of 34 parishes’ campaigns has started now and we’ve had about 600 people come to their parish volunteer orientations, so there’s a very positive response and a lot of interest in what we’re doing,” de Keratry said. “More than half the parishes have not yet done the campaign,” he said. “We have a lot more ground in front of us than behind us, and there’s some national interest as well in helping support the Blessed Stanley Rother Museum and Pilgrim Center,” de Keratry said. If the $80 million campaign Challenge Goal is met, it will not only benefit the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, but help fund other ministries as well. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve been contemplating how things are going to go,” de Keratry said. “We’ve decided if we have the capacity to raise significantly more dollars, not only for the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, but for the endowments for the ministries we seek to create, for priests’ retirement, endowments for seminary education, those kinds

of things, we would go ahead and raise the goal,” he said. With the campaign resonating with people and going so well, de Keratry sees the effort not only raising funds, but increasing interest in the Catholic community. “It’s a very, very positive time for the Catholic community in Oklahoma,” he said. “The entire project is not just about the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, although that’s a key piece of what we’re doing. “We have found that whether we’re in Altus, Okla., or El Reno or Yukon or Guymon or wherever, there are many aspects of this project that are really resonating,” de Keratry said. After spending an earlier part of his career in Austin, TX, where a campaign in 2005-06 raised $82 million, de Keratry hopes Oklahoma will beat Texas in its fundraising effort. “I’d love to say Oklahoma City outdid Austin in our ﬁrst campaign,” he said. “The Catholic community is simply growing and it’s a really great time and just a positive effort and experience for everyone.” n August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 95

ENTERTAINMENT

A Breakthrough Ice Experience! Cirque du Soleil’s First Ever On-Ice Production CRYSTAL coming to Oklahoma City

irque du soleil is coming to the Cox Convention Center with a brand-new arena creation.

Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL, explores the artistic limits of ice for the ﬁrst time in the company’s 34-year history. This unique production pushes boundaries of performance by combining stunning skating and acrobatic feats that defy the imagination. CRYSTAL will perform in Oklahoma City from Wednesday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 4 for seven shows only. In CRYSTAL, gymnasts and skaters perform acrobatics on the ice and in the air, seamlessly combining multiple disciplines for a world class audience experience. Crystal, the show’s main character, performs a skating routine telling the story of her quest to fulfill her destiny as she dives into a world of her own imagination. Photo: Matt Beard

96 ion Oklahoma August/september

Synchronized skating, freestyles figures, and extreme skating are featured alongside circus disciplines such as swinging trapeze, aerial traps and hand to hand. The result is an adrenaline-packed show for the whole family that pushes the boundaries and surpasses all expectations! Watch world-class ice skaters and acrobats explore their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics. Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL fuses circus arts and the world of ice skating in a stunning new production that will take the audience on a journey into a surreal world where figure skating blends with acrobatics and aerial prowess. Live musicians and ice skaters perform an exhilarating segment on a colorful set of Crystal. Photo: Matt Beard

Photo caption Reflections: Crystal features a number of disciplines, including ice skaters and acrobats, pictured performing on the trapeze. Photo: Matt Beard

SHOW SCHEDULE Wednesday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018 Wednesday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 3 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, November 4 at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Follow CRYSTAL, the lead character, on an exhilarating tale of self-discovery as she dives into a world of her own imagination. Feel the adrenaline as she soars through this surreal world at high speed to become what she was always destined to be: conďŹ dent, liberated, and empowered. CRYSTAL invites you to suspend reality and glide into a world that springs to colorful life with astounding visual projections and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil.

Photo caption Juggling: The cast entertains with a juggling set while also skating, entertaining the crowd. Photo: Matt Beard

For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal. To watch a preview video of CRYSTAL, visit YouTube. Photos: Matt Beard / Costumes: Marie Chantale Vaillancourt / 2018 Cirque du Soleil

August/september 2018 ion Oklahoma 97