Luxiere - Oklahoma Lifestyle & Real Estate // Edition 52
56
The State of Art
Seeing fresh perspectives keeps us more aware of the common bonds of our shared humanity, which is one reason art is so important. Fortunately for central Oklahomans, local museums and institutions are gearing up for a landmark year ahead.
STORY BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON
16
Boomtown Market
Round Top, Texas, has a population under 100 … until it erupts into a must-see market, as 100,000 visitors browse antiques, fashion, art and one-of-a-kind wonders.
STORY BY GREG HORTON
34 About a Brew
Andrea Schultz’s new project HQ Coffee is adding a third place to Oklahoma City’s Asian District, while offering coffee lovers intriguing flavors and exceptional quality.
STORY BY GREG HORTON
48 Cold Drinks, Warm Friends
Tulsa bar and restaurant Tina’s isn’t complex or pretentious, but its simplicity is its strength. This level of execution and good cheer makes it a magnificent hangout spot.
STORY BY MEGAN SHEPHERD
64
Barre Association
It’s the world’s most famous ballet — and you’ve never seen The Nutcracker like this before. OKC Ballet is mounting a lavish, dazzling new production, with elite assistance.
STORY BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON
Vibrant Chaos, Welcoming Calm
Within the bustling marketplaces of Morocco, residents open their homes to travelers for hospitality like nowhere else (just the thing after accidental encounters with the law).
STORY BY MICHAEL
KINNEY
52 FROM THE PUBLISHER
This season is, for us here at Luxiere, a celebration of the multi-faceted beauty of life. Have you noticed that almost nothing — or no one — is just one thing? And that our facets are what gives us our unique sparkle? For example, a performance can be moving and cheeky. A much-anticipated trip can be amazing and startling. So it goes with people, too. We love that people, perhaps especially Oklahomans, are spectacularly complex and it’s within that complexity that we find the many ways our views and priorities overlap. Beautiful, wouldn’t you say?
Speaking of sparkle, you’re going to love Oklahoma City Ballet’s new production of The Nutcracker, brought to life this month after a multi-year fundraising effort. The best costumers in the world, who’ve worked on productions like The Lion King and Wicked on Broadway, HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and Broadway’s Frozen the Musical were brought together to create stunning looks for the production with a dash of Art Nouveau. It’s a must-see!
Visual arts are thriving this season as well. Our state’s art museums do a brilliant job of bringing a fascinating range of artistic perspectives to us, and we are especially looking forward to immersing ourselves in the works of Edgar Heap of Birds, whose show Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: HONOR SONG opens in early 2025 at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. And there are many more exhibitions coming!
The creative coffee scene in Oklahoma City is rich and robust. Writer Greg Horton introduces us to HQ Coffee, new to the city’s Asian District. Its coffee chops are serious: it’s the 8th shop outside of Los Angeles to be allowed to use the exquisite beans from Maru Coffee, a Korean-owned brand with a cult following. Our state’s steady stream of transplants from the California film and entertainment field will be thrilled, as should we all.
Feeding Oklahomans healthier food is something we can all agree is a very good thing, as is creating business models that produce healthy returns while also contributing to a healthier environment. Our Woman of Influence, Susan Bergen, has spent decades growing organic food and changing the way her family’s cattle operation functions, embarking on a
new approach to grazing and land management — one that uses restorative grazing to improve the structure and moisture retention of her ranch’s soil, enhance plant diversity and eliminate the use of pesticides. A huge undertaking, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
What would you do if you committed no crime but were arrested while on vacation in Morocco? It’s a terrifying question writer Michael Kinney never thought he’d have to face, yet on a recent trip, that’s what happened. Until that moment he was having a wonderful trip, one you’ll certainly want to read about and about which he wrote from the safety of his Oklahoma City home.
After a trip like Michael’s, coming home to a friendly neighborhood spot filled with friends and great cocktails sounds like paradise. Writer Megan Shepherd is privy to such a spot and now you are, too. It’s a Tulsa favorite. Tina’s is warm, classic and deliberate — a perfectly curated bar, a tiny oasis. Maybe we’ll see you there.
What a quintessential holiday season Oklahoma has in store for us: great friends, interesting conversation, fascinating stories and plenty of cheer. Very much the way we envision this edition of Luxiere to be.
Until next time,
STACY D. JOHNSON Publisher, Owner
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Each issue of Luxiere represents the combined efforts of an accomplished team of creative Oklahomans. We are pleased to share their work with you, and grateful for the time and talent each has contributed to bringing this publication into being.
BOHANNON WRITER MICHAEL KINNEY WRITER
EDDINGTON WRITER GREG HORTON WRITER
STACY D. JOHNSON Owner/Publisher/Editor in Chief
DESIGN
nvsble.studio
ON THE COVER
Stunning, eye-opening, challenging — art from many viewpoints will fill museums and institutions across Oklahoma in the coming year. Collage by Jesse Davison
LUXIERE
MAGAZINE
CORPORATE OFFICE
CASSIDY PETRAZZI WRITER
ALICIA CHESSER WRITER MEGAN SHEPHERD WRITER STEVE GILL COPY EDITOR KATE FRANK WRITER
RYAN "FIVISH" CASS PHOTOGRAPHER
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Luxiere Oklahoma is published bimonthly, direct-mailed to a curated readership and distributed at select retail locations free of charge for individual use. To request copies, please contact the publisher. For more information, visit www.luxiere.co.
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Boomtown Market
Round Top, Texas, goes from empty to exquisite overnight
BY GREG HORTON
Round Top, Texas, is a place. You can find it on a map, read what the Chamber of Commerce says online, note that its population is 93 and make the 7-hour-plus drive from OKC to the spot between College Station and Austin. If you go 47 weeks out of the year, you’ll find a small Texas town with a quaint town square, a handful of eateries, a surprisingly good restaurant (Boon & Company), an excellent coffee shop (Mill Street Cafe) and a regionally famous bar (Ellis Motel) — but aside from the criminally underappreciated Menke House, very few accommodations, which makes sense for a town of 93 people.
The two-digit population number feels like a marketing ploy the other five weeks of the year, because Round Top and its surroundings are home to three seasonal events that bring roughly 100,000 people to the area to shop 65 locations in a 20-mile radius that includes Warrenton, Carmine, Burton and Fayetteville, Texas.
“The city is an incorporated town of one square mile,” says Mary Lou Marks. She owns Southern Beasts, a gallery adjacent to the town square. She is also, to the best of her recollection, the last artist who has been at every show since Emma Lee Turney created the first antiques show in 1968. “There are many more people that live just outside that square mile who are very much part of what makes Round Top.”
That makes sense, as it would be impossible for a town of 93 to host 100,000 people three times a year: Shows are in the spring, fall and winter. No one wants to be in Round Top, Texas in July; it’s south Texas, and many of the markets’ hundreds of vendors are set up in tents, pole barns and kiosks with no air conditioning. The infrastructure has grown with the show. What started as an antiques show has become a complex, decentralized mix of antiques, fashion, jewelry, painting, sculpture, home decor and collectibles, many of which are one-of-a-kind custom pieces.
“The appeal of Round Top is that clients are looking for me; I’m not looking for clients,” says Cealy Mills, who owns Wohali, a custom hat producer with a studio on N. Western in Oklahoma City. She is one of very few Oklahoma artisans with a presence at the shows. She shares space with Heather Benjamin Jewelry at The Halles, a market just north of town proper. “The people who come to The Halles are looking for things they can’t get anywhere else.”
Mills went to Round Top the first time for the spring show in 2023 at the invitation of Heather Goldman, who owns Heather Benjamin Jewelry. “I reached out to Heather because I love her jewelry and thought it was a good fit for the Wohali brand,” Mills says. “She invited me to come check out the spring show, and before it was over, she asked if I’d like to join her for the fall show.”
Moving from market to market along Highway 237, a creeping awareness settles in as you view the mix of products. The one-of-akind pieces that are the signature of The Halles are being replaced at other markets by mass-manufactured products purchased in Dallas or Houston and lugged to Round Top to capitalize on the presence of tens of thousands of shoppers. Jim Kastleman, publisher of PaperCity Magazine and owner of The Halles, bought the market four years ago to “create an elevated venue to shine a light on artisans, designers and wickedly creative people.”
“PaperCity Houston covered Round Top several years ago, and I could feel the momentum of the place,” Kastleman says. “When the owners of the property asked me about buying it, I could feel the devil and angel on each shoulder talking to me.”
The Halles is 5.1 acres of land with 28,000 square feet of rental space, including a handful of 3D-printed cement casitas for vendors to stay in during the show. The grounds boast a restaurant, coffee shop, workout facility and gallery for visiting artists. The fall show in 2024 had neo-expressionist bunny and butterfly artist Hunt Slonem in the space. Nearly every vendor makes one-of-a-kind pieces, from Wohali’s handmade hats to Dr. Sylvia Kampshoff’s Pata leather goods to Chris Bachman and Nichole Petrie’s timely, eye-catching mixed media pieces under their Bachman-Petrie brand.
Dr. Sylvia Kampshoff’s Pata leather goods
LEFT: Round Top Antiques & Design Center
BELOW:
“North Carolina has been a destination for decades in the furniture industry,” Kastleman says. “It’s become sterile. I think Round Top has become as important and just as prominent. Three years ago the CEO of the High Point (NC) Market came out here with his senior team. He told me they were just trying to see what made Round Top so special, and in his words, ‘bottle the energy and bring it to North Carolina.’”
Oklahoma City designer Lisa Luck has been going to Round Top for 15 years, seeking out high-end antiques for her interior design clients, and she’s been a vendor for seven years. She’s about to start her own line of custom Western furniture, so she’s looking for the right spot to showcase her work. The Halles is an obvious choice, and she’s been in conversations with Kastleman about making the jump from her current market to his.
Luck describes herself as the “person who wears all her jewelry in one day.” She’s a former gospel singer, and a creative all the way through. “I love the culture and people of Round Top,” she says. “We love what we do; we share a mindset, and the energy that creates is what attracts people to the markets.”
Mills and Luck are already planning for the winter market. It’s a four-day event instead of the two-week affairs of spring and fall, and it’s Jan. 23-26, 2025. Mills is in the process of considering expanding her presence there, including a more robust approach to men’s hats and jewelry. “Round Top brings together people who appreciate artisanal work, and it’s very refreshing to find that crowd,” Mills says. “I’ve never experienced anything like it anywhere else.” •
Friends gather atThe Halles
Wohali owner Cealy Mills sports one of her custom hats at The Halles
Woman of Influence Susan Bergen
BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON
Susan Bergen’s raison d’etre is her ability — and willingness — to stand in the gap. An official Oklahoman since 1984, this East Coast transplant is as bold a gap-stander as ever there was, whether in her business ventures, philanthropy or day-to-day life. What does that mean, exactly? For Bergen, it’s simple: If she sees a challenge and has the resources or knowledge to do something about it, she does. That’s logical to her. She is wildly adept at offering a resource and allowing people to move from problem to solution. She’s that rare leader who sees the big picture, yet also has the capacity to drill down onto the details and solve problems intelligently and efficiently.
Here’s a classic example: Bergen noticed a friend wasn’t quite her usual self. She asked why, and it turned out that the friend wasn’t eating well — she was working a lot and making dinner was more than she wanted to deal with, so she was defaulting to less-healthy options. Bergen’s prescription: Plant three kale plants and boil a dozen eggs at the beginning of each week. “That way, she could make kale and hard-boiled egg salads each night,” Bergen says. “She was like, ‘You can’t believe how much kale comes off these three plants! I’ve been giving some to my neighbor.’ I’m like, that’s the point. One would be fine for you , but three gives you abundance.”
Another example? Her involvement in OKC SHINE Community Gardens. “I’m still growing the majority of my own food on my little piece of property in Norman … I believe there’s so much dignity in growing your own food, and I know that people really flourish eating good food. That has made [Oklahoma County Commissioner for District 2] Brian Maughan and the SHINE project in Oklahoma County even more meaningful, because we know that people really do like quality food. The reason people don’t like turnips is because they’re grown poorly, they’re packaged poorly, they’re stored poorly. But turnips grown in nutrient-rich soil are really tasty.” So committed is Bergen to the power of community gardening that, she says, “I took a tractor all through Oklahoma City and did gardens just down the middle of the medians.”
Planting community gardens in food deserts is classic Bergen. Creating abundance out of what could easily be dismissed as waste or rubbish is, too, and it’s a big part of Bergen Enterprises, the group of companies she oversees as CEO. One of those, Eco Wood Solutions, creates a positive reuse for wood refuse like construction debris, pallets and crates. Through a certified process, it’s turned into materials safe for use in landscaping and playgrounds. Another, Prairie Dirt Solutions, recycles landscaping materials by diverting waste from landfills and making it into compost, which is used in industrial, commercial and agricultural applications. Yet another, Maysville Grain, offers safe chemicals to be used judiciously.
Last year, Bergen was honored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation as its 2023 Landowner Conservationist of the Year. She has transformed the way her family business manages its land and cattle division. It has 12,777 acres of tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie land spread over three tracts in parts of Cleveland, Johnston, McClain and Pontotoc counties which had historically been managed conventionally, meaning with continuous grazing and using herbicides. In 2012, Bergen began using restorative grazing techniques to bolster plant and habitat diversity, eliminate the use of pesticides and improve the structure and moisture retention of the soil.
Becoming a leader in sustainable agriculture may seem an improbable journey for Susan from Boston, but really it wasn’t such a stretch. Her family grew their own vegetables and fresh flowers year-round, even keeping a greenhouse to extend the short New England growing season. “I was raised in a house built in 1740. My mother was a conservationist and very engaged in soil and growing and gardening. And my dad was an industrialist. He had factories. So I’m an industrial conservationist,” she says. Bergen made her way to Oklahoma in a roundabout way, as many do. She attended Boston College in the mid-1970s. This was on the heels of the OPEC oil embargo, which was really what drove Bergen west. “On the East Coast, you have a tank in your basement, and you fill it with heating oil,” she says. With oil scarce and
winters brutally cold, Bergen didn’t relish the idea of shivering her way through another snowy season. “So I looked around the map and decided I’d go to Phoenix, where it was warm.” From Phoenix, Bergen was transferred to Las Vegas, where she managed a group of stores for a formal wear company. While there, she was offered a job as a broker with an Oklahoma City-based stock brokerage firm, Adams James Foor & Co. “Being a stockbroker is a wonderful job,” Bergen says.
She’d landed in Oklahoma City during the razzle-dazzle preoil-bust days of the early 1980s. For those too young to have experienced the ’80s in Oklahoma City, they were the best of times … and then they were the worst of times. During the oil boom, the ’80s were among the most prosperous years in the 20th century; after the bust, Oklahoma’s depressed economy was rivaled only by the Dust Bowl.
But in the first couple of years Bergen after arrived, it was a heady time. Like many up-and-coming young professionals, she found herself enjoying happy hours at The Brigadoon Supper Club. “I met my husband there,” she says. Taken with his sense of humor, Bergen accepted a date. “We went for dinner one night to Junior’s, and I saw and heard things there that I’d never seen or heard before.”
She and Floyd Bergen began dating; and of course she was transferred. “[The company] sent me to Dallas to operate a remote location and do limited partnerships in Texas, and we dated back and forth and married in ’84, so that’s when I became an Oklahoman because that cowboy looked like a lot of fun! And I say this every time I speak, but I really did not know what I was getting into.” For one thing, she became a peach farmer. Before that, though, she and Floyd, as she puts it, “rocked along. He had his two children, and we had children and we adopted children.”
Then, in 2000, Floyd Bergen planted 9,000 peach trees on the Gerty Sand Aquifer in Stratford, Oklahoma. By 2003, the property, Peach Crest Farms, was producing well. “I took over the production of that operation, and quickly could see that people enjoyed high quality food,” Bergen says. She and the kids set up peach stands, and “We just sold a lot of peaches. So that evolved into, well, what else could we sell?” Peaches soon led to tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelons.
A natural entrepreneur and a self-described “highly competitive East Coast person,” she went from her produce stands into selling to large grocery chains like Whole Foods, Walmart and Homeland, and then into working with the state’s department of agriculture. “I decided that that we would put high quality food into 450 public schools in the state of Oklahoma. We were the largest Farm to School farm in the United States, and it was all certified organic.” She learned a great deal about distribution on such a large scale thanks in part to her relationships with the large retailers and the educational offerings afforded to their growers.
Peach Crest Ranch, the cattle-producing branch of the Peach Tree operation, offers “local, prairie-raised, grass-fed, antibioticfree, hormone-free and minimally processed beef to the discerning consumer.” It proudly bears the seal of Animal Welfare Approved, certifying that the Bergens are ranchers with the highest integrity for humane and sustainable ranching practices. She told Oklahoma Magazine in 2018, “We believe that the animals need to be in the open prairie, the way nature intended. We believe in land preservation, never pillaging more than the soil can bear and always working to put back into it more than is taken out of it.”
Bergen plays a long game. “In a lot of the conversations that I have with people, it’s about ‘How can we be thinking about what it’s going to be like in 70 years?’ In 70 years, if we’re not replenishing our aquifer, we’re going to have depleted it, and it will be gone. If I’m not teaching my children how to grow a vegetable garden, then the next ones are sure not going to be growing.”
To her, doing good business means being focused on “people, planet, profit,” in that order, and you better believe she’s just getting started. •
LUXIERE’s Woman of Influence is presented by First National Bank of Oklahoma
Susan Bergen
Shine a Light
The evolving, exuberant art of Suzanne Wallace Mears
BY VALENTINA GUTIÉRREZ
Color inspires Suzanne Wallace Mears — and a challenge. The dedicated Oklahoma City artist enjoys staying creative by switching media, and her drive, and a lengthy love affair with kiln-formed glass, have produced dazzling results on display at galleries in Santa Fe, Tulsa, Broken Bow and Guthrie, as well as Oklahoma City’s Howell Gallery.
“Things That Go On In The Garden After Dark” 24x30” mixed media
Your art spans several mediums. What inspired you to embrace this fluid approach rather than focusing on a single medium?
I like the challenge presented. Many artists specialize in one medium and are happy to stay there; I don’t like to get that comfortable. I find that my creativity is challenged by changing mediums. It’s starting fresh, I put that medium aside and move into another one totally different. If I’m painting, I’m not firing glass.
I can get into get into a rut with a concept and try to do as many interpretations as possible — that’s fun and I can surprise myself, but it also can define my art, and I have found that’s it’s not rewarding. I change it up. I usually work in a chosen medium for three or four months, and then move into another one.
How do the different disciplines you work in like glass and painting interact with each other? Do they ever inform or influence each other in unexpected ways?
I think they interact well. I keep elements I might want to use down the road if it’s not fitting with my current work. Later, an idea will pop into my head and I remember those wonderful elements I could use. Because I kept that inventory around me, the new and the old, a light bulb of new ideas could jiggle my mind: “Hey! What about doing this with that, and what if I combined this with that?” And off I go into creating something totally new. I do this with my painting, as well; it could be years later that I get a painting out and know exactly how to finish it.
You mentioned that working with only one medium can feel stagnant. Can you share a moment when switching mediums unlocked a new creative idea or direction?
I think the reason I suddenly switched into glass was I had reached a point with the ceramic work that left me uninterested and in that rut I try to avoid. I was ready to discover something I didn’t know a thing about. I thought I did when I started, because I had worked with clay and firing kilns for a lot of years — but what I quickly discovered was that I knew nothing about firing glass. I promptly, with my initial arrogance, blew up my first firing all over the inside of the kiln. I thought glass would be an easy transition and it was anything but. That was a disappointing shock.
However, that was the beginning of a 25-year love affair with glass. It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve always been a paint slinger; part of the way I work with my painting. That is not the technique which will work with glass, though, so that discipline which glass technique process demands was very good.
ABOVE: “Just-Two” 48x36” mixed media
RIGHT: “After Dark” 20x16” mixed media
Kiln-formed glass is clearly a cornerstone of your work. What is it about this medium that continues to captivate you after all these years?
Amazing, creative, unlimited ideas can be done — but only if the technical formulas are properly applied. I was ferocious in my desire to conquer this, but had to go to workshops to learn the necessary process. It was like Christmas every time I opened the kiln. The suspense and the challenge have kept me riveted for 25 years.
The process of kiln-formed glass involves significant patience and precision. How do you balance the technical challenges with the creative freedom you seek?
Firing glass requires discipline with the technical part. There aren’t shortcuts with it. You don’t open a kiln when it’s still too hot, and you don’t fire too fast or cool too fast. It’s all based on size and mass. But I don’t think the word “precision” fits my style. I do not measure beyond knowing the finished size I want. Everything is free cut with no ruler or guide, and I use a lot of frit (which is varying grades of glass, powders to chunks) as well as other elements. My style is very free, spontaneous and open to using all the elements I have available in my studio.
You aim to evoke joy and positivity in your work. What role do you believe art plays in shaping our emotional and mental states, both as creators and viewers?
Joy and positivity in my work is the way I live my life. I don’t accept failure — failure is just an opportunity to come up with a new plan of attack! I have a sunny outlook, and I focus on each piece of art I do
with excitement. Every artist carries themselves into their art. For me, it’s sharing a happy, positive, sunny wish for those that have my work.
I think art included in a home or garden makes life so much happier and full. I live with a lot of it, but that’s because I produce a lot of it. I love having it in my home. My home is a gallery which I constantly move around, or sell. Art makes one think in ways which would not happen if it were not there.
Your art changes with the light and time of day, creating a dynamic experience. How do you think this interaction between light and glass adds to the emotional resonance of your pieces?
Glass IS all about light. Without light, it has no life. As light changes with the time of day, and light affects it at night, it produces different feelings and excitement in the viewer. It never stays the same. As the light changes, elements and color change. Little nuances not seen at one time can suddenly show up. Working with glass and living with glass art is like having Christmas every day.
Looking forward, are there any new mediums or techniques you’re eager to explore? How do you see your artistic practice evolving in the future?
My work is always evolving. Currently, I’m exploring multimedia sculptures using raku-fired clay masks, kiln-fired glass pieces and steel, all mounted on a vertical wood backing and wood base. And I’m painting and in the midst of a collection of smaller paintings which include flowers, dogs, cats or birds. These are at Howell Gallery only. •
LEFT:
“Date Night” 40x40” mixed media
BELOW:
“Little Blue Beagle” 7x5” mixed media
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About a Brew
HQ Coffee brings flavor and a third space to the Asian District
BY GREG HORTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA STEWART
Sitting at HQ Coffee talking to Andrea “Anj” Schultz, you get the impression that the corner coffee shop at 2600 N. Classen in the former Bun Box space is an externalized brain map of what she ultimately wants the shop to be. That is not to say HQ Coffee feels incomplete as it is. In fact, the black sesame latte might be the best latte in Oklahoma City — depending on how you feel about black sesame — and the Rocky’s Matcha places it in the upper echelon of matcha shops in the city, too.
You just get the sense that she’s not done, and likely won’t be.
Schultz is an idea factory; not a Michael Keaton in Night Shift “take live tuna fish and feed ‘em mayonnaise” idea factory, but a constant rethinking of what can be done better, more efficiently, more purposefully.
“Beginning when I was a kid, people told me they thought I’d go to culinary school or open a cafe,” Schultz says. “I’m the person who is a good home cook, takes the pictures, posts to social media — but I’ve never gone the food and beverage route ’til now.”
The Moore native grew up homeschooled, and went to Oklahoma City Community College and UCO to complete a fashion marketing degree (a 2018 graduate), with emphases on business, e-commerce and photography. It was basically the perfect description of a degree program tailored for someone who is borderline omni-competent. Her first gig out of college was for the third largest sock and hosiery manufacturer in the world. How she ended up opening a coffee shop in OKC’s Asian District is directly related to being good at so many things, and allowing your curiosity to take you on a journey.
“I volunteered at the Asian Night Market in 2022,” Schultz says. “I was just trying to get involved, and they knew I was working with the 1032 Space group, so they asked me to organize a fashion show, and it went very well. I’d gone in just expecting to help clean up or empty trash cans, and I was managing a fashion show. It really kickstarted my engagement with the Asian District.”
Within a matter of months, Schultz was named executive director of The Asian District Cultural Association, a surprising (to some) move given that she is biracial. “My mother is from Oklahoma; my dad is from South Korea, so I was a very unconventional choice,” she says. “As executive director and a business owner, I respect the Vietnamese roots of the district, but I think I represent more diversity within the Asian community, and the district is where I shop, work and build community.”
Schultz is driven by multiple narratives — biracial kid, secondgeneration Asian Oklahoman, creative, entrepreneur, community builder — and a few of those narrative elements pushed her toward owning a coffee shop in the district.
“I was looking for a way to meet a need for more ‘third places’ in the Asian District,” she says, referring to the phrase coined by Ray Oldenburg to denote community gathering spaces outside home and work. Coffee shops have been popular third places since at least the 1990s, and for second-generation kids in immigrant communities, they represented a space where they could “not just be Asian at home” in Schultz’s words. Which is to say they could gather with other Asian kids without the code switching that is so common — and often necessary — in immigrant and minority communities.
“I’m a second-generation kid making things better for the third generation,” she says. “I think we second-generation placemakers just want the third and later generations to not feel so displaced, so they need those third places to go.”
As an Asian kid, though, she has her feet in multiple worlds and generations, and doing something broadly “Asian” always brings the risk of alienating one subcommunity or generation. She keeps the “old” Korean flavors, traditions and tastes at the front of her mind when planning HQ’s menu.
“I grew up eating ‘old Korean’ food,” she says. “I miss Taste of Korea! I love those flavors and dishes. My aunties and older Korean friends love the black sesame syrup we use in the latte. I’m very proud of that. I’m very proud of our tea and matcha selection. I’m committed to offering quality products and emerging brands from Asian-owned businesses, including Rocky’s Matcha and Maru Coffee.”
To talk about the coffee program, she insisted on including DOO Matthew Maclay, formerly owner of Flower & Flour Coffee Shop in Deep Deuce. Maclay is Latino; his wife Hawaiian. They are welltraveled coffee nerds, a demographic that was shocked to hear Schultz had succeeded in getting Maru Coffee to let her use its beans in OKC.
“I think we’re the eighth cafe outside of Los Angeles to be allowed to use Maru,” Maclay says. “They’re a Korean-owned brand with high-quality cafes and a commitment to excellence in every aspect of business. People who have spent time in L.A. will immediately recognize the brand, and we’re happy to be the ones to introduce it to Oklahoma City.”
HQ is offering drip, pour over, two espresso options, lattes, teas, matcha and baked goods from Anna Bui’s Lil’ Mouse Bakes — the ube sugar cookie is magical. Baked goods are the only food option for now; Schultz said a larger menu is coming, but there are things to be done before then, including getting the drive-through operational. We’re back to the brain map. Standing inside the space, she points to all the things that she is bringing on as if they are already present; the blueprints are clearly visible in her head as she points.
“We opted for a walk-up model like cafes in Los Angeles and Japan,” she says,” but the customer experience is central to HQ’s ethos, so the lack of inside seating was my big hurdle when Jenny Nguyen called and offered the space. I had to think it through, but decided we’re going to push the envelope in multiple ways, so this will just be one of them.”
Another will be in the flavors presented every day. The black sesame and ube lattes will be core drinks. The gochujang latte is the current seasonal offering, and while OKC is long overdue to see these traditional Asian flavors in our coffee programs, Schultz recognizes that HQ Coffee is not a shop for everyone. “We’re not,” she says, “but you can still get a vanilla latte here.” Intentional funny metaphor? I didn’t ask; I was just happy that the black sesame will be year-round. •
A New Dining Era
The chefs of Tulsa’s Et Al. collective forge ahead with Natsukashii
BY ANDREA SCHULTZ
After three years of pop-up service out of a local coffee shop, the award-winning multi-concept chef collective Et Al. is set to open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Tulsa. Named after a Japanese term that describes the feeling of nostalgia through a sensory experience — most often from food — Natsukashii is on track to redefine modern Japanese cuisine.
Almost every week since the beginning of 2022, the Et Al. team has operated high-level and creative food concept pop-ups out of Foolish Things Coffee Company, creating a loyal community and attracting a devoted following in the culinary world of Tulsa and beyond. Each project under the Et Al. umbrella has been spearheaded by one of the members of the collective, resulting in a diverse rotation of excellent food served with warm hospitality. Their list of projects includes fan favorites like Dumpling Night, Japanese Breakfast, Bischix, Butter Bar, et al. Dinner Series and Taqueria et al.
By holding true to their core values including full profit distribution and equal pay, the team believes that they can work collaboratively to build a more delicious and equitable future for the food and beverage industry in Tulsa.
“I think we’ve always done hospitality well. Like truly, open-handedly caring for people,” says longtime team member Sam Luna. “Now bringing that to a new space with a bigger staff, my real focus will be cultivating that, and building on what’s special and teaching it — knowing people’s names and actually, authentically connecting with guests. I’m really trying to grow and focus that, and lean into community building to become a place for people to gather and feel at home. Building from the ground up, we can really level up our service, but maintain our warmth and genuine hospitality.”
Many members of their team have continued to achieve great success after departing the collective. “Alex Koch is the head chef at Tina’s, Marco Herrera is the executive chef at Noche, Jeremiah Rankin started Solaire, Noah Eagan-Rowe is leading The Aviary and The Office in Chicago — so in general, people are going on to do amazing things. It feels impossible to deny that something about [this model] makes people different and better than they were when they were just an hourly worker,” says Et Al. co-founder Colin Sato.
“We don’t have a ton of resources, but I really do feel like we’ve landed somewhere between a good community and people who can vouch for the fact that we’ve really been trying hard as hell since they’ve ever known us.” Or as he likes to say, “we travel light.”
Natsukashii was created by Sato, alongside fellow co-founder (and life partner) Chloe Butter, and Luna. This trio shares an exceptional balance of cultural influences; vast skillsets and know-how; and an overall aligned vision on how to bring this dream to life.
“I don’t know how else to describe this concept besides [Japanese] homestyle. It’s not an omakase (a chef’s choice dining concept); It’s a meal that is basically structured around how Japanese families usually eat — you always have rice, pickles, miso soup. And then usually a menu will include dishes of different kinds of preparations, like a little something fried, a little something raw, a little something pickled, something off the grill, something simmered. We’re still playing with it, but the idea is to offer a very affordable set menu where you can come in and eat this big, beautiful, varied spread of all these homestyle Japanese foods,” Sato explains.
“I don’t want to just try to make this, like, historical food; I don’t want to just recreate the past. I really want to represent what food really is to me and to our team.”
PHOTOGRAPH
BY HENRY NINDE | @H.NINDE
Regarding the new menu as an evolution of what has been offered at prior concepts, Butter adds, “I think we’ve already been babystepping people into this type of cuisine — of things that will be a more traditional style of eating like a piece of fish with some pickles and rice for breakfast. Or, if that’s really not your thing, you can still get a donut, you can get a croissant, choose from all different danishes and things that are very familiar format, even if they have little Japanese twists on them. There’s going to be something for everyone, and if not, there’s a lot of other great options for breakfast. We want to cover all of our bases.”
From operating solely as a pop-up to now having their own kitchen, the consistency and capacity they are able to serve comes with a sigh of relief. “This opportunity is just incredible,” says Luna. “Being in the Gradient building and having that captive audience. And having a place for the community we have built, who have since become friends, to be there regularly— not just once a week or occasionally on the weekends. To have a real center for the community to grow and thrive is what gets me really excited.”
Natsukashii has been a dream Sato has been journaling about for years. “It’s been really cool to reflect on the really, really early days when we had, like, no money, no following … it really felt like we were starting from nothing.” Coming to fruition in the summer of 2025, Natsukashii will be located in the Gradient building, formerly known as 36ºN (36 Degrees North) near downtown Tulsa at 12 N. Cheyenne Ave. It should be the kind of experience diners will instantly be nostalgic for. •
To stay up to date on their journey, as well as find ways to support the Et Al. team during this time, follow them on Instagram at @etal.tulsa, @natsukashii.tulsa, or online at etaltulsa.com.
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Cold Drinks, Warm Friends
Tuesday at Tulsa bar and restaurant Tina’s
BY MEGAN SHEPHERD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HUNTER BROTHERS
In all the things I read about Tina’s, they’ll say we’re ‘divey,’ or ‘unfussy.’ Oh my god, if they only knew — there’s so much fuss!”
That’s Krystle Schilling, co-owner and queen of fuss at Tulsa’s favorite new neighborhood bar, Tina’s. Now a year in, Krystle and her husband and co-owner Tyler — along with the rest of downtown Tulsa — have a pretty good sense of what all the fuss is about.
Tina’s is the neighborhood bar we didn’t know we needed, the puzzle piece that gets plunked into the middle of the landscape, bringing it all together after not even realizing it’d been out of place.
Both previously business owners (Krystle as a hairdresser and Tyler as a coowner at cocktail bar Valkyrie), the Schillings took a leap and opened Tina’s to fill a gap they saw in Tulsa’s bar scene: a place people in their 30s and 40s would actually want to go for drinks, and where patrons can actually hear each other talk. A little neighborhood bar that serves really good food and has a clean bathroom. It’s not complicated, and it doesn’t have to be.
OPPOSITE:
Tina’s owners Tyler and Krystle Schilling
“So many bars today are just so experiential,” Tyler says. “I don’t need a 10-ingredient cocktail. We just wanna hang out, talk **** and drink really good cocktails.”
Despite the city’s recent growth in arts and nightlife, hanging out, talking **** and sipping cocktails might still be the absolute best time one could possibly have on a Saturday night in Tulsa, and Tina’s is the perfect place to do it. The volume is reasonable, the space is welcoming and beautiful to look at. Simple is the mantra, and Krystle said every element — from the restaurant’s nostalgic aesthetic to its warm surfaces and handcrafted wooden booths to the menu — is “warm, classic and deliberate.” Being inside Tina’s feels like being inside an old family den, wide and comfortable enough for everyone to crowd around the table. Tina’s signature design aesthetic is the product of Krystle’s vision, close neighborhood friend and architectural designer Kate Wallace-Helm’s execution and Tulsa woodworker Eric Franzen’s craftsmanship.
Tina’s is doing more than a few things right, and regulars are firmly bought in. They love it for that warmth Krystle mentioned, which is something our culture seems to be starved of these days. It even offers a daily menu called “Patina’s” aimed at welcoming guests over 60 — it’s illegal to offer deals based on age, but in a town where the bar scene is more generally popularized by folks in their 20s and 30s, the program is important, if just in its symbolism. Patina’s is a way to honor the intergenerationality of Tina’s clientele, and offer a welcoming space where the young and young at heart can meet over cocktails and conversation, and find some connection despite their age gap.
Once, Tyler got a call from a Patina’s regular, so pleased to be warmly welcomed into a bar at her age that she had to share feedback. “Nobody wants old ladies at their bar!” she pointed out. “But we feel wanted here.”
“It’s so homey and cozy, and everyone there is so cute and nice,” explains one regular, Darku Jarmola. “And the wine is delish.”
“Everything tastes like it’s made with TLC,” says another.
Tina’s arrived on the scene in December 2023 after a season of whispers and speculation. For months, a construction build-out acted as free advertising, and window dressings teased that something new was coming. “Cold drinks, warm friends.” No more, no less. It was plenty to get the neighborhood talking, eagerly awaiting its opening. The team had conservatively optimistic hopes for the business back then, no idea yet of the fanatical patronage that was to come.
“One of the first meetings we had, I guessed we might be doing 50, maybe 100 burgers a week,” recalls Head Chef Alex Koch. “We thought it was gonna be so chill. Then we opened, and were shocked. We sell almost 500 burgers a week now. It’s insane.”
“I don’t need a 10-ingredient cocktail. We just wanna hang out, talk **** and drink really good cocktails.”
TYLER SCHILLING
That burger is widely respected as one of Tulsa’s best, winning the hearts and stomachs of regional reviewers and national publications like Eater *. It’s a double patty griddled and oozing with melted American cheese, velvety onions grilled on top, pickles, chef’s special burger sauce and a golden bun crisped to perfection. It is a call-back to a classic Route 66 roadside burger, served with a basket of saltbombed fries that absolutely demand to be eaten in their entirety. (Per Chef Alex, there is no secret ingredient; in the understatement of this edition, she insists, “We just salt them well and always check that they taste great!”)
Order food from Tina’s and you’ll pick it up at the window, where you’ll meet Chef Alex, Casey and the rest of the kitchen crew. Krystle and Alex agreed that the cut-out kitchen window is an essential element of the design, created in the spirit of connection, and to give the back-of-house staff the same face time with guests that the bartenders get to enjoy.
“Having the window has made a huge impact,” Alex says. “People say kind things through the window all the time, and it’s really sweet. Keeping in touch with the people that support you just feels great.”
It’s a certain kind of heaven, noshing on a Tina’s smashburger and washing it down with a Negroni on a Tuesday afternoon. But variety is the spice of life, and if you’re looking to change it up and sample something new, the fall menu has a few seasonal features to try.
The whipped feta and carrots feature the eponymous whipped feta, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, sesame oil and a swirl of pomegranate molasses that gives the dip a deep, addictive sweetness.
Grilled cheese stans would insist you try the version at Tina’s, which is upgraded with bacon, crispy in all the right places, and served beside a cup of cheesy tomato soup dressed with a sprig of dill as the ultimate comfort dish for cold days. It’s rich with a great crust — a little thicc for a late lunch, but, when in Rome ...
And the Cancha is a Peruvian corn nut dish that tastes a bit like a corn nut and a cricket mated. It’s not quite a standout dish for me, but is serviceable if you need something salty to pop in between rounds. On the lighter side, the Caesar is also a fine choice.
But the true star of the show is the cocktail program. Ask Tina himself (the bar’s namesake is a nickname for Tyler) and he’ll tell you that this is “a bar that serves food,” on a simple mission to revisit the classics. Really well-done Negronis, Manhattans, a perfect Last Word, tiki classics like a Bumbo, Old Fashioneds and even a Shirley Temple are standard fare on the bar’s menu.
Inventive drinks — like the Self-Starter, a Negroni-esque creation from bartender Jamie Jennings; a Kalimotxo (equal parts red wine and cola; trust them!); and The Birthday Girl, crowned for its excellence at the annual Philbrook Mix event — center the staff’s creativity. The newly added Frozen Irish Coffee is a yummy, boozy treat made with Irish whiskey, DoubleShot cold brew, Irish cream and oat milk, and is available as a smol guy on the happy hour menu for just $6 from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
But then there’s the wine! Those who prefer wine to a cocktail can sample fine bubbles and wines from the curated list, or at happy hour, grab a few friends and head over for “Girl Lunch,” a bottle of select Pet Nat and the whipped feta and carrots, packaged for $50.
“We just want to keep it simple, keep it warm. You know, have a good little life.”
KRYSTLE SCHILLING
On the special occasion of Valentine’s Day, Tina’s traveled back in time to become Valentina’s. Reminiscent of a ’70s prom night, the Valentina’s pop-up channeled a romantic dinner in an old Italian eatery, where bistro tables covered with checkered tablecloths, fresh corsages and a Negroni fountain wooed lovers into a date night. It’s Krystle’s favorite holiday of the year, and she believes it’ll be a staple for many to come — another way for the bar to love on the neighborhood.
Looking ahead into 2025, there’s more to love on the horizon: Tina’s first birthday party on Dec. 21 will feature a “Mickey T’s” popup concept, with all-day service, hot cakes, egg McMuffin-esque sandwiches, breakfast and lunch, visors and headsets ... as classic as it gets.
Off menu, Krystle and Tyler are looking forward to unwinding from a long year of hustle and DIY entrepreneurialism, and celebrating good health and good living. “We also really want to be able to offer health insurance to our staff,” they explain. “That’s very important to us.”
“We just want to keep it simple, keep it warm,” Krystle adds. “You know, have a good little life.” •
* Author’s Note: Tina’s was recently reviewed for Eater in The 18 Best Restaurants in Tulsa, Oklahoma by the late Jess Brent, a fine, one-of-a-kind Tulsa-based writer, who passed away just weeks before this issue went to print. Give it a read.
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The State of Art
Oklahoma’s art museums at a glance in 2025
BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON
As the earth keeps spinning on its axis next year, one thing human beings need now more than ever is different points of view. That’s one way art can keep us grounded – seeing fresh perspectives and differing visions of the future keeps us more aware of the common bonds of our shared humanity.
Oklahoma art museums, acting stewards of this noble cause, are gearing up to exhibit a wide range of perspectives in their 2025 seasons. In these exhibits, everyone from diehard art aficionados to those just dipping their toes into the scene will find something to be challenged by and appreciate throughout these gallery walls.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ART - STILLWATER
The Oklahoma State University Museum of Art’s 2025 season begins with two retrospectives before diving into fiber art and a biennial juried exhibition. Starting this fall and continuing into 2025, Shadows and Light: The Photography of Brett Weston displays images from the seven-decade photography practice of the artist, largely known for his abstract imagery; manipulation of shape and texture; and unique techniques.
“I’ve overheard visitors in the gallery walk in and see a [Weston photograph] and say ‘Oh, I think that’s a broken windshield’ and then discover the label nearby and read ‘Ice.’ They’re always shocked to realize they’ve been tricked, but that is what Weston’s work does,” says Casey Ihde, Marketing Coordinator for the OSU Museum of Art.
After the Weston retrospective concludes, audiences will get a special peek into the chaotic and subversive mind of Ralph Steadman in a special traveling exhibit. Covered in Vanity Fair in the fall of this year, Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing is making its way from the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in Washington, D.C., before making a stop in Stillwater for four months. With over 140 of Steadman’s works and ephemera as curated by the Ralph Steadman Art Collection, audiences can explore some of Steadman’s notable works as well as his relationship with Hunter S. Thompson, culminating in a 3-week OSU student showcase at the exhibit’s close.
Following the Steadman exhibit is Fur, Fangs, Feathers & Fins with members of Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. showcasing art quilts representing wildlife and animals in their natural habitats. Finally, bringing 2025 to a close is OSU’s Cimarron National Works on Paper juried exhibit, which Ihde says is “an expression of OSU’s enduring commitment to works on paper and contemporary practice.”
As the Museum is the university’s official exhibit hall for art, entry to the Museum is always free and the staff is committed to creating free educational programming through tours, gallery guides, and engagement activities in the Museum’s hands-on art-making space, the artLAB.
2025 OSU MUSEUM OF ART EXHIBITS
Shadows and Light: The Photography of Brett Weston October 29, 2024 – February 1, 2024
Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing January 21 – May 10, 2025
Fur, Fangs, Feathers & Fins May 27 – July 26, 2025
Cimarron National Works on Paper August 19 – December 19, 2025
Learn more at museum.okstate.edu/.
OPPOSITE TOP:
Brett Weston (American, 1911-1993), Reeds, Japan, 1970, silver gelatin print, 10 3/4 x 12 1/8 inches. OSU Museum of Art, Gift from the Christian Keesee Collection, 2023.007.027
OPPOSITE BOTTOM:
Ralph Steadman, Self Poortrait, 2006, ink and collage on paper
Kicking off 2025, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is exploring pieces of its permanent collection in From the Vault: The 80th Anniversary Exhibition. The primary goal of the exhibit is to show the depth and strength of the museum’s owned collection, with none of the works on display having been exhibited in the past five years. This exhibit also features recent acquisitions along with hidden gems organized by theme and decade of acquisition to tell the story of the Museum’s collection in its 80th year.
Midyear, audiences will explore Discovering Ansel Adams, an exhibit organized by the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, with the support of The Museum Box. Not only does this exhibit feature over 100 photographs and mural-sized prints spanning his entire career but it also is coupled with an intimate look at Adams himself.
“ Discovering Ansel Adams offers an unparalleled opportunity for visitors to learn about the person behind the camera and see Adams in a way that they haven’t before,” Jessica Provencher, OKCMOA’s Curator of Exhibitions, says. “These photographs demonstrate how Adams transformed from a 14-year-old tourist with a camera into a renowned photographer between 1916 and the 1940s.”
Provencher explains that the Adams exhibit will feature some of his most celebrated photos, including The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming , and rare, original archival documents only available from the Center of Creative Photography, such as correspondence, snapshots and personal possessions, that “visitors won’t want to miss.”
Finally, closing out 2025 and spanning into 2026 is Paul Reed: A Retrospective. Reed, a seminal member of a group of artists in 1960s Washington, D.C., called the Washington Color School, has never been the subject of a major retrospective until this exhibit with OKCMOA. Sourced primarily from OKCMOA’s permanent collection with loans from other collections, this exhibit has over 100 paintings, sculptures and sketches from the prolific artist.
2025 OKCMOA EXHIBITS:
From the Vault: The 80th Anniversary Exhibition
February 8 – April 27, 2025
Showing works by artists such as Preston Singletary, Georgia O’Keeffe, Rufino Tamayo, Emilio Amero, Rembrandt van Rijn, Alfred Stieglitz, Mary Cassatt, Thomas Hart Benton, George Wesley Bellows, Edward Hopper, Carlos Mérida, Alfredo Zalce and more
Discovering Ansel Adams June 7 – September 28, 2025
Paul Reed: A Retrospective November 11, 2025 – April 12, 2026
Learn more at okcmoa.com.
THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART - TULSA
Running concurrently to the American Artists, American Stories exhibit featured in the last edition of Luxiere, the Philbrook Museum of Art’s War Club: Native Art and Activism (open now and closing in June of 2025) offers a different perspective on what it is to be an American. Centering the American Indian Movement (AIM), Osage artists and guest curators Anita and Yatika Fields delve into the art and ephemera of important Native social justice, resistance and activism movements.
Opening in the midst of War Club, the show-stopping exhibit
SAMURAI: Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller is a showcase of samurai armor, helmets, weaponry and horse armor spanning multiple periods of Japanese history, ranging from 11851868. With extensive programming to support the “Summer of the Samurai,” the museum is expecting an extensive regional and national draw to this exhibit, offering a celebration of Japanese culture and art writ large.
While Jeff Martin, Director of Communications for the Philbrook, isn’t at liberty to divulge everything on the museum’s exhibit list next year, he can discuss the p.s. Gordon Retrospective opening toward the end of the year, marking one of the few times a Tulsa local has been featured in a solo show at the Philbrook. Born in Claremore, Patrick (p.s.) Gordon received his BFA at the University of Tulsa and is a part of the New American Realism school, creating large-scale photo-realistic still lifes and portraits.
The variety of the exhibits offered at the Philbrook in the past few years is thanks partially to a $16 million investment in the Museum’s endowment, changing Philbrook’s curatorial philosophy. As Martin says about the Philbrook’s approach to curating exhibits: “We like pivoting and doing a 180. If we have something like this, we try to do something very different the next time.”
2025 PHILBROOK EXHIBITS
War Club: Native Art and Activism October 5, 2024 – June 29, 2025
SAMURAI: Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller March 12 – August 3, 2025
p.s. Gordon Retrospective Opens September 24, 2025
Next year, Oklahoma Contemporary has a singular focus for the museum’s entire campus and gallery footprint: presenting the first major retrospective of Indigenous artist Edgar Heap of Birds in Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: HONOR SONG. Heap of Birds (Cheyenne name Hock E Aye Vi), a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation, deftly focuses on Native activism, rights and sovereignty in his works that span his over four decades as an artist. This over 90-piece exhibit, assembled from collections from across the country, contains a variety of works in different media — everything from prints to paintings, glasswork to public sculpture.
“We are excited to see how HONOR SONG will resonate with audiences and contribute to meaningful dialogue within the region and the field,” says Oklahoma Contemporary Adjunct Curator Pablo Barrera (Wixáritari). “Along with never-before presented ephemera from the artist’s studio, the expansive exhibition will make evident the ways in which Edgar Heap of Birds has utilized color, text, place and the language of abstraction to reconstruct histories and advance the rights of people and land.”
As part of the exhibit is an Oklahoma Contemporary commissioned, large-scale public art piece called Neufs for Oklahoma Autumn, an entry into Heap of Birds’ ongoing Neuf series, installed at Campbell Art Park on April 24. Neuf, the Cheyenne word for ritually and cosmologically significant symbolism related to the number four, is part of Heap of Birds’ daily art practice that began in 1981 when he moved to Oklahoma. This specific entry into the series is a hand-painted basketball court with flanking backboards and a scoreboard that empathetically reminds the viewer that Native tribes will always be playing host to the non-Native residents of an area.
Along with Oklahoma Contemporary’s commitment to public arts programming of living artists, the Museum strives to bring most programs and exhibits to the community for free. Heap of Birds’ exhibit will occur in tandem with weekly guided tours, artist talks and art classes for adults and students.
“We believe that art has the power to provoke reflection, inspire empathy and spark positive change,” says Barrera. •
2025 OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITS
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: HONOR SONG
Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery
January 20 – October 20, 2025
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: HONOR SONG
Eleanor Kirkpatrick Main Gallery February 20 – August 4, 2025
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: Neufs for Oklahoma Autumn Opens April 24, 2025 at Campbell Art Park
ARTNOW 2025 Fall 2025
Learn more at oklahomacontemporary.org.
Barre Association
Oklahoma City Ballet taps nationwide talent for magical new Nutcracker
BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON
When holiday traditions need some fresh magic, it marks the time to tip-toe into something new.
This holiday season, the Oklahoma City Ballet invites you to rediscover a timeless tale in a way you’ve never seen before.
The corps is giving audiences a newfound sense of wonder this winter by bringing an all-new production of The Nutcracker to the Civic Center stage Dec. 14-15 and 19-23, presented by Devon Energy and the Chickasaw Nation.
While The Nutcracker is an annual holiday staple across the nation, this production’s new creative direction breathes fresh life into the nearly 140-year old ballet, giving new opportunities to marvel at the dazzling sets, lighting, scenic backdrops and costumes. The project has been just two years in the making, but Oklahoma City Ballet artistic director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye has had his sights on creating a new production of the beloved holiday ballet for several years.
OPPOSITE:
The Nutcracker Prince for Oklahoma City Ballet’s The Nutcracker
“We’re not merely staging a performance; we’re crafting a warm, wholesome, holiday story, and a visually stunning masterpiece for our audience,” says Jolicoeur-Nye. “Audiences can expect to be awed by the visual appeal of the production.”
Citing other works like The Wizard of Oz, a sprinkle of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and a dash of Elf in his creative direction, Jolicoeur-Nye’s goal is for attendees, young and old alike, to be swept away in the splendor.
OUTFITTING THE OPULENCE
While audiences can expect to relax and be delighted at the grand visions and elegant grace depicted on stage this December, there’s a lot of pressure on Jolicoeur-Nye and his team to get it right. As Jolicoeur-Nye explained, The Nutcracker is the bread and butter of every nonprofit ballet company like Oklahoma City Ballet; the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) stated that about 48% of a nonprofit ballet’s annual revenue is attributable to Nutcracker sales.
To achieve that je ne sais quoi that keeps audiences dreaming of sugar plums is no small fiscal feat. While the first American performance of The Nutcracker — staged in San Francisco in 1944, during WWII — only had a budget of $1,000, the NEA estimated most modern productions of The Nutcracker can cost at least $2 million.
A significant part of the past couple of years leading up to the 2024 Nutcracker was the fundraising phase, but when that was complete, Jolicoeur-Nye was able to secure some of the best creatives and crafters in the nation, if not the world.
“For example, [Eric Winterling Inc.] who are making our Sugar Plum, Snow Queen and Cavalier costumes, are the same people who built costumes for The Lion King and Wicked on Broadway,” says Jolicoeur-Nye. Additional credits for the costume shop? HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and Broadway’s Frozen the Musical
And how did Oklahoma City Ballet gain access to some of the best creative minds and makers in the ballet world? Some of it can harken back to Jolicoeur-Nye’s career in ballet. Holly Hynes, the Oklahoma City Ballet’s Nutcracker costume designer, worked on the Kansas City Ballet’s Nutcracker in which Jolicoeur-Nye was dancing.
“She made my Drosselmeyer costume, and I always just really appreciated her design, and thought if there’s somebody that I know and also somebody I can trust, I’m going to reach out to Holly,” recalls Jolicoeur-Nye.
Hynes, the go-to choice for dance costuming in the United States and a 40-year veteran of the industry, has worked as the costume designer for four different Nutcracker productions in the past 10 years (this is after her prodigious 21 years as the Director of Costumes for the New York City Ballet).
Visually, Jolicoeur-Nye wanted the production to stand out, to evoke and explore art nouveau , an artistic movement and style characterized by flowing lines and the use of nature as a primary motif, mixing fantasy with reality. Setting the production a little later than most other productions of Nutcracker, aiming for the turn of the century instead of late 1800s, afforded Hynes an opportunity to lean into this and make some interesting artistic choices.
“I do feel like I’m sharing my favorite book with people. It’s just that I’m illustrating it a different way,” says Hynes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY HANNAH
In New York City, renowned costume designer Holly Hynes observes a fitting for The Nutcracker
POWER IN THE PROCESS
Hynes’ process of designing over 200 costumes worn by three different casts, a system well honed through her work at New York City Ballet, went off seamlessly.
“We’re not merely staging a performance; we’re crafting a warm, wholesome, holiday story, and a visually stunning masterpiece for our audience.”
RYAN JOLICOEUR-NYE
She first sent sketches to Jolicoeur-Nye, who approves the silhouette of the garment for the sake of the dancer and choreography; for instance, Hynes suggested a return to romantic skirts on the corps de ballet in the snow, instead of tutus, to help fill the stage with a sense of grandeur.
When the watercolor version of the sketch was finalized and approved, these designs were then shared with the lighting and set designer, which can affect the choices both of those teams make.
“For example, I didn’t want to put any wings on the Sugar Plum Fairy because she’s partnered a lot, and it was going to get in the way.” Hynes then explained that set designer Michael Raiford developed the Sugar Plum Fairy’s throne, which does have wings attached to it — showing how the costuming can work in tandem with the set design to tell the story.
After all the sketches were signed off, Hynes started assembling her team of costume shops that would start shopping for fabrics and assemble the pieces.
“But you don’t want to start buying too much fabric before you know where it’s got to go. So we rented a space that allowed the shoppers to be able to tag all the fabric,” says Hynes, showing one of six four-inch binders at the back of her office. Known as a show bible, these binders (with over 4,000 swatches of fabric) are sent to each of the 18 individual costume shops responsible for producing each costume.
PHOTOGRAPH BY HANNAH HUDSON
PHOTOGRAPH
BY HANNAH HUDSON
PHOTOGRAPH BY SHEVAUN WILLIAMS
PHOTOGRAPH BY SHEVAUN WILLIAMS
PHOTOGRAPH BY HANNAH HUDSON
CONSCIOUS CHOICES
One theme that runs through Hynes’ work and the entirety of Jolicoeur-Nye’s new production is that of intentionality. After the party scene in Act I, the colors and textures of the fabrics (and who is wearing them) carry over to the battle sequence later in the act after the dancers change characters. For instance, the butler and the maid have elements on their costumes that transfer into the Rat King and Rat Queen.
But one of the standout choices of this production of The Nutcracker is the choice to be sensitive toward potential cultural stereotyping in Act II’s Land of the Sweets. In many legacy productions of The Nutcracker, each sweet or delicacy represented a country or region, with regionally specific choreography to match: candy canes from Russia, tea from China, coffee from Arabia and chocolate from Spain. Often, this left productions in a spot of being more stereotypical in their depictions of these cultures.
“There is a little bit of a challenge, because when Tchaikovsky wrote the music, for example, the Spanish music, it does sound like Spanish music. That’s the purpose of it. So, deviating away from movement that reflects that kind of separates you from the music, which is hard,” explains Jolicoeur-Nye.
So in this new production, audiences will see dancers representing coffee, ribbon candy, hot chocolate and medovik (Russian honey cake). As Hynes explains it, the team wanted to be “respectful of the different cultures and countries in the second act” by moving to this new portrayal in the Land of Sweets, without putting dancers in costumes that accidentally made a caricature of a different culture’s garments.
And Hynes’ thoughtful approach to these updates to production reflects her commitment to every last detail of The Nutcracker. Eagleeyed viewers will begin to notice a subtle recurring motif in the garments on stage: a dragonfly.
“I often will have a little easter egg of surprise somewhere [on costumes], a little detail. So I’ve hidden dragonflies all over this thing. Maybe nobody in the audience even sees it, but the dancer knows it’s there. A little something in their sleeve, or a little embroidery on a name tag,” says Hynes.
But why the dragonfly?
“Let’s find a little joy in a performance for children in December, when the weather is going to be maybe snowy, and dark and gloomy,” says Hynes. “And just like a dragonfly, it’s a reminder that there’s magic everywhere.”
And we could all use a little magic right now. •
Oklahoma City Ballet’s all-new production of The Nutcracker takes place Dec. 14-15 and Dec. 19-23. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling (405) 848-TOES or online at okcballet.org.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SHEVAUN WILLIAMS
Vibrant Chaos, Welcoming Calm
Frenzy and family in the marketplaces of Morocco
WORDS & IMAGES BY MICHAEL KINNEY
My head was spinning the first time I stepped into the Medina in Marrakech, Morocco. From aggressive merchants selling handbags and hand-woven head scarves to motorcycles speeding up and down the narrow walkways without any warning to random snake charmers and food carts, it was a frenzy of energy that could overwhelm the senses.
The Medina, which is the historical district in the major cities throughout North Africa, can be summed up as pure chaos for first-time visitors. At least that is the way it was for me the first day I arrived in Marrakech. Despite having walked the streets of Times Square in New York City and Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles well past midnight, wandering through these pathways and back alleys was an exhilarating and stressful experience.
But just at the one moment when I felt like I might just be overcome by it all, I looked up and saw the signs “Riad al loune” and “Riad El Cadi.” I knew then my respite from the chaos was at hand.
Whether you’re actually staying in that particular riad as a guest or just need a break from the activity in the Medina, the term has become synonymous with Moroccan culture.
“Riad in Arab language means a beautiful garden or a paradise,” says Michael Gentschy. “It’s also used for a special type of house with a patio with a fountain in the patio; there are plants and the patio opens to the sky so that the birds can enter. It’s a very private place, full of peace and very secure — where you can live in the middle of the busy town of Marrakech like in a village, so it’s very calm and peaceful there and it gives a high quality of life. The riad is mostly built with thick walls of clay, so that you even in summer do not need air conditioning, especially on the ground floor. The plants and the fountain create a kind of micro-climate, so it’s like a natural air conditioner.”
The 68-year-old Gentschy is a German transplant who moved to Marrakech 15 years ago to escape the brutal European winter. He ended up purchasing a home in the Marrakech Medina and turned it into Riad Marokko Hautnah ($35 a night).
While riads can be found in a variety of sizes and locations, in 37-year-old Noureddine Bouzidi Idrissi’s estimation, it’s not a real riad unless it is inside the world of the Medina, which is often separated from more modern parts of the city by giant iron walls built as far back as the ninth century, and is older than the city itself. Inside those walls are thousands of people living and working in the Medina.
“Most tourists, they prefer to stay in a riad to live a real experience inside the old Medina because there is a lot to see: architecture and history and exploring and hospitality, eating Moroccan food, doing cooking class, hammam traditional,” says Idrissi, who operates Salam — The Arabic Feeling ($21 a night) out of his family home in Fes el Bali.
While making extra money is a big reason for many homeowners to begin renting out rooms, it tends to be only part of the decision.
“The history of our home is it is very old, more than 500 years old,” Idrissi says. “Then we had it renovated with our hands, me and my family, because I, with my two brothers, do carpentry and carving wood. We have been sharing our home with guests for seven years. We started sharing our home with guests because I love traveling and meeting people from around the world — sharing stories, learning languages, exchanging everything — and my family, too.”
While the riad is the old world, they can be found with new world technology on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia. It took some time to read the reviews and filter through the fake riads to find ones that actually fulfill the promise of cultural enlightenment. I checked that each was located inside the city’s Medina and also provided opportunities to get to know the hosts and other guests. Idrissi’s six-bedroom, multi-level riad was one of my favorites. With its stunning architecture, high ceilings and vibrant blue tiles, Salam — The Arabic Feeling was unlike any hotel and modern home I had ever been in.
Because part of the home was below ground, there were no windows to illuminate the rooms until you got to the upper levels. That didn’t take away from the aesthetic of Idrissi’s home.
“The lower plant of the house is for use exclusive of our guests,” Idrissi says. “This part features two rooms, one shared bathroom, a fountain and a relaxing area with satellite TV. We can also grant access to our guests to our rooftop with nice views of the Medina. My family and I live in the upper part, which is not closed and is accessible. Guests will have independence from ourselves and at the same time they will be welcomed to our table to share a traditional Moroccan meal.”
Being able to sit at the same table to share meals has become a focal point of the local riads. After roaming the city and region on day trips or tours, being able to come back and discuss what you have encountered has proven to be a benefit for guests and hosts. During my stay in Fes, I was able to meet not only Idrissi but also his mother (who picked me up from the police), his daughter and his brother Mohammed, who invited me to share his meal on my first night in town.
“We do share meals with guests,” Idrissi says. “That is very important in hospitality, because they want to see the culture.”
While each of the riads I stayed in was run differently, they each provided a taste of the city’s culture. In Marrakech, it was the traditional Moroccan breakfast each morning that consisted of Jben cheese, honey, olive oil, olives, freshly baked khobz (bread), baghrir (pancakes), an assortment of jams and Moroccan mint tea. It was a delicious way to start the day.
In Tangier, the riad is next to a mosque. So, each morning I was awakened during the Muslim call to prayer, which was amplified over loudspeakers throughout the Medina.
But one morning I was invited to witness a wedding that kicked off at 5 a.m. It was raucous, involving flares and drones — an ultra-modern affair compared to the call to prayer that took place simultaneously. It was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I don’t want to make it sound like there are no downsides to staying in a riad in the heart of a medina and its marketplace: The quarters can be cramped and with so many people in a confined area, you can get a sense of claustrophobia.
But as I stood on my riad’s rooftop terrace overlooking the nightlife of the Marrakech market, I knew I had made the right decision. I couldn’t imagine staying in a 5-star hotel that was miles away from the action of the Medina and being able to get the same photographs, stories and experiences that I left with. I can’t guarantee you will get the same type of adventure, but it’s worth a try.
“If you ask me why tourists should live in a riad, it is to make the experience of the Medina,” Gentschy explains. “I would answer that it is a perfect place to be in the middle of a very vibrant, medieval, [African] town with a lot of things to see in the markets and the places to entertain — to listen to music, see the dances, the snake charmers — and where you have a perfect place to relax from the noise and the stress of the city, so you can experience life quality and beauty.” •
LUXIERE’S MICHAEL KINNEY
The Day I Was Taken to Jail in Morocco
A story based on actual events as experienced and told by the author
For more than 50 years of my life, I have been able to avoid runins with the law. Minus a few speeding and seatbelt tickets, my record is clean. In fact, the only times I can remember setting foot in a jail or prison were a tour of Alcatraz and a field trip to the local jail in Lawton.
That changed on Nov. 3, 2024. While I can laugh about it now, at the time when I was surrounded by police officers and an angry mob in a foreign country, it truly didn’t feel real.
The drama started when I was staying in Tangier, where I had planned to photograph the scenery and just relax. But then I lost my cell phone, and my travel card was being declined. So the entire night was spent trying to get my phone back and talking with bank operators. By the time it was all settled, it was 2 a.m. and I had a train to catch to Fes at 7:30 a.m. Instead of doing any research about the city, I went to bed. Big mistake number one.
When I got to Fes, I contacted my Airbnb host and he gave me directions to a riad inside the Medina. The instructions began with “Get an Elite Taxi.” I assumed all taxis and ride sharing apps were just called taxis. Big mistake number two.
In previous stops, I had used a ride-sharing app called indrive, the Moroccan version of Uber and Lyft. I had no issues contacting a driver and he met me across the street from the train station. However, as soon as we got into his car and he prepared to pull out, we were surrounded by a small but irate mob of Elite Taxi drivers. My driver got out and began arguing with the angriest and most vocal leader while other drivers began accusing me of something while emphatically gesturing in my direction. This was taking place in the middle of a crowded street in front of dozens of onlookers. The scene was so wild and full of adrenaline.
When the police arrived, the situation became more chaotic and confusing. The officer began asking what happened and everyone started yelling at once. Every few minutes a more senior officer would show up to take control and ask me the same questions. When the police finally told me they were going to take me to my hotel, I thought the drama was over. But I should have known something was wrong since he never asked for the address. Instead, I was driven to the local police station. The fear I felt in the pit of my stomach when we pulled up to the gray, bland building was intense.
What I didn’t know at the time was that ride-sharing apps are “sort of” banned in Morocco. Even though apps like inDrive and Careem can be downloaded and function, they are technically against the law — at least, that is what the police told me. I was told later that because Fes doesn’t receive the same high volume of tourism as Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier, cab drivers take it seriously when ridesharing apps “steal” their fares without having to pay their share in taxes. Yet, all the cities have had to deal with the issue, especially with Morocco hosting 2025’s AFCON tournament and the World Cup in 2030.
Back at the police station, when they finally got around to taking my statement, they brought in another officer who spoke some English. He was also the only other dark-skinned person in the station besides me, so when he kept calling me his African brother and told me of his dream to go to the U.S. one day, it felt like the old “good cop, bad cop” routine was being run on me.
The statement was printed out and I was told to sign it. When I pointed out it was Arabic and I couldn’t read it, they didn’t seem to care. So, doing something I would never do in the States, I signed the unreadable statement in triplicate. At that point I didn’t know if I had confessed to some longstanding homicides in the city or denounced America. But they finally grabbed my bags, gave me my passport and took me to my Airbnb hosts after some three hours.
As soon as I got settled, I contacted a friend who is an officer in the United States Army, and he told me I needed to call the U.S. Embassy in Casablanca immediately. That was something I never thought I would have to do.
I explained everything to the Embassy’s overnight handler. He was confused too; he had been at his post for more than a year and had never heard of anything like this before. But since they gave me back my passport and didn’t hold me, he said, “If they were going to charge you with something, you would still be in the jail right now.” He told me to try to put it out of my mind.
I tried my best to follow his advice. But that night messages on What’sApp began to show up from family members of the inDrive employee and also from the police officer who called me his African brother. The driver’s family wanted to know what I told the police, which is understandable: If
“When the police finally told me they were going to take me to my hotel, I thought the drama was over. But I should have known something was wrong since he never asked for the address.”
MICHAEL KINNEY
he was found guilty, he would have his car impounded for 90 days and have to pay a 10,000 dirham ($1,000) fine to get it back. It was obvious he didn’t have the money. But the messages from the officer really put me on edge, and I didn’t know what to think when he also tried to call me. I ignored all of them.
After getting back from a day trip to Chefchaouen, I contacted the Embassy again. This time, I could hear the apprehension in the same handler’s voice because he had no idea why the officer would try to get hold of me. He surmised he was either going to set me up or ask for a bribe, or really was trying to find a way to get to America.
I finally decided it was time to get out of Fes. The earliest option was 4:45 a.m. on a six-hour train ride to Marrakech. I got about two hours’ sleep and found a transport to the same train station where I had arrived where all the trouble started. After waiting in the terminal for an hour trying not to stare at the police who manned the front doors, we finally boarded and took off down the rail, and I immediately felt the pent-up stress start to leave my body.
While this situation won’t stop me traveling to almost anywhere on the globe, I will be a little more cautious when it comes to knowing local laws and customs. But these types of misunderstandings are the risk that comes from exploring different cultures.
Unfortunately, even though I saw some amazing landscapes, dined on savory meals and met some intriguing and kind locals during my nine days traveling around North Africa, this experience stands out. Hopefully, as time moves on, the other aspects of the trip will rise to the forefront where they belong. •
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The Oklahoma Influence
Content creators leaving lasting impressions
BY KATE FRANK
For years, Oklahoma has been characterized by its wide-open plains, deeprooted history and a quiet charm that often flies under the radar. But in the age of social media, the state is getting a modern makeover, thanks to a group of content creators who are helping to reshape how the wider world views Oklahoma. These influencers are not just showcasing their own lives; they’re also building bridges between Oklahoma and global audiences. By blending local culture with creativity, they are proving that the Sooner State is more than meets the eye.
This new wave of Oklahoma influencers is carving out a unique space online, attracting millions of followers who are curious about Oklahoma living. From culinary adventures to fresh fashion trends and Tulsa’s street style, their content is a testament to Oklahoma’s diversity, individuality and innovation. We’re spotlighting three creators — Emily Phillips, Gabriel Mor and Vame — who are leading the charge in crafting a fresh, vibrant and desirable image of Oklahoma.
Emily Phillips at the Ambassador Hotel
EMILY PHILLIPS: FINDING THE FLAVOR
From Bethany, Emily Phillips has emerged as a trusted guide for uncovering the state’s hidden dining spots. Her social media journey began as a casual hobby, posting snapshots of her life. But when she leaned into creating TikTok videos highlighting Oklahoma’s food scene, her platform skyrocketed. Phillips celebrates local eateries while painting Oklahoma as a state brimming with flavor and character, both in the kitchen and within its communities.
Her videos, featuring everything from farm-to-table restaurants to classic diners, offer a fresh perspective on what it means to dine in Oklahoma. She also shares a wide range of community activities, from local festivals to family-friendly events, showcasing the state’s vibrant life. Whether it’s a hidden art gallery or a weekend farmers market, Phillips’ creative lens showcases Oklahoma as a place filled with exciting opportunities to explore.
Her followers, many of whom live outside the state, find her content both intriguing and engaging, piquing their interest in what our restaurants and activities have to offer. With her passion for food and storytelling, Phillips has proven it’s more than what may seem like a state full of barbecue and fried food, positioning Oklahoma as a culinary destination.
GABRIEL MOR: OKLAHOMA CHIC
In the heart of Oklahoma City, Gabriel Mor is redefining style in the Midwest. Born and raised in the city, Mor’s journey into social media started with his band, Jason Scott & The High Heat, where he dabbled in sharing creative content. But it was his love for fashion that truly set him apart. Believing that “when you dress better, you feel better,” Mor’s playful yet polished approach to personal style has captivated audiences.
What makes his platform unique is how he balances fresh fashion with his Oklahoma roots. By creating videos that highlight his outfits and tips against the backdrop of Oklahoma City, he’s shown that you don’t have to live in New York or Paris to make a mark on fashion. His partnerships with brands like Ralph Lauren and Levi’s demonstrate how Oklahoma style can resonate globally. For Mor, Oklahoma is stylish, fun and unapologetically bold, a message his followers can’t get enough of.
PHOTOGRAPH
VAME: TULSA’S STREET STYLE
Tulsa-based influencer Vame has turned the streets of his city into a runway. Best known for his viral video series, “What Are People Wearing in Tulsa,” he has captured the attention of millions. Approaching 40 episodes, Vame’s series showcases an eclectic mix of Oklahomans’ street style, proving that individuality thrives in every corner of the state.
The inspiration for his series came from a simple yet powerful thought: “Why not here in Tulsa?” After seeing similar videos filmed in major cities worldwide, Vame decided to take the initiative and bring the concept to his own backyard.
One of his standout moments came when a video he filmed at the Oklahoma State Fair gained international attention — it showcased the vibrant styles of fairgoers and also highlighted the creativity and charm of everyday Oklahomans. The global reach of the video proved that Oklahoma’s unique fashion scene resonates far beyond state lines, cementing Vame as a key voice in bringing local style to the world stage.
What sets Vame apart is his ability to blend his love for fashion with a genuine representation of the people around him. His videos celebrate the creativity and uniqueness of Tulsa’s residents, highlighting that style is deeply personal and defies stereotypes. Through his love for thrifting and personal expression, Vame embodies the essence of Oklahoma style: authentic, inventive and refreshingly distinctive. For viewers outside the state, his content offers a vibrant glimpse into Oklahoma’s fashion scene, proving it can stand toe-to-toe alongside major metropolitan hubs.
FRESH TAKES ON OKLAHOMA
Together, creators like Philips, Mor and Vame are rewriting Oklahoma’s narrative. Their platforms showcase a state that is dynamic, stylish and filled with excitement. By connecting with audiences outside Oklahoma, they’re breaking down preconceived notions and inviting others to see the state through their eyes.
Social media platforms have become powerful tools in shaping public perceptions, and these influencers are using them to spotlight Oklahoma’s best-kept secrets. Whether it’s a delicious meal, a standout outfit or a unique sense of community, their content reminds us that Oklahoma is anything but ordinary.
In a world where first impressions often come from a scroll through social media, these creators are helping to ensure that Oklahoma leaves a lasting one. •
Follow Emily Philips: @emilyphillipsw
Follow Gabriel Mor: @gabriel_mor
Follow Vame: @heyvame_
PHOTOGRAPH
BY VAME
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Finding Home
THREE GENERATIONS OF THE O’NEILL FAMILY
Darla O’Neill and her husband have been buying and restoring historic homes for more than two decades. And when she came upon her newest purchase, in Oklahoma City’s Mesta Park, the potential was obvious to her.
“I look at a lot of houses in Mesta Park and Heritage Hills, so I knew right away this house could be special,” O’Neill says. “Our home is a historic Craftsman house built in 1920. It has a beautiful original fireplace in the parlor, a large wrap-around porch on the front of the house and other unique and lovely historic details.”
The residence is the ninth home O’Neill has restored or assisted in restoring. The common denominator among many of her projects has been longtime Oklahoma City real estate agent Joy Baresel.
“Joy is the best,” O’Neill says. “We love her. She has become a friend, and we trust her with selling our historic homes because we know that she is always looking out for the best for her clients.”
Baresel has continued the legacy by taking on the next generation of O’Neills as clients when they were ready to part with their homes.
“Working with Joy to sell both of my homes was a fantastic experience. She is the best in the business,” says Darla’s daughter Mallory Bowman. “She has great market knowledge in Oklahoma City and especially in historic neighborhoods, where I live. She has the best marketing strategy for homes, beautiful photos, attention to detail — and most importantly, has a clientcentric approach to selling houses.”
