SUPPLEMENT TO THE OKLAHOMAN
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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WELCOME
Brayden Sexton, foreground, and Joshua Turner compete in a men's 200-meter kayaking heat Oct. 2 at the OG&E Night Sprints during the Oklahoma Regatta Festival on the Oklahoma River. [PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES]
INSIDE PART ONE
MORE MAPS 3 PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD PAGE 4
Seeking a place on the podium
LIBRARIES KEEP USERS ON RIGHT SIDE OF DIGITAL DIVIDE PAGE 6 CAR DEALERSHIP PUTS ARTS SPIN ON SALES PITCH PAGE 8
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LITE ATHLETES will gather on the Oklahoma River next month to fight for a spot on the 2016 U.S. kayak/canoe team that will compete later this year in Rio De Janeiro. But Olympic hopefuls aren’t the only ones making a splash this year in the Oklahoma City area. Across, the region, there’s no shortage of people, places and companies who are “Going for the Gold.” Whether starting new businesses, reviving old neighborhoods or renewing people’s souls, they might as well claim the Olympic motto as their own. They’re looking to go higher, faster and stronger. People such as: Mike Knopp, whose efforts led to the creation of the Boathouse District and helped convert a once-dormant riverfront into a can’t-miss water sports playground. Or David Wanzer, Ben Sellers and Jonathan Dodson — a trio of developers who helped restore the Tower Theatre and several other historic properties that have helped breathe new life into the urban core. Or Danne Johnson, a professor at Oklahoma City University School of Law, who through bi-weekly discussions helps lead her students through sometimes difficult conversations about race. There are dozens more like them who are making things happen. With so much to report, we made some changes this year to Outlook, The Oklahoman's annual progress report. Instead of trying to tell the whole story in one sitting as we have in the past, we’re going to spread the good news out. So, starting today, and for the next three weeks, you’ll be receiving an extra section in your Sunday edition of The Oklahoman, each focusing on a different topic shaping our region. Today, we’ll focus on The Way We Live. Next week, we’ll take a deep dive into business and technology. On April 17, we’ll look at things on the health care front. Then, on April 24, we’ll shine a spotlight on education. You can also access all the good news online at NewsOK.com. Thanks for reading.
— Phillip O'Connor and Clytie Bunyan, Outlook editors
NEW SERIES DRAWS CONCERTGOERS TO LIVING ROOM PAGE 9 OKLAHOMA CITY BAR ADDS MUSIC STUDIO TO THE MIX PAGE 10 RETROPUB PAYS TRIBUTE TO '80S WITH GAMES, MUSIC PAGE 11 EDMOND CELEBRATES SUCCESS OF STREET FESTIVAL PAGE 15 SCIENCE MUSEUM GETS AN UP-CLOSE LOOK AT ART PAGE 19 INSIDE PART TWO
BOATHOUSE DISTRICT'S CHAMPION HAD VISION FROM THE START PAGE 2 RIVER'S DRAW WIDENS WITH WHITEWATER RAPIDS FACILITY PAGE 4 OKC ENERGY FC SCORES GOALS FOR COMMUNITY PAGE 5 ULTRARUNNER GOES THE DISTANCE — AND KEEPS GOING PAGE 7 BALLPARK HITS YEAR-ROUND HOME RUN PAGE 10 THUNDER CONTINUES SPIRIT OF GIVING OFF THE COURT PAGE 12
Cover design TODD PENDLETON Section design FELICIA MURRAY AND CAROLINE WERTZ
Advertising JERRY WAGNER, sponsorship manager, 475-3475
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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MAPS 3
The Dallas Streetcar manufactured by Brookville Equipment Corp. resembles the model being acquired from the same company for Oklahoma City. Dallas is expanding its route and adding two streetcars for a total of four; Oklahoma City plans to buy six. [PHOTO PROVIDED BY DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT]
OKC Council advances streetcar, park, convention center projects BY WILLIAM CRUM Staff Writer wcrum@oklahoman.com
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE STREETCAR Curious about what riding Oklahoma City’s MAPS 3 streetcar will be like? Answers are as close as Dallas. The Dallas Streetcar runs seven days a week between downtown’s Union Station and Methodist Dallas Medical Center. The ride is free. A highlight for the technically minded is the section of the 1.6-mile route that crosses the Trinity River on the Houston Street Viaduct. Brookville Equipment Corp.’s “Liberty” streetcars rely on battery power for the river crossing. “Off-wire” capability is a key requirement for the MAPS 3 streetcar, for practical and aesthetic reasons. Oklahoma City’s streetcar will traverse a 4.9-mile “mainline” through the central business district, linking Midtown and Bricktown. A second 2-mile loop is to provide frequent service between Bricktown and the MAPS 3 convention center. The MAPS 3 streetcar must run “off-wire” to cross beneath the BNSF Railway tracks between downtown and Bricktown. There’s a desire to operate without an overhead wire through the heart of downtown, and improving battery technology could mean running the entire route without wires in coming decades. Like Dallas, Oklahoma City is buying Brookville’s “Liberty” model. The Pennsylvania company’s “modern” streetcar design features low floors so passengers can step right on without stepping up. Seating is for about 36 passengers, with standing room for about twice that many. Hooks are provided for bicycles and accommodations for passengers in wheelchairs. The sleek design includes drivers’ controls at either end for flexibility in operations. So a ride on the Dallas Streetcar will show off the technology and amenities coming to Oklahoma City in about two years.
PARK, STREETCAR, CONVENTION CENTER WORK TOGETHER The MAPS 3 downtown park could become the MAPS 3 convention center’s front yard. Now that city officials have settled on a convention center site south of Chesapeake Arena and begun buying property, designs for how the two projects can work together are being considered. Architects have shown citizen advisory committees conceptual drawings with the convention center’s “front door” on Robinson Avenue, across the street from the park. The current design for the 38-acre “upper park,” above SkyDance Bridge, features a tree-lined promenade along Robinson opposite the convention center. The MAPS 3 streetcar will stop along the new Oklahoma City Boulevard, which will follow the former Interstate 40 alignment past Chesapeake Energy Arena. Arena, streetcar, convention center hotel and park all meet at the intersection of the boulevard and Robinson, a spot where the benefits of $500 million or more in public investment will converge.
ADVOCATES LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF MAPS Advocates have proposed directing half of the proceeds from the successor to MAPS 3 to neighborhoods throughout Oklahoma City, with a focus on “connectivity, culture and health.” They call it MAPS 4 Neighborhoods. Voters have renewed the 1-cent MAPS sales tax several times since it was first adopted in 1993. MAPS 3 is financing construction of sidewalks, trails, senior health and wellness centers, a downtown park and a whitewater recreation park. The projects most closely associated with physical activity, from walking and bicycling to Olympic-class paddle sports, take up a little more than a third of the $777 million budget. MAPS 4 Neighborhoods advocates say the number of young professionals choosing to live in Oklahoma City had grown substantially. Their ideas square with community surveys that show residents value improving the transportation infrastructure to make getting around more convenient, starting with resurfacing streets and bus service.
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METROPOLITAN LIBRARY SYSTEM A rendering of proposed renovations to the Capitol Hill Library. City council members last year authorized designers to draw up final plans for the project. [PHOTO PROVIDED]
Capitol Hill Library looking ahead to renovations
Tierney Palmer plays the part of Hannah Atkins in the production at Capitol Hill Library. Other library activities include summer reading, homework help, art lessons and a Lego club.
From left, DWe Williams, Sondra McMillon and Trena Brown perform Feb. 4 in “Yes Indeedy,” a musical and dramatic tribute to the late Oklahoma political leader, Hannah Diggs Atkins, at the Capitol Hill Library. The Rhythmically Speaking production was performed in celebration of Black History Month and was one of more than a dozen presented by the Metropolitan Library System. Renovation plans for the Capitol Hill Library call for modernizing the facility that opened in 1951 and adding a large community meeting room. [PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN]
BY WILLIAM CRUM Staff Writer wcrum@oklahoman.com
The Capitol Hill Library is set to become a 21st century community asset. Opened in 1951, the library will be renovated to modern standards, improving access to the Internet for the children who fill the building on weekday afternoons. Plans call for a 9,200-square-foot addition that will double the space. A large community meeting room,
Internet connections and study rooms are to be included. The city council has asked for safety improvements for the schoolchildren who must cross streets to get to the library, at 334 SW 26, from Capitol Hill Elementary. Completed plans for the Capitol Hill Library project are expected to be ready for the city council’s review and consideration in April, said Eric Wenger, the Public Works director. He said bidding would follow and the council could award a construction contract in May.
Until the renovated library opens, schoolchildren and other patrons will find all the library’s services in temporary quarters, at the gymnasium of the nearby Templo de Albanaza church, 330 SW 24. The temporary space holds the entire library collection. Capitol Hill Library activities include summer reading, homework help, art lessons and a Lego club. THE PROJECT’S COST? Budgeted for $4 million, the renovation and expansion project could be done by the end of 2017.
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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Library patron Robert Douglas checks out one of the new media surfers at Capitol Hill library. The surfers are intended to alleviate computer shortages at several libraries. [PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN]
Library system adapts to digital age Below and at right: Young library-goers work on computers in a metro library. [PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE METROPOLITAN LIBRARY SYSTEM]
BY JOSH WALLACE Staff Writer jwallace@oklahoman.com
With more people using digital outlets for news, education and entertainment, the Metropolitan Library System has kept up with the trend, offering hard copy books alongside electronic counterparts to customers around the metro. Jennifer Jones, marketing coordinator for the library system, said many of their services and resources are available digitally and compatible for on-the-go mobile use. “Our website and catalog was updated in September 2014, providing a more efficient and comprehensive user experience,” Jones said. “Members can access the catalog, their account, research databases, eBooks, eAudiobooks, music downloads, digital magazines and more online, and from their mobile devices. Our digital material collections continue to expand and improve.” A grant funded by the Inasmuch Foundation allowed several libraries to purchase iPads for members to use on-site, and new teen and children’s eReading Rooms promote access of digital materials for all ages. Within the children’s collection are narrated books, which act as a literacy improvement technique so children are able to listen to and read the words from books at the same time. The trend in e-reading continues to rise as the number of people owning mobile devices, such as tablets and smart phones, continues to grow. Digital Librarian Tim Spindle said the library system began offering eBooks in 2007, and they had more than 580,000 checkouts via their mobile website last year. “Over time, we’ve bought more individual titles and more copies of these titles to meet the growing usage of the digital collection,” Spindle said. Libraries around the metro also serve to connect those who would
otherwise be without computer access. “Libraries provide a bridge to those on the wrong side of the digital divide, those who do not have easy access to computers, the Internet, and/or have not developed the skills to use these technologies,” said Julia McConnell, assistant manager of the Edmond Library. “In our community there are quite a few people who fall into this category. They rely on the computers and the Internet service that the library provides to access services, apply for jobs, pay bills and keep in touch with family and friends. Even recreational use of computers improves users’ skills and familiarity.” Jones said computer use increases every year.
‘MAKERSPACES’ AND MORE Libraries are still very much relevant today, Jones said, as they serve communities with much more than just access to books and other media. Libraries within the system provide meeting spaces and host free training and education classes on a wide variety of subjects. “Families gain added value from their quality time together by utilizing library resources for education and entertainment while saving money,” she said. “Many of our local libraries are also establishing ‘Makerspaces’ where members can meet, create and invent with materials and supplies that they may not otherwise have access to. In addition, some local schools do not have their own libraries and have adopted the public library as their own, using it for book checkouts, research, story times, educational activities and field trips.” Jones said for fiscal year 20142015, the library system had more than 2.8 million visitors and more than 6 million items were checked out, of which more than 899,000 were digital.
VOTE SET ON BETHANY LIBRARY Residents will decide whether to build a new library during a special election on April 5. The new library would replace the Bethany’s current library at 3510 N Muelller with a new 23,000 square foot building that would house a larger book collection and feature larger meeting spaces and more computer stations. According to the Metropolitan Library System, the current library is the sixth-busiest in the system, housed in an 8,400 square foot building that was built in 1964. The library has little public meeting space and fails to meet current building, Americans with Disabilities Act and energy codes. If the measure is approved by voters, the new library would be financed through general obligation bonds of up to $8.18 million, with additional funds coming from the library system.
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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ART
The ‘art’ of the deal KRISTEN VAILS GILPIN: We already knew a number of the artists through our involvement in the community. I think that while they were delighted to the have the opportunity, they were not surprised by our commitment to supporting local art. I used Oklahoma Visual Art Coalition’s online art gallery to find artists we weren’t familiar with, and I think they were somewhat puzzled about why a car dealership was reaching out to them, but just as thankful.
BY NATHAN POPPE Entertainment Writer npoppe@oklahoman.com
The only things lining the walls of most car dealerships are muted televisions and vending machines. The opposite’s the case at Fowler VW of Norman’s new dealership. The first day Kristin Vails Gilpin started working with Folwer, she was tasked with decorating the walls of the then-under construction 48,000-square-footbuilding. Carrying a vision inspired by her Inasmuch Foundation, in celebration of boss Jonathan Fowler, Edith Kinney Gaylord, presents: Vails collected art and photography from 41 Okie artists. That’s not all, either. She had to help install the art, gather artist statements about the work and budget everything into an ever-changing construction project. So why go to all that trouble when its the cars that get all the attention? Vails explained that the aim of the project was not only to create a creatively stimulating environment for customers and staff OKLAHOMA CITY but also support local artists. It didn’t hurt MUSEUM OF ART that the results make 415 COUCH DRIVE it look unlike any OKLAHOMA CITY, OK dealership in the state. (405) 236-3100 Gilpin, an FOR TICKETS VISIT: www.okcmoa.com accomplished artist herself, went into more detail about what it took to create a car dealership that’s also a living, breathing art gallery.
June 18 to September 18
Q: HOW DID THE ARTS COMMUNITY REACT WHEN YOU TOLD THEM WHERE THEIR ART WOULD BE FEATURED? WERE THEY SURPRISED THAT IT WOULD BE AT A CAR DEALERSHIP?
Above: Local contemporary art is seen in Jason Williams’ work area at the new Fowler Volkswagen dealership in Norman. [PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN]
This part of the process was definitely my favorite. As an artist myself, I’ve been on the other side. I know how meaningful an unanticipated art sale can be and it PAID ADVERTISING
was a joy to be the bearer of good news. We also wanted to give as much freedom to the artists as possible. We did not see many of the pieces until they were completed. Picking up finished work was like Christmas over and over again. This project also gave me the opportunity to visit artist studios in person, which was a personal perk to get to see inside the lives of many artists I admire.
Q: WHAT SORT OF REACTIONS HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM VISITORS OF THE DEALERSHIP? GILPIN: We have had such a positive response from visitors and Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954), L’Algérienne, 1909. Oil on canvas. Collection Centre Pompidou, employees. Paris. MNAM-CCI. Legs du Victomte Guy de Cholet aux Musées nationaux, 1916, 2009. AM 2009-214. The murals ©2016 Succession H. Matisse/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY and installations were actually installed two weeks after the dealership opened, so we had this nice opportunity where people were actually able to see the artists working during operating hours. We hosted three art tours in January, which allowed visitors to see all of the artwork A piece of art is including areas closed to the public. The shown at the Fowler fact that there are enough people interVolkswagen dealerested in seeing the artwork to come to car ship in Norman. dealership for a tour is pretty amazing. I’m still getting interest in the tours so we plan to continue them on a quarterly basis. ... Every day our employees tell us about all of the positive responses to the artwork, which encourages visitors to get up and walk around, instead of just sitting while waiting. SEE ART, PAGE 17
OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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MUSIC
JERROD BECK
events organically take lives of their own. I can jump through all kinds of hoops to make an event really cool, but in the end things are going to go however they are going to go. A lot of that is determined by the response from attendees. It takes a community to make an event memorable and successful. With Come Sunday, we host two artists for each event. They each get an hour long set, and any money that is donated is split among each act. It’s a simple approach that centers around supporting an artist, not just financially, but by listening to what they have to offer.
Q: How does a house show differ from seeing a concert in a venue or bar? Does it offer listeners something different? Jerrod Beck: Seeing live music within the setting of someone’s home makes opportunity for a connectivity between musician and listener that you rarely ever get at a venue or bar. The fact that you are being welcomed into a community member’s home to play a part in supporting local art is something that people value and seek out, as attendees and as musicians. Artists want to feel connected to their audience, and they want their message to resonate and feel tangible. When you are sharing a song to a group of listeners that are just a few feet away from you, there is something really special and human about that offering.
Q: Come Sunday feels like it has a DIY ethic to it. What’s it like to watch the pieces fall together and seeing a show come together that you planned yourself? Beck: DIY ’til the day I die. It
STORY AND PHOTO BY NATHAN POPPE | ENTERTAINMENT WRITER npoppe@oklahoman.com
No musician wants to be background noise. Noisy bars and venues aren’t ideal and nothing beats a listening room experience with your favorite singer-songwriter. That’s the goal of Come Sunday, a new monthly concert series in Oklahoma City that delivers music in the comfort of a house. Oklahoma City-based musician Jerrod Beck helps organize the series and took the time to share the sudden success of Come Sunday. You can see what concert is coming next at www.come-sunday.com.
truly is a lot of work to organize an event, whether it be a house show accommodating 20 people, or a four-block food truck event. However, that final product, seeing everything play out is so rewarding. I am all about letting
Q: What’s been the biggest success with the project so far? How’d you like to see this change and grow? Beck: We kicked off Come Sunday with a holiday show. We had close to ten artists perform holiday classics, and original tunes as well. From Samantha Crain to Jabee, we had a full house of talented musicians getting to enjoy each other’s company while sharing their talents with community members. It was pretty special. Samantha Crain even gave us her rendition of the BC Clark jingle. As for growth, I’d like to start pushing out into corners of the city to find fresh faces to showcase. I was having a talk with Cody, bass player for Horse Thief, and he was interested in performing a solo bass set for Come Sunday. Finding SEE BECK, new ways PAGE 10 to
visits Canterbury visits Canterbury Percussion and singing? Sound crazy? This concert will be an innovative experience of dynamic choral music punctuated by the excitement of percussion!
Formerly Canterbury Choral Society Sponsors: The Chickasaw Nation – Presenting Sponsor The Oklahoman – Media Sponsor Bank of Oklahoma Oklahoma Arts Council National Endowment for the Arts Allied Arts
Tickets online or call
canterburyokc.com 232-SING or 297-2584
MORE M OR THAN O
DRUMS D R
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APRIL 9 8:00PM
Civic Center Music Hall
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Beck FROM PAGE 9
entertain people, while giving an outlet for those that may normally not have one, that’s where I am headed.
Q: How willing have musicians in Oklahoma been to join the project to perform? Beck: Artists seek this kind of gig out.
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in the city where we discuss the need for more listening room environments. Songwriters, and artists in general, are tired of being background noise. There is so much incredible and unique talent in this state, that no artist should be just background noise.
I have had numerous talks with songwriters here
Q: Do you think something like this has the power to change how people enjoy concerts and act as a community? Beck: Community
is fostered and growth occurs when people step out to create opportunities such as a Come Sunday-type event. Yes, it is at a strangers house (even though John Milner is no stranger Images of to most), but taking “The Commerce that initiative to Comet” Exhibit open check out something s “The Mick” new on a Sunday evening can lead at to willingness to participate in The History other comHis Center munityprofessional 800 Nazih Zuhdi driven Dr. and personal life Oklahoma City, events. At OK 73105 405-522-0765 the point our city is okhistory.org at, with so much going on, I think it is very important to rememoi ll Her n Black & W ber the small a b hite” e as things. Gathering B PA “ ID A with others in the DVE RTISIN G timeless venue that is the house, to appreciate art that is being created right Left: Oklahoma City-based musician Top: Oklahoma City-based musinext door; that keeps cian Taylor Rapp performing a Joze Hernandez performing a house a city humble and house concert set at Come Sunconcert set at Come Sunday. [PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES HARBER] day. [PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES HARBER] human.
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Restaurant owner sets the bar on new music NATHAN POPPE Entertainment Writer npoppe@oklahoman.com
Power House owner Clay Berkes wanted to make an album featuring Okie talent at his bar, which recently celebrated its first birthday. With the help of Oklahoma City-based musician Jerrod Beck, Berkes invited more than a dozen acts to record new material over the course of two days. The dusty storage unit neighboring the bar, 1228 SW 2, just west of downtown, was
transformed into a makeshift recording studio, thanks to Steve Boaz and Atlee Hickerson, two recording engineers with as much patience as talent. Barring a few technical issues, the duo captured intimate performances, while dozens of musicians, artists and onlookers tried to keep as quiet as possible. What could have easily been a recording nightmare or rushed recording project ended up being an exceptionally fun experience. Berkes was
blown away by how relaxed and good-natured the two days went. Bands joined each others’ sessions and hung out for hours upon hours. It was a successful experiment of community and felt like something that happens in much cooler cities. Anyone lucky enough to stop by witnessed some of Oklahoma’s most promising acts testing the waters with fresh songs. Berkes plans on pressing the Power House Sessions Vol. 1 recordings to vinyl and donating half the funds to charity.
Right: Grace Babb of Annie Oakley performs a song during the Power House recording sessions. [PHOTO BY NATHAN POPPE, THE OKLAHOMAN]
OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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FILM ROW
Video games line the wall under a graffiti-style sign painted by Kris Kanaly at FlashBack RetroPub. [PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN]
FLASHBACK RETROPUB BRINGS ’80S GAMEPLAY TO FILM ROW BY BRANDY MCDONNELL Features Writer bmcdonnell@oklahoman.com
I
f it hadn’t been for Sundays at the coin laundry playing “Donkey Kong” with his dad, Jose Rodriguez probably wouldn’t have worked for nearly five years to open his own business. “My parents moved to Oklahoma when I was 6 years old from Puerto Rico. We pretty much moved here with the clothes on our backs, so we didn’t have a lot of things. We didn’t have a washer and a dryer at home, so we used to go the laundromat. Sundays was our family time at the laundromat, and there’s really not much to do at a laundromat for a kid. But this laundromat we used to go to had three specific games: They had ‘Pole Position,’ they had ‘Donkey Kong’ and they had ‘Centipede.’ Well, I didn’t like ‘Pole Position’ because I couldn’t drive very well, and ‘Centipede’ I never understood when I was little. But ‘Donkey Kong’ I got, and it was my dad’s favorite game,” he said. “So, we would always play ‘Donkey Kong.’ Every Sunday afternoon when we’d go do laundry, my dad would bring some quarters, and we’d sit there for about half an hour until the quarters ran out and play ‘Donkey Kong.’ It was something for us that kind of brought our family together, because my parents made the best of what could be a tough situation for a kid.” Rodriguez, 35, is now the proud owner of FlashBack RetroPub, a 1980s-themed
Old cassettes tapes with colored backlights adorn the bar that owner Jose Rodriguez built for FlashBack RetroPub. The arcade bar on Film Row features 1980s video games and music. [PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN]
arcade bar that opened in October on Film Row and serves up beer and nostalgia along with classic gameplay. “You go to arcades now and the games that they have are so different than what we grew up with, so you typically don’t see a lot of parents going to the arcades anymore. They may take their kids, but I don’t see a lot of parents playing in the arcades,” he said. “This is kind of an adult arcade in a sense, where you can come,
hang out, have some drinks and play some of the old-school games.”
DEVELOPING A CONCEPT Inside FlashBack RetroPub, red metal lockers form the liquor cabinet, Lite-Brites are used for the “order here” signs, and Strawberry Shortcake toys donated by his wife adorn the bar area. Clips from 1980s music
videos, television series and movies play on giant screens, and along with local and regional beers, specialty cocktails like the “Purple Rain,” the “Papa Smurf” and the “Ferris Bueller” are on the menu. Rodriguez built the bar decorated with cassette tapes and the Rubik’s Cube coffee table with his own hands. He said he has a special affinity for the ’80s since TV shows like “ALF,” “The Smurfs” and “Fraggle Rock” helped him learn English growing up. “I don’t know a decade that triggers more memories and more reaction than the ’80s for so many people. Because there are so many things that took place in the ’80s whether it was music or movies, it was such a growing time for our country … and as a society expanding on the things we enjoyed,” he said, chatting to the tune of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” “Of course, there’s some ’90s games, but for the most part, the majority of the games here are ’80s games.” Rodriguez pitched the idea for an arcade bar to his partner, Mark Temple, about five years ago SEE PUB, PAGE 12
“BROADWAY’S MASTER-SHOWMAN.” -THE NEW YORK POST
JUNE 18TH @ 8PM
AT OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THEATER
TICKETS 405.682.7579
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FlashBack RetroPub owner Jose Rodriguez [PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN]
Pub
FROM PAGE 11
after he was inspired by a visit to The Max Retropub in Tulsa. “It just really kind of sparked everything from there. I started doing my research, started looking across the country and seeing what other type of arcade bars there were,” he said. “Obviously, I
didn’t just want to copy off what they did. I wanted to make something that was more my own.”
MAKING PLAYS FOR GAMES The first step in developing his FlashBack was to gather up old-school arcade
games. It’s taken him more than three years to collect the 45 games in his arcade bar, and he said he hopes to eventually get at least 50 standing machines, plus a couple of tabletop games. “I didn’t realize how tedious it was going to be to find these games. I was
like, ‘Surely people still have these.’ No, a lot of people don’t, and the ones who do they’re for the most part collectors,” he said. “I logged over 10,000 miles picking up games.” SEE PUB, PAGE 13
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Pub
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FROM PAGE 12
But patrons won’t need quarters or tokens to play them. FlashBack RetroPub offers free game play with a two-drink minimum — drinks can be alcoholic or soft — and no cover is charged Sunday through Thursday. The bar is closed Mondays. “From what I’ve seen that’s what no one else is really doing. We’ve gotten a lot of great reception and great feedback over the fact you can play for free,” he said. “We just want people to come in here and have fun. It’s something different that’s not in this area.” Oklahoma City filmmaker Kyle Roberts said free game play is a rare bonus for arcade aficionados, who can expect to spend as much as $40 in a single visit at other amusement stops. Roberts shot his short film “Heroes of the Realm” at FlashBack, created the bar’s video package and has since become a player at its Wednesday night arcade league. “It’s no secret that I’m just a huge nerd, and just about any city that I visit, if I have time, I try to find an arcade there or whatever. … And RetroPub is one of the best ones,” Roberts said. “One of the ways you can really tell good arcades from bad ones is the selection they have — and they have a great selection there — but also on top of that is just how well the games play. … A lot of arcades you go to, even the expensive ones, like only one in every five or six games works properly.” Along with the arcade league, the pub boasts an exclusive User Lounge where players who are willing to pay for a User Pass can play rare arcade games like “X-Men,” “Sinistar,” and “Joust,” along
[PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN ]
with a “Tron” machine that not only inspired the back room’s name but took Rodriguez three years to find.
GOING BEYOND GAMES Although the arcade games are the main draw, Rodriguez said he wanted his arcade bar to appeal to more than just avid players, who are primarily men. The bar offers karaoke on Tuesdays and ’80s trivia on Thursdays, and a disc jockey
spins ’80s tunes from a booth shaped like a boom box on Fridays and Saturdays, when the pub charges a $5 cover starting at 8 p.m. “Friday and Saturday nights, our dance floor is packed,” he said. “So you have couples that come in, and the girls can go dance and the guys can go play arcade games. Everyone is happy because they’re still kind of hanging out — they come back and hang out and sit down and
talk — but they each have something to do.” He’s also found that many women prefer the more communal experience of console games to traditional arcade machines, so he has some boxy old TVs hooked to Nintendo 64s and Super Nintendos and flanked by couches for groups who prefer to sit, chat and play “Mario SEE PUB, PAGE 14
14 SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016
Pub
FROM PAGE 13
Kart” and the like. “We already have so many regulars that come in here two or three times a week,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve built a really great following social media-wise … and people are continuing to bring their friends out and spread the word.”
BLAZING NEW TERRITORY On a recent Wednesday, the first customers, still dressed in business suits and button-down shirts, arrived 10 minutes after the pub opened at 5 p.m., and by 5:30, a sizable crowd had gathered after work for drinks and games. Although he looked for locations in Automobile Alley, Uptown 23rd and the Plaza District, Rodriguez said he is happy to be a part of the burgeoning Film Row community. “It’s been uncharted territory for us, but the response has been great. The Film Row district has been great backing us and always promoting us and always trying to include us in everything. We’re the nightlife right now on Film Row since we stay open until 2 o’clock,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else anymore. This building just fit exactly what we’re looking for.” The arcade bar is currently anchoring the west end of Film Row until construction is complete on the 21c Museum Hotel. Between the pub’s concept and location — his bar is the only one in walking distance — he hopes the hotel will bring him even more customers. He also hopes that his business will
OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
FLASHBACK RETROPUB Where: 814 W Sheridan Ave., #A Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. to midnight Sunday Information: www.facebook. com/FlashBackRetroPub
honor the sacrifices his parents made by moving to an unknown land where they didn’t speak the language to give him a better life. Although his mother, Catalina, frequently visits FlashBack, he said his father died 2 ½ years ago, before the pub was open. “‘Donkey Kong’ is actually the first game that I got. My dad before he passed away, he went and helped me get the game. … I didn’t tell him what game I was getting; I just said, ‘Hey, I need your help going to get this game,’ and he’s like, ‘OK, cool,’” Rodriguez recalled. “We went to pick the game up and when he saw it, his eyes just like lit up. He’s like ‘A “Donkey Kong?!”’ I was like, ‘Yep,’ so we went back to my house and set it up and played it for probably like two or three hours with my son … and it was great. “It’s still here, but as soon as find a new ‘Donkey Kong,’ that one’s getting out of here and going home with me.”
FILM ROW FLASHBACK Workers use a lift to paint the south face of the former Fred Jones Manufacturing Plant near W Main Street and Classen Boulevard in January. The 168,000-square-foot building at 800 W Main was originally built in 1916 by auto pioneer Henry Ford as a Model T production plant. 21c Museum Hotels, a hotelier that redevelops historic urban properties into hotels that double as contemporary art galleries, is transforming the historic building into an all-hours cultural hub. The redevelopment calls for 135 hotel rooms, a contemporary art museum and a restaurant. The building is on the west end of Film Row. [PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN]
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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EDMOND
Jill Castilla, Citizen’s Bank of Edmond president and CEO, the power behind Heard on Hurd, stands in the middle of Broadway, where it takes place every third Saturday during March through October. [PHOTOS BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN]
HEARD ON HURD TOPS COMMUNITY EVENTS BY DIANA BALDWIN Staff Writer dbaldwin@oklahoman.com
EDMOND — Heard on Hurd, Edmond’s popular community street festival, started its third year in March and continues to grow. Last year, the monthly festival hosted by Citizens Bank of Edmond brought more than 100,000 people to downtown and generated $2.6 million for the local community. It is held from 6 to 10 p.m. every third Saturday from March through October at Broadway and Hurd. The festival is home to local music, food trucks and pop-up shops. Heard on Hurd started in September 2014 and attracted about 3,000 people the first month. “We expected at first to get 400 or 500 people because we wanted the food trucks to make money,” said Jill Castilla, Citizens Bank of Edmond president and CEO. “All the food trucks sold out their food and said it was one of their best nights ever. It exceeded all of our expectations.” In March 2013, the bank decided to close three of its Edmond branches, leaving the 115-year-old bank with its two downtown locations. “At that time, we started talking about some type of local musical festival in downtown Edmond,” Castilla said. “We had been talking for a long time on doing something.” Bank officials patterned Heard on Hurd on a monthly festival sponsored by a Michigan bank. “At that time, H&8th became so popular,” Castilla said. “We started hearing on social media, particularly, if we could have this in Edmond. So, we started talking internally.” Heard on Hurd is a big commitment for the bank staffers who plan, organize and put on the monthly festival. It costs the bank about $70,000 a season. “None of us were prepared on how successful it was going to be,” Castilla said. “At the time, we only had two blocks that were blocked off and we have expanded. “It is a great community feel and showcases how special downtown Edmond is, and hopefully, more brick and mortars will open.” Even though it is an Edmond community event, the festival is drawing people from across the metro, partly because social media helps spread the word. “I was overwhelmed with joy the first time,” Castilla said. “So many people were coming up to us and telling us they were thankful that we were having this community block party and coming together with our neighbors.” City officials and police come out in full support of Heard on Hurd. They are even talking about putting electrical outlets throughout downtown so the food trucks won’t have to use the loud electrical generators. There is no talk of Heard on Herd ending. But there are discussions about making it better, maybe adding films to the festival.
People line up at a food truck March 19 during Heard on Hurd in downtown Edmond.
None of us were prepared on how successful it was going to be. JILL CASTILLA BEYOND BROADWAY
Shane Murray gives his daughter Emma, 4, a ride on his shoulders while waiting in line for pizza during the event in downtown Edmond.
“We don’t put on this festival so we can get loans and deposits,” Castilla said. “We want to do it to do good and be great contributors to our community and be a community builder. It is just about your community and celebrating that.” Community entertainment happens more than once a month in Edmond.
Music is available almost nightly at the University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab, Fifth Street and Littler Avenue. “Almost no nights are dark,” said Edmond Councilwoman Victoria Caldwell, a regular visitor of the Jazz Lab. “The tickets are affordable. You can eat and have a glass of wine. There are all types of performances.” The Jazz Lab is designed to educate, entertain and create. It is an education facility for the jazz studies program, a community-focused live music venue and a place to learn, write and record music. Jazz Lab was a dream of former UCO President Roger Webb. Developer Mark Neighbors donated the land at Littler and Fifth through the UCO Foundation and a jazz lab and evening performance venue was started. Partnering with Hideaway Pizza was an ideal fit for a jazz lab. Audiences could eat
pizza and enjoy beverages while listening to jazz and other entertainment such as blues, pop, country, bluegrass, ethnic, classical and even a taste of Broadway. Some people would like to see the addition of a performing art center in the downtown-University of Central Oklahoma area. UCO officials have suggested partnering with the city of Edmond to build one. A 21-member citizens task force worked for 17 weeks to determine if Edmond voters should extend an existing 1-cent general fund tax and continue a half-cent sales tax for capital improvements for 10 years. Task force members also came up with a list of capital improvements they would like to see completed with the half-cent tax. One recommendation is the revitalization of downtown, which might include a new library, a parking garage and a new performing arts center in partnership with UCO. The sale taxes election is Tuesday. Neither extension would increase the city’s 8.25 percent sales tax rate. The state gets 4.50 percent and the city receives the remaining 3.75 percent. The task force’s list of projects was evaluated on community need, ability to decrease leakage to other municipalities, ability to increase sales tax revenue, opportunity to leverage return on investment through partnerships and marketability, Castilla said. Mayor Charles Lamb said plans for a performing arts center are in the beginning stages at this time.
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Concordia Life Care Community is a faith-based retirement community in Oklahoma City. As a full-service continuing care community, we support residents in their independence and as they age. Call to tour an apartment or patio home and learn more about our independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation and long-term nursing services.
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
Art FROM PAGE 8
Q: HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE VALUE IN GIVING SUPPORT TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY? HOW DO YOU SEE THEM RETURN THE SUPPORT? GILPIN: For Fowler, the eco-
Local contemporary art surrounds Fowler Volkswagen General Manager James Samples as he walks in the stairwell at the Norman dealership. [PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN]
nomic and intrinsic values we described above are worth the continued investment in our community. Our support of the arts stems from our marketing dollars, and we feel that there’s a huge value in supporting arts with those funds. We tend to support more grassroots efforts so we can grow along with their success, much like the examples of Norman Music Festival and Plaza District. The tireless efforts of these organizations attract
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large and diverse audiences that we love to be in front of. All in all, we see a return on this support when people and patrons of the art community choose to do business with Fowler. It’s not about sponsoring a festival and expecting those attendees to buy a car the next week, but we do hope they remember our name as a supporter of the arts, when the time comes. Even more, we hope they don’t just remember our name on a poster, but they remember our reputation for being relationally connected to our community. We do see these returns, and it’s always a joy to know that people are making conscious decisions to support a business that supports the things they love. That’s a very beautiful circle of support that allows us to support the art community even more. SEE ART, PAGE 18
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Art FROM PAGE 17
Q: HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP AND SEE THE ART? GILPIN: I feel very proud. As an artist, I love making art, but it’s more of an exercise for me. I get most of my joy and fulfillment from creating opportunities for artists to flourish. With Fowler, I’ve definitely had a few surreal moments, where I wonder, “How did I get here? Mak-
OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
ing art happen for a car dealership?” I think back to path that led me to this moment, my time helping to create artist opportunities through the Plaza District, and this art collection is a very visible and tactile expression of that passion. I feel very thankful to have the opportunity to work for a company that is so committed to supporting this community. I don’t believe there are many companies that have hired an artist to manage their support for the arts, definitely not in the car industry. When I walk through and see this collection, I see a little bit of myself, and even more the very real evidence that I am working with great people.
[PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN]
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OUTLOOK 2016: THE WAY WE LIVE
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MUSEUM
Science Museum Oklahoma gets upgrade, brings smart attractions BRANDY MCDONNELL Staff Writer bmcdonnell@oklahoman.com
Enormous insects climb the freshly painted walls, oversized eyeballs dangle from the ceiling and a magnified hookworm resembles a malevolent monster. “When you get up close, that’s what’s important. When you get closer to it, that’s when you can see the detail,” said Scott Henderson, director of the new smART Space at Science Museum Oklahoma. Dubbed “MAGNIFIcence: The Microcosmic Perspective,” the inaugural exhibition in the museum’s revamped art galleries is larger-than-life in every sense. Not only does it feature striking samples of macro photography and scanning electron microscope photography, but it also showcases the large, airy new smART Space, which overlooks the museum’s bright new two-story lobby. “It’s the same spot. It’s just a better view. It’s a lot better,” Henderson said. “It’s not hidden in a corner … so I think it will drive so many more people to the area. And I really think they’re going to soak it in.” The smART Space galleries was just one of several recent projects at the museum, which is wrapping up a twoyear, multimillion-dollar, indoor-outdoor renovation project. In recent weeks, workers have completed construction on the new entrance, circular drive, gift shop, glass elevator and more. “It’s always scary when you plan a project of this magnitude because there’s that fear in the pit of your stomach of ‘Gosh, what if it’s not as good as we dream of?’” said Linda Maisch, the museum’s vice president of community engagement. “But this has surpassed our dreams. We’re really proud of it.” BIG GAMES, BIG CHANGES Across the stairwell from smART Space, a mother watches her diminutive daughter wrestle big foam building blocks, while two youngsters sit down for a king-sized game of Connect Four. The new permanent exhibit “Big Game Theory,” which features oversized versions of chess, checkers, dominoes and more, occupies a second-floor spot that was once a gloomy, little-used space. “It’s amazing the difference knocking down a wall or two can do,” Maisch said, watching the players on a recent weekday afternoon. “The minute we put something on the floor, it became one of the most popular spaces in the building. … We’ve seen castles built out here. We’ve seen incredible domino runs.” Over the past few years, the museum has done more than tear down a few walls, launching a $22.4 million capital campaign, which included a $12 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and starting
in summer 2014, extensive interior and exterior renovations. Last June, the museum unveiled the first completed phase of the revamp with the opening of CurioCity, a 20,000-square-foot, $9 million interactive family exhibit. “The response to CurioCity has been overwhelmingly positive. … It’s not moms staring at their cellphones while their kids play; we are really seeing family interactions taking place. We have families that are coming two and three times a week,” Maisch said. “We knew immediately (after) opening CurioCity we would see an attendance boost, that people just out of, well, curiosity, would come and see what was happening. But what we’re really gratified by is that it’s not a one-time thing.” Museum attendance is expected to surpass half a million visitors by the June 30 end of the fiscal year, compared with 410,000 guests last year. And she said excitement about the other changes is palpable, whether it’s families catching a glimpse of the big bug photos in smART Space or people stopping to gawk at the grand glass elevator. “It’s all glass, so you can see how an elevator works. It’s not just an elevator; it’s an exhibit,” Maisch said. “We’re Science Museum Oklahoma, why would we have a boring elevator?” PARKING SPACES, SEWING MACHINES In the new lobby, Maisch
Above: Science Museum Oklahoma’s new SmART space opened in February with “MAGNIFIcence: The Microcosmic Perspective,” a show that focuses on Macro photography and SEM photography. Left: One of the pieces of Science Museum Oklahoma’s “Hidden Spaces: Surreal Life on Display” exhibit in Oklahoma City. [PHOTOS BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN]
recently watched workers installing old Tinker Toys, power tools and sewing machines into a sort of curio cabinet called a vitrine, while lava lamp-like blobs glide on a new vertical video screen. “Those are true artifacts. Those are things we’ve been collecting because we wanted people to kind of see the evolution of things we’re so used to using today,” she said, pointing to the cabinet. “The video wall will be an art feature … and that’s another way we’re introducing art into this space.” But most of the lobby is open, devised to make it easier for families and field trip groups to maneuver. Along with new exhibit spaces, the revamp includes wider parking spaces, covered entryways and a pedestrian walkway, features designed to make the museum safer and more convenient. As the museum wraps up its capital campaign, it
is reaching out to loyal visitors and members to give, she said. “Even a $15 or $20 donation is huge,” Maisch said. GIANT BUGS, BIG EYES From the new mural of famous scientists to the prime location for smART space, Maisch said the museum is putting its devotion to the arts in the forefront. “The arts will always be a very important part of what Science Museum Oklahoma is about,” she said. “Everyone talks now about STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — but we’re a STEAM organization. We integrate the arts.” For the debut of smART Space, Henderson devised an eye-catching exhibit in “MAGNIFIcence,” which focuses on art that uses magnification. Tulsan Bob Sober’s man-size images of bugs are created through focus stacking, in which he focuses on one section
of an insect at a time and takes thousands of photos that are integrated into a final composite image, capturing the critter in exquisite detail. It took 1,132 photos to create his vibrant portrait of a weevil. German scientists and artists Nicole Ottawa and Oliver Meckes, who call themselves the “Eye of Science,” collaborate on scanning electron microscope images that give a mosquito eye and a tardigrade their close-ups. “It looks like something from outer space that rode in on a meteor, and it’s a very strange creature,” Henderson said of the tardigrade, a micro-animal nicknamed the “water bear.” The vivid works of Thomas Shahan, a Tulsa native who studied at the University of Oklahoma and has been featured in National Geographic, take a close look at spiders he tracks down in the wild, while local photographer
Christian Bruggeman got into the faces of museum staffers to take macro photos of their eyes. Henderson said he plans to use the large gallery in smART Space to feature primarily national and international artists, while the more intimate gallery will showcase local artists. The open floor plan allows more room for hands-on activities, including a projection microscope where people can examine small objects and a drawing station where visitors can sketch and study specimens under a microscope or magnifying glass. “I hope it opens up their minds to what art is in a science field and how they both relate to each other and how they work with each other,” Henderson said. “They’re both needed: Without science, you really wouldn’t have the arts, and without the arts, you really wouldn’t have the sciences.”
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