April 2012

the magazine of central oklahoma

APRIL 2012 VOLUME THREE ISSUE FOUR

112 SWEET SYMPHONY

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY 88 ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE 68 27 FEAST FOR

THE SENSES

HOW THE WEST WAS WON 73 65 ART STRINGS

COLLECTED VISION 50 SURVIVAL GUIDE 78 SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY 20

The Artist Issue

OKLAHOMA’S PREMIER ART GALLERY Featuring Oklahoma Talent At Its Finest

“Antiquities and Shallots” 25" x 18" oil

by James W. Bruce, OPA

“Pragmatic” 50" x 40" acrylic on canvas

by Dennis Johnson

“Water Surrey” (Montenegro) 22" x 28" oil on canvas

by Nick Berry

“Cimarron Morning” 60" x 48" oil on canvas

by Linda Tuma Robertson

“Blue Eyed Gypsy” 12" x 12" oil

by Carole Broughton

VISIT OUR NEWLY EXPANDED GALLERY “Bedazzled” 18.5" diameter kiln formed glass bowl

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Call or visit our website for gallery hours and more information 6432 N. Western Avenue | 405.840.4437 | www.howellgallery.com

Making your home

A Work of Art

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CONTENTS

FEATURES

April

2012

20

Sunshine State of Mind

The climate is balmy, marine life (and seafood) is plentiful, and there are more trees than people around Florida’s Apalachicola Bay – what’s not to love?

50

Art Appreciation 101

Oklahoma City University’s Wilson House is an astounding repository of creativity thanks to Robert and Jan Henry’s passion for art.

65

Fiddler on the Plains

After decades honing his skills and touring the world, violin virtuoso Kyle Dillingham is living proof of the rewards of doing what you love.

73

Spirit of the West

The Old West and the new are vibrantly alive in the unparalleled collection of art, culture and dreams made reality that fill the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

107

Flavor to Savor

For this lighter, brighter season, Caryn Ross offers a personal favorite recipe for fresh, zesty Lemon Herb Chicken… but you will need a brick.

8 slice | april 2012

Oklahoma Visionaries

The state’s creative landscape hasn’t come about by accident, nor by any one person’s fiat. These 13 artists and creators are all weaving part of our shared cultural legacy.

88

Family Story You know better than anyone how a family takes on a life of its own.

It takes you for unexpected twists and turns, through valleys and victories, and all the moments in between. But if your patience, tenacity, and fortitude run deep, then you will be stronger.

Whom will you trust to keep that strength thriving?

Will they know your story? Will they try to understand what lies beneath?

Where you have been, where you are going, and what you hope to carry on for your future generations?

BOND PAYNE chairman

We invite you to tell us your family story, and see how we can help.

We promise we will listen and guide you. We are Heritage Trust.

Grow in Trust rooted

trusts

oil & gas

real estate

financial planning

investments invest

405.848.8899 HeritageTrust.com

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

Letters

From the Editor 14

Spritz

This & That 16

Details

Artspiration 18

Wanderlust

Sunshine State of Mind 20

Pursuits

Art - Music - Theatre - Events 27

Spaces

Art Appreciation 101 50 Setting the Table 60

Living Well

68

Fiddler on the Plains 65 Repurpose, Revive, Release 68 Steps Toward Movement 72

Marketplace

Spirit of the West Adaptability and Focus Give and Take Dollar Signs

73 78 82 84

Get Smart

Free as a Cloud 86

Glimpse

Oklahoma Visionaries 88 In the Spotlight: OKCMOA 102

Fare

73

Edibles & Libations 107

Out & About

On the Town 125

Last Laugh

She’s Artsy. She’s Craftsy. 134

Last Look

Jack Love 136

10 slice | april 2012

50

27

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Publisher Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Meares

Creative Director Mia Blake

Features Writer Kent Anderson

Associate Editor Steve Gill

Stylist Sara Gae Waters

Contributing Writers Mark Beutler Lauren Hammack Greg Jones Michael Miller Caryn Ross Russ Tall Chief Elaine Warner

Art Director Scotty O’Daniel

Graphic Designer Brian O’Daniel

Contributing Photographers

M.J. Alexander Justin Avera David Cobb Simon Hurst Claude Long Michael Miller K.O. Rinearson Alana Rothstein Carli Wentworth

xecutive Director of Advertising E

Account Executives

Account Manager

Cynthia Whitaker-hill Victoria Fancher Jamie Hamilton Doug Ross Ronnie Morey

Accountant Jane Doughty

O

Distribution Raymond Brewer

N T

H E C O V E R

Sculptor | mixed media artist | musician Nathan Lee, founder of Inclusion in Art. Photographed at his home by Carli Wentworth.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Slice is available by subscription for the yearly rate (12 issues) of $14.95. Order online at www.sliceok.com/subscribe. Phone orders, 405.842.2266, ext. 114. By mail, send your name, mailing address and phone number along with payment to Open Sky Media, 729 W. Sheridan, Suite 101, Oklahoma City, OK 73102.

Slice Magazine™ is a monthly publication of

729 W. Sheridan, Suite 101, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405.842.2266 | sliceok.com ©2012 Open Sky Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without prior written consent is strictly prohibited. Open Sky Media is not responsible for the care and/or return of unsolicited materials submitted for possible publication. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management.

12 slice | april 2012

1 2th A n n u A l we run to remember A p r i l 2 9 th, 2 0 1 2 THE TWELFTH ANNUAL

OklahOma City m e m O r i a l m a r at h O n OKCMARATHON.COM

LETTERS

FROM THE EDITOR

M.J. ALEXANDER

F

The Art of the Matter

rom an early age, I learned to appreciate art. On the home front, my grandfather had a beautiful singing voice, and my sister Marian inherited the talent, along with a gift for creating visual works that she is reticent to acknowledge. My brother plays the piano beauti-

fully (although he never quite mastered “Golliwogg’s Cakewalk” by Debussy… and we’ve never let him forget it, hence the mention here). My sister Ann, well, just suffice it to say that she owned a variety of musical instruments, but it was on the theatrical stage where she shined.

Outside the immediate family, there was a love of art in all its forms: the great songwriters and

musicians, the filmmakers and actors, the visual artists, the theatre performers. I have to credit my family for instilling that high level of appreciation, as art was not considered an important part of education in my formative years; it was the class you took with your “leftover” time. My children are far more fortunate in regard to arts education, although I’ve certainly tried to nudge them in the direction of cultural appreciation here and there.

And though my own creative impulses gravitate more toward painting a picture with words

than with paint, I continue to support others’ artistic endeavors when I’m able: probably the first “official” art that I purchased with my own money was a set of prints from a Texas Monthly feature on the Texas Rangers (think iconic lawmen, not baseball). The images captured what I love most about my home state: the wide-open spaces, the wildcatter spirit. My first Oklahoma-based art purchase was a mixed media piece by Sue Moss Sullivan. I’m fortunate to call her my friend these days, and I (somewhat painfully) handed over that particular work to my daughter when she moved out on her own. First apartment. Original art. Nifty.

This business provides a terrific view of the Oklahoma landscape, and that encompasses far

more than our hills and mountains, plains and red earth. As much as anything, it is our people who enrich this place. And among our people is a vast array of artists whose endeavors shape our cultural landscape and the outside world’s perception of our state. We’ve chosen a group of those creative visionaries to bring you a closer look at their work so far and their aims for the future.

Some of them you may know, others you won’t. Some have enjoyed a fair amount of fame, while others are just beginning to make their mark. This is not a compendium of local talent, but a considered sampling of Oklahoma’s artistic wealth. We are immensely fortunate to live in a state that fosters creativity, and we hope you enjoy celebrating it with us.

stay connected sliceok.com

Elizabeth Meares

facebook.com/sliceok

Publisher | Editor-in-Chief

twitter.com/sliceok

elizabeth.meares@sliceok.com

14 slice | april 2012

of E

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SPRITZ

Guilty Pleasures W

By Mark Beutler

e all have one. Maybe it’s

barefoot in your living room while lip-

We posed this question to some of

putting on a pair of ragged

synching to Cher. Not that I have ever

Oklahoma City’s local celebrities and

shorts and a ball cap and

done any of these.

movers-and-shakers to see what their

hitting those Saturday morning garage

Whatever it is, many of us have a

favorite guilty pleasure might be. Take

sales. Perhaps it’s that late-night run for

guilty pleasure – something so total-

a look at the personalities listed below

a Braum’s banana split, complete with

ly out-of-character that the rest of the

and see if you can match the personal-

whipped cream and cherry. Or it could

world might be surprised if they knew

ity to the guilty pleasure, and then do a

be something as innocuous as dancing

our secret.

little indulging yourself.

DAVID B. HOOTEN Musician

CHEROKEE BALLARD Director of Communications at Oklahoma Natural Gas

PAUL FOLGER KOCO-TV Anchor

CLIFF HUDSON Chief Executive Officer at Sonic

KIM HENRY Former First Lady of the state of Oklahoma

SCOTTY O’DANIEL Art Director at Slice Magazine

DESMOND MASON Basketball star-turnedentrepreneur

GRAHAM COLTON Musician

MICHAEL BARON Artistic Director at Lyric Theater

LINDA CAVANAUGH KFOR-TV Anchor

ROBERT MILLS Artistic Director at OKC Ballet

KYLE DILLINGHAM Musician

The Silver Age

When launching a new venture on an NBC reality show, celebrity chef Rocco

DiSpirito averred that 9 out of 10 restaurants fail in their first year. That number is a little too large to be accurate, but still – if he was worried, he could have simply asked the Buthions for tips. Brothers Alain and Michel have clearly developed a recipe for success that continues to please customers’ palates, given that they were recently in Tulsa to accept the Oklahoma Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame award, honoring the 25th year in business of their flagship franchise, La Baguette Bistro on N. May Avenue in OKC. Under the circumstances, rather than offering congratulations, a more appropriate salute might be “Bon appetit!”

Tattoo U

There’s no final exam, and you won’t get any credits for attending, but the Ink

Life Tour Tattoo and Music Festival’s three-day crash course in body art is a must for anyone thinking about inking. Visit inklifetour.com for info and tickets, then get a new stunner from top-notch industry professionals, show off your own adornments in daily contests, rock out to performances by magicians, suspension acts and a killer lineup of bands led by Days of the New and Barb Wire Dolls… or just enjoy the human show in the Cox Center April 13-15.

16 slice | april 2012

WITH DISTINCTION Congratulations are in order for Jonathan Crider of Marlow and Matthew Benjamin of Tulsa – they’ll travel to Washington, D.C. in May to be honored as Oklahoma’s top two youth volunteers of 2012 in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program recognizing outstanding generosity and dedication among the next generation. Closer to home, the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma honored Polly and Larry Nichols of Oklahoma City with its annual Juliette Low Philanthropy Award, named for the organization’s founder and presented for exceptional assistance and support of the Girl Scouts and their mission.

THIS & THAT

“I love to cook!!! I have a nice glass of wine and light every burner on the stove and get after it.

Even if it’s just my wife and kids I try to make the plate look like a restaurant serving, complete with garnishes. I feel like I can compete pretty well in a cook-off, just a little pat on my own back! I could cook every meal of the day, EVERY day!”

“I like to be fit, but I wouldn’t call myself a health nut. In the summer I cycle 100 to 120 miles. And if you know me, you know I love to eat kale – all the time. But my guilty pleasure is when I find myself at the counter at Coney Island downtown. I get three Number Ones – that’s three hot dogs with chili, mustard and onions. Then I get a 7-11 Big Gulp and just sit back and eat it all up. Good stuff!”

“My guilty pleasure occurs on Sunday mornings. I take great pleasure in sleeping in, making a big pot of coffee upon waking, and indulging in a homemade breakfast with that coffee. I then like to watch a good film wrapped in a blanket on the couch.”

“I love ‘getting my kicks on Route 66.’ I used to live in Chicago where the road starts, but since moving to Oklahoma I’ve been to both the National and Oklahoma Route 66 museums and stopped at almost every old and new landmark from the Oklahoma border to New Mexico. I’ve eaten lamb fries in Vinita and chicken fried steak at Ann’s in Oklahoma City. I’ve visited POPS and the Round Barn in Arcadia, Lucille’s Gas Station (mother of the Mother Road!) in Hydro, the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas, the Big Texan and Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. I even bought a ‘Mother Road’ license plate for the front of my car! I’m looking forward one day to driving Old 66 all the way to the California coast!”

“Going to McNellie’s in Midtown is my favorite guilty pleasure. My wife and I will go there quite regularly for a dose of sports, sweet potato fries and a unique brew!”

“I am hooked on reality TV. But that’s not the only part of my guilty pleasure. I will usually have a tub of cookie dough that I’ll devour as I’m watching my favorite show!”

“Once a month I drop everything and go fishing – every single month I will sneak away. A buddy and I have done that every month for 12 years and have been successful at catching plenty of fish. It gets me outdoors and in the fresh air, and I can forget everything else that’s going on.”

“I watch ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ almost every day.”

“For me there’s nothing quite like dropping the top on the convertible, driving over the Kilpatrick Bridge and singing old Tom Jones songs. ‘It’s not Unusual,’ ‘She’s a Lady,’ ‘What’s New Pussycat?’

Doesn’t matter the song, I will put the top down and sing along with him to the top of my lungs!”

“My guilty pleasure is Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I buy in bulk and store them in the freezer. Last year I stored over 100 boxes!”

“When I have time, I love to bake. My mom taught me, and she learned it from her mother.

Fruit pies are my specialty. I make my own crust from scratch with whole wheat flour, oil, milk and a little salt.

And for the pie, I try to make it with no added or refined sugar, just the fruit and fruit juice concentrate.

So the finished product is a bit healthier. I like to share my pies with others, but quite often I will eat quite a bit of it myself!”

“Like everyone else, I have a long ‘must-do’ list. But on occasion, I ignore it. I lock myself in a darkroom and print black and white photos. You don’t find darkrooms around much anymore. But there’s something relaxing about watching the image slowly appear as I slide the paper into the developer.

It’s almost magical. That’s a favorite hobby, but I guess my real guilty pleasure is when I just can’t help myself.

I’ll start with good intentions. Only one… maybe two.

But within minutes I look down and the whole thing is empty; I have eaten an entire box of chocolates in one sitting. Oops!”

Match & Win The first person to correctly match the 12 personalities to their pleasures and post them on our Facebook page (facebook.com/sliceok) wins $100 in gift certificates for dining at Stella – Modern Italian Cuisine in Midtown Oklahoma City (see terms and conditions on page 133). Good luck!

COURTESY FESTIVAL OF ARTS

Hold That Pose

Difficult as it may be to remember for those of us eagerly awaiting the

opening of the Arts Council of OKC’s annual festivities, our metro isn’t the only place celebrating creativity: Laguna Beach, California is celebrating its 80th annual Festival of Arts this July and August, highlighted by the mesmerizing Pageant of the Masters. Each night, hundreds of staff and volunteers marshal sets, lighting, costuming and makeup to provide live recreations of classical and contemporary artistic masterpieces, accompanied by live narration and orchestral music. With a 2012 theme of “The Genius” culminating in a living tableau of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” it’s the ultimate expression of life imitating art.

A recreation of Monet’s “Women in the Garden”

LIVING LARGE Artistic merit isn’t dependent on the magnitude of the work, but spectacle is a part of the cinematic experience – and if bigger is often better, Oklahoma just took a giant leap toward movie-going greatness. Boasting stadium seating for 600 and a panoramic screen

six stories tall, the new IMAX facility at the Warren Theatre matches the existing Moore landmark’s stunning opulence in design and décor, as well as its sister facility in Wichita’s size… making them tied for the world’s largest digital IMAX theatres. With blockbuster season on the horizon (schedule and pricing available at mooreimax.com), the sensational venue is poised to be a big, big hit. april 2012 | slice 17

DETAILS

Artspiration I

By Lauren Hammack

t’s this time of year when our office begins a collective inven-

tory of the hallmarks of spring and everything we love – or thinly tolerate – about April in Oklahoma.

THINLY TOLERATE: Constant inspection of the soles of our

shoes, prompted by the smell of Bradford pear blooms. Chickweed.

Cottonwood seeds in the a/c coils. Our own fish-belly-colored legs.

LOVE: Indian tacos. Redbuds in bloom. Those three or four

days of really stellar patio dining. Art.

Those trappings most intrinsically linked to April generally

Minimalist industrial style and statuesque form combine in “Chair One,” designed by Konstantin Grcic for Magis. Made with a clear-coat concrete base, die-cast and powder aluminum swivel seat, this versatile piece is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Available in red, anthracite, white and black from BD Home.

have the same shelf life as Strawberries Newport, but art is an enduring reminder of our seasonal bliss. This month, we’ve found some “artspiration” to keep our spring fever alive (with the added benefit of diverting attention from our legs).

Valerie Naifeh is an artist in her own right, and the supporting evidence is clear: a hand-fabricated 22K gold ring featuring a 13.88ct “bullet” cabochon of natural pink tourmaline surrounded by 0.37ct of bezel-set white diamonds, available at her retail establishment, Naifeh Fine Jewelry.

Inspired by the vast design collection of 20th century ceramicist Waylande Gregory, this handcrafted Bullet Bowl with matte glazes, 22K gold and platinum is designed, glazed and sculpted in Peru and available at Luxe Objects.

Why should the Louvre get all the best stuff? The lady with the mystic smile keeps one eye on you and one on the time. Mona Lisa’s serene gaze is available at the OKCMOA Museum Store.

The “Savannah” round ottoman by Cisco Brothers is a one-of-a-kind design crafted from recycled vintage blankets with traditional legs on antique brass casters from Port Interiors.

18 slice | april 2012

THINGS WE LOVE

Some art collections start small, and a terrific beginning can be found in simple things. These Vitra Design Classic Trays (“Eden,” “Mother and Child” and “Miller Stripe”) from the OKCMOA Museum Store are made of high-grade thermoset plastic and are dishwasher and food safe.

Butterflies have captured the imagination of artists since, well, forever.

Erin Fetherston’s chiffon wrap dress from Liberté celebrates their romantic quality with a watercolor-inspired print.

This hand-cut and polished clear acrylic flower vase with removable silk daisy is made in Oklahoma by individuals with disabilities at Prism Place, a division of Dale Rogers Training Center, which provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to learn, develop and contribute to society in a fulfilling way.

The St. John Collection takes the mastery of Swarovski’s precisely cut crystals and combines them with jet for an attentiongetting cocktail ring available exclusively at Koslow’s.

In the first century BC, Egyptian king Ptolemy commissioned an emerald to be engraved with the portrait of the great Roman general Lucullus.

We suggest something a bit more demure, like Dove’s cabochon clear white topaz layered with emerald quartz, set in 18K gold accented with jet black and pristine white diamonds and available at Mitchell’s Jewelry.

Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel was Frank Lloyd Wright’s most complicated project. The building was demolished in 1968, but you can test your problem-solving skills with Pomegranate’s art puzzles. This 1,000-piece reproduction of the Imperial’s Peacock Carpet and other designs are available at the OKCMOA Museum Store.

Picasso had his Blue Period, and so can you… but in a far less somber manner. Orchids of all colors are a specialty at Calvert’s Plant Interiors, including this very rare china blue variety.

For resources, see page 133. april 2012 | slice 19

APALACHICOLABAY.ORG

WANDERLUST

20 slice | april 2012

GETTING AWAY

Sunshine State of Mind G

By Elaine Warner rowing up in Kansas City, I fondly remember the Golden Ox Steakhouse – they advertised “at the Stockyards, where the steak is born.” This kind

of “close to the source” messaging was popular even before the current crop of locavores. It’s a great trend and nowhere will you find it lived out better than Franklin County, Florida, home of Apalachicola and St. George Island on the Gulf of Mexico.

april 2012 | slice 21

ELAINE WARNER

WANDERLUST

Palate Paradise

The Apalachicola River Basin and Bay pro-

ELAINE WARNER

Sittin’ on the dock of Apalachicola Bay

vide a variety of habitats that nurture an amazing number of incredible edibles. The area serves as a nursery for over 95 percent of commercially harvested sea life, making it one of the most productive areas in North America.

Apalachicola Bay, noted for its pristine wa-

ters, is the source of oysters that many aficionaELAINE WARNER

dos consider the “pearl” of oysters. This is the last place in the United States where wild oysFishing at sunrise

ters are still harvested with tongs from small boats. Ninety percent of Florida’s oysters come from these waters. They’re so serious here that this is the home of the only Oyster Industry Lab in the U.S.

There’s something for every palate here –

Front porch at Sun Kist, St. George Island vacation rental

clams, shrimp, blue crab, stone crab and fin fish. Depending on the season, popular choices include red snapper, cobia, grouper and flounder – whatever the day’s fresh catch is.

ROYCE ROLSTAD

mock. There’s not a high-rise in sight (unless you count the lighthouse or water tower on St. George Island) and no massive malls. This is a paradise with more Oysterman at the office

22 slice | april 2012

Franklin County is the perfect spot for fishing, food and just falling into a ham-

trees than people and a lifestyle you’ll have to drag yourself away from.

ELAINE WARNER

ELAINE WARNER

GETTING AWAY

ELAINE WARNER

Captain Justin McMillan, Journeys of St. George Island

My fish! Spanish mackerel

Do-It-Yourself Seafood

Okay, here’s where I have to confess. I’m much better at

Dolphin pod follows our fishing boat.

If you enjoy fishing, you have several options, from river

watching someone else do stuff than doing it myself. The state

and bay fishing to angling in the Gulf. There’s always some-

of Florida leases certain areas of the bay bottom to clam farm-

thing to catch but May is a favorite month for saltwater fishing

ers, and Bob Williams took us out to his patch. The leases, 100'

and June, July and August are tops for tarpon.

x 100', are marked by poles. Bob buys teeny baby clams and

“plants” them in bags on the bottom of the bay. As the clams

sibility of feeling queasy, I opted for a half-day Bay trip. Usu-

grow, he transfers them to larger bags. The trick is that to get

ally the Bay is very calm, but that morning the combination

the bags, he has to jump into water, sometimes over his head,

of winds and tides made the water rough. Captain Justin, our

to pull them out. It takes 10 months to a year before the clams

fearless leader, headed for the Gulf. Lack of time kept us from

are eating size and by then the bags, covered with mud and

going far, but fortunately, we didn’t need to. Before we knew it,

holding 1,000 clams, weigh about 300 pounds. It takes a lot of

we were catching Spanish mackerel – fast, beautiful fish with

muscle to get them into the boat. It made me appreciate them a

lots of sharp teeth. We were reeling them in faster than Justin

lot more on my plate.

could bait our hooks.

Oystering is also labor-intensive, with oystermen using

I was there in October. Being a little leery about the pos-

Spanish mackerel are not large, but they are feisty. Average

long tongs with rakes on the end to pull up the oysters. On

keepers weigh one to three pounds with the Florida record be-

one boat trip, Captain Justin McMillan (his company, Jour-

ing 12. Most of the fish we caught were average, but we were

neys of St. George Island, offers a number of different kinds

catching and releasing so we didn’t spend any time measuring.

of tours) jumped over the side, pulled up several of the mar-

velous mollusks, shucked them and passed them into the

we attracted a pod of dolphins who wanted to surf our wake.

boat where we popped them onto saltines, squirted a little

The sky was blue, the sun was warm, the fishing was great

Tabasco on them and made them disappear quickly. You

and the dolphins provided a real show. I don’t know when I’ve

can’t get fresher than this!

ever had a better day!

Time to go back came way too fast. As Justin speeded up,

april 2012 | slice 23

WANDERLUST

ELAINE WARNER

GETTING AWAY

Apalachicola is Fido-friendly.

From the Water to the Waiter

Good to Know Before You Go

My motto is: “When in Rome, eat pas-

ta, when on the coast, eat seafood!”

• Verandas Apalachicola – self-described as “fine casual dining.” Fresh catch daily

IN APALACHICOLA Gibson Inn www.gibsoninn.com, 850.653.2191

and signature Oysters Verandas – fried Apalach oysters in a horseradish/Dijon cream sauce.

• Up the Creek Raw Bar Apalachicola – come-as-you-are. Chef Brett Gormley does a number of amazing things with oysters – faves was bacon-wrapped grouper stuffed with crabmeat and topped with a yellow tomato and jalapeno salad. Don’t miss the

ELAINE WARNER

and everything else is good, too. One of my

root beer floats with hand-churned ice cream. Brett’s also vegetarian-friendly; his red curry/coconut/butternut squash bisque topped with crème fraiche and shallots was fabulous.

Coombs Inn www.coombshouseinn, 888.244.8320

Water Street Hotel & Marina www.waterstreethotel.com, 888.211.9239

RENTAL PROPERTIES ON ST. GEORGE ISLAND Collins Vacation Rentals www.collinsvacationrentals.com, 866.731.7558 Resort Vacation Properties 800.756.5470

Journeys of St. George Island Cpt. Justin McMillan www.sgislandjourneys.com, 850.927.3259 APALACHICOLABAY.ORG

• The Beach Pit St. George Island – great grouper sandwich and grilled shrimp but they specialize in barbecue – so if you’re cravin’ some ’cue, this is your spot.

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• Millender’s Seafood Market Carabelle – family-owned for 65 years. In addition to locally-caught seafood, they prepare some mighty tasty dips. I loved the shrimp and deviled crab dips but the smoked mullet dip really pleased my palate.

24 slice | april 2012

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PURSUITS

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ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

Racket Science

Australia’s Al Millar – a contortionist who performs under the sobriquet “The Human Knot” – is a headline performer at 2012’s Festival of the Arts; the blockbuster event ties up the metro’s calendar April 24-29. See page 28.

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28 slice | april 2012

COURTESY ARTS COUNCIL OKC

PETER DOLESE

COURTESY ARTS COUNCIL OKC

PETER DOLESE

COURTESY ARTS COUNCIL OKC

PETER DOLESE

COURTESY ARTS COUNCIL OKC

PURSUITS

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

Take It Outside L

By Steve Gill

ife itself is a festival in

springtime, as the earth’s yearly rebirth provides

feasts for the senses in the form of sonorous birdsong, fragrant verdure and riots of blossoming color. In a season that already seems tailor-made for luring winterweary citizens back out into the world, the Arts Council of OKC is happy to join forces with the forces of nature: the sky’s the limit for creative enjoyment at the 46th annual Festival of the Arts, April 24-29 in the great outdoors of

SIMON HURST

downtown Oklahoma City.

The first festival, all the way

back in 1967, clearly contained the seed of an outstanding idea despite its somewhat rushed

execution. The event was assembled in less than a month

cupied – they can Build a Bug, sketch their imaginations at the

The Youth Plaza is dedicated to keeping kids creatively oc-

and featured sandwiches made and sold by board members

Doodle Den or try their hands at tie-dye and jewelry making at

and artists whose participation was the result of impassioned

the Wearable Workshop. Young artists can also sell pieces at a

pleading. It has since blossomed into a six-day spectacle cel-

sale on Saturday, and junior aesthetes can shop in a reduced-

ebrating the visual, performing and culinary arts, one which

price, no-adults-allowed market of their own.

is expected to draw nearly three quarters of a million people to enjoy its carefree festivities.

As the event has grown, so has its cachet: more than 500 vi-

sual artists applied for participation and submitted their work to be evaluated by the festival jury. The foremost among their number have been selected to form an eye-popping phalanx of 144 exemplars of creativity from across the state and the nation, lining Hudson Avenue with original works for sale in SIMON HURST

photography, fiber art, oils and watercolors, jewelry, sculpture and many more mediums. Meanwhile, the Stage Center lawn will become a sculpture park for large-scale pieces and a variety of specialty exhibits will dot the downtown area.

Also spaced throughout the festival grounds, four separate

tional Food Row, featuring old favorites like Helmut’s Strudel,

Fueling it all are the culinary creations found on Interna-

stages host non-stop performances ranging in scope from el-

Strawberries Newport and dishes from the Interurban and Deep

ementary school singers to seasoned professional musicians

Fork Grill, as well as a host of exciting new flavors. Each food

to theatrical scenes. The popular Art Moves program pre-

vendor is partnered with a local arts-related nonprofit agency, so

sented by Devon will have its own dedicated stage, and wan-

each bite goes to support the arts in central Oklahoma.

derers will encounter a variety of street performers including

“Australia’s Got Talent” star Al Millar, an astonishingly lim-

Festival of the Arts returns to Festival Plaza and the Myri-

ber contortionist known as The Human Knot. More than 300

ad Botanical Gardens April 24-29… and admission is free.

performers in all will donate their time and talent to entertain

For more information, visit www.artscouncilokc.com or call

Festival crowds of all ages.

270.4848, then get out and enjoy it!

Co-chaired by Sue Hale and Tom Walsh, the one and only

april 2012 | slice 29

M.J. ALEXANDER

PORTRAIT OF A GENERATION The Children of Oklahoma: Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth

Select portraits on display through April 15 North Gallery – Oklahoma State Capitol

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30 slice | april 2012

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PURSUITS COURTESY OF PRESIDENT DAVID L. AND MOLLY SHI BOREN

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

WHAT TO DO The metro area is positively packed with possibilities for entertainment and cultural enrichment, with more to see and do every month – here are some of our top recommendations for exploration.

COMPILED BY STEVE GILL

ART OKLAHOMA FRIENDLY Through 4/7, IAO Gallery, okartguild.com, 204.1120 You are cordially invited to enjoy the OK Art Guild’s creative showcase for sharing the emotional wealth of the Sooner State, as painters, photographers and more compete (good-naturedly, of course) for over $4,000 in prizes in multiple categories.

ILLUMINATIONS AND CHIHULY NORTHWEST Through 4/8, OKC Museum of Art, okcmoa.com, 236.3100 Let there be art! Revamped for 2012, the museum’s exceptional collection of Chihuly glass fills galleries redesigned to allow fresh perspectives in an ongoing exhibit, accompanied by a limited-time collection of the artist’s Native inspirations and creations.

PUEBLO TO PUEBLO Through 4/8, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, national cowboymuseum.org, 478.2250 This traveling exhibit presents a varied range of standouts – nearly 75 in all – from over a century of the beautifully timeless artistic traditions practiced among Pueblo potters, further augmented by dazzling Southwestern art from the Silberman collection in “The Sun and His Wife.”

HIDE ART TO FINE ART Through 4/15, Jacobson House, jacobsonhouse.com, 366.1667 Change is one of life’s only constants, and when determining who you’re going to be, it helps to remember who you were as a people – witness the thematic continuity despite changes in medium in this exhibit of Kiowa art through the 20th century.

PORTRAIT OF A GENERATION Through 4/15, OK State Capitol North Gallery, arts.ok.gov, 521.2931 Award-winning photographer M.J. Alexander crisscrossed Oklahoma, driving more than 11,000 miles to meet hundreds of children under 18, capture their pictures and record their thoughts, resulting in a varied, poignant portrait of the sons and daughters of the red earth.

AFRO-AMERICANA Through 4/21, OK Heritage Museum, oklahomaheritage.com, 235.4458 Presented in conjunction with Inclusion in Art, this exhibit of contemporary black artists in Oklahoma strives to highlight each participant’s talent and need to create – a drive that penetrates color barriers as thoroughly as does appreciation of the results.

Frankly Speaking

“Spire” Vase, Ceramic, Frankoma

April 20 – September 16, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, ou.edu/fjjma, 325.3272

I

t’s a story over 80 years in the making… or, rather, baking. Chosen in 1927 by pioneering University of Oklahoma art champion Oscar Jacobson to found a ce-

ramics department at OU, John Frank was struck by the creative potential of the local clay and established Frankoma (Frank + Oklahoma) Pottery, which became a household name for its distinctive designs, durable and affordable craftsmanship and striking colors and glazes symbolic of the Southwest and Great Plains. Decades later, the university where he taught hosts this retrospective of his oeuvre, including some of the brand’s most iconic pieces.

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Return to the Natives April 9 – June 29, Red Earth Museum, redearth.org, 427.5228

INDIGENOUS ARTS FROM NEW GUINEA

F

or more than a quarter of a century, the Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival has made a deep impression on Oklahoma City, introducing rapt guests

to grand parades, masterful dancing competitions… and vibrant, spectacular art. Before seeking new entries for this year’s event, the Red Earth Museum revisits some

FEb. 4 - MAy 13, 2012

of the best of its past by showcasing award-winning artists from previous juried art

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competitions – Benjamin Harjo, Jr., Tillier Wesley, Lauren Good Day Frank, Victoria

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McKinney and more – in the Red Earth Master Artist Show.

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

Image: Carved wooden ancestor figure, E/1972/4/11.

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ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

SUE MESSERLY Through 4/27, Santa Fe Depot, pasnorman.org, 307.9320 Messerly’s talent is, shall we say, plein to see – the Altus artist practiced at the University of Colorado, North Texas State University and many majestic vistas in pristine points between. An avid camper and hiker, her oil landscapes are natural inspirations for wanderlust.

ISTVAN SPRING SHOW Through 4/29, Istvan Gallery, istvangallery.com, 831.2874 The creations of antique photographer Lori Oden, wire sculptor Asia Scudder, abstract painter Bryan Boone and mixed media welder and painter Virginia Coleman form an unconventional but intriguing tetrad bursting with energy and personal expression.

PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS Through 4/29, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, ou.edu/ fjjma, 325.3272 Photographs capture moments in time; in sufficient quantities over the course of sufficient years, they capture history itself. Over 100 examples from the Museum’s collection, some dating back to the 19th century, tell the story of the medium.

MARTINI TRAVELS Through 4/30, 50 Penn Place Gallery, 50pennplacegallery.com, 848.5567 The subject matter isn’t particularly provocative, but viewers may still be shaken and stirred by this photographic portfolio of cocktails portrayed in worldwide locales, courtesy of the lens and expertise of veteran journalist and photographer Terry Zinn. Prosit!

MIRADAS: ANCIENT ROOTS IN MODERN MEXICAN Through 5/5, City Arts Center, cityartscenter.org, 951.0000 A survey of over 90 paintings, prints and photographs guides viewers through Mexican-American art history and the cultural contributions to our shared heritage from creators on both sides of the border in this exhibition that rewards a close look.

NEW FRONTIERS: JULIE HEFFERNAN Through 5/13, OKC Museum of Art, okcmoa.com, 236.3100 Richly detailed and completely engrossing, Heffernan’s magical realist self-portraits explore fantastical ideas about the dialogue between the earth and its inhabitants, between the reality of existence and untrammeled magical forces… no wonder it’s called “Infinite Work in Progress.”

PRINCELY TREASURES: EUROPEAN MASTERPIECES Through 5/13, OKC Museum of Art, okcmoa.com, 236.3100 Some functional, all decorative, this soigné array of paintings, sculpture, furniture, clothing and more from the collections of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum are artifacts from a bygone ruling class and fascinating clues to past societal truths.

RECONSIDERING THE FAMILY OF MAN Through 5/25, [Artspace] at Untitled, artspace atuntitled.org, 815.9995 Inspired by a seminal Museum of Modern Art exhibit, Untitled mines the archives of the Photographic Society of America and Oklahoma Arts Institute to explore and illustrate the universal traits common to all of humanity.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS: A TRUE STORY Through 6/6, Science Museum OK, sciencemuseumok.org, 602.6664 An eternal struggle for supremacy in which no combatant can claim ultimate victory… and a creative license for mixed media artist Denise Duong and ceramicist Matt Seikel to give their imaginations free rein with intriguing, interactive results.

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april 2012 | slice 33

PURSUITS A CENTURY OF MAGIC Through 9/16, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, ou.edu/fjjma, 325.3272 We should all leave a legacy so thoroughly suffused with joy. The boundless creativity and ongoing inspiration of Walt Disney star in this exhibit of original animation cels, augmented through the spring by free films, a concert, symposium and other themed events.

FOUNDATIONS 4/4-18, OU Lightwell Gallery, ou.edu.finearts, 325.2691 Art gives creative minds a vehicle for exploring the farthest reaches of the imagination, although it’s easier to realize those creative impulses with a solid grounding of skills.

This juried show recognizes outstanding creations by first-year visual art and design students at OU. MECHANICS AND INVENTION 4/5-5/5, UCO Nigh Gallery, uco.edu/cfad Of course you could open a door, turn on a light, feed a dog or other simple tasks using your hands… but what fun would that be? UCO design students explore a functional, if surreal, realm by creating their own showcase of Rube Goldberg projects.

Armstrong

C O N C E R T – G O I N G

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REA BALDRIDGE 4/6-28, JRB Art at the Elms, jrbartgallery.com, 528.6336 Visually complex, thematically challenging, the densely painted results of what Baldridge refers to as conversations with the canvas are testament to the idea that artists whose work is more difficult to categorize can produce some most intriguing results.

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WATERCOLOR WONDERLAND 4/6-30, Summer Wine Art Gallery, summerwinegallery.com, 831.3279 Oklahoma native Cletus Smith loves painting landscapes featuring nature’s endless variety, and as a veteran art instructor, he also enjoys sharing his knowledge and expertise with others – making this exhibit satisfying for creator and audience alike.

E X H I B I T S

CALIDOSCOPICO 4/6-5/2, Visions in the Paseo, visionsokc.com, 557.1229 The only constant in life is change, and each rotation of the earth finds us slightly different than we were before – a process captivatingly chronicled by photographer Lisa Lee in this kaleidoscopic collection documenting personal growth and development.

L E C T U R E S F I L M S A R T

C L A S S E S

JUURI 4/13-27, MAINSITE Contemporary Art, mainsite-art.com, 360.1162 Spring in Japan is marked by the blossoming of cherry trees, so Japanese-American artist JUURI is turning the opening of her Norman Arts Council Individual Artist Award exhibit into a sakura festival: accompanying her lush, delicately colored paintings with authentic food and music.

CIPHER 4/20, IAO Gallery, iaogallery.org, 232.6060 It’s a one-night-only event because it’s more than a collection of paintings: it’s a multi-medium exploration of lyricism and urban poetry as conveyed through the visual and performing arts, probing and communicating the relevance of hip-hop.

E V E N T S

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43 RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF SPIRITUALS 4/1, Norman First Presbyterian, cimarronopera.org, 364.8962 An exuberant Palm Sunday tradition continues as the Cimarron Opera Company presents a stirring selection of new and familiar spirituals in celebration of the occasion and commemora-

COURTESY PASEO ORIGINALS GALLERY

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

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The Way Out West

Untitled, Jane Hill

April 5-29, Paseo Originals Gallery, paseooriginals.com, 604.6602

A

rtistic merit isn’t a function of the creator’s fame or the volume of resources he or she can leverage in realizing inspiration – and that inspiration needn’t come

from strolling the rain-streaked streets of Paris to strike a chord within the viewer.

As part of the gallery’s educational outreach for 2012, Paseo Originals is hosting a selection of works by faculty and students majoring in the studio arts at Oklahoma Panhandle State University – the small institution in the even smaller town of Goodwell is home to big dreams and substantial talent, as seen in their “Off Radar” exhibition.

tion of African-American heritage. Free admission; some proceeds benefit Haitian and Chilean relief.

JAMIE BRAMBLE CD RELEASE 4/1, Grand House Asian Bistro, jamiebramble.com The hometown singer/strummer/songwriter considers music integral to his development as a person – the next step in the lifelong journey is his new CD, Somewhere in the Endless Sea, which debuts at this all-ages event.

TUESDAY NOON CONCERTS 4/3-17, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, ou.edu/fjjma, 325.3272 Its incredible collection of art is free to tour on Tuesdays anyway, but the Museum sweetens the deal during the lunch hour with this free performance series: pianist Jeongwon Ham 4/3, tuba star Brian Dobbins 4/10 and Carl Rath’s Sooner Bassooners 4/17.

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PROJECT 21 CONCERT 4/5, OCU Bass School of Music, okcu.edu/music, 208.5227 What’s past

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PURSUITS is prologue. While steeped in classical traditions, OCU composers recognize that music must continue to evolve into this young century. Their original works reflect their own insights and developing techniques in this free monthly series.

NOON TUNES 4/5-26, Downtown Library, mls. lib.ok.us, 606.3833 Put a little lilt into your lunch break with the Metro Library System’s free weekly musical performances: A Shade of Blue 4/5, Anna Kinder 4/12, the Cleveland Elementary Choir 4/19 and the Richter Uzur Duo 4/26.

PURPLE BAR PERFORMANCES 4/5-28, Nonna’s, purplebarokc.com, 235.4410 The atmosphere is cozy, the menu ample and the entertainment divine – join Stephen Speaks 4/6 and 4/28, Rick Jawnsun 4/7, the Derek Harris Duo 4/13, Oxford Town 4/14, BAT 4/19-21 and Becannen & Vollertson 4/27.

THE FOUR FRESHMEN 4/6, Sooner Theatre, soonertheatre.org, 321.9600 They aren’t quite forever young – today’s touring troubadours are the 22nd incarnation of the group – but while the faces have changed over the course of the last six decades, the classic swinging sound is as smooth and harmonious as ever.

WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY 4/6 and 4/7, Lucky Star Casino, Concho and First Council Casino, Newkirk, zooamp.com, 866.966.1777 The Red Headed Stranger’s a bit gray – he’s been performing for over 70 years and has recorded nearly that many albums – but he remains as timeless as his music, and he’s on the road again, giving fans old and new the chance to see an American classic.

LADY ANTEBELLUM & DARIUS RUCKER 4/7, Lloyd Noble Center, ladyantebellum.com, 800.456.GoOU They already own a Grammy for Own the Night, and the reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year will own the spotlight April 7, while sharing the Lloyd Noble stage with Darius Rucker and Thompson Square.

BRIAN GORRELL & THE JAZZ COMPANY 4/8, Santa Fe Depot, pasnorman.org, 307.9320 When it’s time to rock a funky jam, he’s the man. Backed by musicians like Mike Walker, Johnny Nelson and Dennis Borycki on standards and tunes co-composed with guitarist Shane Conaway, Gorrell’s sizzling sax tears up jazz, funk, Latin music and more.

THE CREATION 4/14-15, OU Catlett Music Center, normanphil.com It took Joseph Haydn 18 months to write, during which he prayed daily for the strength to endure – the majesty of his enduring masterpiece will be recreated for rapt audiences by OU’s choral and dance departments in conjunction with the Norman Philharmonic.

ANTONOV & MOGILEVSKY 4/15, Christ the King Church, cmok.org The Chamber Music in Oklahoma ensemble is closing out its 2011-’12 season with a bear of a concert: the performance stars the amazing talents of Russians Maxim Mogilevsky at the piano and cellist Sergey Antonov, who trained under and toured with the great Rostropovich.

ZUKERMAN & KONDONASSIS 4/15, Armstrong Auditorium, armstrongauditorium.org, 285.1010 Delicately beautiful on their own, purely transcendent when combined – the flute and harp aren’t generally stars to the same extent as some of their instrumental brethren, but in the hands of world-

36 slice | april 2012

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

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Rainbow Warriors

A de-Elphaba-ed Julia Murney

April 27-28, OKC Civic Center, okcphilharmonic.org, 232.7575

F

or the final installment of its Pops season, the OKC Philharmonic presents a climactic showdown between naughty and nice, black (well, green) and white,

west side and north side – a fierce, fiery faceoff in which no blows are exchanged and the audience wins. Wicked Divas stars powerhouse singers Julia Murney and Alli Mauzey, who played Elphaba and Glinda respectively in Broadway and national touring productions of the smash musical, performing some of their favorites from “Wicked” as well as songs from “Gypsy,” “Ragtime,” “Titanic” and “Carmen.” Join the wonderful witches from Oz for a devilishly delightful evening.

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9112 N. May, OKC • 947.0486 www.okperioimplant.com april 2012 | slice 37

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

COURTESY NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL

PURSUITS

New! at Balliets

Spring ‘12 Collection Trunk Show April 12 & 13

5801 Northwest Grand Boulevard www.balliets.com 405-848-7811 Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm

NMF5 stars Portugal. the Man

The Mighty V

April 26-28, Downtown Norman, normanmusicfestival.com

T

he Norman Music Festival has become such a massive, marvelous institution that it’s almost hard to believe

how new it is, even for those of us who have been in the ever-increasing crowds since the beginning. For its triumphant return to Main Street, the fifth NMF reaches all the way out to Portland, Oregon to welcome Portugal. the Man, whose dreamy, glam-packed psychedelic pop is a counterpoint to the Dylan-influenced Texas Country sound of singer-songwriter Hayes Carll – the genre gulf between the headlining acts illustrates the breadth and variety on display throughout the weekend, and they’re merely the spearhead for three days of sonic spectacle from more than 200 bands. Indoors, outside, everywhere you turn late into the night Thursday and Friday and all the livelong day Saturday – it’s a colossal assemblage of talent in practically every musical style under the sun. Volunteers are needed and VIP ticket packages allow behind-the-scenes access while supporting the show financially, but thanks to their efforts and the generosity of sponsors, the whole shebang is 100 percent free to enjoy.

ARTSCOUNCILOKC.COM

renowned masters like Eugenia Zukerman and Yolanda Kondonassis, they absolutely shine.

DAVID FORBAT 4/17, UCO Jazz Lab, uco.edu/cfad, 359.7989 In the spring’s final installment of UCO’s Faculty Artist Concert Series, Dr. Forbat – a Central fixture since 2005 – demonstrates the piano prowess that has made him so in demand as an instructor and recitalist.

SUTTON SERIES: OU COMBINED SYMPHONIES 4/18, OU

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Catlett Music Center, music. ou.edu, 325.2081 Consider it an example of strength in numbers: the acclaimed OU Wind Symphony, frequent collaborators with guest composers and artists, join forces with the 70-member undergraduate Symphony Band for an overpowering performance.

ALPIN HONG 4/20, OKC Community College, occc.edu/cas, 682.7576 He is an avid snowboarder, martial artist, videogame enthusiast and astonishingly gifted classical pianist, an unconven-

PRESERVING HISTORY | MAKING MEMORIES

Jingle-Jangle Mingle • April 20 Western Heritage Awards Banquet • April 21 Honoring the best in literature, music, film and television that reflect the significant stories of the American West.

Honorees include Temple Grandin, Walter Prescott Webb, Bruce Boxleitner, Fess Parker, Jerry Cates and others.

Reservations required; (405) 478-2250, Ext. 219

The Sun and His Wife Through May 13, 2012

From the Museum’s Arthur and Shifra Silberman Collection, this exhibition depicts the ceremonial and domestic life of Southwest Indians as seen in their art. Approximately 50 works represent artists of Navajo, San Ildefonso, Hopi, Cochiti, Taos, Zuni and more. It’s a wonderful complement to Pueblo to Pueblo: The Legacy of Southwest Indian Pottery.

Chuck Wagon Gathering & Children’s Cowboy Festival May 26 - 27 • Memorial Day Weekend Two days of mouth-watering campfire cooked foods, children’s educational hands-on activities, Western stage entertainment and stagecoach and pony rides await visitors to the Museum’s largest outdoor event.

www.nationalcowboymuseum.org Open Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • 1700 NE 63rd St • Oklahoma City, OK • (405) 478-2250 april 2012 | slice 39

PURSUITS tional melange of influences that combine for a blisteringly energetic, hypnotically beautiful, thoroughly inimitable show.

KULESHOV-MOGILEVSKY PIANO DUO 4/22, Armstrong Auditorium, armstrongauditorium.org, 285.1010 Fluid, crisp and utterly dazzling, the twin stars Valery Kuleshov and Maxim Mogilevsky fuse for a luminous burst of duets from their homeland composed by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff, as well as the Hungarian Liszt.

SUTTON SERIES: PRESIDENT’S CONCERT 4/22, OU Catlett Music Center, music.ou.edu, 325.2081 An annual event bearing the Boren imprimatur inspires the principals to give of their best, as the symphony orchestra and choirs present an evening of Berlioz, Kodaly and Mussorgsky’s sumptuous Pictures at an Exhibition.

BRIGHTMUSIC: MUSICAL NARRATIVES 4/22 Casady Chapel, 4/23 St. Paul’s Cathedral, bright music.org Every note helps tell a story when played by Brightmusic’s enthusiatic experts; enjoy leafing through Gernot Wolfgang’s Three Short Stories for Clarinet and Bassoon, plus diverting works by Schubert, Nielsen and Spohr.

5TH STREET JAZZ COLLECTIVE 4/24, UCO Jazz Lab, uco.edu/ cfad, 359.7989 A musical party of contemporary and traditional jazz from award-winning UCO faculty members: Lee Rucker on trumpet, Brian Gorrell on saxophone, trombonist Jeff Kidwell, guitarist Danny Vaughan, bassist Michael Geib, Dennis Borycki at the piano and David Hardman on drums.

NEW CENTURY ENSEMBLE 4/26, OU Catlett Music Center, music.ou.edu, 325.2081 Where do we go from here? Students and faculty from the OU School of Music collaborate as composers and performers in this auditory exploration of dance, electronic, opera and chamber music and various permutations thereof.

OPERA SCENES 4/26, OU Reynolds PAC, music.ou.edu, 325.2081 Black tie and lorgnette not required; this presentation is designed to be a fun, casual parade of some of the medium’s greatest hits, performed by students from the OU School of Music Opera Theatre. Welcome to Verdi con Amore.

ZAC BROWN BAND 4/26, Chesapeake Arena, chesapeakearena. com, 800.745.3000 The six-piece ensemble won best new artist

40 slice | april 2012

honors at the CMT Music Awards, CMA Awards and the Grammys… so they just might be on to something.

Skilled musicianship and strong commitment to their Southern Rock roots make for a killer live show.

JOE BONAMASSA 4/29, OKC Civic Center, okcciviccenter. com, 297.2264 Amazing. Period.

A phenomenal blues prodigy – B.B. King was praising his outstanding potential at the age of 10 – Bonamassa is still young enough to remain a fireball of energy during 200 shows a year, with a sound and skill that continue to develop and dazzle audiences.

SUTTON SERIES: COLLEGIUM MUSICUM 4/29, OU Catlett Music Center, music.ou.edu, 325.2081 This is not a university-only ensemble: think less college and more collegial, in which the music, and pride of its production, is shared among students, faculty, staff and members of the community eager to lend their voices to choral wonders.

THEATRE SPRING AWAKENING 4/3-14, Lyric’s Plaza Theatre, lyrictheatre okc.com, 524.9312 Puberty is a tumultuous process at best, but one that is as inexorable as the change in seasons; and trying to hold back the hormonal tide through misinformation and repression proves devastating for parents and children alike in this rock musical.

THESE SHINING LIVES 4/628, Carpenter Square Theatre, carpentersquare.com, 232.6500 For a group of women in the 1920s, jobs in a watch factory represent new horizons, newfound agency, new friendships… and a slow, painful death from their undisclosed toxic environment. Now they’re left to save others, and maintain their own strength of spirit.

THEY PROMISED HER THE MOON 4/11-15, OU Old Science Hall, ou.edu/finearts/drama, 325.4101 Before Christa McAuliffe, before Sally Ride, Geraldyn Cobb was trained to be an astronaut. She was smart, she was tough, she was determined; she had all the right stuff… except, NASA decided, a Y chromosome. This new play is based on the Norman native’s true story.

HAMLET 4/12-14, OCU Burg Theatre, okcu.edu/theatre, 208.5121 Let’s see… haunting, spying, treason, usurpation, uncomfortable Oedipal undertones, feigned insanity, actual insanity, drowning, poisoning, stabbing, poisoned stabbing… frankly,

COURTESY ROSE STATE LIVE

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

Blast-Off From the Past

April 10, Rose State Performing Arts Center, rose.edu/rose-state-live, 297.2264

I

t was supposed to be a one-time thing: banjo maestro Bela Fleck sat down with bass guitarist Victor Wooten, percus-

sionist Roy “Future Man” Wooten and harmonica and keyboard player Howard Levy to play a single show… which blossomed into a full-time award-winning career. After touring extensively and recording three albums, Levy left the group – for 17 years – but their personalities and styles still synced, and they still had music to share, so reproducing the original formula for success by getting the band back together wasn’t brain surgery. It is in this case, however, Rocket Science – that’s the newest album by the original lineup of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Still a richly textured, impossible-to-categorize blend of influences spanning bluegrass, jazz, classical, electric blues and world music, their thoroughly distinctive sound is still developing as the legends head back on tour to share their sound with a new generation.

there’s rather a lot that’s rotten in the state of Denmark in this TheatreOCU production.

SUNSET BOULEVARD 4/12-15, UCO Mitchell Hall Theatre, uco. edu/cfad/broadway, 974.2609 Fame is a harsh mistress. Hollywood is infamous for chewing up starlets and spitting them out once they can no longer pass for 29, but no faded diva can match Norma Desmond for magnetic delusion in this Broadway Tonight musical.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST 4/12-29, OKC Theatre Co., okctheatrecompany.org, 297.2264 Resisting tyranny can be costly, especially if you seem to be winning, but the spectre of defeat doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the struggle, as the OKC Theatre Company proves when it heads into the asylum for a chat with McMurphey.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS 4/12-5/6, Jewel Box Theatre, jewel boxtheatre.org, 521.1786 Today

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PURSUITS you could just visit Priceline; in 1872 the title wager was theoretically possible but wildly grandiose. It does set the stage for frantically paced adventure, as five actors scramble to play 39 characters and Phileas Fogg races for the prize.

TULSA BALLET II 4/17, OKC Community College, occc.edu/ cas, 682.7576 Dancers from the pre-professional ensemble of Tulsa’s prestigious ballet company hit the road to share their craft with an OCCC audience through “Diversified,” a program featuring the Don Quixote Suite, Blue Velvet and Folia.

RASKOL 4/19-21, OCU Black Box Theatre, okcu.edu/theatre, 208.5121 Crime and Punishment… and Laughter and Music? TheatreOCU attempts to prove that the more things change, the more they stay the same with this sleek, minimalist adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s classic existential slog.

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TWO NOBLE KINSMEN 4/20, Ghostlight Theatre Club, oklahoma shakespeare.com, 235.3700 No costumes, no scenery, just actors delivering plays that might make their way into Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s rotation someday. Think of it as a table read for lesser-known classics, starting with this collaboration between the Bard and John Fletcher.

THE WIZARD OF OZ 4/20-22, OKC Civic Center, okcballet.com, 843.9898 Dance lovers who click their heels together this month may find themselves transported to the Civic Center, where one of OKC Ballet’s greatest hits returns for another spin over the rainbow to make friends, fight evil and jete for joy.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 4/205/6, St. Luke’s Poteet Theatre, poteettheatre.com, 609.1023 Buying in bulk is cost-efficient, but if you’re also consuming in bulk – like, say, if you’re part of a family of 14 – well, it’s a good thing the Gilbreths are efficiency experts, even if the assembly-line approach sometimes isn’t ideal when applied to children.

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TE ATA 4/26-4/28, OCU Burg Theatre, okcu.edu/theatre, 208.5121 Chickasaw storyteller Te Ata proudly shared her people’s culture with statesmen and royalty in her worldwide travels, becoming the first state treasure designated by the Oklahoma Arts Council and establishing her own legacy, one honored in this spirited musical.

ONE-ACT FESTIVAL 4/27-28, UCO Pegasus Theatre, uco.edu/ cfad, 974.5512 The plot thickens quickly by necessity when the cur-

tain is about to fall in mere minutes – seniors in UCO’s drama program offer audiences a spate of valedictory creations ranging from quiet contemplation to outrageous farce, each in a single act.

SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL 4/27-29, OU Rupel Jones Theatre, ou.edu/finearts/drama, 325.4101 Boredom? Balderdash! A world of possibilities awaits young Jojo the Who in his imaginary travels and encounters with Horton the Elephant, Yertle the Turtle and a certain clever feline with a dashingly jaunty chapeau – a cavalcade of Herr Geisel’s greatest characters.

MISS NELSON IS MISSING 4/27-5/11, Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, okchildrenstheatre.com, 951.0011 A patient, long-suffering teacher constantly taken for granted is mysteriously replaced by a horribly demanding crone who’s curiously interested in making the students sorry for their treatment of her predecessor in this classroom tale of a lesson learned.

AN IMPENDING RUPTURE OF THE BELLY 4/27-5/19, Ghostlight Theatre Club, ghostlighttheatre club.com, 286.9412 A nascent nativity is only adding to Clay Stilts’ urgency in fortifying his home, as he’s convinced the sky is falling. But his fervor for adding security to avert the oncoming apocalypse may mean the end of his own world instead.

EVENTS WARRIOR SPIRITS: OCEANIC ARTS Through 5/13, Sam Noble Museum, snomnh.ou.edu, 325.4712 Jagged mountains, lush jungles, winding coastlines… and over 850 different native languages. Pretty impressive for a country that’s just a shade bigger than California. The unbelievably varied cultural diversity of Papua New Guinea unfolds in this anthropological treasure trove.

THE RETURN OF ELEGANCE Through 6/30, Oklahoma History Center, okhistorycenter. org, 522.5248 The twists and turns of women’s fashion over the last century form a fascinating journey, especially when viewed en masse – over two dozen examples of exquisite eveningwear, along with period accessories, star in a couture tour of history.

SEALS OF JEREMIAH’S CAPTORS Through 10/16, Armstrong Auditorium, armstrongauditorium.org, 285.1010 Archaeologists live for stuff like this: discoveries of artifacts swallowed by time, reemerging centuries later to reinforce and cast the

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Dirty Deeds Sung Dirt Cheap April 20-22, OCU Kirkpatrick Auditorium, okcu.edu/omt.aspx, 208.5227

S

ing a song of slashed throats, vengeance and disguise; four-and-twenty blackguards baked into pies. When the truth is found out, someone’s getting burned

– isn’t that a great way for the year to be adjourned? OCU’s Opera and Music Theatre Company closes out its season in darkly thrilling style with secret identities, covert cannibalism and the melodious grand guignol rampage of “Sweeney Todd,” the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Bon appetit!

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april 2012 | slice 43

PURSUITS light of extra scholarly knowledge on the historical record. Armstrong is the world’s first venue to host this biblical bonanza.

OKLAHOMA AND INFAMY Through 12/9, OK History Center, okhistorycenter.org, 522.5248 Seventy years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this exhibit commemorates its impact on the state via naval uniforms, artifacts that went down with the U.S.S. Oklahoma, interviews with veterans of Pearl Harbor and the Pacific war and personal letters.

THE MAGIC OF MUSIC 4/1, OU Catlett Music Center, ou.edu/fjjma, 325.3272 A special companion event to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum’s exhibit “A Century of Magic: The Animation of the Walt Disney Studios,” this amazing multimedia concert and Disney costume parade for kids should leave audiences razzle-dazzled.

THUNDER BASKETBALL 4/1-25, Chesapeake Arena, nba.com/thunder, 800.4NBATIXS Expectations are high and anticipation is fierce – rise together as the Thunder play host to Chicago 4/1, Memphis 4/2, Toronto 4/8, the L.A. Clippers 4/11, Sacramento 4/13 and 4/24 and Denver 4/25 in their final regular season home game.

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ASSISTANCE LEAGUE GOLF TOURNAMENT 4/2, The Trails, norman.assistanceleague.org, 321.9400 A scramble format with prizes for the victors in men’s and women’s flights, plus the knowledge that participation helps fund the Assistance League’s Operation School Bell, providing clothes and books for underfunded area schoolchildren.

OK NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH LANGUAGE FAIR 4/2-3, Sam Noble Museum, snomnh.ou.edu, 325.4712 Now in its 10th year, the fair encourages primary students to demonstrate their skills with a Native language before panels of judges and other learners, sharing their knowledge and heritage through songs, speeches, books, posters and other media.

BARONS HOCKEY 4/3-13, Cox Center, okcbarons. com, 232.GOAL OKC’s ice warriors prepare to face off against the season’s final month of competition: the upcoming slate of visiting foes consists of the Hamilton Bulldogs 4/3, the Peoria Rivermen 4/6, Chicago Wolves 4/7 and Houston Aeros 4/13.

PRESIDENTIAL DREAM COURSE LECTURES 4/3 and 4/30, Sam Noble Museum, snomnh.ou.edu, 325.4712 The topic is “Earth, Sustainability and the Economy” – guest speakers Rodger Payne, Professor of Political Science at the University of Louisville, and Eban Goodstein, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy, will explore fundamental concepts of life on Earth and economics systems.

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REDHAWKS BASEBALL 4/5-29, RedHawks Field, oklahomacity.redhawks.milb.com, 218.1000 The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd – that’s right, baseball’s back! Root, root, root for the RedHawks as they face the Memphis Redbirds 4/5-8, Nashville Sounds 4/10-12, Albuquerque Isotopes 4/21-24 and Round Rock Express 4/26-29.

FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK 4/6, Paseo Arts District, thepaseo.com The social enjoyment and aesthetic intrigue of an art gallery show… times 20. Multiple established galleries feature new works by dozens of artists in one easy stroll that’s a supreme feast for the eyes: it’s the Paseo’s wander-friendly wonderland.

COURTESY BROADWAY TONIGHT

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

Lena Horne and Mary Wilson

The Lady and Her Life

April 19, UCO Mitchell Hall Theatre, uco.edu/cfad/broadway, 974.2609

J

ames Gavin’s biography told the life story of the legendary singer, dancer, actress and activist Lena Horne – from

chorus girl at the Cotton Club to Hollywood player, recording star, frequent TV guest and civil rights advocate – now Broadway Tonight is bringing that chronicle to life. “Stormy

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Weather: The Lena Horne Project” isn’t a speech or a film retrospective or a concert; it includes elements of all three thanks to Gavin’s narration, archive footage of Horne from recordings and interviews during her multifaceted career and smoothly soulful guest vocals performed by the spectacular Mary Wilson, a founding member of The Supremes and a star in her own right. All combined, it adds up to one amaz-

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ing evening honoring the career and ongoing inspiration of an American icon.

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PURSUITS

2012 Spring Collection

CARLOS MENCIA 4/7, Riverwind Casino, riverwind.com Riverwind’s April guest might seem initially unfamiliar – this is his New Territory tour, after all – but the moment his stand-up set begins he’s unmistakably Mencia, sinking his teeth into incisive topics like race, culture, ethnic prejudice and class divides.

LITERARY VOICES 4/10, OKC Golf & Country Club, supportmls. org/endowment, 606.3760 Thrilling news: bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark is en route to OKC as the guest of honor for the Metropolitan Library Endowment Trust’s annual fundraising dinner, an event that also honors contributions to literacy from community members.

NORTON LECTURE SERIES: BROOKE MCCORKLE 4/11, OU Catlett Music Center, music.ou.edu, 325.2081 The Norton Series spans the world and recorded history to discuss research by faculty members on music and music theory; April’s installment takes an operatic bent with “Searching for Wagner in Japan.”

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CELEBRITY WAITERS GALA 4/12, OKC Golf & Country Club, care center-okc.org, 236.2100 They’ve achieved fame in their respective walks of life, but can they keep your table’s glasses filled? Local luminaries donate an evening’s efforts in the 15th annual fundraiser for the Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Center.

SAINTS BABIES LUNCHEON 4/12, OKC Golf & Country Club, givetosaints.com, 272.7070 Babies, babies, babies! St. Anthony Hospital has welcomed over 160,000 children into the world, and is expecting a large turnout at the second annual luncheon raising funds for its Joyful Beginnings birth center – featuring “Design Star” fan favorite Kellie Clements.

OK CENTENNIAL HORSE SHOW 4/12-15, State Fairgrounds, okcentennial.com, 903.882.4755 American Saddlebreds, Morgans, Roadster horses and ponies, Shetlands, harness ponies… some of the nation’s finest examples of equestrian excellence – including, for the first time, Arabians – are galloping to OKC for the 24th annual opportunity to trot their stuff.

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2ND FRIDAY CIRCUIT OF ART 4/13, Downtown Norman, norman arts.org, 360.1162 Creativity demands an audience wherever it’s found, and it’s found plenty of places in Norman. The Fred Jones Jr. Museum, Firehouse Art Center, multiple galleries on Main and more invite viewers to share the excitement of the monthly show.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS GALA 4/13, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, integrisgiving.org, 951.5054 Health care involves more than medicine; external emotional support helps too, a communal uplifting like you’d get from… well, a circle of friends. Benefiting INTEGRIS Mental Health, this supportive soiree features musical tributes to the Four Seasons and The Beach Boys.

LADIES IN THE NEWS 4/13, OKC Golf & Country Club, oklahoma hospitalityclub.org, 470.1152 They have added so much to the community we share; now they get to add a little pizzazz to the runway.

Ten spectacular women from across the metro and the state will model fashions from Ruth Meyers at the luncheon and style show benefiting CASA and Positive Tomorrows.

LIVE ON THE PLAZA 4/13, Plaza District, plazadistrict. org, 367.9403 A neighborhood experiencing as much growth and development as OKC’s Plaza District has a lot to celebrate, so its denizens are eager to show it off in a monthly block party offering art, music, food and more.

BITING THE APPLE 4/13-14, IAO Gallery, iaogallery.org, 232.6060 There’s much to be said for reality, but on certain specially salacious occasions, it’s entirely appropriate (or just a bit inappropriate) to aim for something even better than the real thing. IAO’s annual adults-only fetish ball sets its rapacious sights on GLAM! for 2012.

INK LIFE TOUR 4/13-15, Cox Center, inklifetour.com, 866.935.1822 Students and soccer moms, construction workers and CEOs – practically anyone you meet might have at least one tattoo, and some never feel they have enough.

Music, contests, demos and plenty of balm mark this paean to painting the human canvas.

KEVIN HART 4/14, Chesapeake Arena, chesapeakearena.com, 800.745.3000 He’s seriously funny – according to both the title of his latest comedy album and its status as a triple platinum seller. The tiny, volatile actor, stand-up comic and NBA Celebrity All-Star MVP hits OKC with his Let Me Explain tour.

OKC BALLET GALA 4/14, OKC Golf & Country Club, okcballet. com, 843.9898 The timing is fortuitous for this evening of elegant dining, music and dancing by professionals and guests alike: 2012 is the Ballet’s 40 th year, traditionally the ruby anniversary, and patrons will

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

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receive a sneak peek at the slippers and sundry of its season-ending “Wizard of Oz.” PUBLIC PANEL: ART WRITING 4/14, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, write-curate-art.org, 879.2400 It’s tricky to write about a topic as subjective and personally meaningful as art; the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is here to help with the next installment of its free series: Professors Unfolding Contemporary Art in Academia.

SECONDARY SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 4/14, OCU Burg Theatre, oklahomashakespeare. com, 235.3700 Reading one of history’s greatest playwrights is wonderful; seeing his work staged is even better; but best of all for appreciation and comprehension is performing it yourself – so OK Shakespeare in the Park assembles state high school students for noncompetitive inspiration.

SPRING FOOTBALL 4/14, Owen Field and 4/16, Boone Pickens Stadium, soonersports.com, okstate.com Can any of a set of star recruits help fill the void left by Ryan Broyles? Who will take the reins in Stillwater? See the faces of things to come as OU and OSU finish spring practice in the Red/ White and Orange/White Games.

SPRING SAMPLER EVENING OF ART 4/14, Oak Tree Country Club, edmondfinearts.com, 340.4481 The Fine Arts Institute of Edmond believes nature’s revitalization is an ideal time to appreciate manmade aesthetic excellence as well – its glamorous gala’s dinner, entertainment and auctions support its programs and enhance an already beautiful season.

REDBUD CLASSIC 4/14-15, Waterford Complex, redbud.org, 842.8295 On your mark… get set… enjoy! The OKC tradition celebrates its 30 th anniversary with 5k and 10k runs, children’s events, cycling tours, a wheelchair 5k, a 2-mile fun walk and the Pasta on the Pond carboloading party, all benefiting Citizens Caring for Children.

WAYMAN TISDALE AWARD 4/16, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, access-sports. net, 749.1515 His perseverance and positive attitude helped him realize his potential; his namesake award honors the potential of the NCAA’s outstanding freshman male basketball player. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will also be present to receive the Tisdale Humanitarian Award.

DISNEY RE-MIX 4/17, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, ou.edu/fjjma, 325.3272 Something old made something new; something borrowed re-rendered for YouTube. Professor Bob Dohrman of the OU School of Art and Art History marries existing footage from classic Disney films with new editing and contextualization, with new and sometimes startling results.

OKC TOWN HALL: MICHAEL BARONE 4/19, St. Luke’s UMC, okctownhall.com, 848.4727 The Town Hall Lecture Series concludes this month by looking to the economic and political future as Barone, a Harvard and Yale Law grad and Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses Competition vs.

Coddling and the Competition for the Nation’s Future.

REMEMBRANCE DAY 4/19, OKC National Memorial, oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org, 235.3313 Some were killed, some survived and the

Land of Enchantment April 14, Petroleum Club, okchildrenstheatre.com, 951.0011

A

n otherwise non-magical venue transforms into a wonderland of games, music, dancing and storybook characters as the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre invites

small celebrants and their parents to spend an evening spellbound by potions and pixie dust at the fabulous fundraising Fairy Tale Ball. Costumes are encouraged for all ages as parents enjoy cocktails, dinner and a live auction while kids delight in their own meal, craft projects, a magic show and theatrical performance, then everyone reunites for dancing to Urban Addiction and they all (hopefully) live happily ever after.

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PURSUITS in this race. The duration refers to the frequency of sexual assault against women, a heinous statistic the YWCA of OKC will fight to decrease with supporters’ help. ’89ERS DAY PARADE 4/21, Downtown Norman, norman89.com On April 22, 1889, a gunshot at high noon marked the opening of the territory for settlement, and 50,000 people raced in to form new towns and cities… including Norman, which marks the Saturday closest to the anniversary with a parade and assorted festivities.

AHA HEART WALK 4/21, RedHawks Stadium, heartwalk.org, 948.2123 Regular exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle, but some exertions are more important than others: a single morning’s promenade could help save lives, as participation helps raise funds and awareness for the Heart Association’s goal of improving the nation’s health.

ROLLER DERBY 4/21, OKC Farmers Public Market, okcrd.com Part graceful race, part all-out brawl and all action, this is one sporting event that doesn’t need a ball to provide pure crowd-pleasing spectacle as OKC’s own Lightning Broads and Tornado Alley Rollergirls play host to Central Arkansas Roller Derby teams.

“Red Tree” artwork that participants will be creating

Creative Bouquet

April 14, Put A Cork in It Winery Bricktown, okmuseums.org, 424.7757

A

bsorbing artistic beauty is one of life’s great spiritual pleasures, although occasionally the impulse to appreciate others’ art is outweighed by the drive to

create it oneself. In either case, the Oklahoma Museums Association is happy to help: dedicated to increasing awareness of the state’s more than 300 museums, historic sites, cultural centers and related institutions, the OMA is taking a more hands-on approach at its Wine and Palette fundraiser, where participants will enjoy snacks and exquisite vintages while talented instructors assist them in creating their own versions of a gorgeous painting.

city was changed forever on April 19, 1995. Through the 168 seconds of silence, the Memorial’s programs and the memories of the community, we all strive to find comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.

BIENNIAL SYMPOSIUM 4/20, Fred Jones Jr. Museum, ou.edu/fjjma, 325.3272 Experts and scholars are eagerly queuing up to discuss regionally inspired pottery, ranch-style furniture, embellishments to leather work and other topics in the Charles M. Russell Center’s symposium, Decorative Arts and the American West.

its new fundraiser is itself cause for celebration. Enjoy tasty appetizers, live music and over 20 champagne samples from partner Byron’s Liquor Warehouse.

REACH FOR THE STARS! 4/20, Skirvin Hilton, ysoc.org, 235.7537 Youth Services of Oklahoma County fosters independence and community improvement by providing financial and material aid to young students; a mission chairs Desmond and Andrea Mason proudly support at this Route 66-themed shindig.

LUNAFEST 4/20, Lyric Theatre, workofwomen. org, 418.0407 It’s a safe bet these movies will pass the Bechdel Test: the traveling festival of humorous, hopeful, reflective short films by, for and about women returns to OKC, presented by the Work of Women program at World Neighbors.

WESTERN HERITAGE AWARDS 4/20-21, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, nationalcow boymuseum.org, 478.2250 Fess Parker, Dr. Temple Grandin, Dan Roberts, Thomas Fox Averill and others like them have helped create, preserve and define the Western way of life – their contributions to our unique culture will be honored at this black-tie banquet.

POP! A CHAMPAGNE TASTING 4/20, St. Anthony Rapp Center, givetosaints.com, 272.7070 Though St. Anthony has ample reason to raise a glass in recognition of its new South and East Healthplex campuses,

2-MINUTE 5K 4/21, Regatta Park, ywcaokc.org, 948.1770 That’s not a time limit; you don’t need to be in Wally West’s super-speed league to compete

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THE VARIETY SHOW 4/21, Skirvin Hilton, varietycare.org/foundation, 629.5201 Providing medical, dental, vision, pediatric and behavioral health care to any Oklahoman is an extremely serious mission… but supporting it is an entertaining breeze at the Variety Care Foundation’s musical retrospective, Eight Decades of Variety.

EXTREME RACING 4/22, Remington Park, rem ingtonpark.com, 424.1000 The Desert Derby?

The Breeders’ Hump? The Beakness Stakes? The competitors’ form is hard to judge, but the excitement is as high as ever during Remington’s popular pair of unconventional races: jockeys on ostriches and expert riders atop camels.

CALM WATERS CLASSIC 4/23, Quail Creek Golf Club, calmwaters.org, 841.4800 Calm Waters – a support center for children and families affected by death or divorce – is dedicated to helping the bereaved find serenity – a quality which, coincidentally, would come in handy during the annual golf fundraiser the agency hosts this month.

GORILLA GOLF 4/23, The Greens, zoofriends. org, 425.0613 No monkeyshines during this event hosted by the OKC Zoo – the four-person scramble golf tournament includes breakfast and lunch, a bevy of prizes and a raffle, and net proceeds benefit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.

FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS 4/23-29, Downtown OKC, artscouncilokc.com, 270.4848 A constellation of work by 12 dozen elite artists, plus multiple stages of continuous live entertainment, plus culinary flavors from around the world, plus creative family activities… it all adds up to a whole even greater than the sum of its arts.

DANIEL TOSH 4/24, Rose State Performing Arts Center, okcciviccenter.com, 297.2264 Time’s running out to see his bleakly funny stand-up act in person: the scourge of Internet videos and host of Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0” intends to retire on his birthday next May. Of course, the countdown to join this Rose State audience is even shorter…

ART | MUSIC | THEATRE | EVENTS

COURTESY ALLIED ARTS

THE BIG READ BRUNCH 4/28, Moore-Norman Technology Center, pioneer.lib.ok.us, 701.2661 The Norman Public Library has spent weeks leading the community in a group reading of and assorted programs centered around The Joy Luck Club – now it’s time to cap off the event in style with a fundraising brunch featuring author Amy Tan herself.

EVENING ESCAPE 4/28, OKC Zoo, zoofriends. org, 425.0613 This simian soiree features dinner with select wine vintages, a silent auction, a behindthe-scenes tour of the Zoo’s Great EscAPE exhibit and a presentation by keeper Scott Jackson about his recent trip to Sumatra, all to help great ape conservation.

OKC MEMORIAL MARATHON 4/29, Throughout OKC, okcmarathon.com A commemoration of lives lost to violence, a celebration of the strength and resiliency of the human spirit, a communal expression of hope and determination – the nearly 27,000 participants in this 12th annual event will race for the prize, but they run to remember.

ON THE RADAR WALK MS 5/5, OKC Zoo, nationalmssociety.org, 918.488.0882 Multiple Sclerosis stops its host from moving – and through movement, we can come closer to beating it forever. The Oklahoma City MS Walk is one of 600 similar events from coast to coast, but they all share the same destination: a world free of the disease.

MAY FAIR 5/5, Andrews Park Norman, norman. assistanceleague.org, 321.9400 Dozens and dozens of artists and craftsmen, food vendors and entertainers of all stripes unite to provide an outdoor extravaganza of shopping, snacking, a new “Art and Sole” 5k run and 2k fun run, children’s activities… and creativity at its finest.

WINE, WOMEN & SHOES 5/17, OKC Farmers Public Market, winewomenandshoes.com/ wow2012 Supporting the Work of Women program’s mission to end global poverty, hunger and disease through their education, advocacy and fundraising efforts is as easy as one, two, three: sip, savor and shop divine footwear at their first Wine, Women and Shoes event.

GO RED FOR WOMEN LUNCHEON 5/18, Cox Center, goredforwomen.org/luncheons, 948.2147 Speaking up, sharing knowledge and experience and encouragement, makes it easier for everyone to live fuller, longer lives and combat heart disease. A healthy lunch, informative panels, experts and speakers and auctions await guests at this annual fete.

Spread the Word Like to list your upcoming event in Slice?

Tell us about it at events@sliceok.com, including event name, date, location, contact info, brief description (40 words or less) and high-res image (if available). Submissions must be received two months prior to publication for consideration.

Desmond Mason feeling creative at the 2011 ARTini

Artistic Avenues

April 20, OKC Farmers Public Market, alliedartsokc.com, 278.8944

F

resh ideas and innovation are crucial elements of events like Allied Arts’ annual ARTini fundraiser, so for 2012 its young professionals group Catalyst is taking

the party to the streets: over 700 people are expected to partake of specialized martini tastings, appetizers from several of central Oklahoma’s most popular restaurants, music from SquadLive, raffle prizes, a silent art auction of locally produced works and an unmistakable atmosphere of fun and excitement at Street ARTini. All proceeds benefit the civic, cultural and creative efforts of Allied Arts’ 20 member agencies.

april 2012 | slice 49

SPACES

Art Appreciation

101

50 slice | april 2012

DISCERNING DESIGN

By Kent Anderson Photos by David Cobb

From the outside, it seems to be just another academic office building on the Oklahoma City University campus. But outer appearances are deceiving‌ step inside and you will find an amazing art collection worthy of a second look. april 2012 | slice 51

SPACES

t

The structure is unassuming and without pretense. Known by the proper name Wilson House – so christened to honor OCU trustee Florence Wilson, who helped to fund its construction – this is no office building. It is the official residence of the president of OCU, and since Robert Henry was named president in 2009, it has become the repository of one of Oklahoma’s finest private art collections.

52 slice | april 2012

DISCERNING DESIGN

Above: Nestled at the edge of OCU’s campus, Wilson House is home to the Henrys and their amazing collections.

Robert Henry is a member of one of Oklahoma’s

Opening spread: A pair of Steinways, an Appalachian mountain dulcimer, and Robert and Jan Henry, joined by their beloved felines Zoe and Julien. On the wall, the painting at far left is by G. Sherman, the next two from left are by Frederick Becker, and the next is by Edith Guetz. Another Frederick Becker rounds out the quintet at far right.

the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals before coming

best-known families, and served as chief judge of home to OCU as its president. His wife Jan is a dentist with a thriving Oklahoma City practice. Together they have assembled a diverse collection, and while Native American, Oklahoman and Western art predominate, it is decidedly eclectic.

“I don’t think it would work if we tried to follow

one theme,” Jan says. “The diversity of the collection is its strength.” april 2012 | slice 53

SPACES

Indian art by such notables as N. Scott Momaday

and Ben Harjo exists side-by-side with neo-classical French furniture, Egyptian papyrus and modern sculptures by Glenna Goodacre. A quilt made by the mother of the late Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller rests a few feet away from a hand-woven Moroccan rug from one of Robert’s many trips to the Middle East and north Africa. It has all come together in such a manner as to project charm, elegance and above all, Robert and Jan’s deep appreciation for a wide variety in the arts. It’s a passion with a long history.

“I think he’s been collecting art since he was a kid,”

Jan says of her husband.

Robert responds, “I’ve been collecting stuff since

I was a kid. It started with rocks and minerals, then books. Not surprisingly, I like old things. I was interested in antiques, and came to art after that. I fell in love with Indian art and the great Oklahoma artists, and finally, superb Western art.”

Moving to Wilson House presented challenges for

the Henrys and their collection. It was built in 1975

54 slice | april 2012

DISCERNING DESIGN

Above: Architect George Seminoff’s design touch is apparent in the great room and dining area, where the suggestion of separation allows continuous flow and wide-open spaces.

Below: “We are very open people,” Robert says, “and have probably had more gatherings here than anyone.” The formal dining room offers a quiet and graceful spot for hosting students, faculty and other guests.

Where High Performance Meets High Style 405.418.4884 • 7302 N. WESTERN, OKC

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SPACES

DISCERNING DESIGN

for OCU president Dolphus Whitten. At the time, the university owned a home in Quail Creek, but Whitten expressed an interest in living closer to the campus. The Quail Creek home was sold, funding from Florence Wilson and others was secured, and work began on the structure at the corner of N.W. 24th and Blackwelder.

Wilson House was designed by re-

nowned Oklahoma architect George Seminoff of the firm Seminoff, Bowman and Bode. With influences from Frank Lloyd Wright, Seminoff strove to create a contemporary home that would be open and functional, blending into its environment while affording maximum privacy on the busy campus. Eight-foot brick walls surround the structure. The contemporary design, especially the openness inside, appealed to the Henrys, but logistical challenges began to appear, as the couple had lived in a historic Heritage Hills home for 18 years prior to moving to Wilson House.

“My biggest concern was moving from

a 1916 historic home to a 1975 home,” Jan says. “Different dimensions, everything about it was different. How do you fit things from an old house into a more modern house? It was quite a dilemma.”

“As they say in diplomacy, we had

some frank exchanges of views,” Robert says, and both he and Jan laugh.

Above: This French table is surrounded by works of Glenna Goodacre, N. Scott Momaday, Gregory Gerrer and Chester Wills. “Two Indians, a cowboy, a Glenna Goodacre sculpture, a medallion of the Greek goddess of the hunt and a neo-classical French antique table. I believe that qualifies as eclectic,” Robert says.

Left: This assemblage is at the rear of the great room. “It tells the story of the home,” Robert says.

The chest is a classical French piece, flanked by giant candlesticks that were repurposed into lamps

by Oklahoma’s Catholic Archbishop Charles Salatka. On the left side of the chest is a wedding vase from Jemez Springs, N.M.; the sculpture at right is by Glenna Goodacre. The paintings are a matching set of works by Archie Black Owl.

56 slice | april 2012

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april 2012 | slice 57

SPACES

Top: Framed by crown moldings in dark wood, the master bedroom is a peaceful oasis for the Henrys.

Left: “This is my favorite,” Robert says of his study. The built-in bookcases hold approximately two-thirds of his library. The desk is from his days as a federal appeals court judge, and the two wooden chairs are from his father’s law office.

Above: From the top of the stairway, the view toward the OCU campus. The stairs are lined with art on both sides.

58 slice | april 2012

DISCERNING DESIGN

They hired decorator Sharon Richardson, and the interior of Wilson House be-

gan to take shape. It was painstaking work, involving some difficult choices. There simply wasn’t room for the Henrys’ entire collection. Some of the pieces went to their second home in Santa Fe. Others appeared in Robert’s OCU office, across the street from Wilson House. They donated others to the university. Many pieces rest in storage. One entire closet in an upstairs bedroom is filled with paintings that have no room to hang.

But the collection of Robert and Jan Henry, as it is structured now, is a care-

fully constructed journey through the visual arts: paintings, sculpture, pottery, furniture, reflecting many cultures and influences. No space is left to chance.

“There’s something everywhere you go,” Robert says.

The collection continues to grow – even within the space constraints of Wilson

House. For Robert and Jan Henry, art is its own reward. The creativity, the expression of the full range of human emotions, the breathtaking response of people interacting with art – that is the true nature of their passion for the collection.

“And after all, there will always be more walls,” Jan says.

Left: Robert’s collection of letter openers numbers more than 200. This display case in the guest bedroom includes a few highlights, including a letter opener liberated from Nazi Germany by Robert’s father, one given to him by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and (far right) an ornate sheath from Bahrain.

Below: The Henrys chose to immerse the guest suite in Oklahoma art, including works by N. Scott Momaday and Ben Harjo.

april 2012 | slice 59

SPACES

60 slice | april 2012

DISCERNING DESIGN

Setting the Table

By Sara Gae Waters Photos by K.O. Rinearson

F

reshly cut grass, springtime berries, gilded china, lace napkins, bunnies and pink cham-

pagne... these are just a few of the essentials that make up the whole of our embellished Easter table.

april 2012 | slice 61

SPACES

62 slice | april 2012

DISCERNING DESIGN

Whether it is brunch or dinner, this

time of year encourages us to gather around the table and celebrate. Looks can be deceiving here... this table packs a powerful punch but is simple to put together!

Start your centerpiece with a flat of ornamental grass from your local garden center or nursery. Here we used mondo grass and placed it in a brown rattan tray. Nestle in any kind of bunny or add to the idea with eggs or chicks (real eggs are fine, but fake chicks are better). As a final touch, stick in branches of wax flowers for a little color.

For the actual place setting, bring out your china or borrow the family heirlooms

for a sentimental touch. We used a set of Haviland china with a monogram atop each plate. Bread plates, custard cups and saucers, salad plates and dinner plates are all out, most of which are stacked one atop the other. In the crowning piece, we heaped cream custard with fresh berries and mint for a sweet starter to the meal.

Tiny glasses hold white spray roses and a sprig of wax flowers. Wine goblets are

filled with pink champagne in one and raspberry-accented sparkling water in the other. A miniature croissant and pat of butter await your guest on the bread plate. Delicate lace napkins tuck under the plates and equally delicate flatware finishes off the setting.

A separate place for your guests or family members to help themselves to coffee

or more food is always a convenience. An antique silver urn keeps coffee available throughout the meal. Regular-size coffee cups are set out along with demitasse-size for those who just want a little taste. A small basket with candies and white ranunculus flowers serves as the arrangement under the bell jar. Crystal eggs add to the theme of the Easter celebration and small Italian taffies are placed on the saucer of the demitasse cups for a little après-dinner treat!

From our table to yours, Happy Easter!

For Russian Cream Dessert recipe, see resources, page 133 april 2012 | slice 63

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LIVING WELL

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Heartland Strings

See page 66.

Music is the essence of order and leads to all that is good, just and beautiful.

SIMON HURST

– Plato

april 2012 | slice 65

LIVING WELL

my life, did I want to wander through my life as an enthusiastic, decent fiddle player; or did I want to become a fully literate and fully functional musician? No matter what kind of music, the full literacy with the language of music would lead me into a career of musical diplomacy.”

He chose Oklahoma. In 1997 he moved to Oklahoma City to attend OCU. Today, 15 years later, he lives just a few blocks from the OCU campus. His years at the university saw him open himself to the broader world of music, and he began to form the relationships that continue to inform his musical life. Horseshoe Road came about from various combinations of musicians Dillingham had played with, and they began to take their all-acoustic sound – original songs, some traditional tunes and carefully selected

Fiddler on the Plains AN ENID NATIVE JOURNEYS FROM GIFTED FIDDLER TO MUSICAL DIPLOMAT

W

By Kent Anderson Photo by Simon Hurst

covers – and pioneer “heartland acoustic” music.

“I want to use music to bring people

together, to celebrate something,” Dillingham says. “The sound is reflective of a sincerity, which is hard to describe when you’re talking about a genre of music. We wanted to present music in an acoustic way and have a sincere connection with people, and evoke some sort of emotional experience for people who hear the music. I’m also excited that this sound is coming from Oklahoma. This is my home. This is where I live.”

Sincerity is the operative word. In the

hen Kyle Dillingham was

2006 the band visited Japan and Thai-

“American Idol” era, Dillingham and

in junior high in Enid,

land under the auspices of the U.S. gov-

company play organic, homemade mu-

Oklahoma, and was known

ernment. The group has just complet-

sic. No need for layers of over-produced

as a fiddle prodigy, someone asked him

ed the audition process to do a similar

synthesizers, drum programming or

where he wanted to be in 10 or 20 years.

tour this year. And through it all, the

strobe lights. Just masterful musician-

“My answer was that I wanted to do

tall, lanky fiddler with the wild shock

ship, and an infectious joy in making

exactly what I was doing there, on that

of blond hair is happy to talk about his

music. It has gained Horseshoe Road

day,” Dillingham recalls. “I want to con-

home state. He chooses to make his

legions of fans, at home and abroad,

tinue to grow and have bigger opportuni-

home here, even when other forces have

through energetic live shows and several

ties to play for more people.”

pulled him in different directions. After

acclaimed recordings.

A well-grounded response from a

all, he’d had two feature performances

vastly talented young man. He’s lived

on the Grand Ole Opry before he gradu-

played with other master musicians,

that dream. He helped to pioneer a style

ated high school.

Dillingham harbored a secret dream.

of music he calls “heartland acoustic”

with his band Horseshoe Road, and has

direction for me,” he says. “But as I was

orchestra,” he says, “and I had given up

toured all over the United States. In

thinking about doing this for the rest of

on that dream. Back when I was in high

66 slice | april 2012

“A lot of arrows were pointing that

But as he developed the sound, and

“I had dreamed of playing solo with

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

school, I had a violin teacher who told

“Callen’s dreams and my dreams

and also recording a CD of music per-

me I had what it takes to be a great con-

collided and we began brainstorming

formed on a fiddle that once belonged

cert violinist. And he said I would have

about what we could do as composer and

to the late Oklahoma governor and

to give up everything else. No more

violinist,” Dillingham says.

U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon. Bellmon’s

Western swing or bluegrass or gypsy

They began to work together. Dill-

daughter is a musician who played

music. It would all have to go. I told him

ingham saw that Clarke’s “Centennial

with Dillingham in his Enid days, and

I just couldn’t do that. That’s why I play.

Overture” was placed on a program of

presented him with her father’s in-

I couldn’t give up the very reason I play.”

the Enid Symphony Orchestra – be-

strument.

Still, the dream lingered in Dilling-

fore the piece was even written. Other

Above all, Dillingham is having

ham’s musical consciousness. But life

works followed: an orchestral piece pay-

fun making music and connecting

is an interesting and always-changing

ing tribute to Wiley Post, a composition

with people. “The personal interaction with people is most fulfill-

“I’m also excited that this sound is coming from Oklahoma. This is my home. This is where I live.”

ing. The things that stand out in my mind as the most significant moments are when, after a performance, someone says to

thing, for those who are open to it. A

in honor of the flagship of Henry VIII of

me, for example, that their dad was a

phone call from a stranger in 2002 be-

England. When the OK Mozart Festival

fiddle player and I played a tune that he

gan a decade-long and counting rela-

came calling, asking about a grand fina-

once played, and it brought back memo-

tionship that would lead him to fulfill

le piece, they were told, “Do we have an

ries. It makes it all worthwhile.”

that dream. “I got a call from Callen

idea for you!”

Clarke, a musician and composer in Ed-

mond. He was working on a CD of Mid-

tal, seven-movement work for violin and

dle Eastern music and asked if I would

orchestra. Clarke and Dillingham sold

play violin on it. I had no idea who this

OK Mozart on the idea, and will give the

person was, and I just told him I was

symphony its world premiere on June

busy and turned him down.”

16 in Bartlesville, followed by a perfor-

But Callen Clarke really wanted

mance on June 17 – Father’s Day – at the

Kyle Dillingham’s violin on his record-

Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma

ing. He called again. “He said, ‘You

City, with the Amici New York Orches-

won’t have to ever see me or talk to me

tra. Like everything Kyle Dillingham

again, but please come over and play

does in music, it is designed to resonate

on the album,” Dillingham remembers

with listeners, even to the point where

with a smile.

the symphony concludes with the audi-

ence – not an onstage chorus – singing

Dillingham gave in, went to Clarke’s

The Life Symphony is a monumen-

home studio, put on the headphones and

the finale.

began to listen to the playback. He was

so entranced by the music Clarke had

connect with people. What if there was

already recorded that he missed his en-

something we could do to revive sym-

trance. Then he missed it three more

phonic music? What if we started a

times. Finally Dillingham took off the

worldwide revival of symphonic music

headphones and said to Clarke, “I don’t

right here in Oklahoma? We want peo-

want you to pay me for this session. I

ple to throw out every idea they’ve ever

want to pause and learn more about

had about what classical music is.”

what you’re doing.”

Dillingham has truly become a

They became friends and collabora-

cultural ambassador, through his un-

tors, and along the way Clarke shared

bridled joy and enthusiasm for music,

his own secret dream with Dilling-

and for the state of Oklahoma. He has

ham. Clarke wanted to compose sym-

many more projects he wants to do –

phonic music.

a new Horseshoe Road CD, for one,

“I wanted to do music that would

The Root of It Kyle Dillingham’s new CD, The Gospel Fiddler, is a marvelous tour through traditional hymns, spirituals and fiddle tunes. The instrumentation is spare – fiddle, guitar, bass and vocals, all performed by Dillingham himself. The CD is dedicated to Edith and the late Wayne Unruh, who found the teenage Dillingham fiddling in a pasture at age 13 and brought him into their bluegrass gospel band. “It is very much a return to my roots,” Dillingham says of the new recording.

Information on Kyle Dillingham’s recordings, tour schedule and much more can be found at: www.horseshoeroad.net www.symphonicrevival.com april 2012 | slice 67

LIVING WELL

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Repurpose, Revive, Release

A

By Russ Tall Chief Photos by Simon Hurst

lthough the official occasion is celebrated once each year in

April, for Brett McDanel, every day is Earth Day. And why shouldn’t it be for all of us? “I hate that a lot of stuff gets thrown away,” McDanel says.

“Recycling can be costly, so I believe in ‘repurposing’ materials as opposed to simply recycling them.” By day, McDanel is a construction worker.

And while most of us may see leftover or discarded metal at a construction site or scrap yard as junk, McDanel sees art in junk metal; particularly birds. McDanel creates birds out of all types of metal objects he finds not only at construction sites or scrap yards, but also

wings, which makes for a creatively compelling piece, but also

lying on the side of the road or in someone’s yard.

a dangerous one.

“It’s gotten to the point now where about once every couple

Of the thousands of species of birds, McDanel is especially

of weeks, I will come home from work and find a box of met-

drawn to creating crows and ravens. “When people see crows

al in my front yard that someone has left for me because they

and ravens they often think of a bad omen,” explains the art-

know that I can use it in my art,” he laughs. Just a year ago,

ist, “but they are really some of the most intelligent creatures

McDanel was known only as a construction worker – now he is

on the planet: various families of ravens have been known to

known as “The Birdman.”

make tools and to roll nuts out into the street for cars to run

McDanel often constructs his metal menagerie using actu-

over them and crack the shell so that the birds don’t have to.”

al bird skulls, which he purchases. Their bodies may be hand

He also feels a slight kinship to their unwarranted negative

grenades or cuckoo clock weights, while the wings may be

reputation, musing, “I am covered in tattoos, so people often

scissors or drill bits, with horseshoe nails serving as “glue” to

look at me the same way. I may have a menacing look, but re-

piece the metal together and add texture to the works. “I like

ally I’m not.”

the natural patina of metal, but I also wire brush and clean

many of my pieces,” McDanel says.

didn’t have a lot of money, so I would make my own toys. If my

So why birds? “Birds really come to life for me,” he says.

brother and I needed guns to play Cowboys and Indians, then

“Some metal sculpture I have seen doesn’t seem to have any

we would go in the garage and make some guns. My first metal

life to it. I like art that you can play with.” Not all of his works

piece was a bicycle that I mounted a motor on so that I could ride

are play-friendly, however – there is an element of danger in

it like a motorcycle. I am dyslexic and didn’t go far in school, but

some of these birds. One in his garage studio had saw blades as

if you show me a picture of something, I can build it.”

68 slice | april 2012

His ventures into creativity began early in life. “As a kid, we

“Some metal sculpture I have seen doesn’t seem to have any life to it.

I like art that you can play with.”

april 2012 | slice 69

LIVING WELL

With no formal art training, McDanel’s creative expres-

sion evolved over years of working in construction and other fields. At the time, those jobs seemed to him like just a way to make a living, but in reality, McDanel was getting much more than just a paycheck; he was receiving an invaluable education in art. He worked on stained glass projects with glass artist Jim Triffo, including the rose window at the Oklahoma state capitol, as well as elements of the Masonic Temple in Guthrie and the Civic Center in downtown Oklahoma City. McDanel also worked with photographer Tom Lee as his personal assistant. “Tom really liked to build things, but, being in a wheelchair, he didn’t always have the physical ability. Working for Tom showed me new perspectives on things. Since he was stationary in the wheelchair, he had to work from the perspective he was given. He showed me how to look at things in a different way.”

Although he was acquiring an artistic eye from his

mentors, McDanel didn’t actually develop his artistic urge until about four-and-a-half years ago, when he fell while working and cut his arm so badly that it was nearly amputated. “That was a turning point for me,” he says. “I was inspired by the influences from my mentors, and also from my family. My children blow me away with the art they create. They don’t care if it looks right to anyone else – it looks right to them. That’s how I approach my art.”

While indulging his own aesthetic, he’s also accruing

more notice in the community: Paseo Originals Gallery is one venue that has come to recognize McDanel’s work as “fine art.” Gallery Director Tony Morton enthuses that “there are many other artists working in found metal, but some of Brett’s parts are antiquities that are a hundred years old or older, which adds a whole new complexity to it. His attention to detail makes his work unique; there’s nobody else who does it quite like he does it.”

Although McDanel’s works are regularly available at

Paseo Originals – “I often exhibit his birds in groups because it seems so natural, since birds live in flocks,” Morton says – he will be the featured three-dimensional artist in a major exhibition of his work at the gallery in August.

The recognition is unquestionably nice, but it’s not

the main reason McDanel creates. “My art is like my yoga,” he says. “After working all day, I can come home, go into my garage, create a piece of art, and all the stress of the day goes away. I don’t drink or do drugs – I am a husband and a father – so my art is my release; art is my Happy Hour. And I love the fact that other people like it.

It’s like sharing an emotion with them; it can make them smile and change their day. I love that about art.”

70 slice | april 2012

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

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april 2012 | slice 71

LIVING WELL

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

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efforts to uncover its secrets and wipe it out once and for all – by moving. The National MS Society of Oklahoma’s Walk MS Oklahoma City with presenting sponsor Supercuts returns to the Oklahoma City Zoo on Saturday, May 5.

More than two million people are afflicted by MS worldwide;

nearly 400,000 of them in the United States (and by this time tomorrow, that number will have increased by two dozen); over 3,400 of them here in Oklahoma. Fortunately, they are not lacking in champions: 2,500 walkers are expected to participate in the 2012 event, and there’s plenty of room for more people to help raise the goal of $150,000 that will support direct services and programs for MS patients and their families, as well as national research to find a cure. Individuals, teams, contributors and volunteers are all needed – to register or get more information, visit www.walkmsok.org or call 800.344.4867, and remember that the larger the movement, the sooner we all reach our goal.

72 slice | april 2012

MARKETPLACE DAVID COBB

LEADING EDGE

Stories to Tell

It began as one man’s dream. More than 50 years later, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum sits atop Persimmon Hill as a world-renowned center for the culture of the American West. See page 74.

“The End of the Trail,” James Earle Fraser april 2012 | slice 73

MARKETPLACE

Spirit of the West

By Kent Anderson Photos by David Cobb

The museum’s spacious main gallery

I

t is on a short list of the top attractions in Oklahoma City. It is a point of pride for the natives, and we are quick to take visitors to our city to see the building on Persimmon Hill at 1700 N.E. 63rd Street. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

is a one-of-a-kind experience, and since its dedication in 1965, has evolved into one of the world’s leading centers for the art of the American West.

It began as the dream of Kansas City businessman Chester A. Reynolds, who met

with representatives of the 17 Western states in Denver in 1955 and signed articles of incorporation for the new museum. It took a decade before the doors were open, and more than 40 sites were considered, but the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, as it was then known, quickly became an integral thread of the cultural life of Oklahoma City.

“We take our obligation to our founders, who started this great museum with nothing

more than a big dream, very seriously,” says museum president Chuck Schroeder. “We want it to always be a beautiful place, telling an important story, of which they would now “The Canyon Princess” sculpture by Gerald Balciar

74 slice | april 2012

be proud. No other institution in the country provides this breadth and quality of art experiences through the year.”

LEADING EDGE

The Lincoln Gallery, with James Earle Fraser’s sculpture of the 16th president

That “breadth and quality” that sets the National Cowboy and Western Heritage

Museum apart from other institutions includes some of the most important names from the development of Western art: Charles M. Russell, Frederick Remington, Charles Schreyvogel, William R. Leigh, Frank Tenney Johnson, Solon Borglum, the Taos Society of artists. But at the same time, the art form is alive and vital in the 21st century, and the Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale, which the Museum has sponsored for 37 years, is an annual showcase for the best work of today’s top Western and wildlife artists. In addition, the Western Heritage Awards (see “Paying Tribute,” page 76) honor individuals and groups who represent the spirit and creativity of the region.

“We offer the visitor a unique opportunity to see, enjoy, study and be inspired

by these great works of art that express over two centuries of artistic impressions, spawned by the American West,” says Schroeder.

The museum’s mission and focus have evolved over time, from honoring and doc-

umenting the stories of specific heroic individuals, to acquiring and developing internationally important collections in both art and material culture covering a wide range of subjects. In the 1990s the museum underwent a $40 million renovation, adding or expanding six major galleries and two outdoor garden areas. The museum space more than tripled. The Sam Noble Special Events Center has become one of

The American Cowboy Gallery

Oklahoma’s most popular event destinations. april 2012 | slice 75

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LEADING EDGE

Paying Tribute

The exterior of the museum

The museum’s restaurant, Dining on Persimmon Hill, offers patrons a quiet spot for food and drink.

A stroll through the grounds is a study in many of the elements of the West.

The West is both mythical and real, historic and contemporary. It is a story that

is still being told, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, an Oklahoma City icon, tells the story like no other venue in the world. The museum continues to grow, and has just begun a master planning process to help shape the future of Persimmon Hill.

Chuck Schroeder, who has a long history as a rancher and as former CEO of the

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, has a keen and thoughtful understanding of both the museum’s past, and what is still to come. “We want to take our strengths in collections, message and professional staff, and present them in new, innovative ways that will reach new audiences while maintaining the integrity of mission that has been our hallmark since 1955.”

76 slice | april 2012

The 51st annual Western Heritage Awards celebrates those individuals whose work in literature, music, film and television reflects the significant stories of the American West. At the same time, the Hall of Great Westerners honors individuals from the West who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in a variety of disciplines: art, business, industry, environmental, education, humanitarian, government or philanthropy. The Hall of Great Western Performers is for those actors who have made significant contributions to Western film, radio or theatre over a career. The prestigious Chester A. Reynolds Award, named for the museum’s founder, is presented to a living honoree or group who has notably perpetuated the legacy of the American West.

This year’s Western Heritage Awards will take place on Saturday, April 21 at the museum. The black-tie event is open to the public, with reservations required. The awards ceremony will be emceed by Katharine Ross.

2012’s inductees to the Hall of Great Western Performers are actors Bruce Boxleitner and the late Fess Parker. The Hall of Great Westerners welcomes Temple Grandin, Ph.D. Despite being diagnosed with autism at an early age, Grandin has become one of the world’s leading experts on livestock handling. Also being inducted is the late Walter Prescott Webb, an historian and author noted for his groundbreaking work on the American West.

The Chester A. Reynolds Award will be presented to Jerry Cates of Amarillo, Texas, renowned spur maker and cowboy. Cates died unexpectedly in June 2011, and will be honored posthumously.

The awards weekend begins on Friday, April 20, with the casual, and much-anticipated, Jingle-Jangle Mingle. This kick-off event enables the public to meet the year’s honorees and enjoy live entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and book and CD signings.

Reservations for the Western Heritage Awards ceremony and Jingle-Jangle Mingle are available by calling 478.2250, ext. 219, or at www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.

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Adaptability and Focus T

By Russ Tall Chief

he recession is omnipresent; therefore, an artistic re-

you set out to achieve, destroy anything you consider less

sponse to the economic downtown is inherent in visu-

than perfect and continue to evolve technically, principally

al art being created today. The art does not necessarily

and elementally in a more positive direction. Doing so will

reflect a literal illustration of the economy. Art itself may not

benefit you as an artist and the art marketplace as a whole.

have changed at all, but it may appear to much of the public

How can you do this? You can involve yourself in group cri-

that art has lost some status on the average budget list, having

tiques through art associations, regularly go see art exhibits

been shifted down a couple of lines – perhaps just under the

and really look at the work, observing every aspect of its cre-

gym membership.

ation, increase your understanding and use of the elements

Kudos to Tony Morton, director of Paseo Originals Art Gal-

and principles that make great art great, work with other

lery, for directing me to a survey that Jason Horejs conducted

artists and let yourself evolve, embrace change and, above

on behalf of Xanadu Gallery (www.xanadugallery.com), based

all, keep learning!”

in Scottsdale, AZ. The “State of the Art Survey” offers current data compiled from responses by 1,247 visual artists, primarily from across the United States, that proves, ladies and gentleman of the jury, that the “state of art” remains viable through the creative adaptability of artists who maintain focus on their work, not the market.

Before delving into statistics (see sidebar), I’ll share some

insight from a sampling of Oklahoma artists and gallery owners. This group reflects a nice cross-section of artists, genres and gallery types, including nonprofit and for-profit galleries.

TONY MORTON, DIRECTOR Paseo Originals Art Gallery

“Interestingly, Paseo Origi-

nals Gallery opened during the recession,” Morton says. “But we followed surveys and mar-

Anita Fields’ winning piece from the Heard Art Market

ANITA FIELDS, CLAY AND MIXED-MEDIA SCULPTOR AND PAINTER Stillwater, OK

ket research, and we found that

many artists think that suc-

pieces, but I have always had a wide variety of selection, from

cessful sales are directly relat-

lower-end to higher-end items,” explains Fields. “Over the

ed to the amount of work they

past few years, however, sales from the smaller pieces didn’t

can produce. Well, it depends

really make as much of an impact for me as did larger commis-

upon which sector of the mar-

sions. I have had a limited number of large commissions that

ket you are targeting.

have helped get me through slow times. I did very well at the

“I have found that it is far better for artists to spend more

Heard Museum Market in Phoenix this past March. Sales of

time on their art – produce less quantity and more quality of

the smaller items went up just a little, which was encouraging.

work – particularly for a more astute audience. So, for the

But it was my large sculpture, for which I won “Best in Class”

sake of the future of visual fine arts, put more effort into

in my category, and also sold to an individual, that increased

your work, artists,” Morton says, “complete exactly what

my sales 90 to 100 percent from previous years.”

78 slice | april 2012

“I adjusted to the market downturn by creating more small

RALPH PETROSKY

LEADING EDGE

LINDA HOWELL, OWNER

d.g. smalling, SKETCH ARTIST AND SCULPTURE DESIGNER

Howell Gallery, Oklahoma City

“Buy art because it speaks

Oklahoma City

to you and moves you,” Linda

Howell says. “Look for art that

ago when I lost sponsorship from Aaron Brothers and Michael’s

makes your heart beat faster, or

art supply stores,” smalling says. “Since then, my small pieces

relaxes you, or that makes you

have stopped selling almost completely, but large commissions

think. Fall in love with a piece

have increased. When I received two commissions for glass tipi

of art – it feeds your soul, and

sculptures that I designed, for the first time, I shifted my draw-

you can enjoy it every time you invest in art, and it is wonderful when it appreciates in value, but

ing into three-dimensional design and created the glass pieces JUSTIN AVERA

look at it. Now is a good time to

you should set aside money for art in any economic condition.

“The art market is strong. We recently expanded our gal-

lery space to accommodate special exhibitions, such as our upcoming fundraiser benefiting the YWCA’s Capital Campaign for the Battered Women’s Shelter.”

“I first felt the impact of the recession around three years

in collaboration with Oklahoma City glass designer Gus Tiesort. Our tipis were both unveiled last year – one is in the Oklahoma Judicial Center’s new home, which is in the original Oklahoma History Center, and the other is in the sculpture garden of Richard and Jeanette Sias’ corporate offices, which are located across the street from Penn Square Mall.”

Editor’s Note: The sculpture garden at 5653 N. Pennsylvania

Ave. in Oklahoma City is open to the public. april 2012 | slice 79

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LEADING EDGE

JON BURRIS, DIRECTOR

recent turning point for me artistically. Despite the recession

The Salon du Dessin et de la Peinture à l’Eau that we exhib-

ited in this past November at the Grand Palais in Paris was a

[Artspace] at Untitled

“As a nonprofit gallery, over the past three years we have

experienced cutbacks in foundation and grant support by as much as 70 percent, which is a significant cut for us when 50 to 60 percent of our budget comes from that form of support,” Burris says. “As a nonprofit, we don’t often have exhibitions that offer works for sale because that is not the mission of a nonprofit art center. However, to compensate for the funding cuts in our foundation and grant support, we recently have, over the past two to three years, created shows that offer more works for sale in order to increase revenue. The revenue from sales goes directly back into supporting the nonprofit and its programming – such as the current photography exhibit, ‘Reconsidering the Family of Man,’ and Todd Stewart’s photographic series, ‘The Garden,’ which are on view at Untitled.

Stewart has exhibited nationally and internationally and is an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma School of Art and Art History.

leaving me uninspired to paint for the past couple of years, it’s amazing that we pulled off that exhibition during the recession, and with no corporate or institutional sponsorship.

Something in that trip liberated me. I came away from the trip with a desire to paint at will, without feeling anxious about the process as I did before. I am less concerned with sales now – I want to create masterpieces.”

“Osage Portrait”

The pathos of contemporary art may be intuitively bruised

by the recession, whether or not the artists consciously and cathartically express the impact of the recession in their works, or if an artist decides instead to offer some light-hearted whimsy in their work to counter the melancholy felt by too many during these tough times. In any genre, with artistic emphasis and inspiration favoring fewer and finer masterpieces, I believe we can confidently say that the “state of art”

ERICK GFELLER

is steadfast.

Jon Burris sorts through images from the Photographic Society of America archive.

“Oklahoma may appear to be ‘recession-proof,’ but we haven’t

found that to be the case,” Burris says. “Realistically, people are cutting back on spending. People also are not travelling as much.

Therefore, collectors are buying more art locally, which is good.

So, just as our grant and foundation funding has been cut, sales and private donations have increased. We are surviving!”

JOE DON BRAVE, PAINTER Pawhuska, OK

“I have had to adjust prices geographically around the coun-

try based on how hard that area seems to be negatively impacted by the economy,” Brave says. “Some people have been hit harder by the recession than others, so I try to make the art affordable for as many people as possible. I have gotten more creative in lower-end pieces, creating license plates, t-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, prints and those types of items to help pay the rent. I have also gotten involved in more special events, such as live paints.

80 slice | april 2012

Survey Says…

BOTTOM LINE It is 78-189 percent more effective to spend more time on the conception and creation of masterful artworks. Although the decrease in quantity may give the false impression of less productivity, ultimately it will increase profit.

OUTLOOK FOR 2012 Of the artists surveyed: 65% feel optimistic that sales will increase 26% feel their sales will be about the same 9% predict decline in sales Let’s invite that nine percent to our Optimistic pARTy, and help get their hopes and expectations healthy and happy again.

To view the full survey, visit: www.xanadugallery.com/wordpress/index.php/state-of- the-art-2012-survey-some-initial-results Tony Morton plans to further develop the findings in the “State of the Art Survey,” so look for his upcoming responses and additional insights at: www.paseooriginals.com

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105 WEST MEMORIAL ROAD | OKLAHOMA CITY | (405) 751-0630 april 2012 | slice 81

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Give and Take

IMPORTANT FACTS NONPROFITS, TAXPAYERS AND ARTISTS NEED TO KNOW

By Greg Jones, CPA, CVA

N

onprofits often use donated art as a way to raise money. Art-

ists contribute their artwork to be used by the organization as an item exchanged for donations. As a nonprofit, taxpayer or artist, it’s important to know how art donations affect your taxes. What part of the artist’s donation is truly tax deductible? When you write a check to a nonprofit and leave with a painting in your hands, can you really deduct the full amount of the check? Before ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SJLOCKE

you donate artwork or claim a tax deduction, here are some things to consider.

THE ARTIST’S SIDE

Claiming Tax Deductions for Donated Artwork

The charitable contribution deduction of artwork created

ture was sold, the artist would realize $95,000 in ordinary in-

by the artist is limited to the tax basis of the property, which

come. The amount of contribution deduction otherwise based

is comprised only of the costs of the materials used to make that artwork or the fair market value. This is based on IRS rule IRC § 170(e)(1)(A) – a reduction rule that states the available income tax deduction for contributions of artwork created by the artist is applicable given that the sale of the artwork would result in ordinary income to the donor. When the fair market value of contributed artwork exceeds its income tax basis, the allowable deduction is its fair market value reduced by the amount of ordinary income the donor would have realized if the art had been sold for its fair market value on the

on the sculpture’s fair market value of $100,000 is reduced by $95,000, to $5,000. The available income tax deduction is equal to the tax basis in the work ($5,000). If however, the actual fair market value of the painting were only $1,000, the available deduction would be equal to only $1,000, since the maximum deduction for a contributed property is its fair market value, regardless if its tax basis is greater.

THE TAXPAYER’S SIDE

date of its contribution.

Receiving Artwork in Exchange for Monetary Donations

For example, an artist donates a sculpture valued at

$100,000 on the day of contribution to the nonprofit. The cost

change for monetary donations. For example, taxpayers mak-

of materials to make the sculpture was $5,000. If the sculp-

ing payments to charities may receive the right to attend din-

82 slice | april 2012

Many nonprofit organizations offer items of value in ex-

LEADING EDGE

Fee Only

ners, balls, banquets, athletic events or when engaged in an auction event, receive a valuable item such as a painting or other piece of artwork. To claim a charitable income tax deduction in these situations, the amount of the payment by the taxpayer must exceed the value of any goods or services received in re-

A step in the right direction on the path to retirement

turn. So, if you make a payment of $200 to a qualified nonprofit in order to attend a formal ball that is valued at $200, you would not be able to claim a tax deduction on any portion of the payment. If the value of the ball were only $75, however, you would be able to deduct $125 of the payment. This rule applies to all artwork as well. If you make a payment of $2,500 for a painting at a nonprofit auction that has a fair market value of $750, only $1,750 of it is tax deductible as a charitable contribution.

THE NONPROFIT’S SIDE Valuing Artwork

Under IRS rule IRC § 6115, nonprofits must provide a do-

nor with a written statement of the “good faith estimate of value” of goods and services provided in return for contribution.

A good-faith statement is usually an estimate of the fair market value – defined generally as the price at which the property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller. Fair market value is not what it costs the nonprofit to purchase a particular item. Items donated to a nonprofit should not be valued at zero.

The task of valuing artwork can be challenging. The stated

IRS rule does not require any particular method of estimating fair market value for the purpose of providing disclosures to donors. Nonprofits may use any reasonable methodology in making an estimate of fair market value as long as it applies the same methodology in good faith. If goods or services can be compared to similar products or services available for commercial transaction, then a fair market value may be based on

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the comparable items. Artwork may be valued by comparing it to other artwork sold by the artist or by the current commercial value for that type of artwork.

Nonprofits need to be mindful of how they value contribut-

ed artwork; taxpayers need to know that their tax deductions must be based on the difference between the amount of money they donated minus the value of the artwork received; and artists need to understand how they value the artwork they donate to nonprofits so that it does not adversely affect their in-

3001 United Founders Blvd., Suite A Oklahoma City, OK 73112 PH: 405.942.1234 TheRetirementPath.com

come taxes.

To learn more about how art donations affect your taxes,

consult a qualified tax professional.

Greg Jones is a tax partner with Eide Bailly in Oklahoma City.

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Honored by the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium for its efforts to reinforce ethical standards in the marketplace.

april 2012 | slice 83

MARKETPLACE

Dollar Signs

By Kent Anderson

A

concert, a play, a museum exhibition. The ballet, a book festival, a musical. Oklahoma is

steeped in culture, and as the state continues to grow, its creative voice is one of the strongest elements of the chorus that defines the state and its people. The arts are of intrinsic value unto themselves, and any given weekend finds more opportunities for the arts and culture than any one person can attend.

It is, one could say, a rather nice prob-

lem to have.

But beyond the inherent and innate

nature of the arts – the very fact that they exist and that we all have the opportunity to experience them – lies another facet, a practical consideration that a growing city and state cannot ignore. The arts mean business. More than 300 million dollars worth of business.

“Leaders who care about community ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MCPIX

and economic development can feel good about choosing to invest in the arts,” says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, authors of a study released in 2010 that shows more than $314 million in annual economic impact by the arts and cultural events in Oklahoma.

“The development of the arts in Oklahoma City is extreme-

in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations, and

ly beneficial from an economic development standpoint,”

an additional $138 million in event-related spending by their

agrees Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Okla-

audiences. Those numbers support the equivalent of 10,156

homa City Chamber. “Quality of life is a huge factor for compa-

full-time jobs, generating $211 million in household income

nies that want to relocate here. If we didn’t have a healthy arts

to local residents. Local and state governments receive $29.4

community, it would be tough to show potential companies

million in revenue as a result of the arts.

and their employees that we have a well-rounded community

for their families to enjoy.”

prices. Those who attend arts and cultural events may pay to

84 slice | april 2012

The study by Americans for the Arts shows $176 million

These numbers reflect significantly more than just ticket

LEADING EDGE

park in a garage, have dinner in a local restaurant, enjoy dessert and drinks after a show. Even the cost of child care for the evening factors into the impact on the local economy.

The nonprofit arts organizations themselves are important

engines for a local economy as well. The Americans for the Arts study uses this example: A theater company purchases a gallon of paint from the local hardware store for $20, generating the direct economic impact of the expenditure. The hardware store then uses a portion of the aforementioned $20 to pay the sales clerk’s salary; the sales clerk spends some of the money for groceries; the grocery store uses some of the money to pay its cashier; the cashier then spends some for the utility bill; and so on.1

“Art is fundamental, unique to each of us. Even in difficult economic times – especially in difficult economic times – the arts are essential.”

– Maria Shriver

These ripples are felt throughout the state, across all sec-

tors of the economy. Data collected over 2008-2009 shows that more than five million people attended arts and cultural events in the state, spending an average of $26 per event, not including admission to the event itself. The arts infuse Oklahoma with vital growth.

“Across the state we see how arts and culture are making

an impact,” says Kim Baker, executive director of the Oklahoma Arts Council. “Rural towns like Ada, Alva and Tahlequah have new arts districts that are bringing people back to their downtowns. Oklahoma City’s Plaza District and Tulsa’s Brady Arts District are prime examples of once-blighted areas revitalized through the arts.”

Arts and culture are making Oklahoma’s unique voice

heard, not only reaping substantive social, creative and aesthetic benefits, but in a real commercial and economic sense as well. With the arts thriving in the state as never before, Oklahoma is positioned for continued growth and prosperity for decades to come.

The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts & Culture Organizations in Oklahoma, Americans for the Arts, 2010 1

april 2012 | slice 85

GET SMART

THE RIGHT STUFF

By Michael Miller

en years ago, we wouldn’t be talking about this. Even five years ago, it wasn’t really a conversation many people were having. But now? Now it’s a big deal.

As our lives continue to edge ever closer to the stuff of sci-

ence fiction, consider this entirely true statement: You can do your work online, securely, from anywhere you can access the Internet.

It should remind you of your online email account, but

that’s just the beginning for Software as a Service, SaaS for short, also called cloud computing.

Why is this a good thing, when you have a perfectly good

computer on your desk at the office? Simple: besides the convenience of not having to actually go to the office, it removes all the hassle of owning a software system.

• There are no problems about infrastructure. It doesn’t

nologies that run sites like eBay and Amazon now available

matter what kind of computer you use, whether Mac OS or

to Main Street Oklahoma. E-commerce sites are supported by

Windows, these programs run on a remote server and don’t

most web hosts and can be integrated with your existing web-

care about your local systems.

site and accounting systems with very little custom work.

Accounting programs have blossomed on the web in the

• You don’t have anything to install – just access a webpage

last few years, allowing multi-site, location-sensitive systems

and you are on your way.

hosted online and accessed through your web browser. Quick-

• Backups? You don’t need no stinkin’ backups. The ser-

ware, among others, all offer various levels of service online

vice provider is doing that continuously as part of the service.

for cloud accounting.

• Add a new location? Hook up to the internet and you’re

tive. They want to sell you a product, service or access. If you

off and running.

use a free email service, you have ads running on your email

• What about software updates? The service provider han-

Google is a great example of an excellent free application that

dles that as needed and you never have to worry about not

is supported by advertising, and has become the role model for

being updated.

a lot of websites and other free software services on the web.

• Is it secure? In a word, yes. Credit card information and

these services listed for a little as $30 per month per user for a

company data are stored in a manner compliant with the

suite of products that would normally cost in the tens of thou-

new Payment Card Industry rules, and everything is en-

sands for the shrink-wrapped box. Robust systems that are lo-

crypted and protected in a way to keep the bad guys out of

cally hosted (using your network instead of the web) are also

your data and pocket book.

available with all the same benefits of hosting on the web.

Running your business from the web is not only possible

fore we are all running all of our applications from the web

but easy to accomplish. Would you like to sell your product

where we can reach them from our phone, home or office com-

online? E-commerce has hit the big time, with the same tech-

puter, letting us accomplish more in less time.

Books, SAP Business ByDesign, NetSuite and BirdDog Soft-

As I have said before, everyone on the web has a profit mo-

page at the same time. If you get the paid version, no ads.

86 slice | april 2012

So what does it cost the online entrepreneur? I have seen

This is the wave of the future. It’s only a matter of time be-

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THE LAST THING YOU WANT IS THE MARKET DICTATING YOUR DREAMS. Markets change and fluctuate. But one thing stays constant.

Your dreams. They don’t ebb and flow. They’re grounded in your personal desires and ambitions. And while you might have to change your strategy, you should never have to change your focus. With our extensive wealth management services, we can help get you there. Give us a call, or better yet, let us come see you.

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©2012 Bank of Oklahoma, a division of BOKF, NA. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.

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405 W. 2nd, Ste. 1, Edmond | 405.509.6422 april 2012 | slice 87

GLIMPSE

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

Oklahoma Visionaries

By Kent Anderson

W

hat creates the culture of a city, a state, a society? One can make the case that the artistic expression of any community, however large or small, is a collective thing, a con-

sciousness that exists on a macro level. But it must begin, as all things do, with the individual.

Each artist, whether from the visual or performing arts, brings a

highly personal expression to what they do. Those individuals shape the cultural firmament of a place. Their personal views of the world around them create the perceptions that the larger world has of our state.

Oklahoma is gifted with artistic ability in broad scope. Many wild-

ly talented individuals call this place home. Some are natives. Some adopted the state later in life. But they are grounded here. Their artistic visions are formed here, and those highly personal visions tell the rest of the world who we are and who we aspire to be. They form our culture. They are Oklahoma.

This month, Slice introduces you to a handful of creative individu-

als and groups from various disciplines, the people who are rooted in Oklahoma and express our city and state in a multitude of ways.

You won’t see Kristin Chenoweth or James Garner or Garth

Brooks in the following pages. That’s by design. We are showcasing artists who may not be household names (yet!), but who nonetheless make Oklahoma a more interesting place to experience life, and who influence what the world sees of our city and state.

88 slice | april 2012

RICK SINNETT

MURALIST/PRINTMAKER/DIGITAL ARTIST Photographed at Sauced on Paseo by Simon Hurst

Rick Sinnett has a history of thinking and creating in new ways, of finding fresh audiences and giving them distinctive ways to interact with visual art. Former owner of Against the Grain gallery, he is now working closely with Wayne Coyne to realize the Flaming Lips’ singer’s “art project,” Womb Gallery, on Ninth Street in downtown Oklahoma City.

Sinnett’s own artwork includes a process of creating pen and ink drawings, scanning and digitizing them and coloring them using a computer. The drawings are then printed and machine perforated. The result is a “wow” factor of color and psychedelic design. Sinnett’s newest endeavor is Public Arts Project 66, a planned series of 11 murals in public spaces along famed Route 66 across Oklahoma. The first is complete, displayed on a pawn shop in Tulsa. The next mural, “Guardian of the Mother Road,” will grace the Drive-In Saloon in El Reno. Each of the murals will celebrate an aspect of Oklahoma history.

april 2012 | slice 89

GLIMPSE

M.J. ALEXANDER M.J. Alexander’s luminous photographs are hailed as “iconic and timeless” by the Center for Fine Art Photography, and the International Photography Hall of Fame says she “combines the vision of an artist with the skills of a storyteller.” She was the only American honored with a documentary prize at the 2009 UNESCO-sponsored World Humanity Photography Awards in China.

In her adopted home state of Oklahoma, Alexander has depicted the lives of old and young alike, through her books Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma’s Elders and PORTRAIT OF A GENERATION The Children of Oklahoma: Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth.

In 2011, Portrait of a Generation was named Best Regional Non-Fiction in the Independent Publishers Awards, and received the Oklahoma Book Award in the Young Adult division.

DAVID G. FITZGERALD In a remarkable career spanning more than four decades, David G. Fitzgerald’s lens has captured images ranging from Oklahoma courthouses to the aftermath of the Indonesian tsunami. His photographs are featured in more than a dozen books, beginning with 1979’s Oklahoma.

His book Bison: Monarch of the Plains was a recipient of the Oklahoma Book Award for Design and Illustration in 1999, and in 2007 Chickasaw: Unconquered and Unconquerable received gold and bronze awards from the Independent Publishers at Book Expo America in New York, as well as being named a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Publishers Marketing Association. Fitzgerald was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2005.

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photographed at the Hudson-Essex building by Simon Hurst

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

LORI ODEN Lori Oden holds degrees from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and the University of Oklahoma. Her keen interest in art history has led to a specialty in nineteenth-century photographic processes, as well as traditional black and white photography. Her photographs record the stark and stunning beauty found in many everyday objects. Oden’s acclaimed 2010 exhibition Write Me a Photograph combined her love of words and images, as she solicited letters from 50 individuals across Oklahoma, creating photographs based upon the written words. Her display A Cautionary Tale continues this month at Istvan Gallery in Oklahoma City.

Oden has served on the staff of several visual arts organizations, including the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition and Paseo Artists Association. She is also an adjunct faculty member of OCU and OSU-OKC.

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

THE RED DIRT RANGERS

SONGWRITERS/MUSICIANS

The musical sound known as “red dirt” arose from Still-

are the purest proponents in the world of “red dirt” mu-

water in the 1980s, but it had been brewing for a long

sic. The band has produced numerous recordings, start-

time. Oklahoma’s geographic location has created a stew

ing with 1991’s cassette release Cimarron Soul, leading to

of influences for musicians: Western swing, folk, blue-

their most recent, the critically acclaimed Ranger Motel.

grass, honky-tonk, rock ‘n’ roll. When the ingredients come together in the hands of skilled musicians, a new

Life on the road hasn’t been without its dangers. The

sound emerges – and no one does it better than the Red

three band members went down in a near-fatal helicop-

Dirt Rangers.

ter crash in 2004. They emerged from the experience with a renewed focus and dedication to their art and

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The core of the band – John Cooper, Ben Han and Brad

craft. “A lot of times, you’re just rambling along and it

Piccolo – has been together for more than 20 years, taking

takes an epiphany like that, a defining moment, to let you

their sound (a combination of influences ranging from

know what your purpose is,” says Brad Piccolo. “Now I

Woody Guthrie to Bob Wills to the Grateful Dead) on the

just want to make good music and send a good feeling out

road. They tour extensively, in and out of Oklahoma, and

there to people.”

DAVID PHELPS

SCULPTOR

Photographed in his studio by David Cobb

A native of California, David Phelps first came to Oklahoma in the 1980s to attend graduate school at OU. Since then he has gained international renown for his monumental contemporary figurative works in bronze, concrete and fabricated steel. His work is gathered in public and private collections around the world.

His public art commissions include the Desert Wildlife series, installed at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. This set of works depicts five giant desert animals. One of Phelps’ trademarks is the appearance of his sculptures seeming to rise from the ground. The image arises from his memory of the California farm country, and cracks in ditches that resulted from the interaction of dirt, water and sun. Phelps says, “I grew up on a farm in the central valley of California, where the fields became an extension of oneself. I continue to live in the wide open spaces of Oklahoma, where my sculptural images expand to include their environments as part of the experience.” april 2012 | slice 93

GLIMPSE

BERT SEABOURN

PAINTER/PRINTMAKER

Photographed at his home by David Cobb

Considered the dean of Oklahoma painters, Bert Seabourn sold his first piece of art in 1946, as an eighth grader in Purcell. It was a cartoon published by Kingfisher Features Syndicate. Today his expressionist works hang at the Vatican in Rome, the Smithsonian Museum of National History in Washington, the United States embassy in London, China’s National Palace Museum, Moscow University of Russia and many important private collections worldwide.

Seabourn has received more than 100 awards from top competitions. He was named a Master Artist in 1975 by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, and received the Governor’s Arts Award in 1981. In 1997 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from his alma mater Oklahoma City University.

Seabourn says, “I think of an expressionist as a painter who expresses himself with the honest use of paint... meaning it drips, it smears, it splatters, it runs... it does all these things.”

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

EDGAR CRUZ

GUITARIST

Photographed at Guitar Center by David Cobb

Edgar Cruz’s jaw-dropping technical wizardry and emotional mastery of the acoustic guitar have led him to be voted Oklahoma’s top performing artist and/or guitarist more than 15 times. He has produced 17 recordings dating from 1989, and presents more than 200 performances annually, touring the United States, Europe and South America. In 2005, the documentary “Spanish Blood: The Guitar Music of Edgar Cruz,” produced by OETA, was honored with an Emmy Award.

Cruz is a graduate of Oklahoma City University, and in 2010 OCU presented the guitarist with a Distinguished Alumni Award.

Cruz is not only a performer but a composer as well, and his solo guitar transcriptions of works written for other instruments have become legendary. His signature transcription is Queen’s operatic rock classic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

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GLIMPSE

ANITA FIELDS

CERAMIC ARTIST

Anita Fields (Osage/Creek) of Stillwater is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, with additional study at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. She follows in the steps of Native American women potters, making art from the earth itself, with both Native and contemporary influences informing her creations.

“Response to clay is so immediate,” she says. “I believe it’s the tactile quality, the involvement with the material and with the process that intrigues me. I take it from the earth and make something out of my head.”

Fields’ work has been shown in the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Art and Design in New York. In November 2011 she joined other Osage artists – including her son Yatika – in an exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Fields is among the first Native potters to create conceptual installation pieces, and she often incorporates abstracted images of traditional clothing and artifacts in her works.

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

The Art of Instruction We asked Jon Burris, executive director of [Artspace] at Untitled, for his thoughts on Oklahoma’s influential artists, and his perspective tilted toward education: “I tend to think that we sometimes overlook the high level of art instructors we have on the university level: people like Elizabeth Brown and Mark Zimmerman at UCO; Todd Stewart and Andy Strout at OU; Sarah Hearn, who teaches at OCU; and David Crismon at Oklahoma Christian University, Edmond. They are all very good working artists and certainly influence the cultural landscape of Oklahoma through their teaching.”

NATHAN LEE

SCULPTOR/MIXED MEDIA ARTIST/ MUSICIAN Photographed at his home by Carli Wentworth

Oklahoma City-born Nathan Lee’s first creative expression was music, and while pursuing that career in New York, he began to dabble in the visual arts. Over time his focus evolved to include drawing, acrylics and mixed media. His works have been featured in solo exhibitions at the IAO Gallery and the Kirkpatrick Museum, as well as group shows including Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s Momentum exhibition and IAO’s Mixed Media Exhibition.

Lee believes in pushing the envelope of artistic expression in Oklahoma. He founded Inclusion in Art, an initiative designed to promote racial diversity in the state’s visual arts community. As part of this project, he produced the film “Transcend,” which documents the experience of five black artists living and working in Oklahoma. “Transcend” has also prompted a book publishing deal and Lee is continuing his longstanding interest in music by personally overseeing the film’s eclectic soundtrack.

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GLIMPSE

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

JEROD IMPICHCHAACHAAHA’ TATE

COMPOSER

Photographed by Alana Rothstein

“I am dedicated to spending my life looking for American Indian solutions in classical music composition,” says Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. A graduate of Northwestern University and the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music, Tate is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and a native of Norman. A performance of his Iholba (The Vision) for Solo Flute, Orchestra and Chorus prompted the Washington Post to write: “Tate’s connection to nature and the human experience was quite apparent in this piece… rarer still is his ability to effectively infuse classical music with American Indian nationalism.” The composition was commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Tate maintains his close ties to Oklahoma and his Chickasaw culture, as artistic director of the Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival and composer-in-residence for the Chickasaw Nation. He has also been named a Cultural Ambassador of the state of Oklahoma. In 2011 Tate won an Emmy Award for the documentary “The Science of Composing,” in which he worked with a group of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists over a period of 10 days to create new musical compositions. The project was produced in conjunction with OETA’s “State of Creativity” series.

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JONATHAN BECK REED

ACTOR

Photographed at PhotoArt Studios by K.O. Rinearson

Jonathan Beck Reed is one of the most recognizable faces in Oklahoma, with an acting career spanning more than 35 years in theater, film and television. He is a particular favorite with Lyric Theatre, with starring roles in many Lyric productions, including Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” Harold Hill in “The Music Man” and Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.” He recently returned to the role of Professor Henry Higgins in Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre’s Production of “My Fair Lady,” having starred in the 1990 New York revival tour of the United States and Asia.

Reed worked with Chris Kattan in the forthcoming feature film “Just Crazy Enough,” and has acted alongside such notables as Bob Hope, Gwen Verdon, Don Knotts, Megan Mullally and Rip Taylor. He has also directed productions at OCU, City Rep and the Summer Spotlight Series. With his wife Amy Reynolds-Reed, he is co-owner of Spotlight Acting Academy in Edmond.

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GLIMPSE

BOB PALMER

MURALIST

Photographed at Santa Fe Railway Wall in Bricktown by David Cobb

If you have seen a mural in Oklahoma, you have likely seen the work of Bob Palmer. He and his teams have painted more than 1,200 of them in the state, and he was named the official muralist for the Oklahoma centennial celebrations in 2007. But his work – the ancient medium of storytelling through the visual arts – isn’t limited to the state. It is international in scope, as Palmer murals are now in Mexico, Canada and eastern Europe.

With public art from Bricktown to Macedonia, Palmer delights in taking his rural Oklahoma heritage (he was born and raised in Walters), and investing his talent in a variety of venues worldwide. Palmer has exported his art in another way as well, as a longtime and award-winning educator at UCO.

Special thanks to the following, who contributed suggestions for artists to be included in this feature: Susan Clark, KCSC Radio Julia Kirt, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Rich Taylor, University of Oklahoma Debby Williams, Oklahoma History Center To find out more about the featured artists, see resources, page 133.

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

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GLIMPSE

Glen Gentele, President and CEO of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

In the Spotlight

OKCMOA

By Lauren Hammack Photos by David Cobb

I

n its geographical position at the

renovation a decade ago, it’s easy to mis-

epicenter of downtown’s renais-

place OKCMOA on the MAPS list of the

sance, the Oklahoma City Museum

early 2000s, but MAPS didn’t fund it.

of Art stands as a singular symbol of tri-

This world-class facility was wholly pri-

umph over improbable odds. In its for-

vately funded to become the manifesta-

mer location at the State Fairgrounds,

tion of the city’s passion for art.

the struggling museum (then known as

the Oklahoma City Art Museum) had

in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts

been “left for dead” until it embarked on

Center has just marked its 10th anni-

a $40 million capital campaign – a vi-

versary in its downtown location at 415

sion many would call preposterous more

Couch Drive. Inside the walls that once

than a decade ago.

housed the Centre Theatre, the passion

that fueled the museum’s revival contin-

Much like the magnificent, radiant

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Chihuly glass sculpture in the museum’s

ues to propel its one-way trajectory: up.

grand foyer, today’s OKCMOA glistens

We joined OKCMOA’s celebration

serenely among the chaos of downtown

by engaging in conversation with two

construction activity extending in ev-

of the museum’s finest works: President

ery direction at the museum’s periphery.

and CEO Glen Gentele and Film Cura-

Given its grandeur and the scope of its

tor Brian Hearn.

With Glen Gentele OKCMOA President and CEO

Can you do anything most people have to call a professional to do?

I can fix a faucet and I’m a decent woodworker.

How long have you been at OKCMOA? Since January, 2009.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?

There are three: Following my bliss; marrying Shannon, my wife; and coming to Oklahoma City.

What do you hope visitors will experience at the museum?

I see the role of the museum as a means of igniting the community’s imagination about what art is and what it can be. I want people to come to the museum and experience art in unexpected ways.

You’ve lived all over the country. What about Oklahoma City, in particular, appealed to you?

I liked what I saw here. There was so much going on. This is a community that embraces the arts and still wants to grow.

There’s a great energy among your staff.

Where does that come from?

They’re extremely passionate about what they do. It’s a very collaborative environment and the staff has a sense of ownership because they know they contribute to the future of the museum.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Chocolate and ice cream. But I really don’t feel guilty about either.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done as part of your job?

Nothing is strange for a museum director.

Do you think you could be mistaken for someone famous?

I’ve been told I look like Humphrey Bogart, circa “Casablanca.”

Does anything stress you out?

I wouldn’t say I get stressed out, but I’ve got a pretty intense personality.

What’s the last thing you lost?

An argument with my wife.

Which character trait would you gladly give up?

My impatience.

Which would you say is your best trait?

Probably my ability to relate. I’m personable and gregarious, but I’m genuinely interested in the human condition.

What do you value most in your friends?

Trust and loyalty.

Would you say you’re a friend for the long haul?

Absolutely.

For what are you most grateful?

My health and all the love in my life.

Why is art important?

Art is a kind of “blueprint” of the human experience. It’s a connection to history. It’s a dynamic, aggressive force that enriches people’s lives – it awakens something inside them.

As you’re celebrating 10 years in the downtown location, you’re certainly looking ahead, too. What do you expect the next 10 years will bring?

We’re growing our outreach program and our educational programs, which are so important because they give more people an opportunity to connect with art. I know the museum will continue to grow because the community truly wants to see it grow. It’s a point of pride for the community and the state.

It goes without saying that the Museum Cafe is an important part of the museum experience.

Of course!

Where else should I eat this weekend?

My house! I grill a great steak!

Make mine medium.

With Brian Hearn Film Curator at OKCMOA’s Noble Theater What’s your hometown?

Oklahoma City. Bishop McGuinness Class of ’88.

Go Irish! How long have you been at OKCMOA? Since January, 1995. I’ve basically spent my entire adult life at one job as the film curator for the museum.

How does one happen upon a job like that?

I got my degree in Writing for Television, Radio and Film from Syracuse, but I’d say it’s a dream come true that I get to do this for a living in my hometown.

What does a film curator do, exactly?

I watch and select films for public exhibition and provide some context for why the film is relevant.

What do you see as the most significant achievement during your career?

Being part of something that started from nothing and seeing OKCMOA where it is now. april 2012 | slice 103

GLIMPSE

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES

A few of the Museum’s crackerjack staff: Editor and Publications Coordinator Nicole Emmons, Head of Exhibit Design and Registration Ernesto Sanchez, Associate Curator Jennifer Klos, Associate Development Officer Whitney Cross Moore, Registrar Erika Katayama, Senior Development Officer Jim Eastep I often ask people which movie or movies they can recite word-for-word, but in your case…

Oh, there are sooooo many movies in my head.

Could you be mistaken for anyone famous?

A woman told me I’m a dead ringer for Bryan Cranston from the series “Breaking Bad.”

Who is the living person you most admire?

The world-famous Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei, who designed the “Bird’s Nest” for the Beijing Olympics. He is a courageous filmmaker and activist who engages people in his controversial documentary work.

The teacher who moonlights by cooking meth?

Yeah. Someone else said I look like a young Clint Eastwood.

What’s not as important as it used to be?

Politics, in a broad sense. Old grudges. Sweating the digital conversion in the film world.

What’s your favorite OKC hole-in-the-wall?

Café Antigua (1903 N. Classen Boulevard, OKC). Not too fancy, but it’s a must-eat brunch spot on Saturdays.

What should everyone try doing at least once?

Making a work of art from start to finish.

What do you say to people who complain that they don’t have a creative bone in their body?

I say that’s absurd. They just haven’t had the right environment for expressing their creativity. I also think expressions like “starving artist” take away the joy of just creating.

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Is that better? When he’s scruffy, he could pass for a meth dealer.

Well, there you have it. I look like a guy who cooks meth.

I can just say “Jude Law” if you’d like.

OK. What character trait would you gladly give up?

Being a worrywart like the Virgo I am.

What’s your best trait?

Passion. Consistency. Endurance. I’m a marathoner. I’m always reminding people, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

What do you attribute to OKCMOA’s remarkable decade downtown?

Consistency, high quality and delivering the goods.

The Cafe

In its début, the Museum Cafe was a self-service restaurant with limited offerings. The past decade has brought a full menu of changes, making it one of Oklahoma City’s premier restaurants.

Open Table, an online reservation/review site, ranked the Cafe among its Top 50 Brunches in the U.S., while both the Wall Street Journal and Wine Enthusiast have given the restaurant accolades for its exceptional wine list.

Some elements of the restaurant’s scenery haven’t changed over the years.

General Manager Ahmad Farnia arrived the year after the restaurant opened and says that most of the wait staff has been in place for seven or eight years.

The Museum Cafe’s Sunday Brunch is a work of art in its own right, best appreciated with reservations, Farnia suggests.

(Call 235.6262.)

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april 2012 | slice 105

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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IN THE KITCHEN | MATTERS OF TASTE | SPLASH | EDIBLES & LIBATIONS

FARE

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Standout chef Caryn Ross says, “This time every year I am overcome with the beauty CARLI WENTWORTH

of our city. I get excited to see what is blooming each week. With that said, I also seem to change my personal menus to reflect this lighter, brighter season.” This recipe for flavorful, moist lemon brick chicken fits the bill perfectly! See page 108.

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FARE

108 slice | april 2012

IN THE KITCHEN

Flavor to Savor

By Caryn Ross Photos by Carli Wentworth

O

ne of my favorite things to make is Lemon Herb Brick Chicken. Now, do not be afraid when you hear “brick.” All that really means is that you are going

to press your chicken while cooking. This technique makes for a savory crisp crust and an intensely moist chicken!

This recipe encourages you to break out your trusty cast-

iron pan and heat it to smoking hot. That means put it on high heat and let it sit like that for about 5-10 minutes or until you literally see it “smoke.” That’s when you know your pan is ready to perfectly sear your chicken. Once you have cooked it, skin side down, you’ll finish it in the oven. This chicken dish is traditionally a comfort food but good enough to serve to guests!

Lemon Herb Brick Chicken 3-4 lb whole chicken 2 1/2 T fresh thyme, chopped 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped 1 lemon, zested 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 1/4 c olive oil Sea salt and pepper to taste Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Remove the backbone to create two large chicken halves. Dry the halves completely. Combine the thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil in a large zip-top bag or mixing bowl. Do not salt the chicken now, as that makes for a tough bird! Add the chicken halves. Zip or cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least four hours).

Heat the oven to 450°F. Wrap two bricks in a couple of layers of foil.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set a large cast-iron or other heavy oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. When smoking hot, add just enough vegetable oil to lightly film the pan. Put the chicken halves, skin side down, in the pan and immediately put a brick on top of each half. If you don’t happen to have two bricks handy, you can use another heavy cast-iron skillet and place it on top of the chicken halves to weight them down. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the skin is a deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the bricks, turn the chicken halves over (skin side up), and put the pan in the hot oven to finish roasting the chicken another 20 to 25 minutes. Once chicken is cooked (use a meat thermometer, poultry should be 165°F internal temperature), remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. april 2012 | slice 109

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333 W. Wilshire Blvd • OKC • 405.463.5693 • Dekorum.com 110 slice | april 2012

FARE

EDIBLES & LIBATIONS

KEY edmond norman oklahoma city $ most entrees under $10 $$ most entrees $10 to $25 $$$ most entrees over $25 outdoor dining reservations accepted new or updated entry

AMERICAN ANN’S CHICKEN FRY HOUSE This Route 66 classic provides a blast from the past in its copious decorative memorabilia, and excellent chicken fried steak big enough to sate the hugest appetites. 4106 N.W. 39th, 943.8915 AROUND THE CORNER RESTAURANT A nofrills, old-school diner that’s a favorite spot for Edmondites to linger over omelettes, pork chops or pancakes and coffee. 11 S. Broadway, 341.5414 BOULEVARD CAFETERIA Roast beef, chicken and dumplings, even liver and onions… one of the last of the area’s independent cafeterias is still pounding out the hits. 525 N.W. 11th, 239.6861 CAFÉ 7 A fast, casual restaurant with a very cool concept: widely varied salad, sandwich, pizza and pasta options, all priced under $7 and served up in 7 minutes, 7 days a week. 14101 N. May, 748.3354 CAFÉ 501 Rustic stone oven pizzas, fresh, uniquely designed salads and delicious specialty sandwiches on house-made artisan breads - add classic atmosphere and enjoy. 501 S. Boulevard, 359.1501 , 5825 N.W. Grand, 844.1501 CLASSEN GRILL Don’t be thrown by the seenbetter-days exterior; the food inside is deftly done diner deliciousness, especially the breakfast options. The eggs benedict and cheese grits can make your day in advance. 5124 N. Classen Blvd., 842.0428 COACH’S RESTAURANT Overlooking the diamond at RedHawks Field at Bricktown or within earshot of Owen Field, Coach’s locations serve fans during games and fans of its pizza, barbecue, burgers and beer anytime. 102 W. Main, 360.5726 , 20 S. Mickey Mantle, 232.6224 COLBY’S GRILL A family-owned, family-friendly, family-style café developing a loyal following thanks to solid, basic diner fare for breakfast and lunch, enlivened by occasional imaginative specials. 511 S. Broadway, 513.8590 DEEP FORK GRILL The dimly lit, crisply elegant atmosphere perfectly complements the contemporary American menu of superb seafood, (woodgrilled cedar plank salmon is the house specialty),

The Stuff of Legends

T

By Kent Anderson Photo by Carli Wentworth

he story is familiar: hard-working immigrant comes to booming frontier city, opens a small business and makes a name for himself. In this case, Swiss-born Anthony Kaiser settled in Oklahoma City and opened his humble ice cream

shop in 1910. In 1918 he moved it to the corner of N.W. 10th and Walker, and Kaiser’s Ice Cream became an Oklahoma City legend.

Nearly a century later, Kaiser’s American Bistro is the newest project by the owners

of Picasso’s on Paseo. They have retained some original flair – such as the classic soda fountain – and created a menu of American classics, with a few twists.

The Grateful Bean Chowder ($3.50 cup) features white beans, smoked ham hock,

pork belly and homemade cornbread croutons. It’s a fine soup, no matter the season.

Kaiser’s is, quite rightfully, promoting its Bison Burger (check the sign on the 10th Street side), but the Green Chili Burger ($8) is worth a taste for those who like spice. Topped with chorizo and grilled jalapenos, it brings a bit of heat to the menu. At the soda fountain, we heartily recommend the Double Vanilla ($5). A new addition is the bar operation, including the fusion of past and present in Kaiser’s “spiked” milkshakes.

With its spot on the roundabout and stunning views of Midtown, Kaiser’s American

Bistro is set to give new flavor to a legendary name.

april 2012 | slice 111

FARE steaks and accoutrements. 5418 N. Western, 848.7678 DINER, THE The classics never go out of style, and when locals refer to this institution as a greasy spoon, it’s a term of endearment if not veneration. Masterful preparation of ordinary breakfast and lunch fare – expect lengthy lines. 213 E. Main, 329.6642 DIVINE SWINE A uniquely themed restaurant conceived and built around the chef’s love of pork; practically every dish, even desserts, contain some gourmet interpretation of the other white meat’s potential for delectability. 7801 N. May, 843.3400 EISCHEN’S Two things to bear in mind: 1. It’s in Okarche, about 45 minutes from OKC proper. 2.

It’s universally agreed to be well worth the trip.

Legendary fried chicken and okra in a gloriously noisy packed house; cash only. 108 S. 2nd, Okarche, 263.9939 FANCY THAT No longer restricting customers to a quick lunch and bakery treats, this Main Street café’s robust expansion into evening and weekend hours is cause for celebration… over dinner. 215 E. Main, 307.0541 FIRST WATCH THE DAYTIME CAFE Large and well-lit with a friendly staff, complimentary newspapers and wi-fi and a menu filled with breakfast and lunch selections and specialties. 2328 W. Memorial, 748.3447 INTERURBAN CLASSIC GRILL It’s a simple concept: serve good food at a reasonable price in comfortable, casual surroundings. Favorites like chicken-fried steak are always on the menu, but there are plenty of options for the health-conscious as well. 3 metro locations, interurban.us JIMMY’S EGG Although it’s open for lunch as well, Jimmy’s Egg is a breakfast favorite with endless omelette possibilities, friendly service and fresh-baked breads and biscuits. 11 metro locations, jimmysegg.com

A Glass in Tune

O

By Kent Anderson Photo by Simon Hurst

klahoma’s wine industry has gathered momentum in recent years, with new wineries opening in every corner of the state. It’s an impressive spate of growth, one not unlike the remarkable renaissance of Oklahoma City’s

urban core – so it might not be a surprise that the two streaks have intersected. Urban Wineworks opened late last year at 1749 N.W. 16 in the Plaza District, and is curth

rently producing eight distinct varieties.

Perhaps the most noteworthy entry on UWW’s list is Symphony, the only wine

of its kind now being produced in Oklahoma. Created with a hybrid of a champagne grape, Symphony is extremely flavorful, with intense aromatics of peach and pear.

It is the sweetest variety of all UWW’s wines. Owner Doug Stobaugh calls it “music to your palate!” and recommends pairing with gorgonzola or sherbet… or, naturally, more wine.

112 slice | april 2012

LEGEND’S A Lindsey Street landmark for over 40 years, this casually upscale, three-diamond AAA restaurant still serves exceptional seafood, steaks and more down-to-earth fare amid welcoming surroundings. 1313 W. Lindsey, 329.8888 LUNCH BOX, THE The term “old-fashioned” can be a compliment, as in the case of this unremarkable-looking restaurant easily located by following the hordes of downtown diners hungry for its homestyle cooking and inexpensive tab. 413 W. Sheridan, 232.9409 MUTT’S AMAZING HOT DOGS Now this is a hot dog - Mutt’s inspired creations feature prime meats like chicken, bison and duck, topped off with tantalizing and unexpected flavor profiles. 1400 N.W. 23rd, 525.3647 PICASSO CAFÉ Its neighbors are painters, potters and sculptors, so it’s no surprise its management strives to make their cuisine a work of art. Creative arrangements of pizza, sandwiches, salads and surprises abound. 3009 Paseo, 602.2002 POPS A little out of the way but undeniably worth going the extra mile, the Good Egg Group’s roadside café has burgers, salads, shakes and the irresistible

EDIBLES & LIBATIONS draw of an unbelievably broad soda selection. 660 W. Highway 66, Arcadia, 233.2020 PRAIRIE GYPSIES, THE Justly renowned for their catering prowess, the duo of female chefs also offers a single-serve entrée and soups that vary daily for carryout. 411 N.W. 30th, 525.3013

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REDPIN RESTAURANT & BOWLING LOUNGE Other bowling alleys might muster no more than warm, flat beer for refreshment - RedPin provides a full bar, burgers, pizzas, sweets and snacks in a restaurant that happens to have premium bowling lanes attached. 200 S. Oklahoma, 702.8880 REDROCK CANYON GRILL Rotisserie chicken, Southwestern enchiladas, pork chops and steak by the lake served expertly in a casual, energetic, hacienda-style atmosphere of stone walls and mahogany beams around an open kitchen. 9221 E. Lake Hefner Pkwy., 749.1995 SAGE GOURMET CAFÉ & MARKET In the heart of Deep Deuce, Sage puts an upscale spin on American classics - the gourmet mac and cheese is a signature item - and uses organic and natural food products in a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere.

228 N.E. 2nd, 232.7243 SATURN GRILL A star of the lunchtime stage, its surprising daily specials and inspired, tasty twists on ordinary sandwiches, salads and pizza keep it crowded on weekdays. Fortunately, the line moves quickly and calling ahead is encouraged. 4401 W. Memorial, 463.5594, 6432 Avondale, 843.7114

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SHARTEL CAFÉ Diverse diner-style classics bacon cheeseburgers, pancakes, reubens, bakery goodies, etc. - done with panache and further improved by airy, comfortable surroundings and friendly service. 5116 N. Shartel, 843.0900 TOBY KEITH’S I LOVE THIS BAR & GRILL He does, you know. Deep in the heart of Bricktown, this venue hosts frequent live music performances and features a homestyle menu, memorabilia and drinks served in Mason jars. 310 Johnny Bench, 231.0254 WILL’S/THE LOBBY BAR Coffee vendor by day, bar by night, it features an unexpected and wonderfully inviting lunch and dinner menu: baked manchego, lobster sliders and many more. 4322 N. Western, 604.4650

ASIAN 180 MERIDIAN GRILL Intended to unite east and west through blending the essence of Asian cuisine with American culture, its intriguing menu spans sirloin with teriyaki butter, hoisin barbecue duck pizza and ample sushi options. 2541 W. Main, 310.6110 BLUE MOON CHINESE RESTAURANT Chinese cravings may come much more often after experiencing the spectacular amount of sweet, sour and savory tastes from this student-friendly eatery. 1320 S. Broadway, 340.3871 GRAND HOUSE A number of Chinese restaurants concentrate on their cooking to the exclusion of any other aspect of dining – Grand House is the happy exception that goes the extra mile to provide enjoyable ambiance alongside its excellent cuisine. 2701 N. Classen, 524.7333

LUNCH

DINNER

SUNDAY BRUNCH

COCKTAILS

1201 N. Walker Avenue OKC 405.235.2200 stellaokc.com april 2012 | slice 113

FARE

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O ASIAN FUSION Sublime quality in a wide span of culinary influences – freshly rolled sushi to fiery curry – in a cool, vibrant environment. Call ahead; it becomes a packed house in a hurry. 105 S.E. 12th, 701.8899 SAII ASIAN BISTRO & SUSHI BAR With a dark, rich ambiance that elevates it over its surroundings, Saii serves expertly prepared Japanese, Thai and Chinese dishes plus an extensive and adventurous sushi menu. 6900 N. May, 702.7244

BAKERY AMY CAKES Imaginative cakes and cupcakes to make any special occasion a bit more memorable; and it’s a one-woman show. By appointment only. 113 Hal Muldrow, 360.1131 CATHERINE W. GARDNER APRN-CNP

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BROWN’S BAKERY An incredible selection of delicious traditional and specialty cakes, cookies, breads and other baked goods. 1100 N. Walker, 232.0363 CRIMSON & WHIPPED CREAM With a cozy Campus Corner vibe and the operators’ celebratory approach to food and life, it’s a terribly tempting spot for cookies, cupcakes, tea and dynamite coffee.

331 White, 307.8990 GIGI’S CUPCAKES Brace yourself - each Gigi’s location is home to a dozen different cupcake temptations in inspired flavors that rotate daily, and it’s surprisingly difficult to choose merely one. 1636 24th Ave. N.W., 801.2525 , 14101 N. May, 286.6200 GREEN GOODIES BY TIFFANY Specialty organic cupcakes for all – even those adhering to vegetarian and vegan diets or coping with food allergies or other dietary concerns can enjoy these high quality, flavorful treats. 7606 N. Western, 842.2288

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LA BAGUETTE BAKERY & CAFÉ A spacious, comfortable seating area combined with the exquisite baking mastery that is the brand’s trademark makes this a tres chic, and very popular, destination for brunch and beyond. 1130 Rambling Oaks, 329.1101, 924 W. Main, 329.5822

405.702.1700

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MCLAREN’S PANTRY For over 25 years, this independent bakery with a tempting sandwich selection has been a welcoming environment to enjoy a bite and connect with friends. 3414 S. Boulevard, 348.2336 PANERA BREAD The breads are fresh, the sandwich and salad options ample and the atmosphere welcoming, thanks in part to the tasty baked goods and free wi-fi access. 9 metro locations, panerabread.com

Live Well • Dress Well • Shop Well

2001 W. Main • Carriage Plaza Norman • 405.360.3969 • www.caymanscollection.com visit us on facebook

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PINKITZEL CUPCAKES & CANDY Sweetness reigns supreme in this local confectionary creation - gourmet cupcakes that are baked fresh daily, a substantial candy boutique and gift shop and cafe seating to enjoy it all with coffee, tea, hot chocolate and more. 1389 E. 15th, 330.4500 , 150 E.K. Gaylord, 235.7465 PRAIRIE THUNDER BAKING CO. In this house of carbs, the bread baked on-site is the star of the show: on its own to take home, repurposed into breakfast pastries and desserts or accompanying the deli sandwiches and soups in the cafe. 1114 N. Classen Dr., 602.2922

SARA SARA CUPCAKES Located in a charming little converted house, the ambiance and milk bar make great atmospheric additions to the varied menu of specialty cupcakes - selections range from traditional chocolate to blueberry honey and even bacon, egg and cheese. 7 N.W. 9th, 600.9494 SUGAR Got a special event on the radar? Customized cakes and cupcakes with incredible artistry and imagination as a key ingredient are Sugar’s specialties - call for a consultation. 6900 N. Western, 286.0058 SWEETS & SPURS Specializing in gourmet cupcakes, mini-pies, hand-dipped chocolates and cowboy boots… not pastries; actual footwear. Yeeha! 215 34th Ave. S.W., 801.2555

BAR | PUB FOOD 51ST STREET SPEAKEASY A converted house with a perpetually packed porch and patio, the joint jumps with energy and the top-shelf spirits and beers flow with abandon. 1114 N.W. 51st, 463.0470 ABNER’S ALE HOUSE Beers and whiskies of the best, plus knockout renditions of accompanying dishes, with the aim of recreating the true English public house vibe. 121 E. Main, 928.5801 BELLE ISLE RESTAURANT & BREWERY Live music, handcrafted beers and a great burger selection fill this bustling bar in the landmark 50 Penn Place.

1900 N.W. Expressway, 840.1911 BLU FINE WINE & FOOD A popular bar option among OU students and Normanites, blu stands out due to quick, courteous service and a menu with gourmet range - try the hummus. 201 S. Crawford, 360.4258 BRICKTOWN BREWERY Only here for the beer?

Not so fast - an amped-up menu of temptations demands a sampling at lunch or dinner… or both. 1 N. Oklahoma, 232.2739 BRIX RESTAURANT & SPORTS LOUNGE More than 30 flatscreens fill the enormous, plush lounge, restaurant and bar area, and the amenities include the Sunday NFL Ticket and NBA League Pass. If the game’s on, it’s on at BRiX. 27 E. Sheridan, 702.7226 COCK O’ THE WALK BAR & GRILL Dartboards and pool tables can help patrons work up quite an appetite, so it’s a good thing the wings and burgers at this appealingly de-furbished neighborhood bar have such a reputation. Dive right in! 3705 N. Western, 524.0304 DAN O’BRIEN’S PUBLIC HOUSE With a party atmosphere and rocking live shows, it’s more a group bar than a casual restaurant; though the full menu and mighty burgers should universally satisfy. 2747 W. Memorial, 752.4486 DEEP DEUCE GRILL The funky, comfortably run-down vibe of its namesake district lingers in this alternative to Bricktown crowds featuring burgers, beer and a people-watching patio. 307 N.E. 2nd, 235.9100 DUGOUT BAR & GRILL, THE Dig in to the classics of the neighborhood beer joint: burgers, fries, nachos and drink specials. 10909 N. May, 751.0700

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A Sparkling Soiree

T

By Steve Gill

hose in search of glamorous get-togethers have a new cause for celebration: St. Anthony Foundation and Byron’s Liquor Warehouse are joining forces to serve Oklahoma City a new sensation April 20 with POP!, a champagne

tasting event.

St. Anthony’s newly unveiled Rapp Foundation Conference Center provides mar-

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velous panoramic views of downtown and midtown from its spacious fourth-floor patio, making an ideal backdrop to live music from the Charles Scott Duo, a tempting spread of appetizers and champagnes and sparkling wines from more than 20 vineyards. For even more discerning palates, a special VIP pre-party fills a private lounge with gourmet fare and samplings of specialty, high-end champagnes including Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and many more.

Tell the world

YOUR STORY

Byron’s owners Byron and Patricia Gambulos are longtime retailers and commu-

nity supporters with well-established ties to St. Anthony – Patricia was born in the hospital, as were their daughters, and their son-in-law serves on the Foundation’s board of directors – making a perfect partnership for an evening of vibrant entertainment and fun with a long, sweet finish: proceeds will help the Foundation support St. Anthony’s outstanding medical programs and patient care. Tickets are limited – especially for the VIP celebration – and must be purchased in advance, so call 272.7070 or visit www.givetosaints.com to help pop the cork on a new tradition.

Sterling silver charms from $25

FOX & HOUND PUB & GRILLE Considering the pool, darts, frequent live music and perpetual celebratory vibe, it might be hard to concentrate on the varied menu… but at least try the fresh-baked pretzels. 3031 W. Memorial, 751.7243 JAMES E. MCNELLIE’S PUBLIC HOUSE Designed to bring Ireland’s pub culture to our city, this Midtown hotspot features 350 varieties of beer, including difficult-to-find options from all over the world. 1100 Classen Dr., 601.7468 MARTINI LOUNGE, THE A relaxed bar located inside Boulevard Steakhouse, its classy atmosphere and hand-crafted specialty martinis are ideal for

an office outing after work or a quiet date. 505 S. Boulevard, 715.2333 MONT, THE Though frequented by many purely for its primo patio and Sooner Swirls from the bar, the Norman landmark also boasts a tempting suite of pub food with a zing of Southwestern flavor.

1300 Classen Blvd., 329.3330

COMING SOON! 2012 PANDORA SPRING COLLECTION.

O’CONNELL’S IRISH PUB & GRILLE Beloved by students, alumni and townies alike, this OU Campus Corner landmark has been serving up burgers, beer and festive atmosphere since 1968. 769 Asp, 217.8454

Penn Square Mall 405.842.8584

See our store for details.

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FARE PURPLE BAR, THE Inviting and intimate; an ideal place for celebratory martinis to close out the workweek or a quiet nightcap with dessert from Nonna’s bakery. 1 Mickey Mantle (in Nonna’s), 235.4410 REPUBLIC GASTROPUB Dedicated to bridging the gap between beer bar and upscale eatery, this contemporary American public house in Classen Curve pairs a vast selection of quality brews with imaginative menu items designed to complement one another. 5830 N. Classen Blvd., 286.4577

SAINTS An inviting Irish bar nestled in the Plaza District, its whiskey and beer selection dovetails nicely with classic dishes like shepherd’s pie, bangers and fish and chips. 1715 N.W. 16th, 602.6308

SEAN CUMMINGS’ IRISH RESTAURANT & PUB Classic Irish fare (lamb stew, bangers and mash, even beef or salmon boxtys) mixed with American favorites and delivered with engaging and gracious service. Plus, naturally, there’s Guinness on tap.

7523 N. May, 755.2622 TAPWERKS ALE HOUSE & CAFÉ The staff will gladly serve burgers, wraps, pizzas and other entrees, but most of the crowd - and it gets crowded - is here to sample from the 212 (yes, really) beers on tap. 121 E. Sheridan, 310.9599 VZD’S RESTAURANT & CLUB Live music is a staple on weekends, but the unusually broad, tasty bar menu draws a substantial lunch crowd as well.

Try the turkey burger, the chili or both. 4200 N. Western, 524.4203

BARBECUE BEEF & BUNS - MR. CATFISH Outstanding barbecued ribs and fried catfish - even for Oklahoma - and warm, personable service make this cash-only, limitedhours spot a winner. 2741 N.E. 23rd, 427.2333 EARL’S RIB PALACE Beloved by locals in a setting far from starved for competition, the award-winning barbecue chain pounds out hit ribs, pulled pork and smoked turkey as well as a top-tier burger. 6 metro locations, earlsribpalace.com IRON STARR URBAN BARBEQUE Named for notorious outlaw Belle Starr, Iron Starr specializes in “a unique and tasty spin on comfort food.” The entrees are excellent, but the sides are equal players here as well. 3700 N. Shartel, 524.5925 LEO’S BAR-B-Q Dense, rich flavor and tender texture through and through, delivered in genuine unpolished style for commendable value - no wonder it’s a recurring favorite among OK connoisseurs.

3631 N. Kelley, 424.5367, 7 Harrison, 236.5367 RAY’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ A former OU football star, Darrol Ray now pleases crowds with supremely tender St. Louis-style ribs, brisket smoked over 12 hours, homemade sides and desserts and unforced camaraderie. 1514 W. Lindsey, 329.4040 RUDY’S COUNTRY STORE & BAR-B-Q It’s hard to get more casual than a set of picnic benches inside a gas station, where food comes on cafeteria trays with plastic utensils and paper towels... but

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as the lines attest, the brisket and other barbecue staples speak for themselves. 3450 Chautauqua, 307.0552 STEVE’S RIB A longtime Edmond favorite, its flavorful brisket, fried okra and more are the same but diners can choose their milieu: a seated restaurant in Edmond or a stand-up counter in NW OKC. 1801 W. Edmond, 340.7427 , 202 W. Hefner, 728.9555 VAN’S PIG STAND A scion of Oklahoma’s oldest family-owned and -operated barbecue restaurant (open since 1935 in Shawnee), it does well with the basics and really rocks at ribs. 320 N. Porter, 364.0600

BURGERS | SANDWICHES ABRAHAM’S WESTERN CAFÉ Follow your nose - the onion burgers coming off Abraham’s grill draw lunch crowds with effortless ease. 4716 N. Western, 528.5152 BIG ED’S HAMBURGERS Sizzling burgers cooked to order, including an OKC legend in the flesh: family-sized behemoths on 12-inch buns. 12209 N. Pennsylvania, 755.2108 BISON WITCHES BAR & DELI The monster sandwiches are loaded with standout flavors, but the best way to enjoy them is in halves, accompanied by a bread bowl of fresh hot soup and a bag of pretzels.

211 E. Main, 364.7555 BROWN BAG DELI Quick-as-a-wink sandwiches, desserts and killer chili. Limited seating; takeout recommended. 7600 N. Western, 842.1444 BUNNY’S OLD FASHIONED ONION BURGERS Small space; big taste. The namesake creations are fresh, lean beef grilled to perfection and served in “big” and “bigger” versions. 5020 N. Meridian, 949.2889, 1023 S. Meridian, 949.2949

FLATIRE BURGERS Beloved by (and generally crowded with) UCO students, this bravura burger joint excels at innovative additions to the classic patty and bun, like sauerkraut, carrots, pineapple relish and habanero salsa. 100 N. University Dr. (at UCO), 974.4638 GARAGE BURGERS & BEER, THE It gets noisy in the low-lit sports bar atmosphere, but even if your focus isn’t on a televised game, conversation would probably revolve around the huge, juicy burgers and fries – both available in several tempting flavor possibilities – anyway. 307 E. Main, 701.7035 HOME RUN SLIDERS A tasty array of sliders, from your basic “Rookie” to prime rib, is served in an atmosphere that pays tribute to the national pastime. And don’t miss the ode to the condiment: Oklahoma’s largest ketchup bar. 128 E. 5th, 513.5410 IRMA’S BURGER SHACK Hand-cut fries, handbreaded onions rings and simply great burgers. Try the No-Name Ranch burger - lean and flavorful, thanks to a unique breed of cattle raised in Wynnewood using organic techniques. 1035 N.W. 63rd, 840.4762, 1120 Classen Dr., 235.4762 JOHNNIE’S CHARCOAL BROILER Fresh-ground hamburgers cooked over real charcoal set Johnnie’s apart. Try the incredibly popular Cheese Theta or Caesar burgers, and don’t forget a side of their outstanding onion rings. 4 metro locations, johnniesok.com KAMP’S 1910 CAFÉ The Kamp family is wellknown in the Oklahoma food scene, and their 1910 Café builds on that history with first-rate breakfast and lunch, bakery items and full coffee shop on site.

10 N.E. 10th, 230.1910 LOUIE’S GRILL & BAR Casually cool and comeas-you-are, these popular neighborhood bar-type hangouts excel at inexpensive burgers, sandwiches and pizzas. 12 metro locations, louiesgrillandbar.com

CAFÉ PLAID & BAKERY Fresh sandwiches begging to be combined with a sensational selection of salads (veggie, tuna, pasta…) make it an ideal spot for lunch when you’re near OU. 333 W. Boyd, 360.2233

LOUIE’S ON THE LAKE An unbeatable view of scenic Lake Hefner from the patio adds to the ambiance of this classic eatery, which features a tasty spate of entrees under $10. 9401 Lake Hefner Pkwy., 751.2298

CHARCOAL OVEN The smoke-filled flavor of a backyard cookout without having to fire up your own grill - get ‘em while they’re hot! 2701 N.W. Expressway, 842.8911

MARKIE’S DELI Dedicated to making life much more delicious, Markie’s serves salads, sandwiches, wraps, soups and hot plates, as well as box lunches, trays and even breakfast items for local catering. 612 N. Robinson, 239.6275

CITY BITES Get in, get a full-flavored hot or cold sub on your choice of fresh bread, or soup and a baked potato, get some cookies for the road, get on with your day. The plethora of metro locations means you’re never far from a tastier day. 18 metro locations, citybites.com CLASSIC ’50S DRIVE-IN A locally owned drive-in that just gets the concept right. Burgers and shakes, fried pickles and slushes, breakfast items… the waves of students during peak hours are proof that familiarity breeds devotion. 1521 W. Lindsey, 321.2271 FIRST EDITION, THE A café inside the Downtown Library would be worth it merely for the convenience, so it’s a welcome bonus that the sandwiches, pizza and panini practically warrant a trip all on their own. 300 Park, 605.8347

ND FOODS Gigantic deli sandwiches featuring Boar’s Head meats, homemade soups in a variety of intriguing flavors and a selection of freshly baked cookies, pies and other desserts. Step right up! 2632 W. Britton, 840.9364 NIC’S GRILL It’s small, it’s crowded, it’s cash-only… and it’s incredible. The colossal burgers, easily among the metro’s best, and mounds of fresh fries make this hole-in-the-wall diner pure paradise. 1202 N. Pennsylvania, 524.0999 RED HORSE GRILL A prime lunch spot thanks to its speedy but cooked-to-order menu, the onion burgers, shakes, malts and frozen custard have devoted local followings, as does the Friday Fish Fry special. 2205 W. Main, 360.3287

EDIBLES & LIBATIONS S&B’S BURGER JOINT Good news: these burgers’ exquisite flavor combinations – including such showcase ingredients as peanut butter or a coffee crust – come in slider form as well, the better to sample more selections. 5929 N. May, 843.8777 SERVICE STATION Once a filling station, the building still has vintage décor and is home to Bentleys, Packards and dipsticks, but now they’re the names of its delicious half-pound burgers and fries. 502 S. Webster, 364.2136 SMASHBURGER Billing itself as a place with a burger soul, this savory hot spot provides 100 percent Angus beef in three sizes amid a panoply of tasty toppings and sides, plus similarly varied chicken sandwiches and salads. 2127 W. Memorial, 418.8416, 7642 W. Reno, 787.5700 SOMEPLACE ELSE DELI Simple, straightforward hot and cold sandwiches made especially superb by virtue of fresh breads, speedy service, low price tags and the option of adding on an array of exceptional baked goods. 2310 N. Western, 524.0887 SOONER DAIRY LUNCH The menu’s masthead, “Serving Norman since 1954,” should serve as a fairly strong recommendation all by itself - this modest little drive-in has been cheerfully feeding its staunch fans burgers, fries, tots and shakes for six decades and counting. 1820 W. Main, 321.8526 TEXADELPHIA Popular hang-out spots inside and out due to the numerous flatscreen TVs and patio seating. The menu draws raves for burgers and wraps, but especially the monstrous made-to-order cheesesteak sandwiches. 1150 W. Lindsey, 701.5635 , 200 S. Oklahoma, 208.4000

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TUCKER’S ONION BURGERS With one burger (and variants), one side dish (fries), one salad and beverages, the menu is easy to remember. With this level of bravura execution, the meal is hard to forget. 324 N.W. 23rd, 609.2333

COFFEEHOUSE | TEA ROOM BEANS & LEAVES Comfy and welcoming like a coffeehouse should be, the large menu of brewed temptations simply rocks. 4015 N. Pennsylvania, 604.4700 BEATNIX CAFÉ, THE While it’s certainly possible to get a sandwich, cup of hearty soup or powerhouse latte to go, doing so would mean missing out on the lovely laid-back vibe that pervades this stressless dawdling spot. 136 N.W. 13th, 604.0211 BUZZ COFFEE & CAFÉ, THE It’s in a corner suite on the ground floor of the First National Center downtown, making it an ideally quick diversion for the urban pedestrian with a need for speed, but its free wi-fi and sandwich menu reward the more leisurely as well. 120 N. Robinson, 232.1109 COFFEE SLINGERS Rocking a brisk, urban vibe thanks to its Automobile Alley location, this has become a gathering place for genuine java enthusiasts, especially during the monthly educational sampling seminars called “cuppings.” 1015 N. Broadway, 606.2763 COWGIRL COFFEE Patrons can’t linger and loiter and soak up the atmosphere - because there isn’t any; it’s a tiny to-go shack in a parking lot - but that’s

Easter is a great time to be dreaming about a fresh look for the summer season. Put a little hop in your step this Easter and get ready for summer 2012.

1900 NE 36th Street, Suite 200, OKC, OK 73111 • 405.601.3700 333 Montezuma Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501 • 505.986.1010 robert@bromleyhallhomes.com, studio@hoopesarchitects.com april 2012 | slice 117

FARE about the only downside to this sweet spot for baked goods and specialty beverages. 121 E. Waterloo, 341.5060

tute, this restaurant offers the opportunity to watch the students in action and enjoy their internationally influenced work. 2727 W. Memorial, 749.2423

CUPPIES & JOE The name’s not really a misnomer, but if it listed all their features it’d be too long. For cupcakes and coffee and pie and live music and a cozy, trendy vibe and more, park around back and take a peek. 727 N.W. 23rd, 528.2122

COACH HOUSE, THE Definitively among the metro’s most refined, elegant, upscale dining experiences, the rotating menu of seasonal cuisine highlights regional specialties prepared with classical perfection by master chef Kurt Fleischfresser.

6437 Avondale, 842.1000

ELEMENTAL COFFEE Seriously spectacular coffee roasted in-house – the passionate staffers are always eager to share knowledge about the process – augmented with locally sourced treats, including a rotating variety of crepes on weekends. 815 N. Hudson, 633.1703 MICHELANGELO’S COFFEE SHOP & WINE BAR Enjoy exceptional coffees, a well-stocked pastry case with chocolates and sweets, a surprisingly robust wine catalog and even breakfast and lunch selections. 207 E. Main, 579.3387 RED CUP Comfortably ramshackle surroundings encourage curling up for conversation over spectacular PrimaCafe coffee, baked treats, vegetarianfriendly breakfast and lunch specials and live music. Highly recommended! 3122 N. Classen Blvd., 525.3430 T, AN URBAN TEAHOUSE Proving that an establishment’s focus can be narrow and broad simultaneously, this endearing retreat doesn’t do coffee or sandwiches, but does offer over 100 varieties of tea and expert counsel to explore a world of possibilities. 7518 N. May, 418.4333 VINTAGE TIMELESS COFFEE A locally owned and lauded beverage bistro with plenty of sweet flavor combinations, treats from Brown’s Bakery and innovations like the smooffee (an espresso-powered smoothie). 900 N.W. 150th, 752.0038

CONTINENTAL BIN 73 WINE BAR Diners can fill up on filet mignon or simply top the evening off with tapas while enjoying the full bar and chic ambience. 7312 N. Western, 843.0073 BLACKBIRD A Campus Corner gastropub pairing delectably creative food - pot roast nachos! - with an expansive beer, wine and whiskey list. 575 S. University, 928.5555 BOLERO A unique experience provided by coupling delicious tapas with the perfect Spanish wine from a signature selection, in an elegant, open-air atmosphere. 200 S. Oklahoma, 602.0652 CAFÉ NOVA Lunch, dinner and late at night, the simple but innovative fare and hopping bar in this Western Avenue spot aim to please hipsters, families and white- and blue-collar joes and josephines.

4308 N. Western, 525.6682 CHEEVER’S Dress up or down for the Southwestern-influenced recipes and love of seafood that drive the contemporary comfort food found in this converted florist’s; truly one of the city’s finest destinations for dining out. 2409 N. Hudson, 525.7007 CHEFS DI DOMANI A proving ground of sorts for the chefs-in-training at Platt College’s culinary insti-

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HEFNER GRILL Hand-cut steaks and fresh seafood are served by courteous staff in conjunction with one of the best views in the city. 9201 Lake Hefner Pkwy., 748.6113

winning menu full of distinctive flavor combinations try the duck salad. 2909 Paseo, 601.1079 ROCOCO RESTAURANT & FINE WINE An “east coast-style” restaurant, built around a diverse menu of hand-crafted international dishes from Penne Bolognese to Petrale Sole, set off by carefully selected wine and exceptional service. 12252 N. May, 212.4577, 2824 N. Pennsylvania, 528.2824 SEVEN47 A Campus Corner hotspot boasting sleek, swank décor, anappealingly broad menu including a tantalizing brunch and a consistently celebratory vibe make this winning combination. 747 Asp, 701.8622

LOTTINVILLE’S WOOD GRILLE Rotisserie chicken and wood-grilled salmon are the featured players among a host of Southwestern-influenced entrees, salads and panini; the Sunday brunch is epic. 801 Signal Ridge, 341.2244

SIGNATURE GRILL Unassuming locale; magnificent culinary rewards. Chef Clay Falkner’s expertly considered menu mixes French and Italian techniques, presenting a wide spectrum of amazing flavors in a few select dishes. 1317 E. Danforth, 330.4548

MANTEL WINE BAR & BISTRO, THE Marvelous steaks, seafood and other specialties (don’t miss the lobster bisque), combined with a refined, intimate atmosphere and outstanding service, make a meal truly memorable. 201 E. Sheridan, 236.8040

TASTING ROOM, THE Located in Will Rogers Theatre, this intimate space is a culinary stage for expert chefs to dazzle small groups. 4322 N. Western, 604.3015

MELTING POT, THE If the occasion is special, here’s where to make a meal into an event. Specializing in four-course fondue dinners, this elegant restaurant rewards time investments with delectable memories. 4 E. Sheridan, 235.1000 METRO WINE BAR & BISTRO, THE A perennial favorite that feels comfortably upscale without exerting pressure to impress on its clientele, the far-reaching menu covers culinary high points from vichyssoise to crème brulée. 6418 N. Western, 840.9463 MICHAEL’S GRILL Thoroughly urbane dining in an elegant, intimate setting - the steaks, chops, seafood and pastas are excellent, and the Caesar salad prepared tableside is legendary. 2824 W. Country Club, 810.9000 MUSEUM CAFÉ, THE A setting as inspiring as the Oklahoma City Museum of Art warrants something special in terms of cuisine… et puis voila. Ethereally light or delectably robust, this European-inspired menu delights for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

415 Couch, 235.6262 NIKKELLETTE’S CAFÉ A selection of fresh salads and tasty sandwiches on homemade bread, served in a distinctive atmosphere: how many other cafes have tableside chandeliers? 2925 Lakeside Cir., 755.3560 NONNA’S EURO-AMERICAN RISTORANTE & BAR A cozily appointed, thoroughly opulent atmosphere housing distinctive cuisine, specialty drinks and live music in The Purple Bar and fresh-baked goodies to top off a grand evening. 1 Mickey Mantle, 235.4410 PARK AVENUE GRILL A one-of-a-kind dining experience inside the luxurious Skirvin Hilton, blending traditional steak and seafood cuisine with the high style of its original 1930s setting. 1 Park, 702.8444 PASEO GRILL Quiet and intimate inside, cheerful and comfortable out on the patio, with an award-

VIN DOLCE Primarily a venue for the endless, joyous pursuit of discovering the perfect glass of wine, downtown Edmond’s new hot spot also serves gourmet tapas and homemade sweets. 16 S. Broadway, 285-5333 WEST The staff is speedy, the décor sleek and modern, and the entrées – like bucatini with meatballs or roasted salmon and ratatouille – are wide-ranging but elegantly simple. 6714 N. Western, 607.4072

FRENCH LA BAGUETTE BISTRO Brothers Alain and Michel Buthion have firm roots in the city’s culinary landscape, and La Baguette combines fine dining (linger over multiple courses whenever possible) with an exceptional bakery, deli and butcher shop on site.

7408 N. May, 840.3047 WHISPERING PINES B&B A secluded getaway on the south end of Norman, this inn houses a treasure of a restaurant serving sumptuous, savory Frenchinspired cuisine in quiet comfort with first-class service. 7820 E. Highway 9, 447.0202

GERMAN INGRID’S Authentic German fare at its best, including outstanding Oklahoma-made bratwurst. Join the Saturday regulars for breakfast and try the apple French toast, and no one can resist Ingrid’s bakery counter. 3701 N. Youngs, 946.8444 OLD GERMANY RESTAURANT Justly renowned for its Bavarian delights - the schnitzels, soups and cevapcici sausages are spectacular. Reservations strongly recommended; it’s a small place and dinner’s already a lengthy process without waiting in line.

15920 S.E. 29th, Choctaw, 390.8647 ROYAL BAVARIA Excellent renditions of traditional dishes like Wienerschnitzel, Jagerbraten and a variety of sausages, plus fantastisch house-brewed beers, make the time consumed a worthy investment.

3401 S. Sooner, Moore, 799.7666

EDIBLES & LIBATIONS

HEALTHY | ECLECTIC COOLGREENS This health-conscious establishment has a menu, but customization is encouraged; every available component in their salads, wraps and frozen yogurt is naturally delicious. 4 metro locations, coolgreens.com EARTH NATURAL CAFÉ & DELI, THE Super, super fresh sandwiches, salads, soups and baked goods in one of the most vegetarian- and veganfriendly menus you’ll ever see, plus organic fair-trade coffee and tea. 750 Asp, 573.5933 MATTHEW KENNEY OKC Built with sustainability and raw cuisine preparation in mind, it’s a warm, modern setting in which to savor the unique and innovative menu crafted by the renowned raw food chef and author. 5820 N. Classen Blvd., 842.1050 GREEN & GRILLED Steak, chicken, pork, veal or tofu grilled to order and served with fresh salads and sides, resulting in a balanced, filling, extremely tasty green meal for only a little green. 8547 N. Rockwell, 563.2605 LUDIVINE The experience is never the same on successive visits, because the menu adjusts constantly to reflect availability of elite-quality, locally sourced ingredients. 805 N. Hudson, 778.6800 PINK ELEPHANT CAFÉ On Main Street but off the beaten track, the green, health-conscious labor of local love has a small menu and constantly rotating daily specials to complement its earth-friendly vibe.

301 E. Main, 307.8449

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INDIAN AJANTA CUISINE OF INDIA Find appealing possibilties at the busy lunch buffet or delve into the menu’s tandoori treasures - the hardest part is choosing. 12215 N. Pennsylvania, 752.5283 GOPURAM - TASTE OF INDIA A full-service Indian establishment whose richly appointed interior and attentive staff give the feel of fine dining, even during the inexpensive and plentiful lunch buffet. 4559 N.W. 23rd, 948.7373 KHAZANA INDIAN GRILL Don’t let the thought of a buffet throw you off this place. The food is

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FARE superior and very fresh; the staff is delightful. New to Indian food? Alert a server and you will be guided through the cuisine. 4900 N. May, 948.6606 MISAL OF INDIA BISTRO A Norman institution for over 30 years, specializing in tandoori-cooked delicacies and boasting healthy, natural, delicious cuisine, served amid splendid ambiance. 580 Ed Noble Pkwy., 579.5600 TAJ CUISINE OF INDIA A tremendous selection of Indian staples and delicacies - the menu has sections for vegetarian, tandoori, South Indian and Indo-Chinese specialties - plus full lunch and dinner buffets. 1500 N.W. 23rd, 601.1888

ITALIAN | PIZZA

thing you’d hope for from a romantic, comfortably shabby Italian café. The adjoining bar regularly hosts live local music. 434 Buchanan, 701.4900

OTHELLO’S OF EDMOND A sister restaurant to the original Othello’s in Norman, it offers a similarly welcoming atmosphere and menu, with its own spin courtesy of a historic location and customers’ culinary contributions. 1 S. Broadway, 330.9045 PAPA DIO’S Three generations of the Bonadio family offer an ample menu of new and classic dishes - Tuscan fusion, anyone? - in separate dining rooms for casual or more refined dining. 10712 N. May, 755.2255

BELLINI’S RISTORANTE & GRILL Tasteful in décor and Italian offerings alike, this romantic nightspot quietly, confidently exudes elegance.

6305 Waterford Blvd., 348.8033

SERGIO’S ITALIAN BISTRO Traditional, fresh Italian food - the pasta chips and Shrimp Fra Diavolo come recommended - in a comfy little hideaway with a cheerful, welcoming atmosphere.

104 E. Gray, 573.7707

BENVENUTI’S Subtly flavored minestrone to rich, hearty ragouts, the splendid menu keeps the booths full and diners planning return trips; don’t overlook the Sunday brunch. 105 W. Main, 310.5271

SOPHABELLA’S CHICAGO GRILL A quiet, classy gem offering premier tastes from Chicago and beyond - the menu includes Coquilles St. Jacques alongside pepperoni rolls - in comfort and style. 7628 N. May, 879.0100

CAFFE PRANZO The atmosphere raises firsttime diners’ hopes; the execution exceeds them.

Classic dishes, as well as less ubiquitous options that should be better known, are elevated to greatness. 9622 N. May, 755.3577 FALCONE’S More than a pizza place, although the “by the slice” is terrific, it encourages experimentation via a deli counter of imported Italian meats, cheeses and delicacies. 208 Johnny Bench, 702.1500, 6705 N. May, 242.2222 FLIP’S WINE BAR & TRATTORIA Managing to feel rustic despite its location in a busy corridor of OKC, this cozy Italian joint keeps extended hours, and tends to get busier and louder as the hour gets later. 5801 N. Western, 843.1527 HIDEAWAY PIZZA If you’ve been serving pizza to a devoted following for over half a century, then you must be doing something right. In this case, that something right is incredible pizza in jovial surroundings. 7 metro locations, hideawaypizza.com HUMBLE PIE PIZZERIA There’s really no need to be humble about pizza made the way a true Chicago pizzeria would make it. Take your choice of toppings and relish what is quite possibly the best crust known to man. 1319 S. Broadway, 715.1818 JOEY’S PIZZERIA A creative pizzeria on OKC’s Film Row, Joey’s serves first-rate appetizers and salads along with its mouth-watering pies. Can’t get enough? Have your pizza, then have another for dessert; The Surfer Dude can pinch hit as entrée or dessert. 700 W. Sheridan, 525.8503 NOMAD II A classic old-school Italian restaurant (the pizza is especially popular) that also serves excellent steaks and fried chicken, and offers a slice of OKC history through its décor. 7301 N. May, 843.4557 OTHELLO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT Garlic bread and mussels to tiramisu and coffee - every-

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SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE, THE A family destination since 1989 and one of the initial harbingers of the Bricktown renaissance, it delivers immense servings of piping hot pasta and 15-layer lasagna with cheerful enthusiasm. 101 E. Sheridan, 235.0402 STELLA MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE A luscious spate of modern Italian cuisine for a casual lunch, romantic dinner or brunch that’s a bit of both, framed by stylish surroundings. 1201 N. Walker, 235.2200 TRATTORIA IL CENTRO Offering contemporary Italian with an urban twist in The Montgomery, the chef-driven leadership shows in the food’s flavor, creativity and artistry. The Pappardelle Bolognese is tremendous. 500 W. Main, 601.5858

UPPER CRUST WOOD FIRED PIZZA A chic, contemporary restaurant in Classen Curve, this uptown pizzeria and wine bar specializes in woodfired, thin crust New York style pies complemented by a full menu and wine list. 5860 N. Classen Blvd., 842.7743 VICTORIA’S PASTA SHOP A shabby-comfortable atmosphere with local art on its walls and the art of pasta on its plates – the chicken lasagna and linguine with snow crab are especially excellent.

327 White, 329.0377 VITO’S RISTORANTE Homestyle Italian cuisine in an intimate setting where the staff and management treat customers like guests in their home.

It’s a small space, so calling ahead is recommended. 7521 N. May, 848.4867 WEDGE, THE Wood-fired pizzas crafted from fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces; there’s a build-your-own option if the house specialties’ unconventional toppings (figs, truffle oil, walnuts) don’t appeal. 230 N.E. 1st, 270.0660, 4709 N. Western, 602.3477

JAPANESE | SUSHI FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT Traditional Nipponese staples like sukiyaki and pork tonkatsu plus a good range of sushi from simple single-ingredient showcases to wildly complex concoctions. 2805 S. Broadway, 348.7688 FULL MOON SUSHI Mango salsa, chive oil, crème fraiche, “cherry death sauce”… you won’t find fresh, marvelously creative combinations like these elsewhere. Expect to spend some time poring over the extensive menu, and definitely try the Devil’s Advocate. 326 E. Main, 535.6548 IN THE RAW DUNWELL SUSHI A chic, colorful, open-concept restaurant on the Bricktown canal offering excellent sushi, even more impressive specialty rolls and a wide assortment of sake. Try the bananas tempura for dessert. 200 S. Oklahoma, 702.1325 MUSASHI’S Exquisitely flavorful Japanese cuisine prepared with genuine artistry, thanks to the skilled chefs performing at tableside hibachi grills. Nobody does the onion volcano better. 4315 N. Western, 602.5623 PACHINKO PARLOR A uniquely Oklahoman spin on Eastern cuisine, featuring sushi rolls made with ingredients like fried chicken or chorizo sausage alongside more classic preparations of noodle and rice dishes. 1 N.W. 9th, 601.8900 SHIKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT A boisterous, high-energy meal off the hibachi menu, or a quieter repast of reliably fresh, high-quality sushi - either way, diners win. 14041 N. May, 751.8989, 4406 W. Reno, 947.0400 SUSHI BAR, THE Sushi staples done with élan, as well as options starring more adventurous ingredients like sweet potato and jack cheese, in a bustling, comfortable environment. 1201 N.W. 178th, 285.7317 SUSHI NEKO An established OKC favorite combining style (sleek, brisk, classy) with substance (in the form of an especially wide-ranging and creative sushi menu). Flavor favors the bold! 4318 N. Western, 528.8862 TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT It’s neither huge nor lavishly appointed, and the menu focuses more on traditional dishes than experimental flights of fancy; it is, however, palpably fresh and routinely cited as among the metro’s best. 7516 N. Western, 848.6733

MEDITERRANEAN AVANTI BAR & GRILL Gather around the hammered copper bar for the casual elegance of Italy and the Mediterranean with contemporary twists: crab falafel, bolognese pizza, osso bucco and more.

13509 Highland Park, 254.5200 COUS COUS CAFÉ Massive flavor comes packed into this small space; an impressive balancing act among the payload of spices elevates the kabobs, shawarmas, tagines and other Moroccan hits. 6165 N. May, 286.1533 LET’S DO GREEK A versatile menu of Mediterranean standards, with many flavors available in

EDIBLES & LIBATIONS

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salads, pitas or arepas, distinguishes this family endeavor – and the curry chicken stew is exceptional.

180 W. 15th, 285.8898 MEDITERRANEAN IMPORTS & DELI Selected groceries and a menu stocked with options from a simple Greek salad to eye-watering cabbage rolls; the food is authentic, quick and spectacular. 5620 N. May, 810.9494 NUNU’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ & MARKET The tangy, tantalizing, fresh and healthy flavors that characterize the cuisine of Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and their neighbors, faithfully reproduced from generations-old recipes. 3131 W. Memorial, 751.7000 QUEEN OF SHEBA Practically the definition of a hidden treasure, an excellently spiced, extremely vegan-friendly menu of varied Ethiopian delights awaits the adventurous. Bring friends and be prepared to linger. 2308 N. MacArthur, 606.8616

ZORBA’S MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE For over 20 years, Zorba’s has satisfied appetites and pleased adventurous palates. Serving traditional and modern dishes from recipes passed down through generations, they proudly showcase the flavors of Cyprus, Spain, Greece and Morocco. 6014 N. May, 947.7788

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ABEL’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tex-Mex necessities like enchiladas and tacos are plentiful, while authentic flavor really shines in steak and pork specialties. Bonus points for the Huervos Chorizo. 5822 N.W. 50th, 491.0911, 6901 S. May, 686.7160 ABUELO’S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY In a word: huge. The restaurant itself, the variety, the plates, the flavors, the experience. No passport required. 17 E. Sheridan, 235.1422, 3001 W. Memorial, 755.2680

ALVARADO’S MEXICAN Options abound - from creamy, dreamy chicken tortilla soup to sopapillas with brandy butter sauce made to order - for a Mexican feast leaving customers full and fully satisfied.

1000 E. 2nd, 359.8860 BIG TRUCK TACOS It’s nearly always standing room only at lunch, but don’t let that stop you shove an elbow in at the counter and enjoy fast, fresh, imaginative taco creations. 530 N.W. 23rd, 525.8226 CAFÉ ANTIGUA Breakfast and lunch are both served until close, making it twice as hard for the midday diner to choose from the double lineup of intriguing Guatemalan specialties. 1903 N. Classen, 602.8984 CAFÉ DO BRASIL OKC is a long way from Rio, but the supremely savory menu in this Midtown hot spot covers the distance in a mouthful. Even brunch is a spicy, inimitable treat. 440 N.W. 11th, 525.9779

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FARE CANTINA LAREDO A sophisticated take on traditional Mexican food, specializing in fresh fish specials and certified Angus beef dishes. 1901 N.W. Expressway (in Penn Square Mall), 840.1051 CARNITAS MICHOACAN On beyond Tex-Mex! This walk-up taqueria-style destination serves specialties from its namesake southern Mexican state, including asada, pollo, cabeza and even lengua dishes. 306 W. Edmond, 341.0356 CASA DE LOS MILAGROS MEXICAN RESTAURANT If you’re searching for quality Mexican food that’s accompanied by an appealing aesthetic, look no further than Milagros: their casa es su casa. 5111 N. Classen Blvd., 286.9809 CASA PERICO MEXICAN GRILLE If success involves doing what you love, and doing it well, the family behind these well-loved and enduring Tex-Mex depots are clearly doing nearly everything right. 12219 N. Pennsylvania, 755.1506, 4521 N.W. 63rd, 721.3650 CHELINO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT How do you find some of the metro’s fastest, most frequented Tex-Mex? Look around – there’s probably a Chelino’s nearby. An Oklahoma flavor empire spanning from Norman to Edmond, its substantial menu includes a bevy of lunch specials. 11 metro locations, chelinosmexicanrestaurant.com CHICAS MEXICAN CAFÉ Colorful, casual, cute and conveniently located in Nichols Hills Plaza, this creative little cocina presents a few intriguing ideas for distinctive Mexican cuisine. 6482 Avondale, 607.8193 DIEGO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT The proprietors’ personal investment (there’s a family tree on the menu) and pride in their Central Mexican culinary heritage fuel the marinades and specialty dishes in this charming little café. 1501 N.W. 23rd, 525.1700 EL POLLO CHULO Chicken, steak and seafood options marinated in limes Spanish-style and grilled for healthy flavor make for a lean, inexpensive, savory meal. 5805 N.W. 50th, 792.2300 IGUANA MEXICAN GRILL This self-described “little taco stand down by the railroad tracks” offers unique Mexican flavor in a fun atmosphere at reasonable prices. Iguana Tuesdays ($1 tacos from 4pm to close) are a can’t-miss. 9 N.W. 9th, 606.7172 JUAN DEL FUEGO Blueberry pancakes to beef quesadillas, this “Mexi Diner” in Redbud Plaza dishes up breakfast and lunch standards from both sides of the border for a devoted, and expanding, clientele.

223 34th Avenue S.W., 310.2030 LA CUEVA GRILL Homestyle Mexican just north of downtown OKC, the menu is an appealing mix of old and new dishes, and the breakfast burrito with egg and chorizo is not to be missed. 409 N. Walker, 604.0523 LA LUNA MEXICAN CAFÉ Its cantina-style atmosphere is undeniably festive, and only adds to the enjoyment of classic fajitas, enchiladas and bolder dishes like the carne ranchera. 409 W. Reno, 235.9596 MAMA ROJA MEXICAN KITCHEN A festive atmosphere on the scenic shores of Lake Hefner sets off a

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menu loaded with hand-rolled tamales, vendor-style tacos and signature dishes. 9219 E. Lake Hefner Pkwy., 302.6262 MAMASITA’S A popular watering hole due to its spacious patio and prime location on the south side of Nichols Hills Plaza, it also offers a full menu - try the tortilla soup! 1121 N.W. 63rd, 848.0541

home in this Spring Creek Village stopover. 1389 E. 15th, 348.2300 JAZMO’S BOURBON STREET CAFÉ Its upscale yet casual environment and Cajun and Creoleinspired selections provide a nice backdrop for both a night out in Bricktown and watching the big game at the bar with a bowl of gumbo. 100 E. California, 232.6666

MAMAVECA MEXICAN RESTAURANT A tasty take on familiar Mexican favorites plus a rare treat for culinary explorers: the diverse delights of Peruvian cuisine, which incorporates the combined flavors of four continents. 2551 W. Hemphill, 573.4003

PEARL’S CRABTOWN A 20,000-foot Bricktown warehouse is home to Crabtown, where the Cajun Crab Boil is a favorite and guests are encouraged to “leave the silverware at home and dig in.” 303 E. Sheridan, 232.7227

MARGARITA’S RESTAURANTE MEXICANO The menu offers comfortably familiar favorites, and the real draw is the exceptional execution: always fresh, never greasy, reliably delicious. 7800 N. May, 848.8394

PEARL’S FISH HOUSE The fun, fresh taste of Pearl’s seafood and Cajun specialties just got faster - a streamlined menu and speedy ordering system make it ideal for a brief lunch or dinner on the go.

1920 S. Meridian, 688.9888

PEPE DELGADO’S Fast service, consistent quality and proximity to campus make Pepe’s a packed house during the lunch rush, as students and faculty keep coming back for more Mexican classics. 752 Asp, 321.6232

PEARL’S OYSTER BAR A perennial winner in “best of the metro” polls for its fresh, flavorful seafood and spicy Creole-inspired dishes: Shrimp Diablo, Tabasco Caesar salads and more. 5641 N. Classen, 848.8008

PURPLE BURRO Casual and lighthearted (if you couldn’t guess from the name), it specializes in New Mexican cuisine fueled by the heat of green chiles in classics like chicken enchiladas and chile verde stew.

231 S. Coltrane, 359.8400

SHACK SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR, THE A massive selection of nicely spiced Cajun and Creole cooking, plus fried and grilled seafood, in an atmosphere that’s as causal as can be. 303 N.W. 62nd, 608.4333

TARAHUMARA’S CAFÉ & CANTINA Beloved by locals (there’s usually a line but it moves quickly), this airy, unassuming ristorante serves huge, tasty portions of Tex-Mex classics plus less ubiquitous fare like carnitas de puerco and mole poblano. 702 N. Porter, 360.8070

STEAK & CATFISH BARN Rustic in the extreme inside and out, but it’s hard to argue with the ample portions of deliciously breaded and fried catfish - especially since they can be augmented by an all-you-can-eat option. Juicy steaks too. 5175 E. Waterloo, 341.7300

TED’S CAFÉ ESCONDIDO The gold standard of OKC-area Tex-Mex: residents may prefer another eatery, but when they attempt to make converts, Ted’s is the point of comparison. Fast, fresh and amply portioned, it’s often very crowded and always supremely delicious. 4 metro locations, tedscafe.com TRE’S TAQUERIA Y CANTINA A trio of cuisines – Spanish, New Mexican and South American – provide distinctive flavors for diners in selections ranging from daily tapas specials to hallacas (Venezuelan tamales), finished with exquisite tres leches cake.

305 E. Main, 701.8282 ZARATE’S LATIN MEXICAN GRILL And now for something a trifle different: In addition to the familiar joys of enchiladas and chimichangas, the chef’s Peruvian heritage shines in South American dishes featuring plantains, yucca and imported spices. 706 S. Broadway, 330.6400

SEAFOOD BIG TUNA FISH JOINT, THE Large, fast and fresh, with a casual vibe, counter service and a menu filled with hand-battered seafood flown in daily and a varied drink selection – a prime port of call in Brookhaven Village. 3720 W Robinson, 928.5250 FISH CITY GRILL Shrimp and grits, tilapia po’ boys, oysters on the half shell… anyone who secretly wishes Oklahoma had a coastline should feel right at

SOUL FOOD MAMA E’S WINGS & WAFFLES Now with two locations after a star turn on The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” this labor of love is adored by locals looking for classic Southern dishes flavored with authenticity. 3838 Springlake, 424.0800, 900 W. Reno, 231.1190

STEAKHOUSE BOULEVARD STEAKHOUSE Perfectly soigne ambiance down to the least detail and cuisine easily ranking among the metro’s elite - a sumptuous, if expensive, masterpiece. 505 S. Boulevard, 715.2333 CATTLEMEN’S STEAKHOUSE The very definition of an Oklahoma institution - it’s over 100 years old, just a few years younger than the state itself.

Its immense corn-fed steaks and irreproducible atmosphere are history served anew every day. 1309 S. Agnew, 236.0416 CIMARRON STEAK HOUSE Historians beware: there’s a good deal of campy ol’-timeyness in the restaurant’s design and décor… but if you’re after an inexpensive mesquite-grilled steak and a bit of Old West sideshow spirit, get in line. 210 N. Meridian, 948.7778 HAUNTED HOUSE, THE A quaint estate renowned for its spooky past (its name is no accident, folks)

EDIBLES & LIBATIONS and being a tad difficult for newcomers to find, The Haunted House is legendary for its steak, lobster and quirky charm. 7101 Miramar, 478.1417 JAMIL’S STEAKHOUSE Saving room for your steak, lobster or prime rib is difficult when your gratis appetizers arrive in the form of a Lebanese bounty, but make the effort. Jamil’s has been feeding Oklahoma exceptionally well since 1964. 4910 N. Lincoln, 525.8352 JUNIOR’S Some of the biggest oil deals in boom and bust days were finalized at this landmark Oil Center building restaurant, where hand-cut Angus steaks and lobster fight for attention with knockout fried chicken. 2601 N.W. Expressway, 848.5597 MAHOGANY PRIME STEAKHOUSE The service is outstanding and the ambience casually welcoming, but the star is the steak: the finest hand-selected custom-aged beef, broiled to perfection and served sizzling and delicious. It’s where great steak is the rule, not the exception. 3241 W. Memorial, 748.5959 MICKEY MANTLE’S STEAKHOUSE Named after a legendary Oklahoman, this lushly atmospheric social spot in Bricktown serves powerhouse entrées, sides and amenities that have become the stuff of legends themselves. 7 S. Mickey Mantle, 272.0777 OPUS PRIME STEAKHOUSE Aspiring to the ultimate in upscale dining via hand-cut USDA Prime Black Angus steaks, a wine selection comprising over 1,000 labels and an ambiance of intimate elegance. 800 W. Memorial, 607.6787 RANCH STEAKHOUSE Driven by custom-aged hand-cut USDA Certified Prime tenderloins and ribeyes, the effortlessly opulent Ranch offers exceptional food, warm hospitality and unbridled Southern comfort. 3000 W. Britton, 755.3501 RED PRIMESTEAK Visionary design and atmosphere house super-premium steaks that are among the state’s very finest, accompanied by vibrant, imaginative flavors and refined amenities to make world-class dining. 504 N. Broadway, 232.2626

THAI PAD THAI Dine in comfortably or quickly carry out beautifully executed exemplars of the form: delicately flavored or searingly spiced soups, curries, fried rice and noodle dishes like its namesake. 119 W. Boyd, 360.5551 SALA THAI Pineapple curry, basil squid, fried rice with crab, cinnamon beef with rice noodles... the variety is exceptional, and the inexpensive createyour-own lunch special makes it a popular midday option. 1614 N.W. 23rd, 528.8424 SWEET BASIL THAI CUISINE The enormous aquarium adds to Sweet Basil’s cozy ambiance, which when coupled with its outstanding curries and soups recommends it as a date spot. Be aware that it is on the higher end of Norman’s price range for Thai. 211 W. Main, 217.8424 TANA THAI BISTRO There’s a lot to like about the food in this little spot, from the red snapper filet to the plain old (so to speak) pad thai. Pay special

attention to the soups, and do not play chicken with the spice level. 10700 N. May, 749.5590 THAI KITCHEN CAFÉ Downtown OKC is peppered with cafés catering to the lunch rush, but evening hours, a packed lunch buffet and quality cuisine make this easily overlooked café stand out. 327 Dean A. McGee, 236.0229 THAI KUMKOON What it lacks in seating capacity and lavish décor, it more than makes up for in flavor, buffet convenience and budget consciousness for patrons - plus, the Evil Jungle Chicken is an absolute must. 1347 W. Lindsey, 329.9790

VIETNAMESE CORIANDER CAFÉ Updating traditional Vietnamese recipes with modern sensibilites via local ingredients, this vegetarian-friendly café makes a quick, casual, comfortable dining alternative. 323 White, 801.3958

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LIDO Spring rolls to vermicelli bowls, this venerable diner runs the gamut of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, and even finds room for a few French specialties. 2518 N. Military, 521.1902

MR. PHO It abuts the riotous variety of Super Cao Nguyen market, so it’s not surprising that Mr. Pho is exceptionally fresh and its menu is farreaching: from pork vermicelli to whole Cornish hens. 1133 N.W. 25th , 525.7692 PHO BULOUS Super fresh, super fast, reasonably priced and perhaps Edmond’s finest take on the namesake soup… although some of the specialties like Honey Ginger Chicken or Wasabi Salmon also merit closer inspection. 3409 S. Broadway, 475.5599

www.MonteCristoIronWorks.com

PHO CA DAO Vermicelli bowls, rice platters and even banh xeo crepes are there for investigating, but the main draw is still piping hot pho (with choice of meat) and icy cold bubble tea. 2431 N. Classen Blvd., 521.8819 PHO SAIGON Can’t decide between Vietnamese and Thai? The spicy noodle broth in this casual restaurant’s name is a standout, but the proprietors have happily added some of their native Thai cuisine to the menu as well. 2800 N. Classen Blvd., 525.1110 SAIGON BAGUETTE Fast and flavorful - and unbelievably cheap - this cash-only counter in the Milk Bottle Building just north of 23 rd packs a distinctive Vietnamese punch into fresh sandwiches and knockout egg rolls. 2426 N. Classen, 524.2660

SPREAD THE WORD Have an addition that you’d like us to consider for Edibles & Libations? Send establishment name, address, phone number and a brief description (40 words or less) to dining@sliceok.com. Submissions must be received two months prior to publication.

L-R (bottom row): Dr. Kelly McDonough, Dr. Debra Mitchell (top row): Dr. Lori Fredrick, Dr. Ashley Magness, Dr. Tina Dickerson

We are women serving women.

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april 2012 | slice 123

FINDING HOME W

By David A. Lawrence

hen you talk to either of them, you never know they’re the kind of ladies who work 60 hours per week. They’re so relaxed and comfortable, you feel like you’re just sitting down with a couple of great friends. Beyond that, troubles seem to dissipate behind the calm, confident smiles of two ladies who somehow have solutions en route. It’s as though they’ve waved a magic wand and whisked away the cares and concerns of the world.

It’s no magic trick, but it is something of a fairy tale to nearly all of us. Alice and Sormeh have been blessed with something for which most people yearn all their lives — they sincerely love what they do. Sure, residential real estate may not seem so exciting to some of us, but for Alice and Sormeh, it is an industry that presents a veritable playground in which they can exercise their passions.

Alice Dahlgren has ever been an aficionado of architecture and luxury, travelling the world to soak in the best of both. Sormeh Slater (pronounced sor-MAY) is a devotee of high-concept interior design, with years of extravagant education and experience in her wake. Between them, they have over 35 years of practical expertise, and residential real estate is the perfect outlet for their artistic energy.

“Energy,” however, is a bit of an understatement, because the best part is this: those apprehensions and hurdles that fade away when you’re in their presence don’t resurface when you walk out the door. On the contrary, they’re truly alleviated or solved by time spent behind the scenes in joyful preparation. Joyful, because Alice and Sormeh glean their foremost delight in clearing the path to their clients’ success. As Sormeh puts it, “The whole process is really exciting.”

As a matter of fact, for as long as they’ve been partners, Alice and Sormeh’s modus operandi has been client service first, and sales second. Sure, they have ranked in the top-ten among RE/MAX teams since they began working together — including 1st in Oklahoma City and Edmond this past year — but they are hardly aware of awards and accolades. So hardly aware, actually, that they skipped out on this year’s award ceremony to spend quality time welcoming out-of-state clients to their new Oklahoma homes.

No, Alice and Sormeh would rather focus on those things that stress-proof buying or selling homes for their clients; e.g. the launch of their new website, HOMEoklahoma.com, a site brimming with user-friendly features (including an online chat module that puts you in direct contact with one or both of them). Alice says it best, “We work extremely hard to make sure that everything is handled ahead of time . . . we are here to take care of you.”

Even their updated logo — crossed, monogrammed keys — speaks to this goal of fulfilling clients’ dreams. I guess you’d say, when it comes right down to it, Alice and Sormeh are happiest finding home . . . with people like you.

Above: Jon and Linda Sikes (l.) review real estate contract details with Sormeh Slater as Alice Dahlgren (r.) looks on.

Alice Dahlgren and Sormeh Slater may be reached at their RE/MAX First office 405.843.8448 or through their website www.HOMEoklahoma.com.

David A. Lawrence is an Oklahoma-based freelance writer, actor, director and scenic designer.

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HOMEoklahoma

OUT & ABOUT

ON THE TOWN

WINTER BALL

Photos by Michael Miller

1

2 Guests revel amid elegance, and the Allied Arts Foundation benefits, as the venerable, glamorous Winter Ball returns to the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club

3

4

1 Susan Parker, Drew Neville, John and Seyan Hefner 2 Jim Vallion, Sherri Kite 3 Bruce and Bebe MacKellar, Kathy Walker 4 David Tarpenning, Peggy Gandy 5 Joanne Wilson, Walter Wilcox 6 Jerry and Cindy Hunter 7 David and Bev Carter, Susan and Mike McPherson 8 Jim and Jane White

More photos, gifts, reprints... all at www.sliceok.com

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6

7

8 april 2012 | slice 125

OUT & ABOUT

ON THE TOWN

BOOTS & BALL GOWNS

Photos by Claude Long

1

2 The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum remains the ideal atmosphere for Infant Crisis Services’ western-themed fundraising hoedown – featuring special guest Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman

3

4

5 1 Ree Drummond, Miki Farris 2 Gary and DiAnne Bryant 3 Fran and Berry Pitts 4 Mary Lippert, Susan Cohlmia 5 Tom Stapleton, Gaye and Steve Sherman 6 Donna Nigh, Dr. Mary Casey Kelly 7 Polly Fleet, Susan Love

126 slice | april 2012

6

7 More photos, gifts, reprints... all at www.sliceok.com

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SEEING IS BELIEVING!

For over 21 years, Second Chance Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization operating solely on donations from kind and loving people, has been working to help homeless dogs and cats find their way to a safe, permanent and loving home. We are a no-kill facility, so each pet we bring to our sanctuary will remain there until they are either adopted, or fostered by one of our many foster families.

Please keep us in mind when you are in search of a new pet!

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april 2012 | slice 127

OUT & ABOUT

CANTERBURY COACH HOUSE

Photos by Claude Long

Ruth Meyers and The Coach House make beautiful music together as host venues for a dazzling, delicious Canterbury Choral Society fundraiser

1

2 1 Dr. Joe Phillips, Cindi Shelby, John and Julie Higginbotham 2 Randi von Ellefson, Robert Mills, Newt Brown 3 Len Cason, Mark Funke 4 Joe McClendon, Jane and Gerald Gamble

3

4

5

SPEAKEASY

5 John Salmeron, Mary Nichols, Lois Salmeron

Photos by Michael Miller In May it will open to tourists as The Jazz Age Manor‌ but tonight the soon-to-be Symphony Show House positively swings in a preview party and chef auction

1

2

1 Linda Mitchell, Rachel Shingleton, Janette Johnson 2 Ron and Sharon Hightower 3 Katie Kucharski, Polly Worthington, Rhonda White 4 Carla Bryant, Margaret West, Margaret Blackerby, Janis Tietgens

3 128 slice | april 2012

4 More photos, gifts, reprints... all at www.sliceok.com

ON THE TOWN

OMELETTE PARTY

Photos by Justin Avera

1 Delicious breakfast concoctions reign supreme at the OKC Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser, christened “Eggs Royale” in honor of current exhibit “Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces”

3

2 1 Bose Akadiri, Jason Snyder 2 Ron and Alyce Page

3 Scott Senner, Deborah McAuliffe Senner 4 Vicki VanStavern, Don Narcomey 5 Kelsey and Barney Karper 6 Eric and Stacey Stiglets, d.g. smalling

5

4

6 april 2012 | slice 129

OUT & ABOUT

OSHBA BANQUET

3

2

1 Curtis McCarty, Builder of the Year Michael Herndon

The Oklahoma State Home Builders Associa-

2 Kris and Todd Booze

tion welcomes new officers and toasts its suc-

3 Tony Foust, Carlene Foust, Curtis McCarty

cesses during its annual banquet at Tulsa’s South-

4 Jeff and Deziray Click

ern Hills Country Club

4

1

CHAMPIONS OF YOUTH

Photos by Michael Miller

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County proudly honor Nancy Payne Ellis and Dell, Inc. for helping children to open doorways to the future

1

2 1 Linda Mares, Michele Glaze, Jane Sutter 2 Kelli Haywood, Rejeana Allgood 3 Shawn and Rebecca Null, Eden and Monte Turrentine 4 Sharon Bozalis, Mary Ann and Don Haskins

3 130 slice | april 2012

4 More photos, gifts, reprints... all at www.sliceok.com

ON THE TOWN

ROUNDUP SHINDIG

Photos by Claude Long

Visiting Riverwind Casino pays off for ill or injured Oklahoma kids as caring members of the horse industry host a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital Foundation

1

2

3

1 Cookie and Dave Reynolds 2 Tiffany Cooper, Nick Meabon 3 Jim and Angie Bailey 4 Butch and Nancy Wise, Bud Breeding, Frank Merrill

4

5 Sandy Steinberg, Vicki Tebow, Betty Wells

5

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Photos by Claude Long

The sweetest of treats, gourmet coffee and champagne, smooth jazz, tantalizing auctions… it’s an evening so entertaining it’s practically sinful

1

2

3 1 Kim Reed, Deanna Cardenas, Dee Dee DeVore 2 Renee and J.R. McCravy 3 Adrienne Nobles, Leslie Buford, Charlotte Rosko 4 Micheline Carrier, Bill Frosch, Jacqueline Fox

4 More photos, gifts, reprints... all at www.sliceok.com

5

5 Lolli Shotts, Elaine Wade april 2012 | slice 131

OUT & ABOUT

ON THE TOWN

LIGHT FOOT STRONG HEART

Photos by Claude Long

The Red Earth Museum teems with spirit and verve as photographer John Jernigan debuts an exhibit of photographs taken during the Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival

1

2 1 Carole Guilloux, Katie Robertson 2 G. Calvin Sharpe, James Lambertus 3 Samantha Foley, Alec Plourde 4 John Jernigan, Delores Goodeagle

3

4

5

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

5 Michele Huff, Kathy Sells

Photos by Claude Long

A new and bigger venue plus a flavor that never gets old add up to a recipe for continued success in the Firehouse Art Center’s 30 th annual celebration of sweetness

1

2

1 Jacque Methvin, Larry Plummer 2 Beth Basinger, Ashley Kramer 3 Joe Hicks, Sara Hicks 4 Chuck Thompson, Joe Sparks 5 Mackenzie Bolino, Ana Bolino, Lindsay Bolino

3 132 slice | april 2012

4

5 More photos, gifts, reprints... all at www.sliceok.com

RESOURCES

WHERE TO FIND IT

We need your help!

SPRITZ | Guilty Pleasures, page 16 Terms and conditions: Employees of Open Sky Media and their families are ineligible, including staff, freelance contributors and contracted service providers. Families of the 12 subjects in the article are also ineligible to particpate. Winner will be selected based on 12 correct answers and determined by the earliest date and time stamp on Slice Magazine’s Facebook page. Winner will receive $100 in Stella – Modern Italian Cuisine gift certificates. Certificates have no cash value and may not be exchanged for cash.

DETAILS | Artspiration, page 18 “Chair One” from BD Home at Classen Curve in Oklahoma City, 602.0578, facebook. com/bdhome | Naifeh original “bullet” ring from Naifeh Fine Jewelry at Casady Square in Oklahoma City, 607.4323, naifehfine jewelry.com | Giraffe Bullet Bowl from Luxe Objects in Nichols Hills Plaza, 608.0333, luxeobjects.com | “Savannah” ottoman from Port Interiors in Edmond, 340.0207, port-interiors.com | Mona Lisa clock, Vitra Design trays and Pomegranate art puzzle from OKCMOA Museum Store in Oklahoma City, 236.3100, okcmoa.com | Dove pendant from Mitchell’s Jewelry in Norman, 360.2515, mitchells-jewelry.com | Erin Fetherston butterfly print dress from Liberté at Classen Curve in Oklahoma City, givemeliberte.com | Acrylic vase from Prism Place at Dale Rogers Training Center in Oklahoma City, 946.1079, prismplace.org | St. John cocktail ring from Koslow’s at North Penn Plaza in Oklahoma City, 842.8400, koslowsokc.com | China blue orchid from Calvert’s Plant Interiors in Oklahoma City, 848.6642, calverts.com

COME SEE US AT PETSMART ON SUNDAYS

Animal Rescue Friends of Nichols Hills helps pets impounded in Nichols Hills find their owners or a new home.

Your support will help ARF continue its work in saving strays.

Donations may be mailed to

Call 843.4222 or 843.3038

ARF c/o Public Works 1009 NW 75th Nichols Hills, OK 73116

SPACES | Setting the Table, page 60 Sara Gae Waters says, “I helped my dear friend Mischelle make gallons of this for a wedding brunch back in 1990 in Washington D.C., the summer I met my husband, so it holds a special place in my heart.” Slice staffers can attest – delicious!

Russian Cream Dessert 1 envelope gelatin 3/4 c sugar 1 1/2 c water 1 pint sour cream 1 t vanilla 4 oz Cool Whip Berries or berry puree topping Combine first three ingredients in a saucepan and stir until dissolved over low heat. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Refrigerate overnight, until pudding forms. Then stir in Cool Whip and chill two hours. Top with fresh berries or berry puree and serve.

GLIMPSE | Oklahoma Visionaries, page 88 For more information about the artists, we recommend these websites: mjalexander.com okartguild.com/gallery/bert-seabourn muralsbypalmer.com web.mac.com/phelpssculpture arts.ok.gov/Oklahoma_Teaching_Artists/Anita_Fields.html jerodtate.com edgarcruz.com reddirtrangers.com danceunlimitedpac.com oklahomaimages.com (browse by photographer) ovac-ok.org (search by artist name)

Experience true peace and quiet with gated privacy surrounded on three sides by government land. This energy-efficient, majestic 10 acre (mol) wooded estate offers gorgeous views of Lake Arcadia from most every room. Ideal location with quick access to I-35 and minutes from downtown OKC. To view a virtual tour, visit www.rhondabratton.com.

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JO MEACHAM Kitchen Designer

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urbankitchensok.com april 2012 | slice 133

LAST LAUGH

THOSE WHO CAN’T, SOMETIMES DO

She’s Artsy. She’s Crafty.

D

By Lauren Hammack

ually inspired by the “artsy” theme of this month’s

little more than a jumbo bottle of Elmer’s glue and some

issue and my unchecked addiction to Pinterest,

clippings of “Marmaduke” or Tony DeFranco.

I’ve taken a mental inventory of the heaps of art

With every scrap block of wood in my dad’s tool shed suf-

projects I’ve produced over the years and I’m not sure why I

ficiently découpaged, I began a two-year fling with macra-

don’t have several booths at the Festival of the Arts.

mé that I hoped would culminate in a glorious, hanging pa-

When I was young, my family had a cat that demon-

pasan chair for the corner of my bedroom, but which ended

strated her devotion by leaving the occasional lifeless bird

as a keychain with a single wooden bead and a paper clip

on the porch. Like Kitty’s sparrows, jays and scissortails,

key ring.

my earliest artsy-craftsy offerings usually ended up at my

mother’s doorstep. The tiny handprint in the plaster of Par-

duced a convenient supply of feathers for headdresses like

is. The stacks of Valentines. The macaroni and yarn neck-

the ones on my Big Chief notepads. I think any artist knows

lace she preferred to save for “just the right occasion.”

there’s nothing more fabulous than a chicken feather head-

dress paired with matching washcloth moccasins, fancily

Like all artists, I’ve experienced the ebb and flow of

My grandmother’s barnyard population of chickens pro-

productivity. Periods of relative complacency are usually

appointed with colored popcorn kernels.

followed by spontaneous fits of creativity. My artistic rep-

ertoire exploded into overdrive the year my mom finally

My latent découpage skills were brought back to the fore at

sprang for the 64-count box of crayons. It was the year my

precisely the same moment the teal-and-mauve late ’80s

sister received a fabulous, (64-) colored rock for her birthday

eclipsed the early ’80s cornflower blue. Through the magic

– spangled all the more by the silver, gold and copper cray-

of découpage, I rescued a plain blue lamp from the tedium of

ons that came in the pack.

1982 with nothing more than a jumbo bottle of Elmer’s glue

and a handful of paper napkins with a mauve floral motif.

Long before wannabes like “Jimmie, Homeschool Mom”

Adulthood has done nothing to squelch my artistic bent.

were choking up the Internet with ideas and how-tos for di-

oramas, there was Lauren the Wondercrafter, jonesing for

1988, was just the first of many opportunities my husband

my mom to buy some colored popcorn kernels that I could

has had to marvel at my gift for transforming the ordinary

glue to my new moccasins I’d sewn from washcloths I

into art. He’s learned to admire my art in many other proj-

filched from the linen closet.

ects and more importantly, in silence. The silence must

Truly, the vision for “what could be” is a common trait

have been particularly difficult to maintain during that

among artists. A roll of white athletic tape, to the right-

unfortunate mid-’90s “bead your own jewelry” jag that I

brained layperson, is a roll of white athletic tape. Taken a

wholly embraced.

visionary (and unsupervised) step further, a roll of white

athletic tape is an excellent stand-in for an arm cast. Taken

we discovered evidence of termite damage on a prominent

a chastised step further, the tape arm cast makes an excel-

wall. As weeks passed, Bob grew more irritated that the

lent exfoliator upon removal.

contractors had not yet addressed the issue of our unsightly,

pockmarked wall. After all, a little drywall mud would fix

With one smooth, hairless arm, and undeterred by

The napkin lamp base, which wore out its welcome by

During a remodel of our dated living room years ago,

a noticeable lack of hand-eye skills (cut twice, measure

the damage.

once), I forged ahead insatiably in my crafty pursuits.

Everything within my periphery was subject to being

and the writer of the checks, Bob confronted the contrac-

wrapped when I discovered contact paper, a medium I

tors about their lapse in thoroughness, only to hang his head

loved all the more for its heavenly-but-likely-carcinogenic

in defeat when he learned that his wife had instructed the

adhesive smell.

crew not to touch the termite damage. Those pockmarks

A pre-Mother’s Day Sunday School crafts session

– at the hands of a skilled Wondercrafter – could be some-

opened my eyes to the thrill of découpage, which required

thing cool, like art!

As the indignant homeowner, the lord of the manor

Want to comment on Lauren’s tales or share some of your own? Write to her at lauren.hammack@sliceok.com.

134 slice | april 2012

april 2012 | slice 135

LAST LOOK

JACK LOVE

Masterpiece

When you own a gallery and spend your days appreciating the work of a great many artists, answering the question, “What piece of art speaks to you most?” may seem like a daunting task. But then again, maybe not. Linda Howell, owner of The Howell Gallery in Oklahoma City, barely hesitated to identify a work by artist-in-the-making Jack Love, who also happens to be her grandson.

“He painted this in 2009 and gave it to me for my birthday. I cried. As you can imagine, this one pulls at my heart strings.”

Jack was six years old when he created this masterpiece, which hangs in a prominent location in the Howell home. Lest there be any doubt, the painting is not for sale.

To submit your photo for Last Look, visit www.sliceok.com/last-look

136 slice | april 2012

When bath time interrupts primetime,

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