8 minute read
ARTS
GALLERIES
108 CONTEMPORARY 108 E. Reconciliation Way 918-895-6302 108contemporary.org THE ANTIQUARY 3024 E. 15th St. 918-582-2897 theantiquaryltd.com
CHELSEA GALLERY 1639 E. 15th St. 918-582-5601
EXHIBIT BY ABERSON 3524 S. Peoria Ave. 918-740-1054 abersonexhibits.com
HOLLIMAN GALLERY AT HOLLAND HALL WALTER ARTS CENTER 5666 E. 81st St. 918-481-1111 hollandhall.org/events/ artworks
JOSEPH GIEREK FINE ART 1342 E. 11th St. 918-592-5432 gierek.com
LIGGETT STUDIO 314 S. Kenosha Ave. 918-694-5719 liggettstudio.com LIVING ARTS OF TULSA 307 E. Reconciliation Way 918-585-1234 livingarts.org
LOVETTS GALLERY AND FRAMING 6528 E. 51st St. 918-664-4732 lovettsgallery.com
M.A. DORAN GALLERY 3509 S. Peoria Ave. 918-748-8700 madorangallery.com
NATIVE AMERICAN ART 317 S. Main St., #100 918-584-5792
PIERSON GALLERY 1313 E. 15th St. 918-584-2440 piersongallery.com SCOTT TAYLOR ART GALLERY 1608 E. 15th St. 918-850-1038 scotttaylorartgallery.com
TULSA ARTISTS’ COALITION GALLERY 9 E. Reconciliation Way 918-592-0041 tacgallery.org
TULSA INDIAN ART MARKET 5014 S. Sheridan Road 918-664-0626 indianarttulsa.com
ZARROW CENTER FOR ART AND EDUCATION 124 E. Reconciliation Way 918-631-2736 gilcrease.org/zarrow
ZIEGLER ART AND FRAME 6 N. Lewis Ave. 918-584-2217 zieglerart.com
LIVING ARTS OF TULSA
Tulsa is home to a plethora of arts events, and Living Arts of Tulsa is frequently behind them. Part venue, part facilitator of arts programming, Living Arts describes itself as “a platform for evolving ideas and aesthetics, interdisciplinarity and community empowerment through exhibitions, workshops, performances, films, lectures and education.” The New Genre Arts Festival, one Living Arts’ biggest and most well-known, features some of the most stimulating and thoughtprovoking visual and performing arts in the nation, according to festival organizers. Living Arts also presents the annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Arts Festival each November. The popularity of this festival is due in large part to Tulsa’s active and considerable Hispanic and Latino communities. Expect to find traditional and contemporary Latinx dancers and mariachi and salsa bands. The Skeleton Parade is an emotional and engrossing journey through the many altars erected by artists and groups to honor their loved ones.
GREENWOOD RISING
Greenwood Rising is a history center sharing the story of Black Wall Street before, during and after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. From May 31-June 1, 1921, white mobs destroyed 35 blocks of the city’s prominent Black community of Greenwood. Designed by Local Projects, known for its work at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, the immersive Greenwood Rising experience begins with a video introduction. Then, visitors “cross the tracks” to learn about the history of the district.
In one section, visitors take a seat in a “virtual barber’s shop” to better understand racist sentiments of the day. They also have the opportunity to make a personal commitment toward racial reconciliation that is added to a wall of positive messages. The $18.2 million Greenwood Rising center was funded with local and state dollars and private donations. Advance tickets are required.
AHHA TULSA
The immersive art installations and hands-on workshops of ahha Tulsa fill its guests with childlike wonder. The Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa’s contemporary art gallery and multipurpose space features pieces by local and regional artists. It has two creative studios and labs where guests can learn metalworking, printmaking and photography. THE STUDIO invites ahha visitors to think like artists through openended creative exploration and discovery. Visitors select their own materials from a wide array of possibilities, generate their own ideas and execute their own unique creative products. STUDIO Ambassadors act as guides for technical support, and creative challenges are available for visitors who need help getting started.
FIRST FRIDAY ARTS CRAWL
On the first Friday of the month, the downtown Tulsa Arts District is abuzz. Experience free art exhibits, live music and performances from 6-9 p.m. at the First Friday Art Crawl. Now in its 13th year, First Friday brings more than 3,000 Tulsans and visitors to galleries, studios and museums. Guests can get an inside look at the artist’s process through the Refinery, 109 N. M.L.K. Jr. Blvd. The building houses the studios of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, a program designed to recruit and retain artists. Guests might see a work-in-progress in the studio one month, then see its final form displayed in a gallery the next month. This allows for a multi-layered conversation to take place — both with the artists and with oneself.
Most Tulsa Arts District galleries and museums offer free First Friday admission.
THETULSAARTSDISTRICT.ORG/FIRST-FRIDAY-ART-CRAWL
DISCOVERY LAB
Tulsa’s latest addition to the Gathering Place park is the new Discovery Lab, a 50,000-square-foot children’s museum with interactive exhibits and programming space. Kids will love the hands-on activities in the museum’s state-ofthe-art WorkShop, Science Lab and Little Lab. The new Education Center within the museum has five classrooms and serves as the STEM Center for Tulsa Public Schools’ pre-K through sixth grades. Don’t miss the merchandise shop and cafe. Previously located at Tulsa’s Owen Park just north of downtown, the newly opened Discovery Lab has been under construction since spring 2020. Check its website for ticket and/or reservation protocols.
PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART
One of Tulsa’s most beautiful neighborhoods is the setting for Philbrook Museum of Art, an Italianate villa built on 23 lush acres by oilman Waite Phillips and his wife, Genevieve. Philbrook, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has evolved from a grand family estate to one of America’s finest art museums, showcasing collections from around the world. Numerous educational programs for all ages, a diverse permanent collection, traveling exhibits, Kitchen 27 and lush gardens draw more than 150,000 visitors per year. On the second Saturday of each month, Philbrook waives its admission charge for all guests and offers free art supplies and activities to children and families. The grounds also feature an edible garden and a permanent installation of a full-scale log cabin. Special Philbrook events range from the Internet Cat Video Festival to the MIX cocktail battle to Films on the Lawn.
SHERWIN MILLER MUSEUM OF JEWISH ART
The region’s largest Jewish museum, the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art features distinctive architecture and beautiful artwork. The museum also includes educational exhibits and programs on Jewish culture, history, religion and art, from ancient times to present-day Oklahoma, including the Kaiser Holocaust Exhibition. Additional galleries host international exhibitions and those from the museum’s collections.
WILLARD ELSING MUSEUM AT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
The Willard Elsing Museum, located inside the ORU Learning Resource Center, has been called “Tulsa’s hidden gem,” with a large exhibition of priceless minerals and natural crystal formations, as well as Native American pieces and Asian artwork. Don’t miss the 31-ton, 90-foot-tall sculpture of praying hands that welcomes visitors to campus. Another central landmark of the ORU campus is its 200-foot prayer tower.
TULSA GLASSBLOWING SCHOOL
Whether you’re a novice or a skilled glass artist, the nonprofit Tulsa Glassblowing School provides an outlet for creativity, teamwork and self-expression. In recent years the school moved from the Tulsa Arts District to an empty recreation center in McClure Park. There, TGS operates an open-access hotshop and kiln studio, where it leads guests in onetime hotglass experiences, multi-week classes and private lessons. “It’s a unique experience for anyone interested in the beauty of glass art,” says TGS Executive Director Janet Duvall. The school, which partners with local schools and youth programs, also offers VETri, a therapeutic glassblowing program for military veterans, offered at no cost to them. It is one of only two such programs in the U.S.
Kenneth Gonzales, Tulsa Glassblowing School project director
Signature Symphony at Tulsa Community College
PERFORMANCE GROUPS
The following theater companies and arts groups always have something in the works. See websites for scheduled performances.
AMERICAN INDIAN THEATRE CO. OF OKLAHOMA 9521 B Riverside Parkway, Box 358 918-298-2300 facebook.com/aitco
AMERICAN THEATRE CO. 308 S. Lansing Ave. 918-747-9494 americantheatrecompany.org
CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA 18 S. Lewis Ave. 918-587-3802 chambermusictulsa.org
CHOREGUS PRODUCTIONS 5514 S. Lewis Ave., Suite 1 918-295-5965 choregus.org
SIGNATURE SYMPHONY AT TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE 10300 E. 81st St. 918-595-7777 signaturesymphony.org
THEATRE POPS 918-902-6339 theatrepops.org THEATRE TULSA 420 N. Boston Ave. 918-587-8402 theatretulsa.org
TULSA CHORALE 111 E. First St. tulsachorus.com
TULSA PROJECT THEATER tulsaprojecttheatre.com
TULSA SPOTLIGHT THEATER 1381 Riverside Drive 918-587-5030 tulsaspotlighttheater.com
TULSA SYMPHONY 117 N. Boston Ave., Suite 201 918-584-3645 tulsasymphony.org
BOK Center
200 S. Denver Ave. 918-894-4200 bokcenter.com
Tulsa Theater
105 W. Reconciliation Way 918-582-7239 tulsatheater.com
Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center
701 S. Main St., Broken Arrow 918-259-5778 brokenarrowpac.com
Cox Business Convention Center
100 Civic Center 918-894-4350 coxcentertulsa.com
Lorton Performance Center at the University of Tulsa
550 S. Gary Place 918-631-5241 artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/ music/lorton-performance-center
Mabee Center
7777 S. Lewis Ave. 918-495-6400 mabeecenter.com
Rabbit Hole Improv
1526 S. Harvard Ave. 918-230-4609 rabbitholeimprov.com
Studio K at Tulsa Ballet
1212 E. 45th Place S. 918-749-6030 tulsaballet.org
The Loony Bin
6808 S. Memorial Drive, Suite 234 918-392-5653 tulsa.loonybincomedy.com
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
110 E. Second St. 918-596-7111 tulsapac.com
VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education at Tulsa Community College
10300 E. 81st St. 918-595-7777 tulsacc.edu/campus-locations/ vantrease-pace
