January 2009

Volume 2 // Issue 1 • January 2010

(Creative Space)Samantha Lamb 105degreesScribner's

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ArtBeat OklahomaVolume 2 / Issue 1 / January 2010

ArtBeat is a monthly publication dedicated to encouraging and promoting creativity and the arts in Oklahoma. ArtBeat serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement for the individual artist and a foundation of unity and information within the art community as a whole. ArtBeat is a tool for promoting the work of local artists, both established and underground, and art-driven businesses through affordable advertising and a calendar of local events bringing awareness to the many opportunities in the Oklahoma arts scene. Oklahoma is rich with artists and great art; it is our desire to give these incredible Oklahoma artists visibility and connections both with one another and the thriving community of patrons here in our state.

Contentspage 4-5 // Tres Suenos Vineyard & Winerypage 6 // A Short Story: Martin the Grouslingpage 7 // Cover Artist Profilepages 8-9 // Creative Space: Samantha Lambpage 10 // Believe the Dreampage 11 // 24 Hour Video Racepage 12 // My Neck of the Woodspage 13 // Flows 'N' Prosepage 14 // Chronicles of Calebpages 16-17 // ARTIST SHOWCASEpages 19 // From Grandmas Kitchenpage 20 // An ONEAL Updatepage 21 // Twelve Fellows Chosen for New Regional Contemporary Art Programpage 22-23 // Scribner's: Meet Artists Shane & Sara Scribnerpages 24 // 105degreespage 25 // A Hopeful Students Thoughts on 105degrees Academypage 26 // The Wine Guypage 27 // Instant Teapage 28 // The Business of Artpage 29-30 // Calendar

Cover art by:So Darn Happy

Photography(See pg 7)

www.ArtBeatOK.com

Staff

Tessa HancockMichael MennesKristina Morel

Holly McHargueAmelia BrewerCaleb Braudrick

Wesley Clark YoungVanessa CastoeSamantha LambJohnny DeLuciaMolly O'ConnerShane ScribnerSara ScribnerMel Sparks

Daniel KoehlerBJ HainesJim Pierce

Happy New Year! I love a new year, it puts before one a fresh start, a whole world of possibilities.

This month we are celebrating the Culinary Arts a bit with some unexpected finds. Check out pgs 24-25 to learn about 105degrees Cafe' and Academy. They offer up raw culinary delights that are a nice change. We also touch on the art of wine making in our article with Tres Suenos owner, Richard Kennedy (see pgs 4-5). Oklahoma is not the first place one would expect to find the nations ONLY certified Raw Culinary Arts school, and many of us are just now discovering the wealth of Oklahoma wineries!

Celebrate the New Year by learning new things, creating in new ways, and finding joy in every aspect of your life. Photographer Samantha Lamb is a lover of life and it shows in her brilliant photography. Take time to enjoy the beautiful pics of Samantha's home and studio in our new column, (Creative Space), pgs 8-9. Let the beauty of her space inspire you to carve out your own little creative place in the universe, even if it's just a creativity box or bag you pull out to make your magic (ie. art) with.

As we kick off the New Year, let me challenge you to dream! Believe in the beauty of your dreams and chase those dreams relentlessly.

Be Blessed and Make Art! Missy Hancock :)ArtBeat Managing Editor

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Eric Templeton: Owner/President [email protected] Hancock: Managing Editor [email protected] Grant: Director of Operations [email protected] Amis: Sales Director [email protected] Hancock: Art Director [email protected] Bayne: Layout Designer [email protected] Atterberry: Calendar [email protected] Black: Internet Manager [email protected] Hall: Special Projects Coordinator [email protected] Atterberry: Cntrl OK District Director [email protected] Scoggin: Eastern OK District Director [email protected] Brewer: Edmond Liaison [email protected]


Colleen Hendrix helps run the tasting room and owns, with her husband, one of the eight other Oklahoma vineyards that supplies Tres Suenos. Soft spoken and gra-cious, Colleen led us through a lovely tast-ing of these eleven Tres Suenos wines.

Slightly SweetNouveau - $9.95Our festival wine bottled young for drinking now.Hints of cranberry and tart cherry on the nose and taste.

Blush Delight - $8.95Our premium Blush is a blend of Muscat Canelli and other French/American hybrids. Hints of honeysuckleand tropical fruit. Serve chilled with a picnic, barbecue,light foods, or delicious by itself.

Anniversary Red Reserve - $11.95New Vintage-- This red blend was aged in oak for one year. Hints of black cherry and a slight sweetness make this a perfect wine for sipping in the evening with guests,for special occasions, or your anniversary.

Oklahoma Select Wine - $11.95Peach and apricot are the aromas you first notice in this German-style, slightly sweet white wine. Serve with fish, chicken, or your favorite pasta.

SweetFiesta Blanca- Gold Medal - $19.00Made from Muscat Canelli with hints of honeysuckle and tropical fruit. Great for dessert or sharing with guests.

There is no doubt that wine-making is a science, but is it an art? With this question, Wine-Grower Richard Kennedy of Tres Suenos Winery in Lu-ther, Oklahoma lit up.

“Oh yes! There is definitely an art to it. Of course, there is a scientific approach to making wine, but anyone can pick up a book and follow the steps, the art comes in the unexpected. You do this and you try that…the art of making wine is in the little adjustments you make along the way.” And Richard has made his share of adjustments as an Oklahoma wine grower for the past twelve years.

After Richard Kennedy retired from the federal government in 1997, his hobby of grape growing and winemaking took a new turn. He decided to plant a vineyard. Richard says he spent so much time at the only two Oklahoma wineries (at the time) asking questions until they told him to go away and go to school. They directed him to take viticulture and enology from Grayson County Col-lege in Dennison, Texas and Richard was on his way. Upon completion, Richard and two friends started the Tres Suenos Vineyard. Their initial plans were to simply run a vineyard, but it didn’t take long for them to decide to pour a floor in the pole barn out by the vineyard and open a winery of their own. They incorporated in 1998, poured the floor in 1999, and soon after tried their hand at making wine as a business. Eventually, his two partners moved on to new endeavors and Richard bought them out. Richard has learned a lot in the past twelve years, but shared, with a hint of plea-sure, that there’s so much more to learn! He told me about a recent conversation he had with a third generation winemaker from Missouri. Richard was asking what he considered to be an amateur question of this veteran winegrower, when his fel-low winegrower confided that he had had some of

those same questions himself! I guess that is the beauty of breaking ground in a field that has its roots in 5000-6000BC. There is always more to learn and to adapt to wine growing in Oklahoma.

Until recently, I had no idea grapes could thrive in Oklahoma, but it turns out that Oklahoma has a very similar longitude and latitude to the Bor-deaux region of France that has been growing fine wines since before the United States was a nation. “Grapes are an arid plant,” shared Richard. “They like hot days with cool nights.” Oklahoma’s hot summer nights affect the timing of harvest. Tres Sueno’s grows a nice variety of grapes with the earliest variety, the Muscat Canelli ready to har-vest the last week of July. The hybrids being har-vested the 2nd week of August, the Merlot’s at the end of August and the Cabernet’s in mid-Sep-tember. Tres Suenos harvests by hand and invites their customers out at harvest time to help with the chore. They even set up a good old fashioned grape stomping just for fun. (No, they don’t use the stomped grapes in the wine they sell.) They do, however, bottle up the wine made by the stomping feet of volunteer harvesters and label it Chateau Le Feet and present free bottles as a special thank you to those who helped!

Richard’s graciousness to and about the other Oklahoma wine growers played through into his attitude toward wine growing in Oklahoma. “We may not have it ideal here, but we do what we can!...Tell an Okie you can’t do something, and we’re going to go try it…We might not be creat-ing internationally winning wines, but at Tres Suenos, we settle on making a good wine that we can market for $12 to $15 a bottle,” and a good wine it is! Colleen Hendrix guided us through a wonderful sampling of eleven Tres Suenos wines. As a wine novice, my first pick was Fiesta Blanca, made from Muscat Canelli, this sweet wine with

hints of honeysuckle and tropical fruit captured me. My fellow guest to the winery, Oklahoma native and Antique Shopping Blogger, Toma Haines, oth-erwise known as The Antiques Diva (www.thean-tiquesdiva.blogspot.com), who makes her home in Berlin, Germany and whose taste buds are more ac-climated to wine, chose Shiraz, a full flavored dry red wine with aromas of spicy plum and smoke.

Tres Suenos offers not only the lovely adventure of driving out to the vineyard, they have beautiful grounds, a lovely new 4000 sq ft tasting room where they host around 50 weddings a year. This year, in the first part of October, they will hold their 12th Annual Nouveau Wine Festival, where fine food, music, arts, crafts, jewelry, and most importantly—WINE, abound!

Richard’s dream to play his part in the age old art of wine growing in the unlikely place of Okla-homa has inspired others to follow their dreams as well. When Tres Suenos incorporated 12 years ago as the third winery in Oklahoma, who knew what a decade would hold? And just as Richard asked mil-lions of questions to the Oklahoma wine growers that came before him, he has had numerous aspir-ing wine growers ask him a plethora of questions as well. He chuckled and said, “I guess they all thought, ‘If this guy can do it, we can too!’” To-day Oklahoma boasts upward to fifty wine grow-ers of its own! When I found out the meaning of Tres Suenos near the end of my visit with Richard Kennedy, I was filled with delight. Tres Suenos is Spanish for “Three Dreams.” In Richard Kennedy I was reminded of the power and beauty of a dream. I challenge you to let Richard’s story ignite you. Remember the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” and dare to pursue your dreams too!

Chasing the DreamBy Missy Hancock

Noble Red - $11.95If you want a truly "Sweet Wine" this will surely satisfy your desires. Heavy bodied and spicy with deep dark color. Great with desserts. Serve slightly chilled.

DryPinot Grigio - $10.95Hints of pear and kiwi on the nose. Serve this wine with pasta and white sauce, or cheese and fruit. Great to marinate your fish, chicken, or mushrooms.

Chardonnay-Bronze Medal - $11.95Truly the king of white wines. It displays melon and butter flavors with a hint of tropical fruit. Best served slightly chilled with grilled fish, chicken, or oysters.

Charter Oak Red- Silver Medal - $12.95Aged in oak for one year this red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and several other French red varietals and is packed with ripe berry fruit and hints of vanilla. Our winemaker's favorite.

Merlot - $11.95Packed full of spices and plum with a jammy full-bodied taste. Sure to delight your senses with its unusual finish.

Shiraz - $11.95Spicy plum and smoke are the aromas and taste that jump out at you with this full-flavored red. Serve with your favorite steak or spicy roast.

Colleen made mention of an easy recipe which incorporates Tres Suenos' Pinot Grigio and of course, I had to write it down! It fills the house with a delicious aroma and is a versatile base that can be eaten as is, mixed with a roux, placed over chicken or steamed asparagus or served in any other way that delights your senses!

Chop onion, mushrooms, and bell peppers (multi-colored or green, depending on your taste). Sautee' in butter or olive oil. Right at the end, add in as much or little fresh garlic as you desire. Just before the whole mix is finished, when the aroma of the garlic starts coming out, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup Tres Suenos Pinot Grigio.

Tres Suenos welcomes visitors for free wine tastings and tours from noon to 6:00p.m on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Tres Suenos Vineyards and Winery is available for private parties, special events, and tours by appointment seven days a week. For more information and directions to their winery, go to www.tressuenos.com


Martin The Grouslinglight they found. Of course they didn’t have a word for light so they called it "the rope of warmth". For they, being hard workers, did have a type of rope made from strands of their own hair. It wouldn’t be of any use to humans but it worked well for grouslings.

Soon everyone heard the news of the rope of warmth and it caused a great stir.

Many made the trip through Martin's tunnels to see the rope of warmth. Finally, the grousling leaders came to see what all the fuss was about, but by the time they reached the rope of warmth it had faded away. They scoffed and told Martin to stop causing such trouble and leading everyone astray. Martin and the others were very sad that the rope of warmth had left. Martin slept in that

Martin was a curious grousling. He was a grousling of the grouslings that lived in the great land underground. They lived in a series of caverns and tunnels similar to what you might see in an ant farm. The grouslings didn't know that they lived underground, because it was all they ever knew. All they knew was, “this is the top of the tunnel and this is the bottom”. They didn’t know about “the surface” or “above ground”.

The grousling culture was very old and very uninterrupted by any other civilization. They only knew of themselves and their own rich culture. Between you and me, their culture wasn’t very rich, but they didn’t know that, because they didn’t have anything to compare it to.

Martin's name isn’t actually Martin, it is something that cannot be translated to human speech, but we will call him Martin for simplicity. Martin was a different kind of grousling because he wanted to explore. He knew there had to be something, or someone, other than the grouslings. One day when he was digging where no grousling had dug before, he made an incredible discovery. Unbeknownst to Martin, he had been digging near the surface and barely reached the top. He inadvertently made a very small hole with one of his claws. Lucky for him and all the grouslings, they didn’t live under a lake or an ocean or they would now be dead.

A ray of light came streaming down into the very dark tunnel. At first the light was blinding to Martin because he had never seen it before. The grouslings have lived for centuries and millenniums in total and complete darkness. Martin was very curious about the light but also afraid of it. He went to tell the grousling leaders of his new discovery, but few of them believed him and the ones who did were not very interested.

He finally convinced some less important grouslings to come and see it. They became excited and went to tell everyone about the ray of

place hoping the rope of warmth would return and to his excitement it did. He was so excited to see it, that he told everyone it had come back. There was much celebration, which of course infuriated the leaders.

The leaders came to see once again what everyone was excited about, and to their surprise was the rope of warmth right before their eyes. Keeping their cool, they tried to explain what it was, as if it were something unimpressive. The grouslings were starting to hail Martin as a hero and were talking about making him a leader. This of course didn’t settle well with the leaders and they tried to do away with the rope of warmth, but there was nothing they could do.

Because, it is easy to fill a hole going down but not so easy to fill one going up.

Many grouslings wanted to make the hole bigger because they thought it would make the rope of warmth wider, but the leaders would not stand for it and they closed the tunnel and forbid Martin to ever dig again. That didn’t stop Martin, he dug until he once again reached another rope of warmth.

This time he only told a few people. Because he is not as stupid as you might suppose.

Every day the rope of warmth comes to visit the small group of grouslings. When it goes away, the grouslings sleep. When it returns, they sit in its warmth and see one another.

Because until now, no grousling has ever seen another grousling. Some grouslings, in secret, bring their loved ones to the rope of warmth, so they can see them. And naturally, they are very ugly. But they do not know this because they have never seen anything beautiful, except of course the rope of warmth.

So, quietly now, they celebrate. And this small group of grouslings sit and enjoy the rope of warmth and wonder... what lies beyond the hole.

illustration by Shawn Hancock

A short story by Shawn Hancock


COVER ARTIST PROFILESo Darn happy phoTOGRAPHYVanessa Castoe / Mommy

Photo by Vanessa Castoe

Where can we see your work / What upcoming shows or events are you participating in?www.sodarnhappyphotography.com is my official photography website. My favorite place to share is my personal blog at sodarnhappy.com. It’s where you can find the true me...the essence of Vanessa.

What are all the artistic disciplines you work in? My favorite way to channel my inner artist is through

photography. I shoot with a Pentax K20D camera and my favorite lens is my 50mm 1.4. His name is Octavio and I consider him my

fourth child. Yes, I named my camera. I’ve also named my stand mixer and favorite rubber spatulas.

How did you get your training? I’m 100% self taught. I started practicing with a extremely modest point and shoot camera when my daughter was born, trying to preserve every single second, then upgraded to a DSLR about two & a half years ago. Everything I know I’ve learned through online tutorials, obsessive reading of photography blogs, and tons of practice. I honestly believe all anyone needs to learn photography is the ability to see beauty in any moment. All the other stuff comes with the camera rarely leaving your face.

How would you describe your art?Candid and natural. I rarely pose my subjects, with the exception of general direction and placing them in the right light. I don’t want the camera to record who I think someone is or should be. I want to capture who someone truly is. My favorite shots are often the ones that weren’t planned but taken in a moment where I was lucky enough to have my camera in my hands.

Who are your favorite artists?Katie Sokoler is my favorite photographer. You can find her at colormekatie.blogspot.com. Her images are so beautiful and full of life and she has the most ingenious and original ideas...she’s not just putting babies in bathtubs. I also love Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman and Donna Boucher. I’ve learned so much from their online tutorials at thepioneerwoman.com. They have an amazing way of putting things into simple enough terms for me to follow.

What is the most encouragement you’ve received as an artist?I get so much love and encouragement from everyone around me. My husband has been my biggest cheerleader. No, really. When I’m feeling down he puts on my daughter’s Hannah Montana wig and grabs the pompoms. I’d tell you the cheer he made up for me, but that would just embarrass him.

What are some of the obstacles you have had to overcome in creating art?My biggest obstacle is myself. I’m tragically socially awkward around new people. Unfortunately when you’re taking pictures of people you usually have to converse with them. To just follow them around with a camera without talking would be really creepy. I’ve had to knock down my own mental block and make myself open up to people. I’m still struggling, but I’d like to think that I’m getting there.

What advice do you have for artists just getting started?Practice practice practice. I don’t go anywhere without my camera. Why? So when I see a heart shaped pothole in the road I can pull over and take a picture of it...true story.

If your art had a flavor, what would it be?Honey. I love the color of the sky around sunset or at the crack of dawn, and it reminds me of honey.

What is the most important lesson you have learned in the business of selling your art?Not to undersell myself. I’m forever wondering why people sell themselves for less than they’re worth, then I look inward and see myself doing the same thing. You have to believe that you’re worth it, then others will too.


This last year, artist Samantha Lamb went back to her roots of love for the country by

purchasing a farm in Hobart, Oklahoma. It is there she takes her lovely “captures” and does her part in making the world a better place. I sent her an e-mail asking if she would be willing to share a bit of her life and her (Creative Space) with us. She graciously agreed to let us into her world of farm life, art, photography, and picnics!

Name: Samantha Joelle Honey Lamb (After the song Oklahoma....“Every night my honey lamb & I”)

Artistic Discipline: Capturing Lovely Light

When did you first know you were an artist?

Goodness gracious.... humm... that is a lofty word... I think I knew when I was 5 and 21.

When I was 5, I would walk around and take pictures with my fake camera and called the morning my best friend. I finally received a real Polaroid camera and took captures either directly into light or portraits of my grandparents who reminded me of the country.

When I was 21 I found myself yet again falling for the morning light. On a pivotal morning, I was driving to school and instead of going left towards my classes, I turned right to come out to my family’s farm. I spent all day taking pictures and laying in pastures. Now I feel happier than a peach doing what I cannot live without – capturing the images that have township in my Colorful Nebula (what I call my brain).

What do you love most about being a photographer?

Currently, being able to capture my picnics in the morning. I have picnics every day in all

kinds of lovely pastures and meadows around my farm. To me, the morning is a well-spring of inspiration!!!

List some of your favorite things!

Morning Light, goodness gracious, Banjos, Beards on kind men, The color of peach my cheeks turn in the sunshine (Side note...I am very cheesy), My Dog Harold, Reading Wendell Berry in a pasture (or to my garden &/or chickens... I think it makes them happier), Baking Pies with heart crusts, Eating meals at long tables of unfinished wood with my friends & family, Picnics, and Meadows dappled with light.

Do you have any favorite quotes?

“Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup.” -Wendell Berry


"What connections or responsibilities do we maintain between our bodies and the earth? These are religious questions, obviously, for our bodies are part of the creation, and they involve us in all the issues of mystery. But the questions are also agricultural, for no matter how urban our life, our bodies live by farming; we come from the earth and return to it, and so we live in agriculture as we live in flesh." -Wendell Berry

How long have you had your studio/creative space?

7 months

What is your favorite thing about your creative space?

My view I have of the mountains outside and my windows that allow so much light in, I really do feel like a colorful nebula. Ooohh! And all of my lovely antiques (old steamer trunks, loved on tables, shabby shelves and all kinds of things.

What do you wish you had in your studio/creative space that you do not yet have?

I am working very hard on building myself a new desk. A large solid desk made from old doors and an old chicken coop, so I cannot wait ‘till it is done and it can abide in my art studio.

How does your creative space reflect who you are as an artist?

Four Words: A Lovely Thriving Mess

Do you have any words of wisdom for other aspiring artists?

Be obedient to your art my loves... as soon as you think of an idea, act on it...either sketch it or capture it. Will it into this waiting world!! I usually abandon everything to create the image in my Colorful Nebula. Inspiration is given for a lovely reason from a loving mind... so return the affection.

Are you working on any exciting projects we can be looking forward to?

Oh yes, Oh yes!! It is a very large and light-filled series called "Lion*Light*Lamb: The Perpetual Picnic." It is an exploration of the

brain as a coping mechanism and how my character Amelia is stuck in a perpetual picnic because her brain will not allow her to exist in the "real" world. What is a big new step with this particular series is that I am going to be creating music (instrumental) with friends to go with the series. Once it is displayed, it will be a very large elaborate installation.

I am also writing a novel – a very in-depth novel based around the cross breeding of flowers.

Where can we see more of your work?

My Online Store: www.samanthalambphotography.myshopify.com

Cuppies & Joe In OKCThe Red Dirt Emporium in BricktownMy Lovely Farm "Early Bird Acres"

And last, but not least, Samantha Lamb, if you were a box of cereal, what kind would you be?

I would not be a box of cereal.... I would be a free range blue...or brown egg :)!


“In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved his title. Do not lose your knowledge that man's proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours.” -Ayn Rand -Russian born American Writer & Novelist,1905-1982

There's a rumor sweeping the nation. It has slowly and insidiously infiltrated the homes of the rich and poor alike. It has paralyzed the hope of the young and drained the last bits of creative potential from the old. It is a mindset that robs individuals of possibility. It whispers in the ears of its victims, "It's not possible. It's not practical." It uses tired parents as its mouthpiece, "When are you going to grow up?" "Get your head out of the clouds and accept reality!" It proclaims in the streets that art and creativity are insignificant. It has doomed great novelists to the shortened life of a coal miner. It has sentenced great composers and musicians to the harried existence of a stockbroker. It has decreed destined painters to accept their lot and take that job as a janitor, and be thankful for it and expect nothing more. It has lied to us and stolen the dreams of a great deal of those destined to influence the creative climate of our world.

Inside each little boy and girl, each man and woman is a dream. And some dreams are fine and dandy to all involved. "You want to be a doctor? Well alrighty then!" "You want to be an architect? That sounds interesting." "You want to be a dancer, or musician, or writer, or visual artist? That's...er..... nice. What will you do to make a living?" And of course, as in the best lies, there is a core of truth in it. How will you make a living? What no one ever acknowledges is this. You will make a living with hard work. You may take side jobs to pay the bills, but if you keep your eye on your purpose, if you keep writing those songs, painting those paintings, typing those chapters, and you don't quit; you will eventually start to sell those paintings, people will listen to your songs and pay to hear you in concert, you will get published! And you know what? You may still have to work that side job to keep the lights on. Life has proven itself to be full of work to do, the choice is yours--you can work hard facing your dreams, moving in the direction of your calling or you can just work hard.

Another truth that is rarely acknowledged is this. We cannot ever let fame and fortune be the goal. Not every creative who pursues their dreams will reach riches and fame, but they will have made a difference just by creating and expressing what was theirs to create and express. Creativity enriches the human experience. Pursuing your art helps you find your way. The successes and the failures will be lights along the path, pointing you in the direction of your dreams. Critically acclaimed American Novelist and Essayist, Laurence Shames, put it this way, "Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions--the hero and the sidekick."

Let 2010 be your year. Dare to dream. Better yet, dare to pursue those dreams.

Believe in the DreamBy Missy Hancock

Photo by So Darn Happy Photography (see page 7)


Videographers Race for a Winning MovieLiving Arts Hosts The 5th Annual 24-Hour Video Race

Living Arts of Tulsa partners with the Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO) and Philbrook Museum of Art to host the 5th

Annual 24-Hour Video Race. The 24 Hour Video Race is a state-wide event created to give challenges to any person within the state of Oklahoma who would like to create a new video art work. Participants arrive at midnight, Friday February 5th, receive instructions on the theme, prop and a specific line of dialogue--then have 24-hours in which to write, act, film and edit their 5-minute film using the afore mentioned required elements. Entries will be judged according to specific criteria during the screening at Philbrook Museum of Art on Thursday, February 18, 6:00pm.

Participants may work in groups of up to eight people. They will have twenty-four hours to plan, shoot and edit their work. Entries are due the next day by midnight, February 6. Following the Philbrook screening, winners are announced at the after-party, which takes place at Living Arts. Cash prizes and awards are available in the following categories: 18 and under Student, College Student, Video-Phil (non-student 19 and over), Animation, Juror's Award and People's Award.

Register early by visiting http://livingarts.org/video. The cost per entry is $30 and student

discounts are available. There will be a kick-off at Living Arts (307 E. Brady in Downtown Tulsa) at 11:30 PM on Friday, February 5, to finalize registration and hand out the competition theme information and guidelines. All entries must be dropped off at Living Arts or at IAO Gallery (811 N. Broadway in OKC) by midnight, Saturday, February 6.

Living Arts of Tulsa is a nonprofit arts organization which is dedicated to its mission of presenting and developing contemporary art in Tulsa.

For more information please visit our website at www.livingarts.org.

Contact: Linda Clark, Administrative Director, Living Arts of Tulsa, 918-585-1234, [email protected], 307 E. Brady, Tulsa, OK. 74120


My Neck of the Wood

sBy Wesley Clark Young

How do you go about finding art that speaks to you? It’s a question

we all ask ourselves at least once. Work that communicates sincerely, whether located in a city or in a small town, is seemingly as difficult to locate as a herd of migrating unicorns. I know I have spent plenty of depressing afternoons wandering through galleries and museums in search of something that moves me, without luck. To find what we are all so fanatically looking for, we must be, in a word: voracious.

There is no one to blame for the lack of honest material in your sphere but yourself. An artist who does not go out of his way to discover the work of others is cutting himself off from a life-saving resource. You and I are obliged as creative individuals to push our noses into the dusty corners of the universe. This principle applies especially, although not exclusively, to small towns. There is a satisfaction you get from finding a piece from a lesser known local that is comparable to discovering a new species of animal or a previously unheard of planet all on your own. It is a pleasure that few have the chance to experience.

I was moping around a thrift store/antique mall, not really trying to find anything, just trying on ancient cowboy boots, inspecting ridiculous tea pots, and being absolutely terrified of breaking something. The place

was enormous, and I had perused every room except one, tucked away in the back of the building. It had all the usual knick-knacks, but in the far right corner there was a stack of framed artwork. The first ones I flipped through had that typical kitsch: angels, babies, dogs, sailboats, cheap prints of masterworks, flowers; and then I saw something else.

It was a scrap of Batik, a dyed cloth image that had been mounted and set in a plain wooden frame. The technique was popularized in the T’ang dynasty, and it showed a female servant from that era, decked in brilliant festival clothes that were covered in blurry white characters, covered by a ceiling of red paper lanterns. It was clear that she was meant to be walking quickly, though she carried a delicate tray of teacups. The work was probably done in 1950, and has no substantial monetary value. To most people it would come off as a little tacky. To me it represented all the dazzling grace with which I wish I could move through life. The geisha had a fragile beauty that meant something to me, especially.

It’s on my mantle now, a hidden treasure that affected me deeply. So you can see, in order to maintain the flow of foreign ideas that keeps us alive, it is necessary to go to places that you might think are

without value, interest or culture. Those places hold something of immense worth, which you might not experience on the first outing, but will inevitably see. Contact with things you see as boring or cliché can ultimately lead you to your own serendipitous find in a back room. Small towns are bursting with these obscure wonders, make a point to dig one up for yourself, and make your world a little bit bigger.

Wesley Clark Young is a writer living and work-ing in Enid, OK. Check out his latest project at enidcreativecollective.blogspot.com


Riches and fame untold await those who submit any style of poem to [email protected].

"In The BElLy Of AdveNt"

by Johnny DeLucia

…And as the sparrow fell, I followed her down.Drew a white line around her,collected her feathers and put them in my halo of cruciform red glow.And I wonder…How heavy were your hands when they pulled me from the earthand hung me back in the sky like one of your stars?Truly my fall and ascension has created a beaten path from earth to heaven,but I’ve made my place of permanence your presence.For as babes nurse and slaves surrender,this heart of human has finally found his complement,housed not in the torso, but in the secret place-where silence becomes a spoken language.So please, in the following abstract string of sentences,Give us God!

The stage is set and wet with the tears of our sistersand brothers and mothers of the martyrs.Love has made us tired; let all of earth admit it.Our eyes are so used to closing,used as clothing and no matter how much they speak and spell and spill,they have not washed the want from our faces.But unlike minus, they add something…

Our chains have been changedand locks turned to lockets,which collect every cell you expel.We scrape your words like resin and mix them with the dirt from your nails,our tattoo ink of brand new baby glue.Making new mirrors. Milking new magnets.Cutting new concepts and freezing them like light paintings.

Had I not been wanting and wanting and longing and waiting,my lips would have never been so heavily glossed with loss

(of self, he is silent).You, Hero, have hushed my vespers to velvet,my longing to lavender and gathered my rose colored hands and made them useful again,You who lift the blues,the deepest blues of mourning,are the Miracle!The Father of all numbers.Let him count our poems by the drip, drip, dripas halves are halved and halved again.Blessing and blasphemy held in both hands, so tight our knuckles are as white as corpses.Unfold your fingers!… and nail your palms to His.Embrace the cross ‘till your torsos kiss.Drink the blood that drips drips dripsfrom feet which days before were anointed by a prostitute.The blackness of her past has been used for us, the abused,as proof that no day is like today!Let all of the earth admit it.No day is like today.

Sleep.Sleeping is praying.Sleeping is sexual, for it’s our dreams that drive us.When our eyes close to crow’s feet,creating a canvas of blue and red stars,a stage of eternity behind our eyelids (you’ve seen them),we can follow the stars we see,from end to end and roll our eyes open to invert light’s reflection.Yes, sometimes, sleeping is stopping.Testing is testimony.Some are given the gift of immediacy, while others a gift of a story.Some will bend from adoration, others from broken legs, but all things…from the highest pitch to the widest niche,All things,smoke and the sense of incense,dance of the candle’s flame and the birth of every breath,all things,time before no time and the speed of the lines we trace,trying to trade the moment for the morning,and our witness for the rapture,all things will become worship…eventually.

We the angels are in a world of opposites, born to be born again.I can speak for them.I’m tall enough to see them at eye level

and stoop low enough to carry their history on my back,transfer it to the tangible,hook their question marks on the scars raised on each arm,as I now raise my arms and sing the sweetest songto him, who has held my halleluiah, even in hell.

Prove to them that you’re a father and not a liar.…that faith isn’t plastic and we truly can live outside bottles, capsules and rolling papers.And when you have decided that you have crushed us enoughand we’re completely erased..When just one more dayand one more tryand one more escape from the torso’s graveturns to one more stamp of our Savior.When that day comes,I will tighten all vices, suit my skin in Sonlight™and use every muse to explain you to those who were the ghost of me.When I see little Johnnys who haven’t enough strength to lift their eyes from the pillow,I will show them my neon scars, placed by you as proofthat your word is in fact, Wonderful.

For now, in the belly of Advent,I carry myself collected, and tall in the art of the fall.As if I was already on the right side of the timeline.

Forgive me for what I’ve written.+Cross my confessions+For my lips were never meant to curse you…they find their form in kissing you,my Invisible Immortal.

Audience, drop your pens and clap your hands,for the One who has named you, now pursues you.Suppress, yes, submerge yourself in the belly and leave it there.May it follow its intended destination.The very end of digestion, as your spirit out grows its own clothes.Lift your heads…often.May your questions become cures,And your waiting; worship.Lovers, let your light shinefrom end to end and every moment of miracle in between,Amen.

©2009 Jonathan DeLucia, all rights reserved


I have a sneaking suspicion that, on a whole, we don't know ourselves as well as we think we do. I find it to be true for myself, without a doubt. We may know how we are going to

react in certain situations, but that falls under the category of “familiarity.” It still doesn't account for who we really are. In my own experience, I find one of the best ways to get to know myself is by cataloging the things that make me, “me.” Showing complete disregard for what ArtBeat readers may be interested in reading, here are three completely random facts that make up Caleb Braudrick.

* I have no interest in talking on the phone. Zero interest. I own a cell phone and I do use it, albeit begrudgingly. The one facet of technology that I have embraced with open, flabby arms is text messaging. TM'ing, as my mother calls it. It's an incredible way for me to say what I need to say (thanks for the advice, John Mayer) without having to actually speak into the receiver. I'm terrible at returning calls, as well. It's not that I don't want to speak to said caller, it's just that I have to make sure I can set aside no less than 10 minutes to return the call. One of my pet peeves is people who call me, but are really too busy to actually talk. The entire time we are on the phone, they are shuffling papers, messing with their kids or using the bathroom. I refuse to do that to someone else, so returning a call is a process for me. I'm so busy with work, school, music,

“Getting to Know Your Caleb”Chronicles of Caleb

By Caleb Braudrick

writing and film, that I find a complete ten minute block of freedom to be hard to come by. Even when I do finally find that little window of nothingness, the last thing I want to dress it

with is a phone conversation.

* I am extremely lazy when it comes to my own creativity; lazy to an offensive level. I have so many ideas for short stories, scripts and songs, it becomes overwhelming for me. I have trouble figuring out the priorities of my ideas, so I just let them sit. To actually sit down and write these little “pearls” out seems like such a chore. What it boils down to is this; I'd rather have good ideas than good product. Isn't that sad? Even this article you are currently reading was written at the last minute. Now, in my defense, I just wrapped up finals at school. Even if I had all the time in the world, however, I would have waited until Saturday night at 6:30pm to actually bang it out. My wife thinks this kind of procrastination adds to the spontaneity of my writing, but I think she's just trying to massage my lethargic ego.

* I have a love/hate relationship with Flamenco music.

Now that we're all better people due to my private laundry airing, I hope I've inspired

others to take inventory of the things that make them an individual. I hate to wrap this up so early, but I have a phone call I need to make.

Photo by Amy Hedges Photography


Tuesdays at 7:30PM

at Frontline:14 N. Broadway AvenueOklahoma City, OK 73102

www.myspace.com/[email protected]

a free networking and information session for ONEAL-ers. When: Where:

Join Oklahoma’s New and Emerging Arts Leaders for an evening of networking, and learn how the arts have been effective in reviving the Historic Plaza District. This event, which is hosted by the Lyric Theatre and the Plaza District, will spotlight programs that have successfully developed younger leadership for local arts organizations. The evening will conclude with tours of the Plaza District’s various art spaces.

Doors will open at 5:00, and the actual program will begin at 5:30.

Light hors d’oeuvres provided. No cost to attend. RSVP by contacting Molly O’Connor at 405-521-2025 or [email protected]

Sponsored by Oklahoma Arts Council, Lyric Theatre, Plaza District and ArtBeat

Thursday, January 7th, 5:00pmLyric Theatre at the Plaza District1727 NW 16th Street, Oklahoma City


To submit your art, send us a picture of your work and your contact info to [email protected]


WWW.SUZANNEPECKARTIST.COM


by Shar Grant

You’re not supposed to say bad things about dead people. Even if you didn’t always like a dead person, there’s this sense that,

well, they’re dead now so what is the use of saying something bad. They’ve got no more chances at redemption, or apologies. Not that I didn’t like my Grandma, in fact, I loved her. She just wasn’t a Grandma, you know, the kind that they write about on t-shirts, “When Mom's Having A Bad Day, Call 1-800-Grandma,” “I Don't Care, Take Me To Grandma’s” or “I’m Not Spoiled, I’m Just Grandma’s Favorite.” My Grandma grew up in the Great Depression in Cashion, Oklahoma. We’re talking dirt poor. Because of this and other reasons I’m sure, Grandma tended to see life as black or white, and mixing those two colors, well, that’s not something you did. Those other reasons died with Grandma. She never wanted to talk about her childhood. I’m a writer; I probed. She rebuffed every inquiry. Who knows what kind of sadness and desperation she observed in the Great Depression? I think those kind of observations change a person, deep down. She probably didn’t have that t-shirt Grandma either, so she had no idea how a t-shirt Grandma behaved. Well, I may not have had a t-shirt Grandma, but I took what my Grandma could give.

She lived creatively, even though she wouldn’t call herself creative. As a gifted artist, no matter what the art, she held a fierce desire to do things better than well. She sewed clothes, always taking care to match plaids and stripes. She quilted. She and her sister put together twelve quilts comprised of patches made by the families of Red Cross tissue donors. These quilts traveled around the country on display at national Red Cross events. She also

had an amazing crossword and math ability. But most of all, she cooked really good food from scratch! I never order chicken fried steak from a restaurant. I don’t care if they call themselves the best down-home cookin’ in the country! No one, and I mean no one, makes chicken fried steak like my Grandma did. And she’d just whip up the best mashed potatoes and gravy every time. Seriously, I have to WORK at mashed potatoes and gravy! Forget perfection, I go for edible. If I don’t use a package, you can just bet the gravy is pasty or runny. It’s that flavor I just can’t get right. Well, one time, I made these really good potatoes. One time and that was this year! I yearned to know the secret to Grandma’s cooking. How? How? How? I would pester her all the time, over her shoulder, just trying to get it. She wasn’t trying to hide it from me, it’s that she just didn't know. She’d just say “this is what you do.” But she couldn’t tell me how. “You just add a lil bit of this, wait ‘til this is just ‘bout right and there you go.” She acted like it was so easy and to her it was like breathing.

Well, cookin’ ain't like breathin’ to me. I ache over cooking a good meal. It’s as natural to me as peeing standing up. It’s a strange and nostalgic experience to sort through a dead person’s stuff. At first, you can’t throw anything away because what if that plate or that pillowcase is somehow sacred? But after hours of sorting, you quickly realize that you simply can’t keep everything, you just can’t. When my Grandma died and we had to clean out her house, there was so much stuff. Some of it was truly sacred, pictures, her sewing machine, her quilts, and for me, her kitchen tools. Luckily, the rest of my family has a stocked kitchen already. I couldn’t believe my haul! All the pots and pans

she used to cook amazing meals! All the spices she actually tossed in to give food its perfect flavor! And the tools! Going through her drawers, I found all kinds of tools, most of which I had no idea how to use. This one tool in particular has a wooden handle with five wire rings coming out. It’s sat in my drawer for two years. I had no idea that it’s the easiest way to cut butter into flour for home-made biscuits. Duh! There’s a few more tools that I’ve not used yet, but they are in the drawer, waiting to be discovered. Oh and the other best thing, her bright orange containers for flour (complete with ancient sifter), sugar, coffee, and powdered sugar. They sit proudly displayed on my counter for easy access. Could I have bought all these gadgets myself? Maybe, but not of vintage quality and not from my Grandma’s kitchen. I’m hoping her elusive ability to cook will rub off on me somehow. As I use her kitchen supplies, day in and day out, I think about her. I get a little more confident, take a few more risks and one day, I’ll write about the amazing meal I made with the tools from Grandma’s kitchen.


Just over a year old, the ONE-AL Network is continuing to grow across the state of

Oklahoma. And we are really just beginning…!

What is the ONEAL Network you ask? ONEAL is a free and in-dependent network for Oklahoma’s New and Emerging Artists. The Network represents the next wave of leadership in the Arts across the State of Oklahoma. Arts lead-ers age 35 and under or those arts leaders with less than five years of experience in the business of art or arts administration are encour-aged to join the network. ONEAL is primarily a tool for Arts Lead-ers to share resources and provide peer support. A committee of task force members have helped lead the way in the past year.

To date, the ONEAL Network relies on a group Facebook page to keep connected, so if you are interested in joining the network, find us on Facebook. In January, we will launch the ONEAL Blog as another means to keep members informed.

As we continue to expand re-gionally, we are introducing the

concept of the ONEAL Deal. An ONEAL Deal is an open-network-ing event in which ONEAL mem-bers can meet other colleagues from around the state in order to share information and promote the arts in Oklahoma. Our first ONEAL Deal event was hosted by City Arts Center in August 2009. The Lyric Theatre and the Plaza District in Oklahoma City are col-laborating to host another ONEAL Deal Event on the evening of Janu-ary 7th. We hope to see many new faces at this event. It will be held at the Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th Street in Oklahoma City. Doors open at 5:00pm. There is no cost to attend this event, but please RSVP by contacting Molly O’Connor at [email protected].

Are you interested in the possi-bility of hosting an ONEAL Deal event?

An ONEAL Deal can be planned and hosted by an arts organization, arts business such as a gallery or a combination of ONEAL members and participating community or-ganizations. Each ONEAL Deal event should include quality time for networking, but the events can

be creatively designed to meet the needs and interests of ONEAL members. All events should be free or low cost to ensure good ac-cess.

A successful ONEAL event could include any of the following aspects:

* Guest speaker(s)* Group discussion, such as Cre-ative Conversations (a program offered through Americans for the Arts)* A panel of speakers from the community or from around the state* Workshops or professional de-velopment* A reception or meal* A showcase of talent such as a performance or an exhibit* A tour of a local arts facility or arts district* An art-making or creative activ-ity

If you would like information on hosting an ONEAL Deal Event, please contact Molly O’Connor at 405-521-2025.

By Molly O'Connor

or: “What’s the Latest Deal with ONEAL?”


Twelve Fellows Chosen for New Regional Contemporary Art Program

OKLAHOMA – The first twelve Fellows have been selected for a brand new contemporary art

program for art writers and curators. Structured unlike any program in the nation, the Oklahoma Art Writing and Curatorial Fellowship encourages writing that is informed, articulate, inspired and engages audiences in contemporary art.

Through this yearlong program, each of the twelve Fellows will produce art writing and exhibition projects in mentorship with art world luminaries. The Fellows were chosen through a competitive application process and represent independent artists, writers and professionals in museums and educational institutions, living within 350 miles of Oklahoma City (see attached lists for biographies). The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition presents the program in partnership with the University of Oklahoma School of Art & Art History and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Independent curator Shannon Fitzgerald designed the curriculum and serves as program lead.

“We are launching this program to help Oklahoma’s talented and diverse artists, writers, curators and visual arts professionals gain access and additional perspective about the national art scene,” said Julia Kirt, Executive Director. She continued, “A healthy art community includes critical art writers, active curators, and an engaging dialogue among living artists and the community. This program will create meaningful dialogues among museums, universities, publishers and artists in our region. The Fellows will benefit from the high caliber mentors whose participation endorses the program’s originality and cultural importance.”

The public will be able to see “behind the scenes” of the contemporary art world through a series of public panel presentations given by the mentors. The first of these will take place on February 20, 1-3 pm, at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The following two panel discussions will take place at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Mentors for the 2010 Fellowship include esteemed professionals in the arts such as Tom Eccles, Executive

Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College in New York; Tyler Green, noted arts blogger and founder of Modern Art Notes in Washington, DC; and Eleanor Heartney, contemporary art critic and contributing editor to Art in America in New York City, among others. Local mentor W. Jackson Rushing, III, who recently joined the University of Oklahoma, is a preeminent scholar of contemporary Native American Art and publishes widely about modern art.

The Oklahoma Art Writing and Curatorial Fellowship is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Oklahoma Humanities Council, National Endowment for the Humanities, Oklahoma Arts Council, and Allied Arts. The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is a 21-year old organization providing career resources for artists who live and work in Oklahoma. For more information about the program and public panels, please visit www.write-curate-art.org or call 405-879-2400.

Fellows - Oklahoma Art Writing and Cu-ratorial Fellowship 2010Sarah Atlee (Oklahoma City, OK), Josh Buss (Moore, OK), Scott Gleeson (Dallas, TX), Brian Hearn (Oklahoma City, OK), Alison Hearst (Ft Worth, TX), Sarah Jesse (Tulsa, OK), Kelsey Karper (Oklahoma City, OK), Cedar Marie (Norman, OK), Mary Kathryn Moeller (Tulsa, OK), Lee Piechocki (Kansas City, MO), Heather Read (Norman, OK), Louise Sid-dons, PhD (Stillwater, OK)

Mentors - Oklahoma Art Writing and Curatorial Fellowship 2010Tracy Abeln, Frances Colpitt, Margo A. Crutchfield, Tom Eccles, Shannon Fitzger-ald, Tyler Green, Kate Hackman, Eleanor Heartney, Catherine J. Morris, W. Jackson Rushing, III, Emily Stamey.

Public Programs

February 20, 1-3 pmWriting About Art in Museums

and Academia Frances Colpitt, W. Jackson Rushing, III,

and Emily StameyFred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

University of Oklahoma555 Elm Avenue, Norman, OK 73019

March 27, 1-3 pmWhat Does a Curator Do? Three Curatorial Models

Margo Crutchfield, Tom Eccles, Kate Hackman, and Catherine Morris

Oklahoma City Museum of Art415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

September 18, 1-3 pmCriticism, Critique, and Publishing

Tracy Abeln, Tyler Green, and Eleanor Heartney

Oklahoma City Museum of Art415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

For additional information about the Okla-

homa Art Writing and Curatorial Fellowship, please contact Julia Kirt, Executive Director,

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.

405-879-2400 · [email protected]


When you walk into the Scribner’s Gallery you instantly lose interest

in anything outside its door. Husband and wife team, Shane and Sara, have a space with grandiose pressed-tin ceilings juxtaposed against visually arresting modern furniture. The effect is an atmosphere of contemporary classicism that matches their style of painting.

Sara’s main focus is exploring the timeless form of the portrait. She believes the face capable of expressing the complete range of human emotion and establishing a deep connection with the viewer. While her subjects tend to appear in modern attire, her technique reveals that she is reviving a classic style of art. I find her pieces to be personally captivating in that it allows me to see a fragment of myself concentrated, amplified and reflected in front of me.

Recently she’s been venturing into a more figurative body of work, creating a set of “double portraits.” The series depicts the person joined by a physically identical double, which shows an incarnation of their subconscious. The duality is a play between the dark and light sides of our psyches, irreversibly connected and interacting.

Shane’s art, though similar in its strict technique, takes a very different route. The figure, usually nude, is his primary theme. His portfolio is full of ethereal beauties shown in a mythical light, reminiscent Greek nymphs or Roman goddesses. The unclothed figure to him represents a pure manifestation of the subject, incapable of guile or deceit. He removes anything they might hide behind and shows us a universally meaningful truth in their bodies.

Though the nudity has sparked a degree of controversy with some of their visitors, it is an essential nonsexual element in his work. The gallery/art supply store/jewelry store is located in Enid, right in the heart of downtown at 124 S. Independance. It has become a singular success, packed to bursting the first Friday of every month as a new show is displayed. The event is part social gathering, part exhibition of a new artist and always manages to pull together a cultural cross-section of the town.

Originally from San Francisco, the couple came to Oklahoma to pursue a goal of being able to spend their days in uninterrupted painting, which inspired them to put their studio directly connected to their gallery, and

make their home as a comfy loft above the store. The setup allows them to work on their individual pieces while simultaneously running a business. They represent an upcoming generation of artists whose innovative approaches to the business of creating have earned them a special place in today’s cutthroat world. A visit to their building is an absolute necessity for anyone feeling out the art scene of our state.

They are a part of the booming cultural movement occurring in Oklahoma and nationwide, an integral part of the force that moves creative minds in our town. I know that I would never have realized the opportunities available to me here in Enid without them. Recently they took on a resident from Norman, Ryan Pack, and I’m sure she feels the same. The Scribners are a cornerstone in our artistic community. Whether teaching a private lesson, leading a beading class or sitting at their easels, they constantly display a dedication to their craft that is inspiring and rare, a quality worth appreciating.

Wesley Clark Young is a writer living and working in Enid, OK. Check out his latest project at www.enidcreative-collective.blogspot.com

Meet Artists Shane & Sara Scribner of EnidBy Wesley Young


"Kim" by Shane Scribner

"The Shadow Obscures"

by Sara Scribner


by Mel Sparks

Initially, one might find it surprising to discover that the world's only certified raw culinary school is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; but upon further

reflection, it is not a surprise at all. Oklahoma is rooted in a pioneering spirit and exploring new territory is a natural part of it. In actuality,Oklahoma just made sense. 105degrees founder and developer, Dara Prentice has roots in Oklahoma City as a graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law. Dara recognized that the climate of OKC was just right, with a growing population of vegetarian and health conscious diners and few upscale vegetarian dining options available. Oklahoma's central location in the nation also made it a perfect destination for training Chefs from both coasts in105's Academy.

105degrees Cafe', Academy, and Shop opened in September of '09, creating a buzz throughout the food world. "Can raw cuisine go mainstream?" is one of the questions being asked and this team of creative thinkers is out to prove it can! With a mission to "share and advance cutting edge living cuisine in an inviting environment with adept service, creative education, and superior dining," this dream team is challenging the boundaries of culinary art.

Renowned Raw Food Chef and Author Matthew Kenney is Director of Culinary Arts and Operations and creates menus with foods that contain all of their natural beauty and nutrition, or "living foods". The results offer full flavored cuisine that reflects Matthew's passion for sustainability, and healthful living. After fifteen years as a restauranteur in New York, Kenney found himself at a turning point in life. It was then that he discovered what initially seemed crazy to him, raw cuisine. While initial taste tests didn't necessarily offer all the taste a Chef of his caliber might desire, something sparked in Kenney as he saw the possibilities. Raw cuisine offered a unique

potential for creativity that comes with conquering new territories and he loved the way eating raw made him feel. Matthew set out to create food that allowed for the perfect marriage of "gourmet" and "healthy". Their website (105degrees.com) reminds us that "'You are what you eat' Living cuisine is active, beautiful, and fresh, so you can be too." Kenney creates the curriculum used at 105degrees academy that "emphasize the use of whole, organic, unprocessed, plant-based foods to achieve healthy, aesthetically refined and flavorful cuisine." Rising Chef Ladan Raissi, working directly under Matthew Kenney, is the Academy and Kitchen director. She brings to the table an impressive resume' of her own.

Combining her love for teaching and her passion for living cuisine and her culinary training, she is dedicated to imparting clean flavors and modernized technique to living cuisine.

At 105degrees cafe' and academy, the chefs trade the traditional techniques of roasting, braising, sauteing, and baking for dehydrating, blending, marinating, and thermal immersion cooking, which is low-temperature, underwater cooking in a sealed vacuum pack. They also have traded in grandma's griddle for an instant freezing technique called an "Anti-griddle". With menus boasting such creative culinary delights as Heirloom Tomato Lasagna, Blue Corn Tostada, Portobello Mushroom Piccata and Local Wild Mushroom Gnocci and tempting healthful desserts as Pear Frangipane and Malted Chocolate Tart; 105degrees is introducing Oklahoma diners to a new healthful approach to dining.

As we embark upon the New Year, be sure to check out 105degrees located at 5820 N. Classen Blvd., Suite 1 and all that their healthy and creative approach to the culinary arts has to offer!


A Hopeful Student's Thoughts on 105degrees Academy

By Daniel Koehler

As our population's conscious well-being acclimates to thoughts + actions centered around old beliefs such as, "You are what you eat" and attitudes of incorporating + learning to be your own nutritionist or "doctor", I foresee a special place in our lives for beginnings such as the one founded by 105degrees, Café + Academy.

105degrees is first and foremost a pure, raw organic restaurant, but it is the world's only certified raw culinary school. The core of the curriculum for the 105degrees Chef Certification Program is the one month Fundaments of Raw Cuisine. An advanced class will be birthed January 2010 and start repetition every three months.

Training received emphasizes not only the culinary arts of raw cuisine, but health, and sustainability, welcoming students from around the world. They highlight seasonal produce and dishes of that particular month, and focus on taste, presentation, methods and personal philosophies, incorporated with a classical approach.

105degree's mission, or goal, is to share and advance cutting-edge living cuisine, working with the highest quality organic, raw foods predicated on the Earth's ability to provide raw ingredients necessary for their creation.

I see a wonderful future for the opportunity they provide, and imagine one day attending 105degrees myself.

Peace be with you.

To read more of Daniel's musings, go to pythagoreanjaguar.blogspot.com or contact Daniel at [email protected]

“The name 105degrees represents the optimum temperature for preparing living cuisine, also

called raw food cuisine, without harming its healthful properties.”

105degrees Hours of OperationFull Cafe Open 7 days a Week

Sun and Mon 11 am to 9 pm Tue - Thurs 11 am to 10 pm Fri and Sat 11 am to 11 pm


Dear Wine Guy,I am throwing a girls bash in a month and

am featuring wines and desserts. Could you recommend a few dessert wines that would pair nicely with chocolate, berries and maybe something lighter with a lemony twist? And yes, of course we will have champagne on hand!!

Merci beaucoup,KelliWardrobe Stylist and CEO of A Rendez-vous With Style

Hi Kelli,Before I go on too much about matching

wines with desserts, there is one little gem I MUST tell you about!! Quady Elysium Black Muscat from California. This little treat has a very dark color which is quite interesting (comes from the Black Muscat grape). Will work well with your dark chocolates and is also one of the only wines you can serve with chocolate pudding. Surprisingly, it goes with desserts that have vanilla in the recipe as well. Or for something a little more over the top, try it poured over vanilla ice cream! This is always a star when we serve it at home - very unique wine…definitely locate one and show to others! Elysium, by the way, is Greek for Heaven. Get it, like it, love it!

If your dessert is fruit (alone or in tarts, etc), go for a sweet white wine. For this, you can never go wrong with a Sauternes (the king of dessert wines…and it doesn’t hurt to have the royal funds of a king to buy them…). In fact, at the big gala The Antiques Diva and I went to at the Louvre last year, we enjoyed a sublime Chateau d’ Yquem with our dessert…

the undisputed king of Sauternes. To save a few dollars, though, and still have a similar effect, I usually go for a Monbazillac. My favorites are the ones from Chateau La Robertie. We ran into this family in the annual wine expo in Paris several years ago and have been faithful patrons ever since! They produce a very balanced, full-of-fruit wine that can be stored for quite some time and still retain a crispness. Just a side note: we will often serve Sauternes or this Monbazillac with fois gras, dates and fig confiture as a starter. Remember, often a solid dessert wine can stand on its own and actually be used in place of a dessert!

If you are serving chocolates, which is extremely common as dessert, it’s tough to serve wines to match. Definitely go for the black muscat I mentioned above. DO NOT SERVE A WHITE WINE WITH IT. I’ve heard of some people serving Merlot with chocolate, but I wouldn’t do that. If I didn’t serve the Elysium above, I would probably serve a Tawny Port or Madeira (a fortified wine from the Madeira Islands, Portugal) with the chocolate.

If your dessert is sweet and particularly heavy, you might try a light sparkling wine – remember, champagne works perfectly here.

Also, just a thought, but for desserts that are not very sweet (berries, shortbread, pound cake, or even your tart-lemony desserts), feel free to pop the cork on a few bottles of champagne. But try to get a “demi-sec” champagne – these are the sweetest of champagnes and will match well with those desserts.

Another type of sweet wine to consider is Ice Wine (usually from Canada or Germany). Interesting in that these wines are produced from grapes that have been FROZEN while still on the vine! The sugars and other juices

in the grape don’t freeze, but the water does –the result is a highly concentrated grape must. These usually are characterized by a clean, refreshing taste. Given the labor intense and risky production process, ice wines are typically quite expensive as well.

One of our favorite sweet wines is Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (probably the best of all the Muscat wines made in Southern France). A beautiful honey color, they have the typical Muscat flavors of flowers, tropical fruit and honey. Have it with peaches, figs, strawberries & cream…or even ice cream by itself…. Yum, my mouth is watering! My favorite is from Domaine de Fenouillet – we stumbled across this place while visiting the town Beaumes de Venise and stocked up on this sweet nectar!! Sometimes, we serve as an aperitif (and I’m opening a bottle right now as a result of this delightful little blog!!).

Kelli, have a fantastic party and let us know how it turns out!

And remember… “Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance” ~ Benjamin Franklin

-The Wine Guy

*Above is an excerpt from the blog of Oklahoma native, Toma Haines, aka, The Antiques Diva. Her husband, BJ Haines, also an Oklahoma native, and international businessman often offers up wisdom and witticism about wine. To read more about antiques, antique shopping, international life and fine living, check out www.antiquesdiva.blogspot.com

by BJ Haines


Instant Teaby Shar Grant

Does anybody like instant tea? They (Nestle) continue to manufacture it so I guess somebody buys it, but really who likes it? I’m pretty much obsessed with tea, and I can’t stand it. Just add water. Those words don’t always send bad tastes to memory. Just add water to pancakes. Those are pretty good. Just add water to hot chocolate. Good. But instant tea. It’s always so bitter. Oh yes, I’ve tried it. I mean, no waiting, right? Instant. Tea. No hot water to boil, or microwave to fear. But it just doesn’t come out right. Perhaps I add too much. I tend to like my tea strong and if they “recommend” two teaspoons, I’m adding five. I am under the illusion that tea keeps me awake, gives me energy, too. But I have the totally undiagnosed weird symptom of ADD where I have the opposite reaction to stimulants. So if it is “supposed” to keep me awake, it doesn’t put me to sleep necessarily, but I can certainly sleep right through it. So Nyquil keeps me up all night. I know, it’s awful. Anyway, you are SO wondering what my point might actually be, if I’ve kept you reading this far.

Text messages! If I text someone, I expect an immediate-ish response or I get to think this person might be dead, laying in a ditch somewhere or worse, the phone is off! I have come to expect instant access to EVERYONE. Don’t get me wrong, I love texting. I delight in unlimited texting. But at some point, I need to realize that texting is just another form of technology teaching me the value of instant and shrinking my ability to wait. Waiting is actually pretty sweet, right? WRONG! Everybody hates waiting. I used to get so annoyed to sit at a red light and then I timed it. Do you know that, on average, a red light lasts about 30 seconds? Seriously! Anyone who has ever

given a three-minute speech knows that time ticks off precisely one second at a time.

Why are we in such a hurry? My kids are not in a hurry. In fact, they like to take their time eating breakfast, getting dressed, moving through the door to the car. They are, in turn, rewarded for this as time moves slowly for them. The time between their birthdays feels like eons. I told them the other day, “Kids, adults are always in a hurry. We rush to get here, to get there, to drive. If mommy is rushing, please help me stop and relax.” They, of course, asked, “Well, why?” I did not have a good answer for this question. I don’t think we are really that paranoid about being late. I think we have just been programmed to hurry. And instant access perpetuates this cycle in us. Hey, there’s a point, that and instant tea is gross.


The Business of Art-The Ins and Outs of Taking Credit Cards

By Jim Pierce

In visiting with artists at a couple of recent art/craft shows, I noticed that many of the vendors only accepted cash or checks for

payment. I asked a few of them why they didn't currently accept credit cards, and most said they either didn't think they were doing enough shows to justify the expense, or they didn't understand the process so they figured it was best not to bother. I followed up with another question: Have you ever lost a sale because you didn't take credit cards? 95% of them said 'Yes'. The others didn't know.

I did speak to a few savvy artists who use online payment services like Pay Pal and Pro Pay. They usually tie in directly with your website, and are easy to navigate, but may require your customer to create an account, and may not offer the flexibility or the cheaper rates of a traditional merchant account.

Here are a few things you should know about merchant accounts:

* A merchant account is usually managed by a processor, a third party who transfers funds directly to your bank account, and charges a number of fees for that service. * Most banks offer merchant account services, but many are just ancillary products offered by the bank, typically with higher fees and discount rates. * There are hundreds of companies (also called ISO's) out there selling merchant account services, and it is sometimes difficult to tell who is giving you a good deal, and who is just blowing smoke.

So, what's an artist to do? You want to sell your work and you want to take credit card orders but who can you trust? Aren't these ISO's all the same? Well, yes and no. Here are 3 tips to show how to tell the good from the bad:

Remember that you are dealing with banks. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are all owned

by banks. Banks have one primary goal: Make money for their shareholders. To do that, they offer different products, such as debt. Yes, believe it or not, debt IS a product. Back before the 1950's there were no such things as credit cards. Banks gave out loans based on collateral. If you had good collateral, you typically got the loan. Nowadays, it's all about the plastic. 90 days, same as cash! Buy now, pay later! Banks are making BILLIONS on debt.

Now, back to the subject- how to tell good from bad... Contract length: Most Processors want to lock you into a contract, typically for three years. Contracts are not necessarily bad, but be sure you know what you are signing. Almost NO processor will tell you that you have three days to back out of a signed contract in the State of Oklahoma. READ THE FINE PRINT! Most contracts have a penalty (often called a deconversion fee) for breaking the contract, usually between $195 and $350. The good news is, many processors will pay that fee for you if you switch to their service. Price: namely the fees. Here is a partial breakdown of common fees to be aware of: * Statement fee - This is what your processor charges you monthly. Typically between $5-$15 a month, per account. * Discount rate - This is the percentage of your sale that the processor takes. It can vary widely based on the type of card used, but is nearly always between 1.5% and 4%. You can get better rates if you do more than $100,000 a month in sales. * Per-item fee - This is a fee charged every time a card is run and is added to the discount rate. Typically between 15 and 35 cents, I've seen as high as 50 cents before. * Monthly minimum - Typically $25. If you

don't run at least $25 in a month, the processor will charge you up to $25 a month to make up the difference. (Again, the processors are tied to banks, and they have to make money.) * Voice authorization fee - When you call your processor to verify a card, they typically charge a dollar or two. * AVS fee - Address verification fee. When a zipcode is entered when processing a transaction. * Batch fee - Charge for your end-of-day settlement. Also called "Batching Out."

There are many other types of fees which could be involved, depending on your processor and the bank they use.

Service: I saved the most important one for last for a reason. Good service is optional, GREAT service is essential! Your processor should have a rep who knows you by name and answers your call as though you are his best customer. He/she should keep you updated on the latest products and happenings in the industry. When is the last time your processor spoke with you about PCI compliance? If you are out of supplies, need a question answered, or have an equipment issue, your agent should be at your beck and call. The most common complaint I hear is that my merchants have to wait on hold to talk to someone. My merchants all have my cell number.

As an artist, you are free to express your experience, thoughts and feelings through your chosen media. On the business side, your customer should have every available payment option. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Jim Pierce is an artist and an agent for CardPayment Solutions


9 SATURDAY• Peter Krauss, Lisa Turci, & Dr. Kent Kidwell in Concert/8pm/UCO Jazz Lab/$7/ucojazzlab.com

10 SUNDAY• Featured Poet/ 2pm/ Norman Train Depot/ FREE• Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE• Song Circle/ 5-10pm/ IAO Gallery (OKC)/ FREE• Kyle Dillingham & Virginia Campbell in Concert/3pm/UCO Jazz Lab/Tickets $20 - cash only/ucojazzlab.com

11 MONDAY • Art Exhibitions Short Films & or Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm/ FREE/ The Venue/ [email protected] 13 WEDNESDAY• God Bless America Patriotic Quilt Exhibit & Judy Howard book signing/ Cox Convention Center (OKC)/ 9am-7:30pm/ www.qscexpos.com• Red Dirt Poetry featuring Crystal Abercrombie/ 6pm: writing workshop ($5 suggested donation)/ 7:30pm: open mic sign up (music&poetry)/ show starts 8pm/ 2nd National Slam Team qualifying slam contest free to enter! or just come and watch and enjoy/ Sauced on Paseo/ FREE 14 THURSDAY• God Bless America Patriotic Quilt Exhibit & Judy Howard book signing/ Cox Convention Center, OKC/ 9am-7:30pm/ www.qscexpos.co0m

15 FRIDAY• Family movie night/ museum gallery open 7-8:30pm & movie begins at 8:30 in the Sam Noble Museum’s Great Hall (Norman)/ (Movie title TBA) / adults:$5 seniors:$4 youth:$3 kids5&under:free/ members:$1discount per ticket. 16 SATURDAY• God Bless America Patriotic Quilt Exhibit & Judy Howard book signing/ Cox Convention Center, OKC/ 8:30am-5:30pm/ www.qscexpos.com• Opening Reception: Brandi Twilley & Binod Shreshtha/6pm/IAO Gallery (OKC)/www.iaogallery.org

17 SUNDAY• Third Sunday Song Swap/5pm/IAO Gallery (OKC)/FREE/www. iaogallery.org• Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE

1 FRIDAY• Paseo Art Walk/ 6-10pm/ Paseo District (OKC) / FREE/ thepaseo.com• ”Is The Whole World On Fire?” an artistic interpretation of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot by Eric Humphries/ runs thru January 30th/ AKA Gallery in the Paseo District (OKC)/ 606-2522 2 SATURDAY• Paseo Art Walk/ Noon-6pm/ Paseo District (OKC)/ FREE/ thepaseo.com

3 SUNDAY• Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE 4 MONDAY• Art Exhibitions Short Films & or Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm/ FREE/ The Venue// [email protected]• FREE admission into the Sam Noble Natural History Muse-um in Norman/ 10am-5pm• Mid-Del Art Guild/ 7pm/ ArtzPlace Oklahoma, Midwest City/www.mid-delartguild.org

5 TUESDAY• The Oklahoma Art Guild/Live Model Drawing/ 7pm/City Arts Center, OKC/www.okartguild.com

6 WEDNESDAY• Red Dirt Poetry featuring Write Bloody Poet Rob Sturma/ 6pm: writing workshop ($5 suggested donation)/ 7:30pm: open mic sign up (music & poetry)/ show starts 8pm/ 2nd National Slam Team qualifying slam contest free to enter! or just come and watch and enjoy / Sauced on Paseo/ FREE

7 THURSDAY• ”Thanking Our Troops--God Bless America Touring Quilts”/ 7-9pm/ Immanuel Baptist Church (Shawnee)/ FREE• The Mitch Bell Band/Traditional & contemporary jazz/ 8pm/UCO Jazz Lab/$7/ucojazzlab.com

8 FRIDAY• “LIVE on the Plaza”/ 7-11pm/ FREE/ Plaza District (OKC)/plazadistrict.org• Circuit of Art/ 6-10pm/ Main Street in Norman/ FREE• Art “à la CART”/ 6-9pm/ Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman/ FREE• Form in Flux: Paintings by Kristal Tomshany/ opening re-ception 6-9pm (runs thru Jan 30th)/ Tulsa Artist’s Coalition Gallery/ FREE

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18 MONDAY• Art Exhibitions Short Films & or Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm/ FREE/ The Venu/ [email protected] 20 WEDNESDAY• Red Dirt Poetry featuring Def Poet Big Poppa E/ 7:30pm: open mic sign up (music&poetry)/ show starts 8pm/ come enjoy yourself/ Sauced on Paseo/ FREE 21 THURSDAY• Featured Poet/ 7pm/ Benedict Street Market Place (Shaw-nee)/ FREE• Marcy Priest/ live music/ 7:30pm (doors open at 7)/ UCO Jazz Lab/ $7admission• Marcy Priest in Concert/7:30pm/UCO Jazz Lab/$7 For advance ticket visit www.marcypriest.com/tickets

22 FRIDAY• Featured Poet + Open Mic./ 7:30pm/ IAO Gallery (OKC)/ FREE• Darwin Remembers: Recollections of a Life’s Journey/ a play written & performed by Floyd Sandford/ 7pm/ Sam Noble Museum in Norman/ FREE

24 SUNDAY• Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman)/ FREE• Science Film Series: “Madam Curie” starring/ 2pm/ Sam Noble Museum in Norman/ Free with paid museum admis-sion• Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” film/ 2pm/ OCU’s Kerr McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business/FREE 25 MONDAY• Art Exhibitions Short Films & or Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm/ FREE/ The Venue/ [email protected]• Improv Workshop 101 with Tyler Bryce/6pm/IAO Gallery/www.iaogallery.org

27 WEDNESDAY• Red Dirt Poetry/ 7:30pm: open mic sign up (poetry and mu-sic)/ show starts 8pm/ 1st Semi-Final National slam team qualifying slam, free to enter! or just come and watch and enjoy/ Sauced on Paseo/ FREE 28 THURSDAYImprov Workshop 101 with Tyler Bryce/6pm/IAO Gallery/www.iaogallery.org

Submit your event at www.artbeatok.com or send an email to: [email protected]

29 FRIDAYCafe City Arts 2010: Elevation/ 7:30 pm/City Arts Center, OKC/Free/cityartscenter.org

3 SATURDAY• Downtown D.I.Y./ 7-10pm/ OKC Coworking Collaborative (723 N. Hudson)/ $3, free for members 31 SUNDAY• Open Forum at the Mic + Karaoke/ 8pm-midnight/ Pita Pit (Norman) / FREE• Featured Poet + Open Mic./ 2pm/ Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place (OKC)/ FREE• Science Film Series: “Chain Reaction”/ 2pm/ Sam Noble Mu-seum in Norman/ free with paid museum admission

1 MONDAY• Art Exhibitions Short Films & or Live Drama & Music/ 8:30pm/ FREE/ The Venue/ [email protected]• Free admission into the Sam Noble Natural History Museum in Norman/ 10am-5pm 5 FRIDAY• Paseo Art Walk/ shops are open late with snacks & wine/ 6-10pm/ FREE / Paseo District (OKC)/ thepaseo.com• Modern Materials: The Art of the Quilt/ opening reception 5-9pm (runs thru Feb. 25th)/ Living ArtSpace (Tulsa)/ FREE• Bi-Rekk (7-person HS Installation Art Group)/ opening recep-tion 5-9pm(runs thru Feb.25th)/ Living ArtSpace (Tulsa)/FREE 6 SATURDAY• Paseo Art Walk/ Noon-6pm/ FREE / Paseo District (OKC)/thepaseo.com

7 SUNDAY• Quan An Wang’s “Tuya’s Marriage” film/ 2pm/ OCU’s Kerr McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business/ FREE Events to Look Forward to and Volunteer Opportunities:

PEEPS - The Paseo Arts Association and Edgemere Elementary seek teaching artists for a Spring After School Program in the Arts. It will run February through March. Teachers commit to four days, Tues & Wed from 3-4:30 pm. We are seeking grants to pay a small honorarium for the teachers and supplies. Please let us know, ASAP, if you are interested.

PAA and Edgemere ElementaryPEEPS Program405.525.2688

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Volunteer Opportunities

ArtBeat Calling All Writers!

Interested in writing for ArtBeat?ArtBeat is built on a foundation of reader-submitted work*, and we are looking to build our writer/contributor base. If you are a writer interested in encouraging and promoting creativity and the arts in Oklahoma, and are looking for the opportunity to be published online and in print, check out our submission guidlines at www.artbeatok.com -under contact us. Then email managing editor, Missy Hancock at [email protected]. Join the ArtBeat writing team!

*ArtBeat does not currently pay for submissions.

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January 2009

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