Oklahoma Arts Conference set to take place in Lawton for the first time

Arts in Oklahoma are gaining momentum after the pandemic, and for the first time, the annual state conference is set to take place in the Southwest part of the Sooner State, or, to be more precise, in Lawton.

“Lawton put together a fabulous proposal, it was too good to turn down,” Molly O’Conner, director of Rural and Creative Outreach of the Oklahoma Arts Council, said. Over the span of three days, from Tuesday to Thursday, a multitude of different events will enable artists, cultural and community leaders as well as educators from all over the state to come together and learn from each other.

A few things stood out when deciding for Lawton as the host of this year’s conference, O’Conner said, for example the “arts and military initiative,” the “exceptional education” offered in the Lawton area and the diverse culture with many Native American communities calling Southwest Oklahoma home.

“Artists and cultural leaders from Native American communities bring talent and knowledge to the experience, making it meaningful and authentic,” O’Conner said.

“People learn about what happens in neighboring communities,” she said. “We put a lot of thought into the curriculum to equip people in all different respects with the tools and information they need to advance their work.”

“The arts are parts of a lot of things in Oklahoma that we talk about,” Joel Gavin, director of marketing and communications of the Oklahoma Arts Council, said. “There are few if any other assets available out there that can serve a state and community in so many ways.”

According to Gavin, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a “disproportional hit” to the arts sector. “Arts inherently bring people together, something we couldn’t do during that time.”

But there is good news.

“We just announced an investment of $10 million by state leaders to build the Oklahoma arts sector,” Gavin said. “This conference in part is related to that. More funding is now available, and we really have an opportunity now to imagine the way forward.”

Most events will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn, 135 NW 2nd Street, and require a pre-conference registration that is not available anymore due to full capacity, which is about 350 people. However, some events are open to the public, although an RSVP would be helpful, Gavin said.

One of those events is the Oklahoma Arts and the Military Summit III from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the McCasland Ballroom at Cameron University, 2800 W. Gore. Free and open to the public, it features special guest speakers such as Marine veteran Dewaine Farria, group discussions and a workshop. The event is focused on arts, health and wellbeing across the military continuum, according to a press release. RSVP can be made to [email protected].

Another stand-out event is the Native American Artist Forum from 2-5 p.m. Tuesday in the Dorothy Sunrise Lorentino Educational Center, 1608 SW 9th Street. It is mainly offered to Native American artists wishing to learn more about resources available to support their work and creative practice. RSVP can be made to [email protected].

“Forever Motown” will be featuring nine artists such as Theo Peoples and Traci Robinson from 7:30-9 p.m. Wednesday at McMahon Memorial Auditorium, 801 NW Ferris. Tickets start at $20 online, with conference participants receiving a 25 percent discount.

The Oklahoma Arts Conference 2023 will wrap up with live music from 5-10 p.m. Thursday at Medicine Park.