Tickled pink

“You had to be there.”

If you didn’t live in Oklahoma City in 2003, it’s hard to explain what it was like. Twenty-two years ago, there was no Devon Tower, no arena. There was no Oklahoma City Thunder, and even the Hornets team didn’t come to Oklahoma City until 2005. You could absolutely flip a U-turn in the middle of Broadway Avenue and no one would think twice. Parking? Forget about it. It was never a concern. Traffic? Please. Maybe one week of the year: during the state fair.

The impact of MAPS was just beginning to show. The Bricktown Canal had opened a few years prior. There was no Plaza District, just NW 16th Street. It would be five more years before we had James E. McNellie’s Public House and a revitalized Midtown.

What we did have was a small, deeply connected group of local artists. They supported each other’s endeavors and the art scene at large. They attended each other’s opening nights at one of the few local galleries and gave countless hours to the arts organizations that supportived local artists. From gallery openings at IAO to an event at City Arts Center or a performance at Stage Center, a small group of artists kept the scene alive.

But it was, after all, 2003. There weren’t many outlets putting on traditional art shows, much less anything outside the black-and-white boundaries of what constituted “art” at that time. Women were often left out of the mix, especially if their art fell somewhere outside the borders. 

That’s when three friends, all artists in their own right, decided to try something new.

“At the time we started The Girlie Show, the art scene in OKC was much different than it is today,” said The Girlie Show co-founder Dawn Harth. “Our somewhat self-serving goal at the time was to create a place where the things we were making ourselves would fit in, things that landed in that creative zone between fine art gallery walls and church craft bazaar tables. That place didn’t seem to exist, so we decided we should create it and see if anyone else was looking for that too.”

In an Oklahoma Gazette article by Joe Wertz in October 2007, Harth recounted the inaugural event: “Harth said she and others ‘prayed’ for a few hundred people to attend 2003’s inaugural show at TAP Architecture,” Wertz wrote, “but when 800 visitors showed up, they knew they were on to something.”

Harth and co-founders Erin Merryweather and Marilyn Artus had struck a chord, both in terms of local artists who needed to find a foothold and an audience hungry for an art-centric celebration. By year two, the event had moved to Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., and had become a two-day affair.

“As the show evolved, it became a place where you might find a beautiful statement piece for your wall and you also might find a crazy-looking plushie that you just had to have, and your new favorite handcrafted ring, too,” Harth said. “Add in food, cocktails, music, entertainers and people having a great time, and it was just a whole lot of big, pink energy you didn’t want to miss.”

For a decade, The Girlie Show was one of the most important art events in the city — and, arguably, the most fun. Friday night was the big event: a 21-and-up party with aerialists, burlesque dancers and female musicians who performed while crowds perused the art, which included everything from paintings and sculptures to clothing, jewelry and furniture. Saturday was open to all ages, with tickets offered at a low price point and a focus on shopping.

“The artists loved it because up-and-comers got an opportunity to get their work out there and established artists got exposure to new crowds. This wasn’t necessarily your regular art-show crew; these people came to The Girlie Show for the experience,” Harth explained.

In 2006, the event shifted from only accepting Oklahoma artists to accepting applications from across the country. In-state or out-of-state, for many of the artists, it was their first show ever. The event was a smashing success for 10 years before the final installment in 2013.

“We created The Girlie Show because we cared about providing opportunities for other women creatives and ourselves. After hosting the show for 10 years, we had done a lot of what we set out to do, and that anniversary felt like a good place to stop,” Artus said.

“It’s exciting to see what a different city we all live in today,” Harth said. “It’s almost as if The Girlie Show foreshadowed what the city could feel like, how much energy you could get in one place for one event. And although Oklahoma City has a lot more going on now, it’s not as if something has come along to replace those old-school Girlie Shows.”

Triumphant return

So it was absolutely delightful to learn last November that Arts Council Oklahoma City was working with the trio to bring The Girlie Show back — now as a fundraiser for its All Access Arts program, which brings participatory, high-quality arts instruction directly into under-served schools across Oklahoma City, enriching thousands of young lives each year through expressive arts that can lead to improved academic outcomes and emotional growth.

“When the Arts Council OKC approached us to bring it back, it was a no-brainer,” said Artus.

Harth continued: “We couldn’t resist. It’s a beautiful collaboration of everything that feels right, right now: celebrating bold, brilliant women of every kind, funding local arts programs and adding to the reasons OKC is a damn good place to be.”

This year’s event is once  again at Farmers Public Market Nov. 14-15. A total of 44 artists were jury-selected to show their work. Performing artists, including musical acts, acrobats, showgirls and burlesque dancers, are being booked both days by Arts Council Oklahoma City’s All Access Arts program. General admission tickets are $35, and VIP tickets, which provide early access to the show, food and a cash bar, are $95. 

The team from the arts council is just as pleased.

“Speaking as a first-time Girlie Show attendee but a lifelong supporter of our local arts scene, it’s clear to me that the return couldn’t be more timely,” said Dan Tigert, communications director for Arts Council Oklahoma City. “An event that celebrates the creative force of femininity will be impactful and uplifting. I have no doubt The Girlie Show will reclaim its position on all of our holiday calendars.”

Dawn Harth agrees.

“The heart of why we did it is still very much the same. The thrill of seeing a young female artist step out there and show the world her work and gain the confidence to build herself up; the fun of seeing a room full of people of every age, every demographic, every background, every style coming together; the opportunity to contribute to the great things our city has to offer. Now we get the chance to partner with the Arts Council OKC and help benefit arts in schools through All Access Arts.”

Visit thegirlieshowokc.com. 

This article appears in Pretty in pink.