Yousef Khanfar grew up in Kuwait, raised by Palestinian refugees and mute at the age of 6. Concerned, his father took him into the sand dunes with a camera, hoping that if the boy was not willing to communicate with his mouth, perhaps he would with a camera. A lifelong obsession was born. Moving to […]
Charles Martin
Posted inArts & Culture
Forward march
Although entering its 10th incarnation, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s “Momentum: Art Doesn’t Stand Still” is still younger than the artists whose work drives the annual event. “‘Momentum’ started because we were concerned that so few young artists were participating in the local art scene,” said Julia Kirt, OVAC executive director. “We would see a significant […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Graphic substance
It took a library to write “Inanna’s Tears,” the latest graphic novel by Rob Vollmar, set in 3000 B.C. Sumer, located in the southern part of modern-day Iraq. With a love for exhaustive research and deep character study, he stretches the expectations of the medium by introducing comics fans to high-minded historical fiction. The Normanite […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Sharing is caring
This is the plight of the organizers for the Norman Music Festival, a free event since its inception four years ago. With 200 bands performing over three days in downtown Norman, organizers hope to scratch up extra funds to ease their stretched budget by hosting a wine-share Friday during the Second Friday Circuit of Art. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Poster art
Photography capturing candid scenes of city life and major motion pictures are essentially the same thing, according to Steven Poster. The cinematographer should know, having worked on cinematic touchstones like “Blade Runner,” “Donnie Darko” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” “The act of making a photograph, as opposed to the art of shooting a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Cold-hearted
Friday is going to be the start of a long day for Scott Moore, when he takes the first of 24 dips into ice-cold water at White Water Bay. Although it might sound like Moore lost a cruel bet or someone is in serious violation of the Geneva Convention, he is actually taking part in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Strip club
Budding musical-theater composers and performers are being given a unique chance for stage time, thanks to Stripped, an Oklahoma City University student-run group. By scrimping to keep expenses down, Stripped is able to present three 45-minute excerpts from new musicals picked from submissions worldwide: “Placebo,” “Piggy in the Middle” and “Seasons.” Billy Lowrimore, student director […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Off-script
A major contributor to the growth has been a weekly Saturday showcase at Ghostlight Theatre Club as part of the umbrella group, OKC Improv. “The fantastic part of being Oklahoma’s first ongoing showcase is we get to highlight all these different troupes that are going through classes and getting encouragement from the rest of the […]
Posted inNews
Rise and shine
Career tracks in the contemporary art world are not simple straight lines. The trajectory is different for each individual, so artists taking their first steps into the professional realm need more guidance. To help the next wave, Mainsite Contemporary Art in Norman established the annual “Emergent Artists” exhibit, showcasing notable newbies. Showing through Feb. 5, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
PALing around
Boxing is nearly a full-time job for 16-year-old Alex Saucedo. The 145pound Oklahoma City fighter visits the gym seven days a week in his bid to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. He isn’t sure if his citizenship will come through in time to qualify for the U.S. team or if he will be fighting for […]