Relax and recharge with This Land Yoga’s Shannon Stephens through soft movement in Gentle Flow under the Persian Ceiling in Oklahoma City’s Museum of Art Magic and Light exhibition. Stretch along as Shannon walks through yoga fundamentals that aid in sleep, posture, and everyday mindfulness.
This is the first of two yoga videos I filmed for the museum. Hope you enjoy it!
A profile on Katy Boren and the Innovation District written for the Oklahoma Venture Forum on the subject of Connecting Assets in the Innovation District.
In April 2017, The Bookings Institution released a report based on an 18-month study about how the area now known as the Innovation District was ripe for an innovation district. The information inspired Katy Boren to start The Innovation District, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
“There are innovation districts across the globe, certainly across the country, and Brookings did an assessment,” said Katy Boren, Founder/CEO of The Innovation District. “What Brookings kind of foreshadowed was the success we could have if we focused on creating an ecosystem in Oklahoma City around our knowledge-based economies, STEM economies, that would make us more competitive nationally and globally.”
The borders of the Innovation District are 4th Street to 13th Street, Lottie to the east, and Robinson to the west, with the core being Harrison and 10th, right next to the Beacon of Hope in Stiles Park. Since the district sits in Northeast Oklahoma City, Boren is connected to the neighborhoods in big and small ways, from volunteering to co-programming.
“We are also working hard to make sure that as jobs are created out of this initiative in these next few years, residents of Northeast Oklahoma City are in the pipeline for STEM careers,” said Boren. “That’s working with K through 12, working with adult workforce for upskilling and reskilling, but really focusing some of our efforts to make sure that everyone benefits from this economic growth.”
One of Boren’s missions for the district is creating an ecosystem to strengthen the city’s STEM economies, making Oklahoma City more competitive.
“Everyone was working in silos inside universities, inside enterprise-level industry businesses, and entrepreneurs had a lot of resources here but could have even more, so pulling all of those assets that we have together, and convening them in different ways,” said Boren. “For example, we have 120 post-docs doing research in our physical area here. About 78% of all NIH funding for the state comes to this physical area as well, and so we have a lot of really great things happening in academics and research, which is where entrepreneurs and investors want to be, and in the industry as well, and so we have a great recipe.”
The Innovation District hosts over 50 events a year, despite not having a building of their own yet. Construction is set to begin in April, and Boren said they will do even more programming and convening of people and ideas. People can get involved by visiting the website okcinnovation.com.
Katy Boren will be presenting at the Oklahoma Venture Forum Power Lunch on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. The event will be open to guests both in-person and virtually via ZOOM.
“Our outcomes are determined by how much people participate,” said Boren. “The more ideas we get and the more vision we have from the network and the ecosystem, it creates a better outcome.”
Listen to the interview I had with Katy Boren on The Podcast Starts Now, an exclusive podcast for my supporters on Patreon.
The Art & Victory brand is expanding into three different series: Discussions, Lessons, and Sessions. The Discussions videos are the panel discussion talks with creatives that the series started. Sessions are one-off arts educational videos with the goal of having fun while the Lessons are longer, multi-part, and more in-depth educational content.
I’ve partnered with the Arts Council of Oklahoma City to elevate and expand the educational content they offer to schools and the public. I’ve been working with the arts council at the start of the pandemic providing live streams of their concerts and events, as well as some educational videos too. We’ve worked out a deal where we both get copies of the videos, one version with their branding and one with Arts & Victory branding. I plan to work with more arts organizations, offering the same deal to expand their arts education videos. Basically, I’m spinning plates right now, starting one at a time.
Yesterday, I filmed three Jazz-based dance lessons with Samantha Russell. I’ve included a behind-the-scene photo and a still from the first video. Again, I started yesterday and it’ll be a while before the videos are released, but I wanted to share a production update.
I’m excited production is moving along and I’ll be sure to keep you all posted.
To celebrate the opening of Off the Wall at Oklahoma Contemporary, Pablo Barrera hosted a conversation with Sarah Ahmad, romy owens and Marium Rana. The Oklahoma-based artists discussed their process and the various themes prevalent in Off the Wall, ranging from the artists’ relationship to time, chaos and tradition to modernity and cultural interpretation.
Working in three distinct styles, Ahmad, owens and Rana created immersive and interactive installations to transform the Mary Leflore Clements Oklahoma Gallery. Rather than being confined to the walls, their artwork extended into the air and explore the physical, vertical volume of the gallery using paper, textile and mixed media.
Off The Wall will be on display until June 20, 2022.
I partnered with Daisy Munoz, the Capital Access Manager for Progress OKC, a nonprofit that strengthens and preserves the social and economic fabric in Oklahoma City’s underserved communities. Thanks to their sponsorship, we visit Anointed Hands, FlasHOLR, Focus Urban Farms, 59 Food Mart, and K Luxe Beauty Bar. These five small business have received support thanks to Progress OKC.
Learn more about Progress OKC and our mission by visiting ProgressOKC.org and following ProgressOKCCDC across all social media platforms.
I was originally commissioned to make a testimonial video for Progress OKC, but I added this episode to highlight their clients as a bonus deal for their videography package. I enjoyed working with Daisy and getting to know their program and these businesses.
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