Uncovering Oklahoma – Page 50

Deluxe Winter Market

On November 22, 2017

Returning for its tenth year, the Deluxe Winter Market is an annual marketplace featuring handmade gifts and wares from mostly Oklahoma-based makers and artists. Deluxe Winter Market is a one-day only event, Saturday, November 25, 2017, from 11 am to 5 pm, held inside Leadership Square in downtown Oklahoma City. My wife and I go every year, usually getting several gifts for friends and family there.

The event will feature gifts for everyone on your list, all handmade by local and national artists and makers in what has become an Oklahoma City holiday shopping tradition. The Market stands out from the other holiday shopping experiences in OKC because of the opportunity to connect with makers, as well as find unique items, such as a photo studio offering authentic ambrotype and tintype photos. No resellers are allowed, and all items are handcrafted or artist-made.

In my video, I interviewed Co-Founder and Director, Sara Cowan; and vendor, Blake Behrens. I was supposed to have a third person, which I was going to interview today, however, they got sick and I didn’t have time to reschedule another interview. With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I went ahead and finished the video for release today.

If you’re supporting Small Business Saturday, I wrote this local deals guide on the subject.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Factory Obscura’s SHIFT

By Dennis

On November 16, 2017

In Real

Factory Obscura’s SHIFT is a fully-immersive, experiential art installation that challenges the participant to physically explore the full-sensory environment at Current Studio in Oklahoma City. Factory Obscura is a collective of artists and community builders who formed earlier this year to produce large-scale installations that require new forms of audience engagement, with Shift being their first project.

In this video for Uncovering Oklahoma, Tiffany McKnight, Tammy Greenman, Laura Massenat, and Thomas Thompson discuss Factory Obscura, their favorite aspects, and what people can except (spoiler: expect awesomeness).

This is the follow-up interview from my personal tour last week. One thing I want to note is that this video does include behind the scenes footage of the artists building the installation, which is something I haven’t shown before.

OKC Outlets, Factory Obscura, and Hieroglyphics

By Dennis

On November 10, 2017

In Real

Last night was a bus with so much good stuff happening in Oklahoma City. The first thing I went to was a Media Event for OKC Outlets to celebrate their new look. OKC Outlets is Oklahoma’s only outlet shopping experience. The event was part of their relaunch with an unveiling celebration with property representatives, civic leaders, and honored veterans. Since their relaunch was just two days before Veterans Day, they made a donation to the YMCA’s Military Welcome Center at the airport.

Next on my list was the Abstract Passages Opening Celebration, which is a new underpass mural by Kris Kanaly. However, I tried to make my way to the event, but due to traffic and getting light bulbs, I knew I was going to miss the artist talk and I ended up going straight to Factory Obscura’s Shift opening. There, I was first in line!

2017-11-09 Factory Obscura's Shift Opening-14

Short Order Poems at Factory Obscura's Shift Opening - photo by Dennis Spielman

The waiting area for Factory Obscura's Shift Opening - photo by Dennis Spielman

I filmed this video of my experience of Factory Obscura last night, which sums up how amazing it is. Later today I’m going back to do interviews for Uncovering Oklahoma.

2017-11-09 Ginna Dowling's Hieroglyphics-01

2017-11-09 Ginna Dowling's Hieroglyphics-04

2017-11-09 Ginna Dowling's Hieroglyphics-03

2017-11-09 Ginna Dowling's Hieroglyphics-02

Then after Factory Obscura, I went to Ginna Dowling’s Hieroglyphics 2017: The Spirit of our People art opening at Oklahoma Contemporary’s Showroom, which is really cool to see at night. Ginna Dowling’s hieroglyphs are contemporary versions of ancient symbols. Using the simplest of methods — tearing construction paper by hand — she constructs visual symbols for important aspects of her own life, as well as the lives of people around her. These forms are translated into vinyl, which she develops into site-specific installations. In addition to creating her own forms, Ginna works with members of the community to add onto her installations. She finds that the simplicity of the process allows everyone to explore their own creativity. Ginna will be conducting workshops while her pieces are installed at the Showroom, the results of which will eventually become part of this exhibition. In addition, visitors can drop in during Showroom hours to create their own “hieroglyphics.”

When I was done for the night, I stopped at Target for some night cold medicine. While I’m here, I want to make a quick public service announcement: sometimes people aren’t talkative this time of the year because their voice hurts. They aren’t being rude. They may just don’t want to talk. Anyway, I’m feeling better this morning.

Leonardo’s Children’s Museum

By Dennis

On November 9, 2017

In Real

Leonardo’s Children’s Museum in Enid offers the opportunity for exploration and interactive play in an educational experience. In this tour video, Lewis Eggleston starts on the new second floor. The second floor focuses on the experience of living in and around Enid, with features including energy, health, and technology themes to help children connect with the world around them.

The first floor focuses on motor skill development, experimentation with simple machines and just plain fun, while also showcasing industry icons that dominate the Oklahoma landscape such as oil derricks and pump jacks.

There’s also Adventure Quest, which is Leonardo’s outdoor science playground. The three-story wooden castle features bridges, slides, swings, mazes, a water table, dinosaur dig, and tot lot designed to spark the imagination of the young and young at heart. Today, it remains the world’s largest community built outdoor playground.

I filmed this video during my Oklahoma Arts Conference trip. This is the final video from that trip. This video is also the final video for Lewis at Leonardo’s as he was moving out of state.

If you’re planning a trip to Enid, be sure to watch last week’s video on Simpson’s Old Time Museum to add to your itinerary.