Norman Arts, City of Norman Accepting Submissions for Seventh Round of Artful Inlets Storm Drain Murals

Call for Artists: Seventh Annual Artful Inlets

Deadline for Submission: 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 28, 205

SUBMIT HERE

The City of Norman operates and maintains a series of underground pipes, open channels, ditches, and roadways used to collect or convey stormwater runoff from our homes and businesses to the nearest body of water, such as a creek, stream, or lake. In urban areas, stormwater runoff from hard surfaces, like roofs and driveways, flows along the side of the road until it reaches a storm drain, which is an opening or grate in the curb connected by a series of pipes and drainage channels to the nearest water body.  Water and other materials that enter these storm drains are transported directly to our creeks and streams without any treatment.  Some of the pollutants that enter our local creeks and streams with stormwater runoff include grass clippings, oil, trash, fertilizers, pesticides, and pet waste.

For the 7th Annual Artful Inlets program, the Norman Arts Council, Public Arts Committee, and City of Norman are inviting artists to submit designs that will transform city infrastructure into works of public art. These artful inlets will educate and raise awareness that pollutants that go down storm drains have a devasting impact on our local water quality. This year's theme is: Clean Stream Champions.

There are currently 25 Artful Inlets in the community in the Walker Arts District, Lion’s Park, and Colonial Estates Park. They are located in Vineyard Park (3111 Woodcrest Drive), Sequoya Trail Park (410 Sequoya Trail), and Chisolm’s Cattle Trail Park (2515 Wyandotte Way).

In support of this initiative, all designs for this round of Artful Inlets must include the tag line: Clean Stream Champions

Submission Rules

• Artists Artists (or a team of artists) must be 18 years or older and a resident(s) of Cleveland County, Oklahoma.

  ·  Artists who completed an Artful Inlets design in the past are eligible to submit in 2025.

  ·  All designs must be submitted on the provided Design Worksheet.

  ·  Design proposals must be submitted through the designated online submission platform via the Norman Arts Council and no later than Friday, Feb 28, 2025. Only applications submitted through the on-line process will be considered. 

  .  Designs should incorporate this year's theme: Clean Stream Champions

  ·  Artists must submit and install their original designs.

  ·  Submissions must include a short biography and information about the proposed design.

  ·  A list of materials to be used that are not provided by the City of Norman and Norman Arts Council must also be included and approved. 

Design Criteria

All submissions we be evaluated on the following:

• Artistic excellence

• Each design must include the slogan “Think Blue, Act Green!” within the design.

• When designing artwork, each artist is asked to consider the following themes:

  • Stormwater Pollution

  • Environmental Protection: the importance of cleaner water

• The design must be appropriate for a public space.

• Any materials supplied by the artist must be eco-friendly, not contribute to stormwater pollution, and be pre-approved by the selection panel at least two weeks before the designs are painted.

• The design may not contain any business references, promotions, or advertisements.

• It may not contain any breach of intellectual property, brands or trademarks, or depiction of illegal activity.

• The final painting must match the proposed design.Design Criteria – All submissions we be evaluated on the following:

  ·  Artistic excellence

  ·  When designing artwork, each artist is asked to consider the following themes:

  1. Stormwater Pollution Prevention

  2. Environmental Protection:  the importance of cleaner water

  ·  The design must be appropriate for a public space.

  ·  Any materials supplied by the artist must be eco-friendly, not contribute to stormwater pollution, and be pre-approved by the selection panel at least two weeks before the designs are painted.

  ·  The design may not contain any business references, promotions, or advertisements.

  ·  It may not contain any breach of intellectual property, brands or trademarks, or depiction of illegal activity.

  ·  The final painting must match the proposed design.

  Selected Artists or Teams of Artists will receive:

  ·  A $750.00 stipend when installation and sealing is completed

  ·  A clean, primed area stationed off with appropriate traffic control devices while painting

  ·  A tent to provide shade over the area while painting

  ·  Sherwin-Williams Armorseal paint – black, white, yellow, red, and blue with a non-slip additive

  ·  Artists will have an opportunity to mix paint colors prior to installation

  ·  Water for painting

  ·  Tubs and containers for water and paint

  ·  Drinking water

  Artists must provide:

  ·  The original design

  ·  The ability to execute the accepted design within the allotted time

  ·  Brushes

  ·  Any other supplies or tools they deem necessary to execute their design

  The artists will be selected based on the materials submitted. Artist selection for this project will be made by a panel including City of Norman and NAC staff and members of the Norman Public Arts Committee who will choose 5 artists and 1 alternate.

  Soon after the selected artists are notified, a staff member from NAC or the City will meet with artists at the parks to assign designated areas and to discuss the specific size and shape of their design relative to their assigned space.

  Timeline

  ·  Submission deadline is Friday, Feb 28, 2025

  ·  Artists will be selected and notified by Friday, March 29, 2025

  ·  Artist meeting at Parks on Wednesday, April 2, 205

  ·  Paint mixing day on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 9:00-11:00 AM and 1:00 – 3:00 PM

  ·  Installation of the artwork will be on Thursday, April 10 and Friday, April 11, 2024

  During the two days of installation, the artists will be photographed and interviewed, and a video will be made to allow each artist to talk about their design, their motivation for participating, and their process. These will be used to create a feature segment for on the Norman Arts Council’s YouTube channel and other social media platforms.

  Please note that if there are any changes to the installation schedule due to inclement weather, selected artists will be contacted with alternate installation dates. 

  Defined space for artwork 

  The area that artists are allowed to paint is approximately three (3) feet wide by ten (10) feet (see template) on a variety of concrete surfaces. 

  Artists must use the template to propose designs. Be mindful that some changes to your design may be required to accommodate the specific location. 

  Please use the submission template as a guide but understand the design may be slightly altered if chosen. Artists, the City of Norman, and NAC will all agree on needed alterations. 

  Copyright

  The design must be original and must not infringe on any other person’s intellectual property rights.

  Each selected artist further grants the City of Norman and the Norman Arts Council the exclusive rights to reproduce the design (including electronic images) for fundraising, educational, and promotional purposes.

  Vandalism

  While the City of Norman will provide a clear vandal-resistant varnish, artists should also be aware that the City of Norman cannot prevent vandalism to said artwork, although every effort will be made to protect it.

  Maintenance

  The Artful Inlet murals are expected to last approximately one year. They may last longer, but the City of Norman and Norman Arts Council only guarantee the preservation of the installation for one year from completion. Due to regular park traffic and weather, the installations will eventually fade and degrade. If after a year and in the opinion of the City and NAC the artwork can be touched up or refreshed, reasonable attempts will be made to contact the artist to see if they want to do that work without additional compensation. The City reserves the right to remove the installation if repair is not feasible or a year has passed since completion. 

  Removal

  Artwork must be consistent with submitted and selected artwork. If, in the opinion of the selection panel, the artwork does not reflect the submitted design, the City has the right to remove it partially or completely. The City and NAC have the right to remove the artwork at any time if they jointly agree that the artwork is inappropriate due to design, condition, or vandalism. The City reserves the right to remove the artwork immediately if it presents a danger to public safety or if the drain needs maintenance, repair, or replacement.

  Liability

  Each artist agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Norman and the Norman Arts Council from any loss or damage, any third-party claims, demands, actions, legal fees, or costs for which the Artist is legally responsible, including those arising out of negligence, willful harm, or crimes by the Artist or the Artist’s employees, agent or subcontractors. This “hold harmless” agreement shall survive beyond the term of the Artist’s service contract.

  The City of Norman and Norman Arts Council will not be liable or responsible for any bodily or personal injury or property damage of any nature that may be suffered by the Artist, their employees, agents, or subcontractors in the performance of this Project, except to the extent of any negligence or misconduct on the part of the City of Norman and Norman Arts Council.

  Commissioning of artists is implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, sex, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.

  The Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman reserve the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information or proposals from any or all participating artists. The Norman Arts Council and the City of Norman also reserve the right to accept or reject, at any time before the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver, or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. In addition, they may solicit proposals from artists not responding to this call and reserve the right to select an artist outside of the pool of artists responding to this call.

  Submission Entry Checklist:

• Completed ONLINE Entry Form

• Completed design template

• Design description and information – one page maximum

• Up to 10 images of past work

• List of any additional materials or supplies

• Artist’s bio – one page maximum

Celebrate the Characters We Love to Recreate Ourselves with a Cosplay Culture Exhibition at Firehouse Art Center

The Firehouse Art Center, in partnership with SOONERCON, is proud to display the work of cosplayers in Making Legends: Cosplay Culture, from May 17th- July 31, 2024. A collaborative exhibition featuring nine artists from across the country, Making Legends celebrates over a thousand hours of individual artistry to capture the legends we love. Executive Director/Curator Andy Couch said, “We are ecstatic, to partner with SOONERCON for our upcoming exhibit. Our staff and faculty are looking forward to celebrating cosplay artist locally and from across the country.”

This exhibition is the first show curated by the Firehouse Art Center’s Artist Coordinator, Casey Gilman. Casey would like to share, “we are so excited to highlight artists and craftsman not traditionally seen as artist in this exhibition and showcase their work to our community.” Making Legends: Cosplay Culture celebrates the artist within us all. From a galaxy far far away to a comfortable hole in the ground, the art of cosplay brings characters from media and pop culture to life through hand-made costumes and props. Cosplayers are rarely professional costume designers; they are accountants, parents, and teachers whose passion for creation inspires them to celebrate the books, movies, and video games we all know and love. They become an elven princess, a foul-tempered monarch, or a soldier of the empire. Cosplayers push the boundaries of their own creativity to go where no one has gone before!

An opening reception will be held Friday, May 17th at the Firehouse Art Center from 5:30-8:30 with live music and refreshments. A Foam Cosplay Armor 101 Workshop with Susie Creates will be offered at the Firehouse on Sunday, June 9th, and an Intro to Miniature Painting Workshop with Robert Henderson will be offered on Friday, June 14th. A Firehouse Game Night will take place Friday, July 12th. For our final event, in partnership with [405] Brewing the Firehouse will host Mario Kart 8 with Live Band on Saturday, July 27th. Don’t miss out on this exciting exhibition - after all, it's dangerous to go alone!

The Firehouse Gallery is located at 444 South Flood Avenue in Norman. Hours are from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday and 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Saturday. For additional information on the Making Legends: Cosplay Culture exhibition, contact the Firehouse Art Center at 405-329-4523 or visit www.normanfirehouse.com.

Artists, Scientists Conjure Nature in Biophilia Exhibition at MAINSITE

Opossum - the Misunderstood by Lauren Rosenfelt

Biophilia — an exhibition and slate of programming that conjures nature with artists and scientists — opens with the work of Hannah Harper, Jennifer Larsen, Grace Potter, Lauren Rosenfelt and Nicholas Czaplewski, PhD on Friday, May 10 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main, Norman.

Curated by Haley Prestifilippo, Biophilia’s title refers to the theory — first described in the late 20th century — that suggests an innate human desire for connection to other forms of life. All the featured artists (several of whom are also practicing scientists) share a propensity for just that, creating work out of a deep admiration and tether to the various forms nature takes all around us. Their work “considers a few of the analytical and emotional frameworks through which we interpret nature.”

“Nature is often referenced as an independent entity, permeating human experience but separate from it,” Prestifilippo said in a curator’s statement. “It is embodied as a mother, a threat, beauty, violence, something to be controlled and something that controls, something to escape and something to escape into. Humans have sorted the innumerable aspects of nature into scientific fields, building chronologies of evolution, ordered taxonomies, and tables of elements; we perpetually attempt to unveil the hidden infrastructures keeping the universe in place.”

The exhibition runs from its opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 10 through a closing reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 12, both as a part of 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. There’s also an artist reception at the midpoint of the exhibit from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 14.

As a bonus, there is a full slate of events, including a nature walk, plein air sketch session, poetry workshop and more, that take place in venues across Norman. These are made possible with support from Norman Arts Council, Pioneer Library System and Factory Obscura.

Pioneer Library System will also be on hand at all three receptions at MAINSITE Contemporary Art with activities for the whole family relating to the themes of the exhibition.

The full event schedule is as follows:

Opening Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, May 10 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art
Plein Air Sketch Session with Hannah Harper: 4:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, May 17 at Norman East Library | Learn more and register here
Book Making Session with Curtis Jones: 1-2 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at Resonator | Learn more and register here
Poetry Workshop with Julie Ann Ward: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 8 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art | Learn more here
Artist Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 14 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art
Nature Walk with Jennifer Larsen and Nicholas Czaplewski, PhD: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 15 at Sutton Wilderness Trail | Learn more here
Open Mic: 5-7 p.m. Sunday, June 30 at The Standard | Learn more here
Closing Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 12 at MAINSITE Contemporary Art

More about the artists:

Nicholas Czaplewski, PhD

Nick Czaplewski (Chap-lev-ski) is a paleontologist and biologist of Polish and Neandertal ancestry, born and naturalized in the Great Plains of North America. He enjoys engaging others in all aspects of the natural world and honors its land and peoples through direct interaction, reciprocity/caretaking, mentoring, volunteerism, and making art. He extends these ideas to his work in deep-time earth history to his perception of indigenous ecological knowledge, paleogeography, and the incredible creative evolutionary potential of life. He understands science as a way of thinking that a lot of people share; the way in which most of us have similar means of encountering the world: seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing, and as a result mostly agreeing that something is probably true. Nick worked for 34 years as a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the University of Oklahoma and as a scientific advisor to the museum’s youth summer field programs.

Hannah Harper

Hannah Harper grew up in the Southern Oklahoma countryside. She was encouraged to pursue creativity at a young age and collected art education from various sources as a child. At 17, she took a workshop with artists John and Terri Moyers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City who soon after took her under their wing and has mentored her ever since. They encouraged her to take workshops with charcoal master Ned Jacob in both Scottsdale, Arizona and Jackson Hole, Wyoming and a semester at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2019 with a BFA in studio art and completed her MFA for painting at the University of Oklahoma in 2023.

Jennifer Larsen

Jennifer Larsen grew up in Colorado and now lives in Norman, Oklahoma. She has been lucky enough to spend most of her life living in rural areas and open/wild places feel much more like home to her than urban spaces. She is a paleontologist at the Sam Noble Museum with a background in biochemistry and biology. She was a volunteer at the Oklahoma City Zoo for many years. She enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including running, hiking, biking, kayaking, and horseback riding. A perfect day would also involve reading, drawing, chocolate and having cats lay on her. She currently lives on a remarkably generous piece of the earth amidst a magnificent menagerie of non-human beings.

Grace Potter

Working primarily in ceramics, Grace Potter makes intricate sculptures that consider her relationship to the more-than-human world through the lenses of ecology and spiritual inquiry. Her work often references sites of reverence: reliquaries, mausoleums and cathedrals, as a tool for investigating hierarchies and value systems. Animals, plants and fungi depicted in the work carry metaphors for personal narratives as well as archetypal myths. She approaches making as a ritual, illuminating the mystical in the mundane and venerating the subjects of her sculptures through time-consuming processes and meticulous craft. Accumulated textures and patterns generate surreal compositions, reflecting the disorienting complexity of the natural world and her temporal place within it. Themes of interconnection, transformation and cycles of life and death guide her practice.

Grace Potter (b. 1996) is a visual artist who grew up in rural Appalachia. She received her BFA in Ceramics with minors in Art History and Anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Grace has completed two Post-Baccalaureates in Ceramics, one at Louisiana State University and the other at the University of Oklahoma. Her work has been exhibited across the country, including in the Red Lodge Clay Center Juried National and at Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, NC. Additionally, Grace has spent time working at the Mendocino Art Center, Cider Creek Collective in Albion, CA, Good Hope Pottery in Trelawny, Jamaica, and IaRex l’Atelier in St. Raphael, France. She is currently living and working in Mendocino, CA.

Lauren Rosenfelt

Lauren Rosenfelt is a freelance, natural science illustrator and artist currently living and working in Norman, Oklahoma. She graduated from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 2014 with a BFA and minor in Liberal Arts. Her work focuses on sharing the importance of native wildlife and plant species. She works with clientele ranging from private commissions to commercial and nonprofit organizations. Her public projects are displayed at “This is Place”, a small public pollinator garden and art space, and habitat signage at the Norman Central library.

Lauren has worked with WildCare Oklahoma, Myriad Botanical Gardens, and the City of Norman, and has artwork on display at Scissortail Park, the Museum of Osteology, DNA Galleries, and Norman Firehouse Art Gallery. She is also an active board member for Inclusion in Art, an Oklahoma art organization dedicated to promoting ethnically, racially, and culturally diverse artists in Oklahoma’s visual arts community.

In January 2022, Lauren began her work as a plant biology master’s student at the University of Oklahoma. She now studies multiple ecosystem functions relating to soils, plants, and invertebrates, specifically pollinators, with the intent to marry her artist mission and ecological research into a career focused on science communication through artistic projects and public outreach. In addition, she works as a graduate research assistant for the Chickasaw Nation at the South-Central Climate Adaptation Science Center as a Sustainability Science Intern.

Norman Arts Opens Up Submissions for Round Two of 2023/2024 Artist Grants

Norman Arts Council Artist Grants
2023/2024 Round Two
Submission Deadline: 11:59 p.m. CST Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Norman Arts Council operates its artist grant program to serve Norman-based artists and further our creative community. While the longstanding Norman Arts Grant Program has benefited local artists through its support of dozens of arts organizations around town, this furthers NAC’s commitment to directly benefit local artists in a variety of ways.

The program offers three grants of $1,000, each in a different category.

The categories include Community Project, Creative Project and Education/Travel.

• Community Project grants help artists initiate a community-based project that leads to artistic creation. Evaluation is based on quality, the community impact and overall concept. Apply here!

• Creative Project grants support creation of new work or body of work. Evaluation is based on quality of creative opportunity, career building potential, and overall concept. Apply here!

• Education/Travel grants support opportunities to participate in conferences, residencies or workshops that provide education and further one’s artistic practice. Evaluation is based on quality of educational opportunity, career building potential, and overall concept. Apply here!

Artists can apply for all three grant opportunities in each cycle, but a maximum of one grant will be awarded to any artist in a given grant cycle.

Only artists who have resided in Norman for the past 12 months are eligible to apply for the Norman Arts Council Artist Grants. Applying artists must be at least 18 years old.

Questions may be directed to Programs & Development Manager Cher Duncan.

Norman Arts Council Hires New Executive Director to Lead Organization

New Norman Arts Council Executive Director Leslie Nottingham begins work in her role on May 1

After a thorough search and interview process, Norman Arts Council is happy to announce the unanimous board approval to hire Leslie Nottingham as its new Executive Director.

Nottingham has a wide range of work and education experience that make her an ideal fit to lead the organization. She comes to Norman from Ocala, Florida, where she served in a similar role as the Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Ocala. Her responsibilities included overseeing fine arts events, managing cultural programs and serving as a liaison between the city and various local arts organizations.

The NAC Board of Directors appointed an Executive Director Search Committee and contracted with CoSpire Consulting to guide the organization through the process of selecting a new Executive Director to continue Norman Arts’ positive trajectory in the years ahead.

Ultimately, Nottingham was selected as the best candidate to do so. She will begin on Wednesday, May 1, shadowing longtime Executive Director Erinn Gavaghan with plenty of opportunity to learn directly to ensure a smooth transition.

"We wish nothing but the best to Erinn in her next chapter in life. It has truly been an honor to serve with her and watch her make her magic,” Norman Arts Council's Board President and Executive Director Search Committee Chair Dennis Brigham said. “We also are beyond pleased and hopeful with the results of our search. I wish to send a special thank you to the members of the search committee who have worked hard and diligently to arrive at this choice. We are confident that Leslie will be a valuable addition to the Norman Arts Council family and look forward to a very exciting future for our organization and the Arts in Norman."

After 13 years at Norman Arts Council, Gavaghan announced her departure last fall, seeking to move closer to family in the Pacific Northwest. She graduated with her PhD from the University of Oklahoma in Art History this past fall and starts her new role as the Executive Director of The Art Center of Corvallis, Oregon in July.

“It is with great confidence that I hand over the leadership of the NAC to Leslie,” Gavaghan said. “I am very excited for the future of the organization and I am sure, with the NAC’s highly talented staff, that the coming years will be very bright for the NAC with Leslie and the team. I will remain in my position with the NAC through the beginning of June to help Leslie become accustomed to our community and arts programs.”

The change at Norman Arts Council comes as The City of Norman itself eyes growth and evolution amidst the University of Oklahoma’s transition into the Southeastern Conference this summer. Nottingham — with a wealth of diverse job experience and qualifications — seems primed to meet the opportunities and challenges that will come with the shift.

She holds a BFA in Theatre: Stage Management from California Institute of the Arts, an Arts & Its Markets Certificate from Sotheby’s London and an MA in the History of Decorative Art from Corcoran College of Art & Design/The Smithsonian Associates.

After a series of fellowships and internships from the likes of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History and Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, she’s held positions with Christie’s Auction House, Hallmark and Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm.

Nottingham landed at The City of Ocala as the Cultural Arts Supervisor in 2020, overseeing public art projects, Ocala’s First Friday Art Walk, Art Park Series, and serving as a liaison between the city, project managers, community stakeholders, artists and the public.

In early 2023, she was elevated to Cultural Arts Manager, expanding her duties to strategic planning in cooperation with the Ocala Municipal Arts Commission, City departments and City management, as well as fostering broad partnerships with local arts organizations, educational institutions, businesses and the media. Nottingham oversaw fiscal operations, promotional initiatives, networking and staff hiring/training, as well as acting as a resource for entities from across the City interested in bettering the local creative community.

The move to Norman brings Nottingham closer to family in Kansas City. She is avid writer and enjoys traveling, especially to Scotland and England. When not working in the arts, you can find her at a local coffee shop.

“I am thrilled to join the fantastic team at NAC and Norman community,” Nottingham said. “The board has offered such a warm welcome, and I’m eager to get started. I look forward to Erinn’s guidance as I transition into the position. I know she will be missed by all and have very large shoes to fill.”

Norman Arts Council has enriched the Norman community by stimulating artistic, cultural and economic growth through the support and promotion of an inclusive arts community since its formation in 1976.

It is known across the region for its unique Hotel-Motel Tax Grant program, supporting dozens of quality arts & cultural organizations each year, as well as its oversight of Norman’s growing public art collection, organizer behind 2nd Friday Norman Art Walks, operation of MAINSITE Contemporary Art, arts education scholarships, grants to Norman artists and more initiatives directed towards supporting our local creative community and making Norman a vibrant place to live/work in and visit.