Chainsaw Kittens, The Octopus Project headline Opolis 15th Anniversary Party

Alternative legends Chainsaw Kittens are reuniting for their first show since the inaugural Norman Music Festival and being joined by the likes of Austin indie pop outfit The Octopus Project, Oklahoma City folk rockers Horse Thief, Japanese punk bands Mugen Hoso and Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re and many more local favorites in celebration of Opolis 15th Anniversary with a three day festival to be held across two stages on September 7 through 9 at Opolis, 113 N. Crawford, in the Walker Arts District of Downtown Norman.

Norman Arts Council is proud to present the festival, along with support from The Garage, The Spy FM, Fowler Automotive and Guestroom Records. The festival will take place during the September 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. 

A three day pass is available now for $15 at Ticketstorm.com, and $1 of every ticket goes on to support Norman Arts Council's Art Education Scholarships! 

The Norman "microvenue" has supported hundreds of local artists and shown a knack for shepherding young, emerging talent through town for memorably intimate shows. Artists like Beach House, Cold War Kids, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Future Islands, The Head & The Heart, Jason Isbell, Iron & Wine, Mac Demarco, The National, Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Washed Out and Young The Giant have all performed at the venue before headlining festivals and selling out large rooms across the country.

Chainsaw Kittens — headlining Friday night — were underground favorites of the ’90s grunge and glam rock wave, touring with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and influencing Kurt Cobain and countless others. The group disbanded in 2000, reuniting for a performance at Norman Music Festival in 2008. The members have gone on to perform and record music in various other capacities in the years since. 

The Octopus Project — headlining Saturday night — are a fellow inaugural Norman Music Festival performer who have charmed audiences for nearly 20 years. The Austin-based quartet has toured with Devo and Explosions in the Sky, among others, and released six studio records, including this year's Memory Mirror. 

The bands will be joined by Mugen Hoso & Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re (Thursday) as well as local and regional standouts like Horse Thief, Ester Drang, Tallows, Rainbows Are Free, Helen Kelter Skelter, New Fumes and more. You can see the full, initial lineup below. 

Lineup updates and a full schedule will become available at Opolis.org soon! 

Campus Corner Announces Call for Mural Artist

Call for Mural Artist — Campus Corner District

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 18, 2017

The Campus Corner Association is seeking a qualified mural artist to design, create and install a mural on Historic Campus Corner District. They have chosen the wall on the west side of Buchanan at approximately 588 Buchanan Ave, it is the east side of the OU IT Store. The theme shall be "100th Anniversary of Campus Corner District". They are excited to see the interpretation of the theme by our local artists, it should provide a wide range of ideas to celebrate our historic district. 

Click here to download the application

Please contact Erin Patton at (405) 928-1620 or info@oucampuscorner.com for more information!

Americans for the Arts Releases Arts & Economic Prosperity Study for Norman, Oklahoma

Norman Arts Council partnered with Oklahomans for the Arts and Americans for the Arts to produce an Arts & Economic Prosperity study to measure the impact of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences on the local economy. 

With the study, we've learned that Norman arts non-profits help support over 1,500 full-time equivalent jobs, generate over $4.8 million in local/state tax revenue and over $56 million in economic impact in Norman. Learn more by viewing below:

Norman Arts Council Now Accepting Fall 2017 Arts Education Scholarship Applications

Fall 2017 Arts Education Scholarship Application

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 

For Fall 2017 Programs – August 1, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. CST
Note: Please read application guidelines thoroughly to ensure timely completion of all requirements!

ELIGIBILITY:  The Norman Arts Council invites students in grades K-8 who live or go to school in Norman, Oklahoma to apply for a scholarship to offset the cost of an arts education experience provided by an established arts organization or educator.

APPLICATIONS: The NAC restructured their scholarship criteria this past winter, so there is new information here. Only Applications submitted through the online process will be considered for funding. Applications must be 100% completed for consideration. "I don't know or "unsure" answers will deem an incomplete application.

SELECTION CRITERIA:  The NAC is seeking applications for scholarships from students who:

• express a strong desire to enhance their arts education experience beyond what is offered at schools
• demonstrate a past commitment to visual or performing arts
• have the ability to commit to the completion of the program
• have a financial need that prevents them from funding the tuition themselves
• priority will be given to new applicants, low income applicants, and applicants seeking funds for visual arts programs
• $500 is the maximum award a single student will be granted
• Applications must be 100% completed

Applicants will not be turned down for not meeting all of the criteria. It is encouraged, however, to try to meet as many as possible and to address the criteria directly in the proposal.

Norman Artist Receives Mid-America Arts Alliance Innovations Grant

The Mid-America Arts Alliance announced their esteemed Arts Innovations grant recipients on June 28. 21 recipients from the five state region, were selected for awards. Of the 21 recipients, only three Oklahoma artists and arts organizations were announced as recipients. 

Of those, only one was from Norman, Oklahoma: Actor, director and playwright Sheryl Martin.

Her project, entitled “Oklahoma StoryWorks: THE FOOD PROJECT”, will spend the next year developing a script for a new play based on interviews with Norman and area residents. The focus of the project will be food; stories, issues and relations with this most essential element of living.

Martin has been a mainstay of theatre in Central Oklahoma since her arrival in Norman in 1989. She came to Norman as a newly cast actor with Norman's then professional theatre company, The Street Players Theatre; with whom she toured children's theatre and appeared in independent, original productions for the next two years.

In subsequent years, she appeared in productions with most of Central Oklahoma's theaters, including Stone Soup Theatre, Oklahoma Children's Theatre and her own company, 2x4 Productions. While with Oklahoma Children's Theatre, and later 2x4, Sheryl began playwriting children's stories for touring programs, writing more than 15 scripts over the years.

Most recently, Martin appeared in the Two Weird Sisters production of The Vagina Monologues at The Depot in Norman.

The Arts Innovation grant award is the first project for Sheryl's 2x4 Productions new program, StoryWorks. StoryWorks is committed to bringing the family tales and stories of area residents to the stage. Degrees in both Anthropology and Theatre, both from the University of Oklahoma, gives Martin a unique set of skills to apply to this project.

The Artistic Innovations program, according to the Mid-America Arts Alliance "...has been supporting the creation of groundbreaking new artistic work since 2013, with grants of up to $15,000 to artists and arts organizations in member states creating a variety of art across mediums. This round of awards proves no different, with grants made in the disciplines of dance, music, film, theater, and visual art."

This program is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Windgate Charitable Foundation. In all, $234,746 has been awarded to the 21 recipients.

Martin is currently engaged in planning meetings with project partners the Norman Arts Council and The Depot before beginning the interview process in the Fall.