The Norman Transcript
October 12, 2007 01:38 am
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Transcript Staff Writer
The University of Oklahoma's homecoming game against Missouri kicks off Saturday on Owen Field, but that's not the only thing kicking off in Norman.
Saturday, Dreamer Concepts Studio and Foundation will host the first of three Downtown Arts Markets scheduled this fall along Legacy Trail and at the Performing Arts Studio in Norman's historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., between Main and Eufaula streets just east of the railroad tracks.
The markets will include local artists, food vendors, storytelling, live music, an open mic for poetry, local farmers and tents representing non-profit organizations in the Norman community. Each market will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all ages may attend.
In cooperation with the market, the Performing Arts Studio is offering a series of storytellers to be enjoyed by adults and children alike. The first two storytellers in the series, Princess Dancing Wolf and Cimarron Ken, will tell tales as the opening event of the first Downtown Arts Market at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. ?
When asked how she got Princess Dancing Wolf to take part in the event, Performing Arts Studio director Nancy McClellan gave credit for a little help.
"Actually, Jennifer Heavner Baker over at the Sooner Theatre put us in touch with her," McClellan said.
Through storytelling and original songs, the storytelling duo will take listeners on an interactive journey of appreciation for the Earth, nature and the elements and the diverse ecosystems of Oklahoma. They appeared at the Norman Centennial Celebration Sept. 2, performing their new song and music video "Red Earth and Rose Rock." For more information on Princess Dancing Wolf and Cimarron Ken, visit www.PrincessDancingWolf.com.
Next at 11:30 a.m. will be a rock clinic featuring students from Norman musician and teacher Wes McMichael's McMichael Music.
"Wes McMichael approached the studio a long time ago and asked if we would like to hang some of our artwork in his studio," DCSF director Amber Clour said.
"So I just made a connection there and asked if he'd like to help out here with the music. Very helpful."
The McMichael Music rock clinic segues, by way of a family connection, into the day's second storyteller at 2 p.m.
"Wes McMichael's father Sam is a storyteller, so that's our connection to him," McClellan said.
Sam McMichael, a longtime resident of the Apache community, grew up in the storytelling tradition of southwest Oklahoma, hearing tales of the early days of the state, tales of good times and bad times, tall tales, fish stories, hunting stories and brags. McMichael has traveled Oklahoma as a professional storyteller for the past 20 years spinning his yarns at schools, fairs, libraries, festivals and conventions.
The last scheduled event of the day will be an open mic poetry reading event at 4 p.m. in the covered atrium on the north side of the depot.
"It gives people the opportunity to have an audience," Clour said, "and if they'd like to come up and read short stories and poetry we'd love to have them."
Clour said the poetry reading would have an emcee and Sam McMichael will read a few of his own poems as well.
A recent trip she and Ring of Fire Studio's Alison Dudey took to the Beaver State helped provide inspiration for the markets, Clour said.
"We visited two markets, one in Eugene, Oregon, which is a Saturday market, which I think has been there for 34 years and then we visited the Portland market, which modeled their market after the Eugene market."
Clour said she was fortunate enough to open the market in Eugene alongside its executive director and learn firsthand how it worked, including basic orientation, money exchanges, setting up vendors and artists, scheduling live music and just getting a feel for the event.
"I had no idea how theirs was set up and it's right in front of their courthouse and their city buildings, which is exactly what we ended up doing," Clour said. "I learned so much about their setup."
No arts market would be complete without offerings in the visual arts, and Clour said there will be plenty Saturday.
"We have Kelsey McMurray, who has a clothing design company that does really fun children's clothing along with nice adult things ... We have an established jeweler -- he has been at the Paseo for a number of years -- so I'm excited for him to come and show Norman what he's been doing. I have a high school student who does spray-paint art. He's going to do some performance art during the market."
In a special touch for the season, Dudey and partner Craig Clingan of Ring of Fire Studio will exhibit the fragile fruits of their labors as well.
"They're going to have a blown glass pumpkin patch. So all the pumpkins are hand-blown glass. It's really neat and every one is different."
Proving creative endeavors aren't just for humans, also featured during the market will be works painted by one of the Little River Zoo's occupants.
"They had a monkey over there that painted, and he died recently," said Nancy McClellan, PAS director.
Clour lamented that it wouldn't be possible to see the monkey paint during the festival, but said Little River Zoo staff "will have artwork which they're going to be selling for their foundation" at the market Saturday, as will other non-profit organizations from Norman.
While planning the market, Clour met with the executive director of the Eugene arts market, who has held the position eight years, and with the market's previous director who did the job for 12 years before that.
"They just offered us lots of advice and said we definitely have the potential here in Oklahoma and so I'm hoping to give them a run for their money here in the next 10 years."
The Downtown Arts Markets are made possible by the City of Norman, Republic Bank and Trust, McMichael Music Studios, Native Roots Market, Steve Owens Insurance, Norman Music Center, the Performing Arts Studio, and the Firehouse Art Center. For more information about the Downtown Arts Market, visit the DCSF Web page at: www.dreamerconcepts.org, call 701-0048 or e-mail market@dreamerconcepts.org.
Free storytelling events will continue at the Depot through the year as a new program of the PAS and the independent series is made possible in part by a grant recently secured from the Norman Arts Council, McClellan said. For more information about the storytelling series, call The Performing Arts Studio at 307-9320 or visit www.thepas.org. PAS office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Adam Scott
366-3533
pop@normantranscript.com
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