Walk It Out

Spring has officially arrived. Time to shed the sweaters, extra layers of quilts and hibernation schedules. With an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day, this is the perfect time to get outside, breathe in some fresh air, warm up under the sun and explore Tulsa.

Since 1928, the Kendall Whittier neighborhood (near Lewis and Admiral) has been a shopping district. Back then, it was considered a suburban get away from the city. Funny, considering how much the city has grown since then.

This year, Kendall Whittier hopes to garner more attention to its district with its first annual Kendall Whittier Art Walk. On Thurs., April, 3, patrons will be able to walk to three different events happening in this area.

Kicking the day off, Ziegler Art and Frame is having a Semi-Annual One Day Sale. Later that evening, the Tulsa Girls Art School (G.A.S.) Project, the recipient of the funds earned at UTW's Urby and the Chocolate Festival April 5 (see page 15 for more), will open its spring show, while at Circle Cinema, there will be an opening reception for the Tulsa Art Studio Tour, an event organized by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition.

Now is the time to take advantage of the gorgeous spring climate (before this place transforms into a sweltering inferno) and do something outside. The Kendall Whittier Art Walk is an opportunity not only to enjoy the season, but also to see a large body of locally produced works.

Across the street from Ziegler's at 2202 E. Admiral Blvd., the Tulsa G.A.S. Project will have an art showing and open house from 5 to 8pm. The non-profit is a division of the Tulsa Community Foundation and provides specialized art training to talented and motivated elementary school-aged girls living in inner-city Tulsa.

"I don't like to refer to these girls as 'underprivileged,'" said Matt Moffett, director of the Tulsa G.A.S. Project. "We want to be able to give girls in urban elementary schools the opportunity to become real artists, to give them a creative outlet and voice."

G.A.S. differs from other local charitable organizations by providing a small class environment so students will have a lot of individual instruction and encouragement. A working art studio, where students create and have the opportunity to sell their art, the project encourages students to see themselves as artists and lifelong participants in the arts and museums.

Twenty-two girls, starting from third grade, will show at this opening.

Moffett said because of opportunities, the students focused on three new projects, in addition to painting.

"We had a kiln donated to us, so we are excited about the possibilities of working in ceramics," enthused Moffett.

The girls were asked with whom, living or dead, they would like to dine with. Then, they created place settings for each person.

The second project is a quilt, made of raw muslin, out of which the girls made patterns. It is being assembled into one finished project, and this quilt will be up for auction at the opening.

Paper weavings displayed in glass frames makes up the third project, and 50+ paintings will be on display.

"Evolving from strictly a painting show, to one of diverse media, we are excited about the opening. I am proud of the girls. They have worked hard," added Moffett.

Funds from the sales are allocated between the artists and Tulsa G.A.S. Project. The young artists may use their portion of the sale to buy art supplies, pay gallery entry or competition fees or to buy college savings bonds.

"Our hope is to identify young girls and provide a unique opportunity to these motivated and talented children who could not pursue a career in art without our assistance," said Moffett.

For more information about the Tulsa Girls Art School Project, log onto www.tulsagirlsartschool.com.

Take a Tour

At Circle Cinema, 12 S. Lewis, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, or OVAC, will hold a reception for the Tulsa Art Studio Tour. This tour will be a fun opportunity for the community to get a glimpse into the creative workings of productive artists in Tulsa. While the actual tour isn't until April 12-13, a preview exhibition will be held at the Circle Cinema from 5 to 9pm.

This will offer a sneak peek of things to come once the actual tour takes place. OVAC will open the studio doors of 17 Tulsa artists in 10 studios. Participating artists are each collaborating with a Tulsa community figure to create a work of art to be auctioned at the opening reception. A portion of the sales price will be donated to the community figure's charity of choice.

For example, Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor collaborated with artist Shan Goshorn. Their collaborative piece will benefit Tulsa G.A.S. Project.

The list of collaborations contains varied figures and should produce some, well, interesting art.

The kick-off Celebration for the Tulsa Art Studio Tour is free and open to the public. Guests will have a chance to see examples of artwork from artists on the tour, meet the artists, purchase tour tickets and bid on artworks made in the collaborations. The exhibit of the preview works will be on display through May 27.

Also on display in the Circle Cinema gallery will be a Steinway piano, the star of the April 6 film Note by Note, in which the year-long process of building one of these instruments is documented.

The Tulsa Art Studio Tour will be April 12-13, 12-5pm. Tickets to the tour include a map and are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Ticket outlets include Dwelling Spaces, 119 S Detroit, online at www.TulsaArtStudioTour.org, or by phone at 405-232-6991. Tickets are available at Circle Cinema, or any of the Tour studios the actual days of the Tour. For more information, contact the Circle business office at 585-3456 or info@circlecinema.com.