OKC growing Color of Art mini-fests offer free live experiences
Primary Circulation didn’t established out to produce a sequence of free, household-friendly mini-festivals in downtown Oklahoma City’s most recent and biggest inexperienced room.
But the OKC poet, producer and hip-hop frontman is thrilled to see how the Coloration of Artwork — a sequence of developing outdoor gatherings that merge neighborhood new music, dance and visual arts into seasonal Sunday night immersive ordeals — has grown in excess of the earlier couple of a long time because it moved to Scissortail Park.
“The three C’s for the Coloration of Artwork are society, creativity and group, and so it just has aligned perfectly with what they’re attempting to boost at Scissortail Park as well. … I am just grateful to see this display extend, but I certainly wouldn’t have thought it was probable,” stated Flow, who was born in OKC as Christopher G. Acoff.
“Just with a tiny notion that we had in a cramped room … now it’s turning into a little something really outstanding.”
This year’s Shade of Art collection kicks off at 6 p.m. May well 22 with dwell audio by Santiago Ramones, Derek Cantu, CAJ and Finite Galaxy with DJ Dee Rock. Hosted by First Move, the party also will feature dancers from OKC’s Groovemeant Local community and live painting and visual art by Daniel Acuna.
“Color of Art is a single of my most loved gatherings we’ve had in the park around the very last two several years. The audio, dance and vibrancy it brings to Scissortail is superb,” stated Maureen Heffernan, CEO of the Scissortail Park Foundation, in an e-mail.
“We hope Coloration of Artwork stays and grows at the park for several yrs to arrive. Having neighborhood teams support us application and offer you fantastic gatherings like this is what (our slogan) ‘Scissortail Park — For Everyone’ is all about. “
How did the Color of Artwork get commenced?
Unique Circulation and his bandmates in the experimental hip-hop team The Fervent Route truly begun the Color of Artwork in a a lot unique location: inside of the cosy confines of Saints Pub in the Plaza District.
“They had been like, Hey, you men want to have your own event?’ And we have been like, ‘Yeah.’ … Original Move had 1, the Lyricist Lounge, and I had the Shade of Art. We each did the exact same points, just distinctive evenings, and we would aid every single other out at each events. Then, anytime COVID took place, we couldn’t do that anymore,” explained Acuna, an OKC painter and guitarist with The Fervent Route.
Just after the COVID-19 outbreak, Authentic Circulation & The Fervent Route executed a live-stream set at Scissortail Park. Staffers there were so joyful with the general performance they invited the band back.
“We said, ‘Well, we’ll do one particular superior,’ so we launched the concept of the Shade of Artwork to Scissortail Park. So, that is what commenced our collaboration,” Circulation mentioned.
Soon after internet hosting numerous installments in late 2020, Move and his team planned a comprehensive Colour of Art year by way of the warmer months of 2021.
“Starting off out it was a very little unusual, because we were turning an indoor present into an outdoor demonstrate with a much larger stage and a even bigger admirer base. So, we ended up like, ‘Man, what do we do?’ So, it commenced off pleasantly modest, but we were shocked with the turnout,” he mentioned. “Scissortail Park in fact designed the party page for us that time for the initially time, and we had more than 100-furthermore (people) RSVP. And we ended up like, ‘Whoa, this is nuts.’ … It went actually nicely, and then pursuing up to that subsequent 12 months, we begun introducing a lot more items to the showcase.”
What can folks expect from the Color of Artwork gatherings?
The 2022 Color of Artwork season will include mini-festivals from 6 to 9 p.m. Might 22, June 26, July 17, Aug. 28 and Oct. 9 on and all around the Love’s Vacation Stops Stage at Scissortail Park.
For folks who are just exploring Colour of Artwork, Flow claimed they can hope “an total occasion.”
“You happen to be gonna have break dancers demonstrating up, a reside DJ, so you bought a kids flipping just about everywhere. You have bought fantastic new music playing by are living musicians, and there’s going to be reside painting. … And artists are likely to be showcasing their art as well,” he explained.
“They’re gonna have a entire working experience of every little thing that Oklahoma Metropolis has to offer as much as expertise. We assortment from executing a country display to undertaking jazz to rock to R&B to hip hop. It truly is just one of people encounters that men and women never ignore.”
Even though he hosts the celebration and he and his bandmates are ready to fill in for any musicians who have to drop out, Circulation said he hasn’t scheduled himself to enjoy Shade of Artwork this year, preferring to showcase other nearby performers.
“Most importantly, I wished to give shine to a lot of the people below in the metropolis that do not usually get the appreciation that they deserve. This month, we have a really great lineup,” he claimed.
The event has developed organically around the previous couple of years, Acuna mentioned, and it’s retained its laid-again vibe.
“This occasion is run by artists and musicians … so we carry our working experience to an event and have it operate in a way that we sense it can be more snug and enjoyable and significantly less stress filled,” he claimed. “It incredibly Do it yourself, and we just go with it and we see what we can do next time. So, we enhance it slow like that … and I imagine it can be extremely approachable to a lot of individuals.”
Occasion presents little ones chances to try art
For the host, the option for kids to try out their hand portray with provided components has been one of his favorite additions to Colour of Art.
“The children will basically line up at the park to try out to sit down and test to paint on a canvas. It was really exciting. … I’m like, ‘Man, I believed these youngsters have been like tablets and phones now,’ so I was super amazed that so quite a few folks were being just involved with making an attempt to produce something. And they get a prospect to acquire it dwelling,” stated Movement, including that the organizers are accepting donations and seeking volunteers for the events.
The frontman claimed the burgeoning interactive kid’s artwork component has equipped him with one particular of his favourite Colour of Artwork reminiscences.
“This small girl, she arrives up to the phase wherever I’m thanking everyone, and she had painted the Color of Artwork on the canvas that she was painting on — and I nevertheless have that portray. And I’m gonna retain it for the rest of my lifestyle, because it just completely evokes me to see absolutely everyone certainly currently being motivated by the exhibit,” Circulation mentioned.
Colour OF ART
When: 6 to 9 p.m. May 22, June 26, July 17, Aug. 28 and Oct. 9.
Where by: On and around the Love’s Vacation Stops Stage at Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7.
Admission: Free of charge.