ISTVAN GALLERY OPENING TONIGHT

Four Cutting Edge Artists TONIGHT, February 14 Istvan Gallery Celebrates Valentine’s Day with New Art Installation Not to deny his “street cred” but Dylan Bradway has graduated from being an “Emerging Artist” to an established artist.  Growing up in Oklahoma City, Dylan was surrounded by a very creative family atmosphere which allowed him to find his passion early in his life. Throughout his schooling Dylan continued to build his creative talents in many art related studies that led to his BFA in Graphic Design with honors in 2006 and continues to be in great demand as a graphic designer. With a drive for supporting emerging artists he has built a close relationship with his local arts community. Over the past 5 years Dylan has worked with his wife Amanda to establish DNA Galleries which specializes in showing local urban contemporary artist and selling retail items produced by local artists. Dylan currently works as a freelance graphic designer and co-owner of DNA Galleries in Oklahoma City while pursuing his passion for visual arts. His work has shown in many exhibits in the United States including: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Portland. In 2009 his work travelled overseas for a solo exhibition in Hannover, Germany. “My work is a part of a free flowing thought process that utilizes line, gesture and form to create figural landscapes” states Bradway.  The artist’s work is exactly that, ethereal and moving. Think Maurice Sendak meets Jean-Michel Basquiat In addition to Bradway, featured artists for the February show at Istvan Gallery will include Courtney Struttman, Michael Hatcher and Nathan Evans. Courtney Struttmann recently received her BFA from the University of Oklahoma with a Major in Photography and Minor in Art History. Struttmann has shown across Oklahoma including OU, the Brookside Gallery in Tulsa and at the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s Momentum. Her photography is innovative, edgy and multidimensional. She creates scenes using books, vintage film and other found objects and photographs these creations using non-traditional lighting and composition to challenge and entertain the viewer. Her works incorporate themes including family, history, lineage and memories. Her recent projects have been an exploration of light and shadows using dioramas portraying childhood memories. The dioramas are created using cut out dictionary book pages in the shape of people or objects that represent the scene depicted from my childhood. A single artificial light spotlights the diorama but also casts another layer or dimension in the shadow that the book page silhouettes create on the background. The final images created contain two portrayals of the same memory. Michael Hatcher, a painter and sculptor also received his BFA in Studio Art from the University of Oklahoma. Hatcher has shown regionally at OU, Kansas City and at the Oklahoma Visual Arts Momentum. His current body of work consists of paintings on canvas as well as “paintings” sculpted from wood, acrylic and resin. The color, form and composition are reminiscent of work by Oklahoma pop artist Edward Ruscha. Nathan Evans, an art student at the University of Central Oklahoma and will graduate this year with a Bachelor of Fine Art.  He has had several gallery shows in Oklahoma, including Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s “Momentum.” He has recently received the Claire Hart DeGloyer Memorial Fund award from the Dallas Museum of Art. As a former psychology major turned art major, Evans uses his mixed media drawings to communicate his interest in understanding grief and bereavement. His work is inspired by funeral ceremonies for deceased animals.  “My art uses drawing as a memorial for the dead. Through the process of observation, drawing, shrouds, and the handling of the remains, I create a ceremony for these animals and translate that into mixed media drawings” says Evans. The work in this show is a product of those ceremonies and is beautiful and intriguing. Per the artist, “I choose the animals that I do as a metaphor. I think societies' response to death is to discredit and ignore it. In a way societies' relationship to animals bred for food or "lesser" animals like rodents and pigeons mimics that response. I feel that they were ignored in life and disenfranchised in death. By making them the sole subject of my drawing; I elevate them to deserve to be the subject of my drawing. By giving them a voice I hope to give a voice to grief itself.” All four of the artists for the February art installation are all young, and three of them are relatively new to the gallery scene, but the quality of their work is representative of some of the top artistic talent in the state. This show is a great opportunity to see examples of the great young talent we have here in Oklahoma. The February art installation at Istvan Gallery will debut with an artists’ reception that is free and open to the public, Friday, Feb. 14 from 6 to 10 p.m. The event will include entertainment, light hors d’oeurves and beverages. Visitors can also observe glass blowing demonstrations by artists at Blue Sage Studio. The installation will continue through March 22.  ************************************** "Love on the Plaza" Live Valentines Day on the Plaza (after you stop by Istvan Gallery of Course!) More information on the website: http://www.plazadistrict.org/2014/02/love-on-the-plaza-2/ What’s happening during LIVE on the Plaza: "Awkward Couple" Photobooth Kids Craft with Bilingual Family Jim Shelley Heart Necklace Giveaway Friends of the Plaza VIP Area “I love the Plaza…” Interactive Art Project Plaza Valentine Giveaway Bad Granny’s - Artwork by Melissa Gray in the Backroom Collected Thread - Bouquets by Katie Huskerson of Birdie Dig It - “Hoodoo Ya Love” & Underground Monster Carnival Giveaway DNA Galleries – Featured Artists - Jason Pawley and Ross Adams of Tall Hill Creative Istvan Galleries – February Opening and Artist’s Reception, Featured Artists - Dylan Bradway, Michael Hatcher, Nathan Evans, and Courtney Struttman Paint N Cheers – Painting Class: “Love Swing” Couples’ Painting The Parish – Live music – DBOYD, Comics from New World Comics, Beer Sampling from Roughtail Brewery PhotoArt Studios - Untitled Series by KO Rinearson Pie Junkie – HapPi Hour all night, $3.14 a slice, Date Night Special - Cutie Pie and 2 Coffees $8 Tree & Leaf - OU Print Club’s “Dirty Laundry” Show with Live Screen Printing The Society - Featured Artists - Jackie Miller and Amber Rae Black Urban Wineworks - Valentine's Pre-Fixe Menu with live music from Adam Miller Food Trucks: MotoChef Kaiteki Ramen Taste of Soul Frank's Wurst ************************************** Save The Date! Mondays:  Shawna Sershon Yoga, 5:45-7:00 p.m. Februrary 14: Artist's Opening and Reception featuring Dylan Bradway, Nathan Evans, Michael Hatcher and Courtney Struttmann, 6:00-10:00 p.m. February 14: Live on the Plaza, Plaza Arts District February 21: OKC StorySlam: "Mind over Matter" 7:00 p.m. March 29:  "Wings of Art" One Night Art Auction and Gala Benefitting Special Care 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. 1218 North Western Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73106-6824 • Phone: (405) 831 2874 • urbanartokc@gmail.com

From the mailer

Review:
CARMEN: TRIPLE BILL
ENJOYABLE BY
OKC BALLET

By Nancy Condit
 
Last Saturday night the Oklahoma City Ballet, added another important piece to its repertoire -- Balanchine's Rubies, a nicely finessed and well performed world premiere dance by choreographer Matthew Neenan, and a short version of Carmen, also a world premiere, by Jacob Sparso, OKC Ballet' ballet master. Artistic director Robert Mills arranged the program well, leading off with Balanchine -- now regarded as part of the history of dance, proceeding to Neenan's contemporary piece, and adding a story ballet. The evening performance was at the Civic Center.

 Choreographer Matthew Neenan's Exurgency, created on the company while he was in Oklahoma City,
was a contemporary work, danced in ballet shoes, with one or two patterns of dance going on at the same
time. One worked in a slower time, the other more quickly. One group performed more tautly, the other more fluidly, and danced within each other.

The most striking moment of Exurgency was the dancers lining up behind each other, and sequentially
moving in circles, like a stretching caterpillar. Really wonderful. The music was by cellist and composer
Zoe Keating.

George Balanchine's Rubies, part of  Jewels, the first abstract evening length ballet. It was first performed April 13, 1967, to music by Igor Stravinsky. Repetiteur from the Balanchine Trust Elyse Borne staged the playful abstract work of patterns.

The dancers performed well, especially Sarah Jane Crespo, and DaYoung Jung and Yui Sato.

Carmen, was choreographed by Oklahoma City Ballet's ballet master Jacob Sparso, from a concept
by artistic director Robert Mills and Sparso, to Georges Bizet's memorable music. It was an ambitious pointe ballet that length's seemed to be just right in the opening village scene, too long in the nightclub scene, and ended rather abruptly. This was a lighter version of the story than opera fans might be used to.

Ezlimar Dortolina danced Carmen well, with Alvin Tostogray as General Escamillo, and newly returned to the company Ronnie Underwood as Don Jose -- her two lovers. Callye Crespo and Walker Martin performed well in a classical Spanish dance using castanetes under Shannon Calderon Primeau's coaching.
Primeau gave a short but excellent example of her use of castanetes and classical Spanish footwork as she
played La Muetre.

SALVATION ARMY 
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The Salvation Army's shelters are open as emergency 
warming centers 24 hours a day any time the temperature drops below 32 degrees.

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330  SW 5th

Oklahoma City, OK  73109

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For more info visit salvationarmyokcac.org. 

 

 

OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET TO PRESENT
TRIPLE BILL OF CARMEN, OKLAHOMA
PREMIERE OF GEORGE BALANCHINE'S RUBIES, AND NEW BALLET BY MATTHEW NEENAN

Oklahoma City Ballet is thrilled to present a triple bill evening of dance featuring Jacob Sparso’s Carmen, the Oklahoma premiere of George Balanchine’s Rubies, and a world premiere ballet by award winning choreographer, Matthew Neenan. OKC Ballet performs this program February 7-9 at the Civic Center Music Hall in downtown Oklahoma City.

This sensational triple bill program is headlined by a new world premiere ballet Carmen. Inspired by the Prosper Mérimée novella and using the famous "ballet suite" Rodion Shchedrin arranged from the Bizet opera of the same name, Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naive soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen. Ballet Master Jacob Sparso brings his unique ability to weave intricate stories into exciting choreography for this dramatic ballet.

Also on the program is 20th century master choreographer George Balanchine's Rubies. Danced to the music of Stravinsky, which epitomizes the long-term artistic relationship between Igor Stravinsky and George Balanchine, Rubies is inspired by the work of jewelry designer Claude Arpels. Rubies reveals the spirit, color and fundamental nature of the jewel itself through dazzling choreography and music.

Rounding out the performance is a world premiere from Pennsylvania Ballet resident choreographer, Matthew Neenan. Mr. Neenan has received numerous awards for his choreography including the National Endowment of the Arts and the Choo San Goh Foundation. His work has been featured by the Pennsylvania Ballet, BalletX, The Washington Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and New York City Ballet's Choreographic Institute.

"This is THE performance to see this season and it is the one I am most excited about,” says Oklahoma City Ballet’s Artistic Director, Robert Mills. “Matthew Neenan is brilliant in his ability to push the boundaries of classical ballet to create new work, our aquisition of Balanchine's Rubies speaks to the technical prowess of our dancers, and I am confident that our own Jacob Sparso will provide us with yet another engaging story ballet with Carmen. Our triple bills always provide a variety of choreographic ideas and music, and this program is no exception."

Oklahoma City Ballet’s triple bill performance of Carmen, Rubies, and Matthew Neenan’s new ballet opens Friday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m., with additional performances Saturday February 8 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, February 9 at 2:00 p.m.

Single tickets start at $25 which are now on sale and can be purchased in person at OKC Ballet offices, 7421 N. Classen Blvd., OKC, by phone at (405) 848-8637 or online at okcballet.com/tickets. Two performance Mini-Season Subscription Packs are also available for these remaining performances of 2013-14 season “From the Page to the Stage.”

Single tickets may also be purchased at the Box Office at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker, OKC, (405) 297-2264.