Oklahoma Gazette - 100 Years of Route 66

Oklahoma Should Give Todd Russ The Byrd

By Drew Williamson

If Oklahomans are serious about competence, credibility and basic fiduciary responsibility, then the choice for State Treasurer in June’s Republican primary shouldn’t be close. It’s time to de-elect Todd Russ and replace him with someone who understands stewardship of public funds: Cindy Byrd.

Let’s be blunt: Todd Russ has turned what should be a nuts-andbolts financial office into his office of political theater, ideological crusades and some eyebrow-raising relationships. Oklahomans are left holding the bag.

Starting with the anti-ESG crusade, Todd Russ wasted time and money for his office and many others in our state. Whether you love ESG, hate ESG or aren’t even sure how to spell it, Russ’s legislative push was largely symbolic-and expensive. The policy was recently struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, rendering the entire exercise a waste of time, resources and tax dollars. It was certainly “fodder for the press,” but definitely not “grist for the mill.”

But the real problem isn’t its predictable failure; it was Todd Russ’s hypocrisy. Treasurer Russ excoriated anyone who exercised their

“fiduciary option” to avoid having to terminate relationships with companies deemed to be on the socalled “black list” at the Treasurer’s office. Meanwhile, Todd Russ utilized that very option, so HIS office could continue working with blacklisted banks. Stillwater was not allowed to borrow money from Bank of America, costing the city an extra $1.5 million per year. Meanwhile, state employees were still allowed to carry purchasing cards issued by the same bank. Todd Russ tried to force Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement Systems to fire Blackrock, but Todd Russ continued to bank with J.P. Morgan. Hypocrisy at its finest!!!

Then there’s Todd Russ’s new side hustle as a would-be corporate activist. His office has forcefully leaned into proxy battles and shareholder proposals – territory usually reserved for institutional investors, not a state treasurer. The centerpiece of this effort is a cozy relationship with Bowyer Research, a mom and pop proxy consulting shop pushing fringe proposals into corporate boardrooms. Bowyer is literally run from an activist family’s dining room table by a husband and wife

and four of their six kids. They are largely ineffective and ideologically driven, as opposed to more traditional and much more qualified firms. Reportedly, Treasurer Russ is also pressuring other state agencies to engage Bowyer. This has wasted money and embarrassed our state, while doing nothing good for society via a bunch of failed measures.

Todd Russ now finds himself right in the middle of the Invest in Oklahoma saga, a murky web involving a committee of five people Russ has influence over, Governor Stitt’s ex-Chief of Staff and his labyrinth of LLCs, investment advisory firms, merchant bank and a shiny new high rise building that collects rent from multiple firms looking to benefit from billions of Invest in Oklahoma dollars.This is how NOT to run a treasurer’s office and oversee a process that should have oversight and be fully transparent.

Oklahomans deserve transparency and accountability, not backroom vibes and “trust us” explanations. Let’s not forget Todd Russ’s track record in banking. Todd Russ’s stump speeches describe him becoming CEO of a small bank and later selling his stock for “big bucks” as the American Dream, but it became someone else’s nightmare shortly after he left, as the same bank was cited for unsafe and unsound banking practices, stem-

ming from loans the bank took from another lender as a means to leverage the bank’s balance sheet during Russ’s CEO tenure. This is not exactly the gold standard for someone entrusted with billions of dollars of public funds.

Oklahoma can’t trust Todd Russ! Which brings us to the alternative, Cindy Byrd. As Oklahoma’s Auditor and Inspector for the last eight years, Cindy Byrd has done her actual job of following the money, calling balls and strikes and holding government entities accountable. Her audits have uncovered waste, mismanagement and in some cases outright corruption. She’s built a reputation for independence, professionalism and integrity. Byrd understands finance, but she also understands responsibility. She won’t turn our treasurer’s office into a political platform or a personal brand. Byrd offers something rare – a candidate who can win on merit alone. She’s proven she can do the job-and do it well.

Drew Williamson is a Partner with Red Center Media-Oklahoma Gazette and served as Trustee of Teachers Retirement SystemOklahoma from 2019-2023.

Invest in Oklahoma Act

Public Funds and Private Profits

By Drew Williamson

It’s been 50 years since Oklahoma Gov. David Hall was indicted on charges of racketeering and extortion for conspiring to steer state employee retirement funds to a private investment firm in exchange for a payoff. Hall was convicted and served 19 months in federal prison, making him the only Oklahoma governor (three have been indicted) to be convicted of a crime and serve time in prison.

Fifty billion dollars now reside in Oklahoma’s state pensions and public funds, with Teachers Retirement Systems of Oklahoma being the largest, at $25 billion in total pension assets. Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement Systems is well over $12 billion, while the Police and Firefighters plans have $7 billion between them. Include other public funds, like the Commissioner of the Land Office (CLO) and the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) having $3.5 billion and $2 billion respectively in their coffers. These state funds have attracted the attention of legislators and many local firms in recent years, which now has raised concerns about Oklahoma pensions, other public funds and a newly created Taxpayer Endowment Fund becoming victims of potentially conflicting interests.

The Invest in Oklahoma Act was enacted as Senate Bill 922 and signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt during the 2021 legislative session. The bill only encouraged state funds to invest 5% of their money into investments that could benefit Oklahoma’s economy and generate growth for the state. The idea was formalized into a process managed by the Department of Commerce, so an investment manager could seek “Invest in Oklahoma Act” approval and be authorized for investment by these various funds.

The passage of the bill did little to compel action by any of the state funds, as the bill’s language was seemingly centered on venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE), with Oklahoma not having a strong or competitive ecosystem for either.

Oklahoma has seen a small handful of firms founded in the last several years, each trying to compete against more seasoned and larger competitors that have long-standing reputations, track records and clients that have a history of sending them money to invest. Some concluded the bill was an effort to stimulate venture capital and private equity business in Oklahoma as much as its economy.

“Some lawmaker’s brother-in-law must have started a venture capital fund,” said a board member at a Teachers Retirement Systems board

meeting after Invest in Oklahoma Act was passed. Ultimately, a small number of funds applied and received approval for the program by the Department of Commerce. Few investments have been made by state funds in these “approved” investments, citing concerns that a fiduciary’s obligation is to represent the interest of the pensions and public funds versus trying to stimulate growth in Oklahoma’s economy.

In the 2023 legislative session, Senate Bill 2254 was introduced to require the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) to invest 4% of TSET assets into Oklahoma venture funds. The bill was promoted behind the scenes by Cortado Capital, an Oklahoma City-based venture capital firm. Cortado was in the process of raising capital for its newest fund, targeting some $100 million of total assets. The timeline for investment in the bill coincided with Cortado’s timeline for offering the new fund. Further complicating the bill was language that specified that qualification for investment merely required a fund manager (including Cortado) to have a business presence in Oklahoma, not specifically requiring any funds to be invested in Oklahoma. TSET’s board resisted, passing a formal resolution expressing concerns that such a legislative mandate could interfere with its fiduciary obligation. Advocates of the bill touted how the funds would create growth in Oklahoma, jobs and be good for business. Opponents focused on how the bill lacked the language to make those assurances and how legislating investment policy was bad precedent. Ultimately, the bill never received committee approval and was not passed into law.

The Investment Industry Steering Committee was formed via executive order by Gov. Stitt in December 2023, comprised almost entirely of fund promoters and consultants, with only one representative from either the boards or staff of the state funds. Minutes posted from the initial meeting indicated there was a discussion about changing one word in the Invest in Oklahoma Act to require investments by state funds. By simply changing “may invest 5%” to “shall invest 5%,” all nine funds would be mandated to allocate well over $2 billion, potentially and primarily to the fund managers on the committee.

Internal Revenue Code strictly prohibits public pensions from investing funds for the exclusive benefit of anyone other than participants in the plan, thus making this effort likely afoul of the law, at least in the case of pension funds. As a result, the committee lost momentum and seemingly ceased to exist, with

meeting notices and committee notes no longer seen or made public. The Invest in Oklahoma Act was not changed in any way. However, some published meeting minutes indicated a new strategy had emerged in this committee’s endeavor, along with a new player who seemed willing to help” State Treasurer Todd Russ and potentially some funds overseen by his department at the state treasury.

OK House Bill 2765 was passed in the final days of last year’s legislative session, after a similar bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier in the session. HB 2765 transferred all authority under the Invest in Oklahoma Act to State Treasurer Todd Russ and also made certain funds in the state Treasury eligible for Invest in Oklahoma.

Within days of the passage of House Bill 2765, Gov. Stitt’s office put out a press release announcing a major new industrial park and power generation initiative in Chickasha. Representing the single largest private investment in the city’s history, the deal was presented as a joint venture between Citizen Capital and Lightfield Energy, a “leading” national solar developer, partner and installer in Las Vegas, Nev. Citizen Capital is majority owned by Stitt’s former Chief of Staff Bond Payne. The $3.5 billion project is being touted as creating thousands of local jobs.

Timing of this announcement was also coincidental to the passage of Oklahoma Senate Bill 480, which specified that companies can build their own power generation facility “behind the meter” of whatever regulated utility is required to serve the area, thus making the Chickasha project possible. Other than the joint venture announcement, little is known about how the $3.5 billion project will be funded, or if state funds will be used in the project via Treasurer Russ’s newfound power under HB 2765. Payne was accompanied by a representative from Russ’s office on a trip to Qatar not long after the Chickasha and Lightfield announcement, where they met with Qatari leadership and promoted investment opportunities in Oklahoma.

A few months after the passage of HB 2765, a Request For Proposal (RFP) was issued by Russ’s office to hire a consultant to advise the treasurer and other members of a newly formed Invest in Oklahoma Committee, chaired by Stitt. The committee met on Feb. 17 and announced the contract awarded via the RFP was going to 311 Capital, which was a newly formed firm established just four months earlier.

Other RFP respondents included GCM Grosvener, a global financial firm that manages over $90 billion of alternative investments, and Memco Multilateral Endowment Management, a local firm that manages assets for the Oklahoma State University Foundation and the Utah State Treasurer’s office. 311 Capital Management’s Form ADV

filed with regulators lists Citizen Capital as a related party and a direct owner of 75% or more of the firm. Payne is listed on regulatory filings as a control person for Citizen Capital, owning between 50-75%.

311 Capital’s address is listed at 600 North Robinson in Oklahoma City, the prominent location of Citizen Tower, OKC’s newest high-rise office tower owned by JRB Citizen LLC, which was prominently listed on Stitt’s 2024 financial disclosures. Otherwise, little is known about the firm, or its leadership. 311 Capital’s Managing Partner is Steven McDonnold, who lists no recent experience in venture capital or private equity on his LinkedIn profile, which also indicates that 311 Capital was formed solely to advise the Oklahoma treasurer’s office on matters pertaining to Invest in Oklahoma, but also indicates a timeline whereby McDonnold was hired (and 311 Capital formed) prior to the issuance of the RFP by Todd Russ’s office.

311 Capital’s fee structure under this contract is murky, based on meeting notes and the discussion. It was stated the firm’s compensation would be determined at a later date and negotiated on future transactions. Not disclosing pertinent details of a contract of this nature would likely violate Oklahoma’s Central Purchasing Act requirements, as evidenced by yet unpassed legislation for the newly formed Taxpayer Endowment Fund which seeks to exempt the committee from Central Purchasing Act requirements. In the capacity of advising the treasurer and Invest in Oklahoma committee, 311 Capital would be acting in the capacity of a fiduciary as a registered investment advisor. Being paid on transactions versus an advisory fee structure raises concerns of potential conflicts of interest between 311 Capital, Citizen Capital and Invest in Oklahoma funds.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Charlie Munger famously said, “Show me how someone gets paid, and I’ll show you the outcome.” It’s plausible 311 Capital will be conflicted when advising Russ on deals where Citizen Capital may also be involved and potentially earning other fees. Other conflicts could include being compensated in transactions, as opposed to being paid for advice. This is a typical critique of investment banks, as they are incentivized to transact, whether or not it’s in the client’s best interest. These points were not discussed in the Invest in Oklahoma Committee meeting, just as there was conspicuously no discussion of Bond Payne’s ownership of 311 Capital or Citizen Capital as a related entity. Ultimately, the committee approved the contract with 311 Capital, voting 5-0 to approve the contract.

A surprising twist occurred Friday, April 3, when Cindy Byrd filed to run against Russ in the upcoming GOP primary for the state treasurer position.

Continued From The Prior Page...

Byrd has been state auditor and inspector since 2019 and is in her last year in that office. Previously, Byrd had been running in a crowded race for lieutenant governor and headed for a likely runoff showdown with T.W. Shannon in August. Shannon has recently been viewed as the front-runner, having secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Her newfound opposition to Russ as treasurer will be formidable, as Byrd has previously won two statewide races by wide margins and is viewed highly be Republican peers and voters in both rural and metropolitan areas. Whoever wins the most votes in the GOP primary for treasurer will be heavily favored to win in November, as only one other challenger has emerged in the race, Libertarian Kiefer Perry. Byrd’s filing came within days of an apparent budget deal, which also earmarked $200 million for a newly created Taxpayer Endowment Fund, which would fall under Invest in Oklahoma Act guidelines and managed through the state treasurer’s office.

Within days of Byrd’s filing for the treasurer’s race, questions began surfacing about the Invest in Oklahoma Committee, the RFP and contract awarded to the Governor’s former Chief of Staff and Todd Russ’s involvement. Oklahoma Watch’s Paul Monies first reported on these recent developments and the RFP on April 9. Stitt’s office released a statement that same day to announce he had revised his financial disclosures with the state ethics commission to indicate he had divested his interest in JRB Citizen LLC.

In response to Oklahoma Watch’s inquiry, Russ indicated he was disappointed there weren’t more interested parties that responded to the RFP, and that fees were a major consideration in the selection, as funds were not appropriated for a consultant. In other instances involving state funds, advisers such as 311 Capital are paid from the underlying funds versus dollars appropriated by the legislature. It’s certain this is new territory for the treasurer’s office, which normally invests only in safe and liquid investments, as opposed to more complex, risky and long-term investments with little or no liquidity.

In response to The Oklahoman republishing Monies and Oklahoma Watch’s story, Stitt wrote a scathing response, defending his action of voting in favor of awarding the contract to his previous chief of staff. He said by virtue of his previously undisclosed divestiture, that no

business relationship existed and that no funds from the now near than $60 billion of Invest in Oklahoma eligible assets had been deployed. Both he and Payne were critical of Oklahoma Watch’s reporting, with Payne publishing a lengthy post on X, implying his newly formed firm had been selected through a competitive process and that 311 Capital was up to the task at hand.

This statement implies 311 Capital will be paid a performance incentive fee for at least a portion of the firm’s compensation. Otherwise known as “carried interest,” this would further complicate the still murky and unresolved compensation structure for a firm that should be acting as a fiduciary with respect to the underlying funds. Compensating a fiduciary via carried interest is exceedingly complex, as there are numerous potential conflicts. For 311 Capital, this would be a potential boon, as potential carried interest fees typically dwarf more traditional consulting fees. This method of compensation also receives favorable tax treatment under existing tax laws, thus carrying interest is taxed at capital gains rates, making it a preferred method of compensation for hedge fund, private equity and venture capital firms. The only thing becoming clear in terms of 311 Capital’s compensation under the contract is that it could potentially be significant and at odds with the interests of our state.

Citizen Capital’s business model requires access to capital in order to fund merchant banking transactions for clients. For Citizen, also a new company with no history or relevant experience, this seems like a windfall opportunity to potentially direct funds from treasury toward transactions that need funding. The fee for a transaction like Lightfield Energy in Chickasha could be tens of millions of dollars, depending on how much capital is sourced through Citizen versus banks

and other investor groups. Absent sovereign wealth money and not having a cadre of institutional clientele lining up to invest in Citizen transactions, the formation of 311 Capital, and its newfound relationship with Invest in Oklahoma, seems to potentially be Citizen Capital’s entre to funding deals.

As Oklahoma found over a half century ago, there is ample room for conflicts of interest and even foul play in our pensions and public funds. Also, economic development initiatives often fail to achieve the desired result. Oklahoma aptly learned this lesson just 20 years ago when a number of tax credit structures aimed at economic growth and development generated little real economic benefit for Oklahoma. The primary beneficiaries of these deals were fund promoters and the recipients of hundreds of millions of tax credits issued by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. These funds turned out to be filled mostly with underlying investments being described as “planned failures.” Fund investors were still rewarded by virtue of the tax savings, with many funds offering two dollars of tax credits for each dollar invested, giving the investors a 100% tax free return on their money, simply by investing in the funds.

While Invest in Oklahoma has potential benefits for Oklahoma’s economic growth and job creation, it will need to be managed prudently and with high levels of oversight to achieve desired results. In the coming weeks, lawmakers will debate the $200 million Taxpayer Endowment Fund (created in the budget) being eligible for Invest in Oklahoma, the governor’s and state treasurer’s ties with Bond Payne and 311 Capital, and the contract award

resulting from the recent RFP process. Ethics Commission rules will be examined closely, to determine if Stitt violated his obligations by virtue of voting in favor of awarding a lucrative contract to a known business associate and former chief of staff.

By not adhering to Central Purchasing Act and its administrative rules, it’s possible the contract with 311 Capital is not valid, at least until the Invest in Oklahoma Committee receives a waiver under yet unpassed legislation. Attorney General Gentner Drummond will also be likely to review this and will have several options if a remedy is deemed necessary.

Oklahoma voters will also want information about this as they ponder Treasurer Russ’s re-election and widely popular Cindy Byrd’s challenge for State Treasurer in the GOP primary.

Drew Williamson is a Partner with Red Center Media-Oklahoma Gazette and served as Trustee of Teachers Retirement SystemOklahoma from 2019-2023.

Floor Fight Goes Full Soap Opera…

Oklahoma politics took a petty turn when House Speaker Kyle Hilbert fired off a scathing letter to Chuck Hoskin Jr., effectively banning him from the House floor. The dust-up stems from Hoskin’s criticism of state leaders over Medicaid — apparently enough to earn a written smackdown and revoked access. Nothing says “robust public discourse” like barring a tribal leader from the people’s chamber. Somewhere, the spirit of diplomacy is filing for early retirement.

Tourism Takes a Detour

Former Oklahoma Department of Tourism head Shelley Zumwalt didn’t just ride off into the sunset—she apparently took a parting gift with her. After “retiring” amid a cloud of ethics questions, Zumwalt secured a severance package that’s raising eyebrows across the Capitol. Details remain murky (naturally), but the optics are crystal clear: controversy in, cash out. For an agency tasked with selling Oklahoma’s charm, this episode feels less like a brochure and more like a warning label.

The Oklahoma City Thunder told Bob Mills Furniture to kindly stop giving away free mattresses tied to the team’s success –– because nothing says brand confusion like sleeping on a playoff run. The promotion, which promised freebies if the Thunder wins it all, apparently crossed a legal line. Now fans must choose: restful sleep or respecting trademarks.

NON-PROFIT FOCUS

Funding Forward

At Allied Arts, the quiet work of raising and redistributing dollars helps fuel Oklahoma City’s cultural life—from marquee stages to classrooms, senior centers, and rural schools.

By Julie Porter Scott

What do you picture when someone says “the arts”? For many, it’s the curtain rising on an Oklahoma City Ballet performance; it’s the sound of the Philharmonic as it tunes up. It’s a festival crowd spilling through the downtown streets; it’s opening night at Lyric. It’s true: those touchstones are such an important part of what makes our city a vibrant place to live. But there are also dozens of smaller, less well-known organizations across many different disciplines, each helping to strengthen the fabric of our city.

Big or small, many of these arts organizations share one common denominator. For more than five decades, Allied Arts has provided key infrastructure: a centralized fundraising and grantmaking engine that supports nearly every corner of the region’s arts ecosystem. Founded in 1971 by Chamber of Commerce business leaders, the organization was built on a key tenet — that investment in arts and culture is essential to a city’s growth.

Fifty-five years later, Oklahoma City is now the 20th largest city in the country, a fact Allied Arts President and CEO Sunny Cearley points to as evidence that early investment paid off. What was once a forward-looking gambit is now nothing less than a mandate.

“It’s incumbent on the community leaders of today to continue to look forward and say, ‘What does vibrant arts and culture look like for the 20th largest city in America?’” Cearley said.

At its core, Allied Arts does one thing exceptionally well: it raises money and distributes it strategically. In the past year alone, the organization granted $3.1 million to 48 arts and cultural nonprofits across central Oklahoma. This year, its goal is even more impressive: the annual campaign aims to raise $3.85 million, funding that will reach more than one million Oklahomans and provide critical resources to arts and cultural organizations benefiting the underserved.

That reach matters, particularly in a landscape where individual donors may only be familiar with a handful of major institutions. Allied Arts acts as both curator and connector, directing funding not only to flagship organizations but also to smaller, less visible groups that might otherwise struggle for support.

But even within those flagship

institutions, Cearley says the public often misses the full picture.

“What I didn’t get until I began working for Allied Arts was just how much outreach the flagships do,” she said.

She points to programs like Dance for Parkinson’s, an Oklahoma City Ballet program presented in partnership with the Oklahoma Parkinson’s Alliance, which provides a fun and social setting for those living with Parkinson’s disease to work on their motor functions through movement.

Similarly, Arts Council Oklahoma City, best known for its annual Festival of the Arts, operates yearround programming that often flies under the radar. For example, its Creative Aging program connects professional teaching artists with senior living facilities to provide programming that reaches those with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other physical and cognitive challenges.

These arts organizations are not just producing performances but also delivering health, wellness, and community-building services. Such programs reflect a broader shift in how Allied Arts—and the community it serves—defines impact. The arts are not simply a cultural amenity; they are a tool for connection, education, and even healing.

That understanding extends beyond audiences to the workforce itself. Cearley, who previously worked at the Chamber, said her time at Allied Arts reshaped how she thinks about the role of creativity in everyday professional life.

“What I’ve learned is how important it is for our broader workforce to have creative outlets to excel in their careers,” she said.

In conversation, those examples surface quickly: a mayoral staff member singing in a chorus, a federal court employee performing in a choir, a development director balancing fundraising with tap dance classes and performances. These are not side hobbies so much as parallel systems of support—creative practices that sustain the people behind the city’s civic and economic engines.

“For people to be their best at work every day, they’ve got to have the outlet to go and do those creative things,” Cearley said. Access, then, becomes more than a theoretical goal. It is a logistical challenge—one Allied Arts approaches through funding programs that meet people

where they are.

This article is sponsored by the Potts Family Foundation

In rural communities, that can mean bringing live theater directly into schools. Through Lyric Theatre’s outreach programming, small touring productions travel to districts where students may never otherwise see a live performance. “I get letters from really rural teachers and students,” Cearley said. In one, a teacher wrote that because of “the rural nature and extreme poverty” of their community, the visit was “the only live play most of these kids will ever see.”

But access gaps exist closer to home, too. In larger suburban districts, logistical barriers—like transportation and limited bus capacity—can prevent students from attending off-site performances. Bringing the arts into schools eliminates that friction, allowing entire student bodies to participate rather than just a select few.

“Because you brought it to us, everybody could go,” Cearley recalled from another teacher’s note.

That spectrum—from rural scarcity to urban constraint—underscores the breadth of Allied Arts’ mission. The organization is not simply funding programming; it is funding access points.

Even its most visible fundraiser, the annual ARTini art auction, reflects that philosophy in ways many attendees may not realize. While the event is widely known as a lively, art-forward party, it also functions as a platform for working artists.

More than 400 submissions are juried—blindly—down to more than 200 pieces, ensuring equal opportunity regardless of name recognition. Artists can then choose whether to donate their proceeds or split sales with Allied Arts, a structure that directly compensates creators while supporting the broader

mission. “We pay artists to show their work,” Cearley said. It’s a small but meaningful inversion of expectations—one that reinforces one of the organization’s underlying beliefs: that art has value, and so do the people who make it.

On May 2, ARTini returns to the Oklahoma City Convention Center. The art auction and martini tasting event, now in its 23rd year, is one of the largest—and, arguably, most fun—cultural events of the year. It raises critical funding while showcasing local artists; the evening is rounded out by entertainment and light bites from twelve top local restaurants.

Another important initiative is the OKCityCard, a unique way to both fund Allied Arts and make the arts more accessible to cardholders. For a $60 minimum donation, donors receive a card that can be used for savings at nearly 100 locations across central Oklahoma. The card unlocks everything from discounted art classes and workshops to 2-for-1 admission at many arts organizations and performances, and discounts at some of the best local shops and restaurants. Valid for a full year from the time of donation, the card is like a secret handshake to the best the 405 has to offer.

As Oklahoma City continues to grow, the broader art scene remains both a reflection of that growth and a driver of it. The work done by Allied Arts is not in the spotlight; it creates the conditions for the spotlight to exist in the first place. Or, as Cearley and her team might frame it, the job is straightforward—even if the impact is anything but: raise the money, invest it wisely, and trust that the ripple effects will reach farther than any single stage.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US.

Enroll today at the most affordable institution of higher education in Oklahoma!

LARGEST PROVIDER of micro-credentials in Oklahoma (60+ offered, 19,200+ awarded)

$447M annual economic impact,supporting 4,800+ Oklahoma jobs

1ST COMMUNITY COLLEGE

in Oklahoma awarded the Pathways to Partnerships Grant

The only institution in Oklahoma recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, and proudly continuing its national designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD, Associate level) through the Center for Cyber Defense Education (CCDE) — occc.edu/bit/ccde/

Recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Top Online Colleges (2025)

Gray Frederickson Digital Cinema Program ranked Top 30 in U.S. & Canada

Forbes Ranked OCCC’s Online Psychology Program Top 10 Nationally

Certified Healthy Campus Excellence Level

Tree Campus Higher Education Recognition 14 Consecutive Years

Celebrating Mom EAT & DRINK

By Hope Whitmire

As April showers begin to fade, the pull of patio season settles in with sunny days and cool breezes. That at-home attempt at an omelet turned scrambled eggs does not quite cut it when Oklahoma City is full of enough delicious brunch options to fill the week. With Mother’s Day around the corner, it is the perfect time to treat the people you love the most to something special.

FRIDA Southwest

500 Paseo fridasouthwest.com

Sitting at the foot of the Paseo District, they reserve their brunch for the weekend only. This contemporary restaurant has unique options blending cuisine from Oklahoma, Santa Fe, and northern Mexico to create a one of a kind brunch menu. Dine on a new dish on their covered patio looking onto gorgeous Spanish architecture.

The Press 1610 North Gatewood Avenue thepressokc.com

This cozy restaurant offers comfort dishes for brunch all day. The Plaza District gem is serving up satisfying American fare. Their patio gives a familiar backyard feeling reminiscent of family parties when you sit under the hanging lights surrounded by long tables and benches.

Raven 4200 North Western Avenue ravenokc.com

Tucked into Crown Heights, Raven offers a more elevated take on brunch with a warm, low-lit atmosphere that still feels relaxed and inviting. The menu leans seasonal and wood-fired, with standouts like bread pudding, French toast topped with maple bacon butter, and a classic eggs Benedict served on grilled sourdough. It is the kind of spot that feels just as suited for a casual weekend meet-up as it does for something a little more dressed up.

Bradford House 1235 NW 38th Street

bradfordhouseokc.com

Take an elevated staycation or reserve a brunch with the girls at this renowned boutique hotel and restaurant set inside a revitalized Victorian home, made even more charming by the retro decor with a twist. Bask in the Oklahoma spring on their wraparound porch with a mimosa in one hand and a fresh pastry in the other.

Scrambl’d 1742 NE 23rd Street facebook.com/Scrambld23rd/

Plates like shrimp and grits, fluffy French toast and even lamb chops bring a little extra energy to the table, especially when paired with one of their signature cocktails. The space itself is modern and upbeat, making it just as suited for a casual weekday breakfast as it is for a weekend brunch with friends. Between the vibrant atmosphere and generous portions, it is easy to see why it has become a go-to spot for a lively patio outing.

Aurora 1734 NW 16th St

shinewithaurora.com

Kitchen 324 is a downtown OKC breakfast and brunch essential with classic and modern dishes. Enjoy striking views of the City Center District while sipping your macchiato. The giant buttermilk pancake is famously buzzworthy, and it really is for the whole table.

Bright, colorful, and full of energy, Aurora brings an all-day brunch to the heart of the Plaza District. The menu is fresh and locally driven, with made-from-scratch plates and a strong coffee and cocktail program to match. Inside, the space feels modern and airy, while the dogfriendly patio adds an easygoing charm perfect for lingering over a slow morning.

EAT & DRINK

A New Type of Sports Bar

Bush League offers patrons family-friendly fun, unique meals, and serious drinks.

By Greg Horton

Before opening Bush League Sports Tavern in Northpark Mall, Jimmy “J” Mays and Chris Kana looked at a cross-section of metro restaurants and, according to Mays, “...realized there is a massive gap where locally owned sports bars are concerned, especially family friendly sports bars.” As Oklahoma City continues to expand its sports offerings, the opportunities for local operators to offer gathering places for hungry fans should increase pro-

portionately, and Bush League is one of the first to move into that dining space.

“We thought Oklahoma City had a need for a family friendly sports bar,” Kana said. “But more than that, we wanted to focus on improving the quality of food you typically find in a sports bar, so we designed Bush League to be a place you can come watch the game with friends or family and still get a great meal.”

Kana and Mays are two of the

owners of Killer Squid Hospitality (Cafe 7, Dado’s, The Hamilton), and in addition to creating a relatively large, 6800-square-foot restaurant with 42 televisions, two golf simulators, pinball, claw machines, and a live sports ticker, they also leaned into the explosion of interest in women’s sports.

“We have been here with The Hamilton for several years already,” Mays said, “and seeing the demographics of the people who matriculate around Northpark, we knew we had to be intentional in creating a space that appealed to women, and I have to admit I’m still shocked at the number of women’s friend groups who come in to watch a game and drink wine. We’re thrilled to have created a space for everyone.”

perience, or in the case of the French fry flight, to have it all. The flight, most likely an homage to Hamilton regular Brittany Elder, features “skinny” fries, as well as waffle and curly versions, and yes, you can choose different sauces. The same is true for the Chicken Jockey section, that allows diners to choose among nuggets, tenders and wings, including a choice of sauces (gochujang, bourbon-garlic, buffalo, and garlic-parmesan) and dips (ranch, blue cheese, chili crisp, etc.).

The Bush League menu had to reflect the emphases on women’s sports and family friendly dining without abandoning traditional sports bar fare. That could have led to an ungainly menu that tries to be all things to all people, but Mays, Kana and the kitchen team built a smart, flexible menu that relies on multiple uses of each ingredient, thereby expanding the menu without creating a storage and inventory nightmare.

Mays laughs when talking about the construction of the menu. “Believe it or not, the first version was a take on a French brasserie, and I’m convinced that an eclectic French menu would not translate well to an OKC sports bar, so I’m glad we took input and evolved the focus. We paid attention to trends –– maybe too much at times –– so there was a version that didn’t include burgers because of beef prices. Obviously, that idea didn’t last long.”

In addition to the traditional sports bar selections like chips, burgers, dogs, and sandwiches, Bush League has sections that allow guests to customize their ex-

One section in particular is emblematic of how unique Bush League is in the sports bar world. Called “The Business,” the items include a remarkable pork schnitzel with curry braised red cabbage, gochujang salmon, and cajun shrimp noodles. And under the sandwiches, two highlight the team’s thoughtful, localized approach: a falafel smash “burger” and the Banh Ahi, a Vietnamese style sandwich with seared ahi tuna.

Kana sums it up best: “We are a majority made-from-scratch kitchen, which I think is difficult to find in sports bar food. We have all of the sports bar classics, but with some new twists in preparation and our ingredient selection.”

The interior design is another pleasantly unexpected departure from typical sports bars. To “soften the edges” of what can be too sporty, too kitschy, and too cliché, Mays asked Rachael Gruntmier to take Hayden Royal’s elegant blue logo and peripherals to create a comfortable, inviting space with all the features you’d expect from a restaurant built around college and professional sports. She used a mixture of contemporary and vintage sporting equipment, imagery, and artifacts to create a bright, lively space, and the sectioning of main dining, private dining, bar, and simulator areas creates discrete experiences where different groups can enjoy different sports, different games, and different crowds.

Finally, the Bush League bar has already received a visit from Guinness beer’s North American ambassador to certify them as a “proper pour” location. Killer Squid used the same approach to Bush League as they did with The Hamilton, which is to say, they wanted serious drinks in a nonserious environment. Dining out is supposed to be an enjoyable experience shared with friends and family, and Bush League has all the elements needed to facilitate that goal.

Welcome to Iberia, Oklahoma

The James Beard finalist offers Spanish-style tapas paired with Spanish-inspired beverages.

By Brian Hearn

Any respectable speakeasy should be discreet, with an entrance hidden in plain sight, preferably around a corner. Such is the case on an otherwise unassuming block of Harvey Ave. on the northeast edge of Midtown. Tucked in between a bakery and a law firm, both good neighbors to have by the way, Later Bye has been on a quiet hot streak since opening in October 2024. Julie Porter Scott ably sang their praises as a “Tiny Treasure” in her Oklahoma Gazette review last September.

Co-owners Steven Idlet with Bailey and Brian Butler, of Palo Santo fame, have kept their footprint small, concept dialed-in and quality on point. Clearly the word is out. Besides a near constant waitlist, earlier this year Later Bye received a James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award nomination along with 20 other hot spots for Best New Bar. More recently they made the semifinal cut, and it’s down to five bars with competition from Detroit, Boise, Providence and New York. Let’s goooooo!

Tinned fish may not trip your trigger at first, but Later Bye could just expand your palate with their Spanish-style small plates - in between spectacular cocktails that is. The interior vibe of Later Bye’s shotgun space is cool, dark, and uber-minimalist. I found myself wondering “Is there any art?” The floor-to-ceiling wood trim and indirect lighting lend warmth, while the lengthy black walnut bar supports cozy sophistication.

My first impression was an upscale Tokyo vibe with only 30-some-odd seats, mostly along the bar, but the menu tells a different story. My map was wrong; this is Oklahoma City’s portal to the Iberian Peninsula, mostly surrounded by salt water, half cold (Atlantic), half warm (Mediterranean).

That’s important to Later Bye’s founders who have made their 3 to 5 p.m. Apertivo Hour into a snacktastic tour-de-force with carefully selected cured meats, briny tinned fish, fruity olive oils, fresh herbs, zesty citrus and vinegar, and the

goaty cheeses. The Mushroom Ricotta Mousse and Black Garlic Hummus are satisfying, and be sure to lean into the Anchovy Butter, Spicy Anchovy (even better) or instant classic, Bocherones (pronounced with a k!), in all their salty, crispy, oily goodness.

Seafood lovers will admire the extensive Conservas available – a full range of canned delicacies like grilled sardine tails, smoked mackerel, spiced octopus, or tuna belly in Galician butter, served with kettle chips and garlic aioli. Think of it as Iberian sushi. Caviar service is also on the menu.

The drinks menu offers some delightful accompaniments that I dare you to spell whilst imbibing. Kalimotxo blends Spanish red wine with a certain ‘merican cola and is fortified with bitter orange liqueur and fresh lemon. Unusual wines like Txakoli, a dry white sparkler from the Basque region, Avinyó Petillant, a super fizzy white from Catalunya or an old school 30-year sherry, elevate the earthiness of the menu.

The menu offers more substantial edibles including three salads and a dozen different Bocadillos that celebrate only a few simple, super tasty ingredients stuffed and pressed into a baguette cut lengthwise. The “Spaniard,” for example,

is dry-cured ham, Manchego cheese, quince and cultured butter. Pair that with the house cocktail “All That is Man” consisting of rye, rum, sherry, crème de banane and maple, and you’ll be butchering your Spanish and Portuguese.

Later Bye’s cocktail menu is substantial, and respect is given to the underrated Apertivo category of spritzes and tonics designed to stimulate the appetite. They’ve got the classics covered with top notch ingredients for a real dang daiquiri. Half a dozen inventive martinis feature gins from Oklahoma to Argentina, kissed by exotics like Chartreuse or Absinthe. House cocktails shine with creativity and surprising ingredients like fig-infused vermouth and tomato oil. But it is the selection of sherries that best embody the Iberian theme throughout Later Bye’s stellar drinks menu. There was some art after all. One portrait painting hangs conspicuously at the very end of the bar. Is that... Edward G. Robinson? The Hollywood actor and art collector? Remember him in Scarlet Street? Save it for the bar. Meanwhile, surely too busy to care much, Later Bye shall bask in its nomination awaiting the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony set for June 15, 2026 in Chicago.

EAT & DRINK

Homestyle Cooking

My Place Sip & Savor excels in traditional thai dishes, adding new spice to the OKC food scene.

By Greg Horton

Ying Yukhontron’s first restaurant job was at Los Angeles’s beloved Thai spot Khun Dom, where she served tables and helped out in the kitchen. The Thai immigrant and child of a single mother came to the U.S. at 15.

“I was raised by a single mom who was a bartender,” Yukhontron said. “I didn’t get to work in a bar with her until I was 22 at a spot in Burbank. I’ve been in and around hospitality all my life.”

The family, which includes her husband and son, moved to Oklahoma City in 2024, and promptly discovered what fans of Thai food already knew: OKC does not have a wealth of traditional Thai options. In fact, the story of Thai cuisine in Oklahoma is similar to Chinese food, which means dishes were Americanized to make them less spicy, more sweet, and more reliant on preservatives rather than fresh ingredients.

Chinese food in the state improved with increased immigration, which led to more regionally specific food prepared in traditional ways, and spots like Tsubaki Szechuan and the original Szechuan Story helped broaden the city’s understanding of traditional Chinese food. Thai is finally getting its turn, and the city is better for it.

“We were surprised that we couldn’t find the kind of food we ate at home,” Yukhontron said. “That’s where the name of the restaurant, My Place Sip & Savor, came from. We wanted guests to enjoy traditional Thai food the way Thai people experience it. These dishes are the ones we cook at home for our families and friends”

Yukhontron and two friends — Lao chef Mai Phasay and operations specialist Dada Tan, who, like Yukhontron, is a Bangkok native — opened My Place last summer in the space formerly occupied by Union Wood-Fired Grill on NW 5th downtown. Although not originally designed to be a restaurant, the building was modified over the years by a few owners into a workable dining space with an excellent patio and Airstream trailer bar. The My Place ownership team made the important

improvement of adding a dumbwaiter since the kitchen is downstairs and main dining upstairs.

Logistics and operations aside, the main draw at My Place is the food, as it should be. Yukhontron and Phasay are excellent chefs, and all three owners are happy to help diners understand why the restaurant’s approach to Thai food is very different than what we’ve seen from any other spot (with the delicious exception of the Mob Thai’d truck), beginning with OKC’s favorite Thai dish, pad thai.

Served “deconstructed” rather than mixed in a bowl, the pad thai is visually striking, and importantly, it allows diners to appreciate how each component contributes to the overall dish. It is noticeably less sweet than pad thai elsewhere, and the flavors are savory, sweet, and zippy without being muddled. The reduction in sugar means diners can actually taste tamarind, ginger, garlic, and peanuts as distinct flavors. It’s a stellar example of a Thai staple.

Yukhontron is convinced the

curried lamb chops are the restaurant’s best dish, and she may be right. The panang curry is creamy and rich without overpowering the tender grilled lamb. We strongly recommend getting a side of sticky rice, because you’re not going to want to leave the curry in the bowl.

Phasay seems to be a soup genius of sorts, as it’s nearly impossible to decide which is better: tom yum koong, tom kha kai, or pok tak talay. Fingers crossed we get a soup flight option at some point in the very near future. The khao soi with beef is one of the metro’s best noodle bowls, too, as is the “pok pok,” a tom yum variation that gets its name from the noise the wooden pestle makes when it hits the clay mortar in traditional Thai cooking.

The heat levels vary on the food, and if you eat there often enough, they’ll learn your preferred level, a nice, personalized touch that takes the mystery (and risk for some) out of ordering new dishes. New menu additions are going live as we are going to print with this issue, including My Place wings — they do an amazing job with wings too — which come with sticky rice and a small papaya salad.

Yukhontron’s bartending experience shows up in the cocktail list, too, and the quality here is a pleasant surprise given the still relatively rare occurrence of a great craft bar in the metro’s Asian restaurants. (Yes, Ma Der, Bar Sen, and Akai are happy exceptions, too.) The Mango Sticky Rice Martini and Madama Wong are the standouts, and for the abstainers, the Thai tea is delicious, and will provide the caffeine kick you need to avoid the food coma from so many delicious options.

SPONSORS:

FESTIVAL HOURS: Sat & Sun 10 am - 8 pm (Music until 10 pm) Mon 10 am - 5 pm

CHILDREN’S AREA: Sat & Sun 11 am - 6 pm Mon 11 am - 5 pm

FREE PARKING & SHUTTLE SERVICE IN THE PARKING LOT AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 25TH AND WESTERN

SHUTTLE HOURS: Saturday 10am-10pm Sunday 12pm-10pm (after church) Monday 10am-6pm

FEATURE

ARTS & CULTURE

The Magic of Route 66

To celebrate its centennial, artist Dennis Ziemienski brings the “Mother Road” to life in a new Santa Fe gallery show.

By Phoebe Grandi

For California artist Dennis Ziemienski, like many other Americans, Route 66 brings back memories of learning about the United States from his parents’ car. “As a kid, it was just fascinating,” explained Ziemienski, recalling road trips taken to visit relatives along the route. “For example, I loved neon, just as an interesting art form. So, I would draw or paint pictures, and I really became enamored with the whole idea of road trips.”

Childlike wanderlust and innate curiosity about the American West define many Ziemienski’s paintings, including the collection of Route 66 paintings he is currently working on for his upcoming show at Santa Fe’s Blue Rain Gallery. Bold cloud structures combine with distinctive colors and beloved landmarks to evoke vivid and timeless images of historic highway.

The collection will draw upon many of Route 66’s famous stops, like the historic orange-shaped Bono’s Restaurant and Deli near the road’s beginning in Los Angeles. In Oklahoma, Ziemienski plans to highlight Oklahoma City’s iconic Tower Theatre and Tulsa’s historic Will Rogers Motor Court, hoping to encapsulate the magic of the road’s many diverse stops.

A gallery show about Route 66 is not new to Ziemienski, who began his art career as an illustrator, designing posters for the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby. In fact, one of his first gallery shows as an oil painter highlighted the history and images of the road for its 80th anniversary in 2006.“There wasn’t anything in Oklahoma, Illinois, or even California [in the 2006 show],” said Ziemienski. “It was mostly Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.”

Now, his return to the subject matter aims to delve deeper into the diverse landscapes Route 66 traverses, while still capturing the route’s vistas with his signature, stunning style.

“There’s a midpoint of Route 66 in the panhandle of Texas, and I have depicted that midpoint with a big cloud,” said Ziemienski, about a piece featured in the upcoming show. “It’s one of the bigger paintings. It has a Texas US 66 sign, and you can see the road stretching out into infinity.”

About The Exhibit: This solo exhibition of new oil paintings by Dennis Ziemienski will be on view from July 31 to August 10, 2026, at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, with an artist reception Friday, July 31 from 5 – 7pm.

How to Celebrate Route 66 in OKC

This article was originally published by Visit Oklahoma City.

By Greg Horton

Although it was officially decommissioned in 1985, Route 66 continues to exert an influence on American travel and pop culture. Originally proposed by Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, the 2448-mile stretch of highway from Chicago to Santa Monica – variously known by its highway number and literary metaphors like “Mother Road” – was commissioned on November 1, 1926. Until the opening of the U.S. interstate system in 1956, it was the primary route from the Midwest to the West Coast.

To commemorate the centennial of Route 66, states, cities, towns, organizations and governments along the famous road are hosting celebrations, art installations and other festivities throughout 2026. Given that Oklahoma has the longest stretch of drivable road remaining (more than 400 miles), it’s fitting that the largest party on the route is happening here in Oklahoma City.

Centennial Celebrations

The Route 66 “Kickin’ It” Centennial Birthday Bash will be at Scissortail Park on Saturday, May 30. The all-day event is free and includes a full day of familyfriendly activities beginning with a farmers market. The evening is packed with live music, including OK3, Bailey Rae, ‘90s country throwback Ricochet and rising country star Kaitlin Butts. Neon Night’s choreographed drone light show will be the visual highlight of the day.

Art & Exhibits

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is hosting Route 66: From Trails to Truck Stops through May 3, 2026. The exhibition features art, artifacts, historically significant pieces, signage and historical information about Route 66. Seth Spillman, Chief Marketing Officer for the museum said some of the pieces in the exhibition will remain throughout 2026. In addition to the exhibition, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum will be home to artist Cameron Eagle’s Kicks 66, a 35-foot neon statue featuring a red cowboy boot and the words “Oklahoma City Looks

Mighty Pretty.” The permanent home for the statue will be at 1866 NE 63rd, just east of the museum.

The Summer of 66 mural located in OKC’s 39th Street District is a commemorative piece by multimedia artist Nick Bayer. It is located on Route 66,

and features symbols associated with Oklahoma’s stretch of the Mother Road, including the Milk Bottle building and Uptown 23rd’s Route 66 Robot.

Historic Landmarks & Architecture

One of the more interesting architectural sights along Route 66 is the Classen Inn, a refurbished 1963 motor hotel that is one of the few remaining examples of Googie architecture in the state. A passion project of local businessman Steve Mason, the motel is open for bookings, and the remodel is striking and whimsical in perfect proportion, and the interior design feels like a late ‘60s time capsule in the best way. In a similar vein, two other Route 66proper landmarks in the area include the aforementioned Milk Bottle Grocery building as well as the geodesic dome built in 1958 locally known at The Gold Dome.

Route 66 Stays & Packages

Coury Hospitality is offering packages for Route 66 travelers this year at their signature hotels in OKC: The National, Colcord and Ambassador. Packages include discounted rooms, dining credits, valet parking, Route 66 swag and other amenities. Details are available on the hotel websites.

ARTS & CULTURE

Celebrating Art and Community

For 49 Years, the Paseo Arts Festival has built community while supporting artists.

By Hope Whitmire

From its creation in 1929 as a shopping center, the Paseo Arts District has evolved into a staple of Uptown OKC, now featuring fine dining, boutiques, and countless art galleries.

The neighborhood’s iconic vibrant color palette and Spanishstyle architecture have remained intact through the years, making it a distinctive pocket of the city. Filled with both new and longstanding establishments, it reflects a blend of past and present Oklahoma City.

That sense of continuity is part of what makes the annual Paseo Arts Festival such a draw, returning for its 49th year May 23 through 25 and once again spotlighting the creative community that has shaped the district for decades.

Artists from across the country travel to Oklahoma City to showcase their diverse work, ranging from painting and ceramics to jewelry and mixed media art.

More than 85 artists are featured this year alongside food vendors and live performers, creating an environment where visitors can discover new work while reconnecting with artists that return year after year. Small locally owned businesses that line the Paseo remain open throughout the weekend, feeding off the steady stream of foot traffic. The festival acts as an entry point into the district, encouraging visitors to return long after the weekend ends.

For Amanda Bleakley, the ex-

ecutive director of the Paseo Arts Association, that long-term relationship between the event and the district is intentional. The goal is not only to create a successful weekend, but to sustain a cultural hub within a rapidly growing city.

“It’s crucial to keep the arts and culture at the forefront because it’s too easy for it to get lost in the growth of the city,” Bleakley said.

And, as Oklahoma City grows, so does the Paseo. . While the first festival dates back to the late 1970s and the Paseo Arts Association became a nonprofit in 1981, much of the district’s visible expansion has taken shape over the last decade. City investment, including streetscape improvements and revitalization efforts, has helped the area evolve into what it is today.

Even with that momentum, the festival remains rooted in consistency and care. Each year, Bleakley approaches the event with the same goal of improving what came before, whether through infrastructure, programming, or the overall visitor experience.

“We’re always trying to make it better so people have a really good experience and want to come back,” she said.

That mindset shows up in both large and small ways. Over time, the festival has expanded from just a handful of sponsors to nearly 40, while also refining amenities that make the experience more accessible and enjoyable.

Behind the scenes, the scale of the event continues to grow as well. This year alone brought in more than 300 artist applications through a national jury system, where artists are evaluated by medium-specific jurors to ensure both quality and variety. The process is competitive, but intentionally so, helping to maintain

the standard the festival has become known for.

“We’re known for being an art festival for artists,” Bleakley said. “We want them to feel welcome and have a good experience so they go tell other artists about it.”

That reputation has helped expand the festival’s reach beyond Oklahoma while still maintaining a strong connection to local creators. The result is a balance of returning artists and new voices each year, keeping the event fresh without losing its identity. Volunteers also play a significant role in shaping that experience. From assisting with logistics to directly supporting artists, their presence is essential to the festival’s success and overall atmosphere.

One of the festival’s defining features remains its accessibility. Unlike many large scale art festivals, the Paseo Arts Festival is free to attend, allowing a wider range of people to engage with the work on display.

“It’s expensive to put on an event like this,” Bleakley said. “But we want to make sure it stays accessible.”

That accessibility is part of what gives the festival its community driven feel. It is not limited to collectors or industry insiders, but instead welcomes anyone willing to explore, whether that means browsing booths, stepping into galleries, or simply spending time in the space.

The Paseo Arts Festival continues to resonate not because it aims to be the largest event in the city, but because it remains grounded in something more personal. It is a reflection of the community that built it, sustained by the people who return to it year after year, and shaped by the artists who continue to give it life.

Stairway to Heaven

Artist Ernesto Sanchez brings new life to one of the Paseo’s most interesting properties.

By Brian Hearn

Only an artist would have the vision to buy an abandoned historic church, take it apart, and move it 2,000 miles to the heart of an Arts District on the Oklahoma plains. Tom Lee was that artist, the venerable photographer that we lost too soon in 2010.

Equally, only an artist would have the vision to graft a new branch of artistic production onto this sacred site of creativity. As of 2025, multidisciplinary artist Ernesto Sanchez has taken on ownership of the Gothic revival church built in New Brunswick, Canada in 1842, making it the state’s oldest standing church building.

There is an easy tell to the presence of a new Patron of Paseo. At the corner of N. Lee Avenue and N.W. 29th, an origami like sculpture in red powder coated steel sits perked up on a fresh concrete pad signed by the artist. The new chapter is well underway for the former Anglican church turned studio, then event space, then residence, now rebranded as Studio Sanchez.

The structure still reads on the outside as a darling, well-kept wooden church with its fresh white paint, vertical stainedglass windows, quaint boxy spire and tidy landscaping. Sanchez enlisted a longtime collaborator in David Gipson of Gipson Design to remodel the space, especially the interior, whose verticality presents some interesting challenges.

Sanchez and his team of wood wizards started on the outside first, developing a larger outdoor workspace covered in pergolas where the carpenter’s workshop and the artist’s sculpture studio co-exist amidst the gravel and sawdust. Sanchez has a thing for materiality which is best explored by handling and shaping wood, stone and steel. It might start with a piece of rebar, wire, mesh, foam, plaster or all of the above. It’s about the messy, experimental, intuitive process of bringing ideas into form.

He’s always been an avid painter as well, unafraid of working on large canvases. In fact, his 9 x 20 foot oil on panel, “Massive Communication” was installed on the third floor of the Oklahoma City Convention

Center last year, supported by a loan from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art where Sanchez was employed for more than 20 years. After years of maintaining an artistic practice at his homebased studio, sometimes alongside his museum career, alongside a stint in Paseo’s Casa Rosa, Sanchez was ready to expand.

Some of the church’s previous renovations will remain, like the enormous kitchen island, a natural gathering spot. The biggest change to the space was to expand the square footage of the loft and build a proper wood staircase in place of the spiral staircase to the painting loft. The baluster is appropriately decorated with gothic arch cutouts echoing the stainedglass windows. The result is both handsome and functional for an artist used to working in multiple directions.

Despite the inevitable dusty chaos of renovations, the artist seems to be feeding off the carpentry with several new carved wood sculptures underway. The abstract biomorphic forms are consciously scaled to the human body with slender curves and smooth apertures carved into richly grained wood. Another body of work calls to mind a twisted torso formed of goopy plaster applied by hand over a wire mesh support. Sanchez has been developing other parts of the sculpture with improvised plaster forms and polymer clay

skins.

As the renovation work progresses, Sanchez is putting art making in the foreground as well as travel, collecting, and curatorial projects on the horizon. Studio Sanchez is by appointment only for now, but you can check out the progress this month at the upcoming Paseo Arts Festival. It’s safe to say that this native of Monterrey, Mexico has staked his claim after 25 years in Oklahoma City, and will joyously grow on Lee’s holy artistic legacy.

ARTS & CULTURE

Big Energy

Edmond Fine Arts’ 5x5 Show turns tiny canvases into a fullscale community art event.

By Julie Porter Scott

At Edmond Fine Arts, small works have a big payoff.

On May 7, the organization’s annual 5x5 Show & Sale returns with its familiar promise: hundreds of original works, each measuring just five inches square, each priced at $55 — and together they add up to something big. What began as a fundraiser has evolved into a fast-moving, high-energy evening.

Artists from across Oklahoma donate small-scale works — landscapes, abstracts, florals, animals, and everything in between — to support Edmond Fine Arts programming. The results are anything but predictable. Serious work and playful pieces coexist without hierarchy, and all styles of art are on display. The first-come, first-served event is part gallery opening, part treasure hunt.

“While the works may be small in size, their impact is truly significant,” said Executive Director Shannon Price. That impact extends well beyond the gallery walls. Proceeds from the event support year-round programming — arts education, outreach initiatives, and free public events — making each purchase a direct investment in the local creative ecosystem.

For those looking to get a jump on the crowd, VIP access offers an early preview and first opportunity to purchase. For everyone else, arriving early is part of the ritual. The line that forms outside has become part of the event and signals just how deeply it resonates with the community.

This year’s event is presented by First Liberty Bank, with hospitality

by WanderFolk Distillery, which will provide handcrafted cocktails throughout the evening.

Running concurrently with the 5x5 Show is the gallery’s May opening, “BOLD: 4 Letters, 4 Artists.” This group exhibition features Laurel Payne, Ashley Showalter, Whitney VanHeuvelen, and Jason Wilson. It takes a single word –– bold — and stretches it across four distinct practices, resulting in a collection that is less about uniformity and more about interpretation.

For Showalter, boldness is rooted in instinct. “This body of work required me to lean into a state of play and curiosity,” she said. An abstract artist and mental health advocate, Showalter is self-taught. She has spent the past decade developing a distinctive style marked by bold color, intricate patterns, and strong black lines, using art as a tool for self-expression and wellness.

Jason Wilson’s interpretation traces back to something more inherited. Growing up in southeast Oklahoma, he watched his grandmother and great-grandmother quilt, an influence that continues to surface in his work today.

“I look for patterns in everything,” he said. “I bring forth bold creations based on the patterns that I see in the world.” In his paintings, repetition becomes structure, and structure becomes language.

Wilson is a retired Oklahoma art educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience. His precise, methodical painting process involves grid-based planning and refined masking techniques to

create smooth, visually striking works. Inspired by patterns and optical illusions, his paintings are designed to engage and “trick” the eye.

Laurel Payne is a visual artist working primarily in watercolor, pen, and ink. Inspired by the environment and human connection, her work explores how experiences shape perception. She lives in Oklahoma City, where she also teaches middle school math.

For Payne, boldness is tied to place — specifically, the Oklahoma sky. Her work blends a sense of whimsy with a deeply rooted familiarity with the region’s weather.

“Growing up in Oklahoma, I had a healthy fear of storms,” she said. “As an adult, they fascinate and inspire me.” Her pieces draw a connection between storm systems and an unlikely counterpart: popcorn. Both, she notes, are defined by sudden transformation—something quiet that builds, then bursts. “Often weather forecasters refer to storms as ‘popping up’ or ‘popping.’ The sudden change from calm to metamorphosis brings together two things I love.”

Whitney VanHeuvelen is a creative director, educator, and artist whose work blends graphic design, craft, and fine art. She serves as an assistant professor at the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Exhibiting in a gallery is still a new

experience for me,” she said. “For much of my career as a graphic designer, my focus has been on listening closely and translating clients’ needs into thoughtful visual solutions. Since returning to the classroom at the University of Central Oklahoma, I’ve felt a growing pull to explore my own voice through a blend of fine art and graphic design. That shift has been shaped not only by the exceptional facilities at the UCO School of Design but, most importantly, by the energy and curiosity of my students as they begin their own creative journeys.”

Her layered, laser-cut wood compositions explore depth, color, and memory, often reflecting themes of nostalgia, growth, and shared experience.

Together, the exhibition offers a reminder that boldness isn’t defined by a single aesthetic. It can be loud or subtle, structured or intuitive, grounded in memory or driven by experimentation.

Back in the main gallery, the 5x5 pieces also offer a bold proposition. Hundreds of works, each one small enough to hold in your hands, make up a much larger picture.

About The Exhibit: The 2026 5x5 Show & Sale and the May gallery opening showcasing “BOLD: 4 Letters, 4 Artists” will be held Thursday, May 7, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. Artwork will be available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds supporting Edmond Fine Arts’ year-round arts programming. The exhibition will be on display in the Edmond Fine Arts Gallery throughout the month of May. Gallery exhibits are free and open to the public Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.edmondfinearts.com

Right On Cue

As Oklahoma City came into its own, The National, Autograph Collection Downtown OKC opened its doors.

By Julie Porter Scott

There have been a few moments recently when this city has seemed to step fully into itself. Moments when years of incremental growth, quiet investment, and stubborn belief suddenly present as something undeniable. The NBA Championship parade springs immediately to mind, but so do other snippets: memories of Memorial Marathon mornings, the opening of Okana last year, a dozen national and international competitions along the Oklahoma River, the Flaming Lips with the Oklahoma City Ballet. For many of us, that moment has been building for decades. And when it arrived, improbably and perfectly, so did The National.

Reopened in April 2022 after a purchase and painstaking restoration that ultimately topped $275 million, The National did not simply return a historic building to use. It reframed how Oklahoma City presents itself — to visitors, certainly, but perhaps more importantly, to itself.

The timing matters. This is a city no longer content to be described in those qualifiers we’ve all come to know so well: “up-and-coming,” “underrated,” “surprisingly good.” Oklahoma City is, increasingly, cool. The arrival of a fully realized, unapologetically grand hotel in the heart of downtown signals a shift from potential to presence. That shift is immediately apparent the moment you walk through the doors.

“There’s a moment where guests are almost aghast,” said Patrick Dougherty, area general manager for the property. “Like, ‘Wow, I wasn’t expecting this.’” That reaction is equal parts disbelief and delight, and for the team at The National, it never gets old.

The National occupies the former First National Center, a 1931 Art Deco landmark that opened at a then-astonishing cost of $5 million. Home to the First National Bank & Trust, upon completion, the 33story skyscraper was the fourth-tallest building west of the Mississippi. In 1957, an additional section was added, followed by another adjoining building

in 1972.

In a story we’re all familiar with by now, the 1980s were not kind to Oklahoma’s industries, nor the banks that handled the business of said industries. The building began a slow decline, hastened by an everchanging roster of stakeholders as the interest changed hands over the years that followed. For decades, the building stood as both a monument and a question mark.

By 2016, the mixed-use office and retail occupancy had fallen below 20 percent, and like so many large historic properties in mid-sized cities, it hovered at the edge of obsolescence.

Floor by floor, tenants disbanded, and with good reason: it’s hard to work in a building with nonfunctioning elevators and intermittent air conditioning. But the nail in the proverbial coffin was when the ownership group stopped paying for pest control. In 2015, the building was placed in receivership.

What follows is the stuff of legend. The building sold in 2017 for roughly $23 million to local developers Gary Brooks and Charlie Nicholas — the operative word being local. It would take someone with a preternatural combination of money, vision, creativity, gumption, and, honestly, just chutzpah to stick with the renovation as it ballooned to $275 million.

The redevelopment was less a renovation than a reimagining at full scale: a 146-room luxury hotel, 193 apartments, ground-floor res-

taurants and retail, and a 700-space garage folded into a single anchor, occupying a full city block. It is the kind of mixed-use project typically reserved for New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago. It’s almost audacious to think it could work here, and yet, here it is.

Dougherty, who arrived in Oklahoma City in 2024 after opening a similar historic property in Amarillo, understands the delicate balance required to make a place like this work. The National operates as part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, a “soft brand” designed to let the building itself take center stage.

“It would seem odd if you put a Westin or a Sheraton on the side of the building,” he said. “The building itself is its own brand. It’s part of the city.” That philosophy shapes everything, from the guest experience to the smallest design decisions. Much of what makes The National feel extraordinary is precisely what would never “pencil out” today: hand-finished plaster ceilings, intricate murals, restored stone columns, and original bank vaults preserved not as relics, but as active parts of the experience.

By day, the soaring Great Hall leans into its origins as a bank—its scale and symmetry evoking a kind of institutional grandeur that feels almost impossible to replicate. By night, the space softens, shifting toward something more atmospheric, more experiential. “It’s almost a resort feel in an urban environment,” Dougherty said.

The National’s significance extends beyond aesthetics or even hospitality. It has quickly become a kind of civic living room — a place where the city gathers to mark occasions both large and small, and not by accident. With just 146 hotel

rooms, the property could never rely solely on overnight guests to sustain it. From the outset, its success has depended on becoming a touchstone for locals, something the operators seem to understand instinctively.

Tellers is something for everyone: the number one stopover between work and a Thunder game, a key location for downtown business lunches and dealmaking happy hours, birthday meetups and girls’ nights out, general revelry, and everything in between. Hang out long enough, and you’re likely to see at least one blind date at Tellers turn into dinner at Stock & Bond OKC and drinks at The Vault at the National.

It doesn’t hurt that you can turn a visit to the National into a whole day, even as a day tripper. Start at The Gilded Acorn for breakfast or lunch options from the property’s Executive Chef Morgan Wanner, get your nails done at Lacquer, sit for a blowout at Drybar, and do a little shopping at Plenty before heading over to one of the aforementioned hotspots.

With themed high teas, an epic transformation at Christmas, Valentine’s experiences, and unique photo ops year-round, the teams at The National, Tellers, The Gilded Acorn, and Stock & Bond OKC are the quiet engineers of many a core memory. These are not just programming choices or soulless cash grabs. Sure, you can pay for breakfast with Santa, but you can also simply show up, kids in tow, and take countless candids in a Christmas candyland: no one bats an eye. The effort is meaningful and purposeful: those same kids who will grow up here will one day have weddings and special events of their own to plan.

This is where the hotel’s timing feels particularly resonant. Oklahoma City is no longer a place people feel compelled to leave. For decades, the city struggled with brain drain— young people leaving for Dallas or beyond, chasing opportunity elsewhere. That dynamic has shifted. Today, Oklahoma City is growing at one of the fastest clips in the country, buoyed by sustained public investment, a growing cultural scene, and a renewed sense of civic confidence. Our children no longer clamor to leave the moment they have a degree in hand. The National didn’t create that momentum, but increasingly, they seem to have created the monument.

CALENDAR - MAY

ROUTE 66 CELEBRATIONS

Capital Cruise Expo

May 28 & 29 - Expo Square visittulsa.com

Tulsa’s Route 66 Capital Cruise

May 30, Cars roll out at 8am visittulsa.com

Kickin’ It On Route 66: OKC Centennial Celebration

May 30, 4-10pm - Scissortail Park scissortailpark.org

The Children’s Entrepreneur Market at the Bethany Route 66 Festival

May 23, 10am Downtown Bethany kidsmarkets.com

Kids Markets at the Route 66 Blue Hippo Festival

June 6, 4pm - Edmond History Museum kidsmarkets.com

FESTIVALS

Downtown Edmond Arts Festival

May 1-3 - Downtown Edmond downtownedmondok.com

Cinco de Mayo

May 1, 4-10pm - Scissortail Park scissortailpark.com

Norman Pride Festival

May 1-3 - Ruby Grant Park normanokpride.org

Kentucky Derby Day

May 2, 9am - Remington Park remingtonpark.com

Julep Jubilee

May 2, 4pm - OAK oakokc.com

OKC Flower & Garden Festival

May 9, 9am - Myriad Gardens myriadgardens.org

Norman Arts Festival

May 16, 11am - Andrews Park normanartsfestival.org

Calderón Dance Festival

May 16, 12-8pm - Myriad Gardens calderondancefestival.org

Boley Rodeo Day

May 22, 1pm - National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum nationalcowboymuseum.org

GalaxyCon

May 22-24 - OKC Convention Center galaxycon.com

35th Annual Chuck Wagon Festival

May 23 & 24 - National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum nationalcowboymuseum.org

Paseo Arts Festival

May 23-25 - Paseo Arts District thepaseo.org/festival

36th Annual Garden Festival

May 30, 9am - Will Rogers Park facebook.com/willrogersgardens

ON-GOING MONTHLY

Paseo First Friday Gallery Walk

May 1, 6pm - Paseo Arts District First Fridays - thepaseo.org

LIVE! on the Pawza

May 8, 6-10pm - Plaza District Live on the Plaza - Second Fridays plazadistrict.org

Night Market

May 15, 5:30pm - Scissortail Park

Third Friday through October scissortailpark.org

West Village 4th Fridays

May 22, 6pm through October westvillageokc.com

Sip & Stroll Nights

May 8, 15, 22 and June 12, 19, and 26, 6-10pm OKC Zoo okczoo.org/sipandstroll

FARMERS MARKETS

Weekly Farmers Market Saturdays, 9am-2pm - OKC Farmers Public Market okcfarmersmarket.com

Farmers Market at Scissortail Park

9am-1pm - Saturdays thru October scissortailpark.com

Farmers Market at OAK May 30, 9am-1pm - Last Saturdays through October oakokc.com

FUNDRAISERS

Hope in Motion 5K May 9, 8am - Scissortail Park scissortailpark.org

OKC Walk to Cure Arthritis May 30, 9am - Wheeler District events.arthritis.org

MOVIES

The Devil Wears Prada 2, May 1

Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live, May 8

Mortal Kombat II, May 8

The Sheep Detectives, May 8

The Mandalorian & Grogu, May 22

The Breadwinner, May 29

Backrooms, May 29

MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day Gospel Brunch May 10, 10am-2pm - The Jones Assembly thejonesassembly.com

Mother’s Day Brunch May 10, Omni Hotel OKC omnihotels.com

Mother’s Day Brunch May 10, The Skirvin Hilton skirvinhilton.com/dining

Mother’s Day Dessert Cruise May 10, 11:30am-5pm Oklahoma River Boat embarkok.com/ferry

Mother’s Day at the Zoo May 10, OKC Zoo okczoo.org

COMEDY

Saturday Night Magic Comedy Show

May 2, 7pm - Jonathan’s Magic Theater jonathansmagictheater.com

Becky Robinson May 2, 8pm - Tower Theatre towertheatreokc.com

Shelly Belly May 7, 7pm - Tower Theatre towertheatreokc.com

Michael Glatzmaier May 7, 7pm - Bricktown Comedy Club bricktowncomedy.com

Whitney Cummings: Big Baby May 8, 6pm - Tower Theatre towertheatreokc.com

Daryl Felsberg May 8, 7pm - Put a Cork in It putacorkinitwinery.com

Steven Ho: Not Your Hero Tour May 9, 5:30 & 8:15pm - Tower Theatre towertheatreokc.com

Mike Goodwin May 9, 6pm - Bricktown Comedy bricktowncomedy.com

Jason Mewes: Diary of a Man-Child May 27, 7pm - Bricktown Comedy bricktowncomedy.com

VISUAL ARTS

DNA’s 18th Birthday Party with a Skateboard Art Show May 7, 6pm - DNA Gallery Plaza District dnagalleries.com

Dennis Johnson THROUGH JULY 31 BancFirst Tower Underground howellgallery.com

Anthony McCall: Solid Light THROUGH JULY 27

Oklahoma Contemporary okcontemp.org

Body of Art, Curated by George Oswalt Through May 30 1515 Lincoln Gallery 1515lg.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Classics 8 Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony May 2, 7:30pm Civic Center Music Hall okcphil.org

Shucked May 12-17 Civic Center Music Hall okcbroadway.com

The Wiz May 19-24 Civic Center Music Hall okcbroadway.com

Oklahoma City Ballet Shorts: A Night of Premieres May 8-10 Civic Center Music Hall okcballet.org

Canterbury Voices: Crescendo May 14, 7pm Civic Center Music Hall canterburyokc.com

Looped by Matthew Lombardo May 22-June 7 Carpenter Square Theatre carpentersquare.com

Southern Plains Productions: The Last Five Years May 29-June 6 Civic Center Music Hall southernplainsproductions.org

SPORTS

26th Annual Red Dirt Rodeo May 2, 7pm State Fair Park okcfairpark.com

OKC Comets Home Games

Chickasaw Field at Bricktown

May 5-10 vs. Salt Lake Bees May 19-24 vs. Reno Aces milb.com/oklahoma-city

Women’s College World Series

May 28-June 5 - Devon Park ncaa.com

OQHA Redbud Spectacular Horse Show

May 28-June 7

OG&E Coliseum, State Fairgrounds okqha.org

MUSIC - CONCERTS

Wilco at The Jones Assembly May 5 - Jones Assembly thejonesassembly.com

Luke Combs - My Kinda

Saturday Night May 9, 5pm - Gaylord Family

Oklahoma Memorial Stadium soonersports.evenue.net/events/ concert

An Evening with Wilco May 5, 6:30pm - The Jones Assembly .thejonesassembly.com

George Thorogood and the Destroyers May 16, 7pm - Riverwind Casino riverwind.com

The Psychedelic Furs with Special Guests We Are Scientists May 20 - Tower Theatre towertheaterokc.com

Shinedown with Coheed and Cambria & Black Stone Cherry May 23, 7pm Paycom Center paycomcenter.com

LIVE MUSIC

The Blue Note bluedoorokc.com

• Shiny New Realm with Recyclomedia, May 2

• Blue Note Jazz Night with Nelson Gonzalez, May 3

• Index Paradox, May 30

89th Street Collective 89thstreetokc.com

• Strings & Heart, May 7 Shayfer James, May 9

• D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) Returns, May 15

• Godseyes x Actor Observer, May 16

• JILUKA, May 19

• House of Heavy, May 29

Beer City Music Hall beercitymusichall.com

• James McMurtry, May 2

• DIIV, May 5

• Alex Lambert, May 8

• Best of Both Worlds RaveA 20-Year Hannah Montana Nostalgia Celebration, May 9

• Dance With The Dead & Magic Sword, May 17

• The Widdler’s Midnight Mass Tour, May 22

• Tophouse, May 29

• Jackie Venson, May 30

The Blue Door bluedoorokc.com

• Adam And Chris Carroll, May 2

• Jeff Plankenhorn & Gabriel Rhodes, May 7

• Rosine, May 15

• Susan Herndon and Bella Counsel, May 16

Diamond Ballroom dieamondballroom.com

• Cradle of Filth, May 5

• Cold & Alien Ant Farm, May 8

• GOLDEN: A K-Pop Kids Party!, May 16

• The Hu & Apocalyptica, May 27

• Buckcherry, May 31

Tower Theater towertheaterokc.com

• Toadies: The Charmer Tour

• A Tribute to The Soul Divas: A Kendrik McKinney Production, May 14

• Jensen McRae, May 16

• A Place of My Own Tour, May 18

• Sons of Legion, May 19

• Soft Hands: ‘80s Prom, May 29

• Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, May 30 Resonant Head resonanhead.com

• Compost Adjacent & Laney Jones and the Spirits & Call Me Sparrow, May 5

• War On Women + Stepmom, May 11

• Carrellee, May 13

• Neoni, May 15

• My Sweetest Kill Album Release Show, May 16

• Lake Drive & Diva Bleach, May 18

• Cole Barnhill & Jake Slay, May 24

The Criterion criterionokc.com

• DAYSEEKER: The Pale Moonlight Tour,

• Wolf & Bear, May 12

Acid Bath & Khemmis & Chat Pile, May 16

• Mac DeMarco, May 19

An Energetic Exchange

The Brook & The Bluff brought their Werewolf Tour to the Jones Assembly on April 14.

By Hope Whitmire

Women cloaked in frilly boho blouses hurried into the transformed Film Row restaurant while men sporting mustaches trailed behind them as the sprinkling rain picked up its pace. The reported tornado watch did not deter attendees from coming out to watch indie rock band The Brook & The Bluff perform at The Jones Assembly.

Wet clothes could not dampen the spirits of the crowd as they shrugged off raindrops and headed toward the stage with lightly colored cocktails and beers in hand. Along with the physical change, the essence of the once contemporary upscale establishment shifted into something far more relaxed and familiar. The change in dress and atmosphere stood in contrast to the usual dining experience. The versatility of the interior remained on display through the preserved industrial Henry Ford era hardware, paired with a patio lined with greenery that softened the space into something more intimate and lived in.

After opener Ethan Tasch fin-

ished his set, the hum of the eager crowd grew louder. Heeled boots edged closer to the stage, packing the room tighter with each passing minute. When the band eased onto the blue lit stage and took their places, the anticipation had already reached a steady pulse.

The show opened with the titular track from their newest album Werewolf.

The record acts as a reset for the band, returning to a more grounded rock and roll sound while sharpening their identity as songwriters. It has been just over two years since First Place, which leaned into a softer, more bluesy direction. This time, the process was more deliberate. The band met each morning to write and rehearse, echoing their early days at Auburn University, allowing space for both discipline and growth.

“The whole goal of the album was to make a record that felt like it had the same energy as our live set,” said frontman Joseph Settine.

That intention carried clearly

into the performance. The band abandoned their previous recording approach of layering instruments separately and instead tracked songs live as a full unit. That decision translated into a tighter, more immediate sound on stage, one that felt less constructed and more instinctual. Each transition, each cue, and each swell in volume felt shared rather than assembled.

The band moved into lead single “Super Bowl Sunday,” which drew an immediate reaction from the crowd at the first guitar riff as thunder rolled faintly outside. The track blends indie rock structure with a more amplified, classic rock edge. Its upbeat tempo and catchy chorus stand in contrast to the introspective weight of its lyrics.

In the song, Settine reflects on his own avoidance within past relationships. “Dudes in general will do anything but face the thing that is right in front of them,” he said. “The general idea is instead of facing a serious problem you need to talk about, the game’s on and I’m going to hang with my boys instead.”

Moments like this gave the set a sense of honesty that balanced its energy. That same duality carried into “Can’t Figure It Out,” which features what Settine calls the best chorus he has written. The song came together quickly,

in under thirty minutes, and immediately carried a sense of familiarity. Its universal tone made it feel less like a new addition and more like something that had always existed within their catalog.

Midway through the set, “Baby Blue” provided a softer turn. The tempo slowed and the room followed. Tight harmonies floated around Settine’s bright vocals. The crowd swayed in unison, appreciating a shift in styles.

Even as the set shifted between older material and newer tracks, the transitions remained fluid. The band guided the room through changes in tone and style without breaking the overall momentum. Couples and groups of friends sang along with arms draped over each other, fully immersed. Stage lights moved from purple to blue in rhythm with the music, while flashes of lightning outside the windows blurred the line between performance and environment.

There was a familiarity in the sound that felt deeply rooted. Certain moments carried echoes of classic rock influences, the kind passed down through car speakers as you rode in your parents car. Songs like “Gone for the Weekend” held a warm sense of nostalgia, driven by textured guitar riffs and steady bass lines. The guitar solos stretched with intensity that felt nearly hypnotic.

Settine describes performing as an emotional and energetic exchange that is difficult to fully process, and that sentiment felt tangible in the room.

As the show moved toward its close, that connection only intensified. What unfolded in the room felt like a clear example of collective effervescence, a shared energy that moved through the crowd and settled into something almost physical. The storm outside continued, but inside, the energy held steady.

When the final notes faded, the crowd lingered for a moment before slowly filtering back out into the rain. The performance felt participatory, something shaped equally by the band and the audience. That is where Werewolf finds its strength. Not just as a collection of songs, but as a reflection of what those songs become when they are shared in a room full of people willing to meet them at the same level.

Stillwater Puts Red Dirt on the National Stage, Again

“The

By James Biscone

There’s something about Stillwater and Red Dirt country music.

On April 11, 2026, Boone Pickens Stadium welcomed more than 40,000 fans for “The Boys From Oklahoma Round 2,” a return that felt less like a sequel and more like a cultural statement.

What started in 2025 as a longawaited reunion for Cross Canadian Ragweed has quickly become one of the most significant live music events in the country, rooted not in Nashville, but right here in Oklahoma.

Last year’s run drew more than 180,000 fans across multiple nights, setting records and transforming Stillwater into the epicenter of the Red Dirt universe. It was an economic engine, a cultural moment, and a reunion that brought generations of fans back together. The demand made a return inevitable.

Stillwater answered the call. “The Boys from Oklahoma” came back.

Fans packed Boone Pickens Stadium for a genre that was never supposed to leave the bars and backroads of Oklahoma. Not only did Stillwater host another stadium concert, it blew it out of the water.

The lineup ––including The Great Divide, Shane Smith and the Saints, Wyatt Flores, Turnpike Troubadours, and Cross Canadian Ragweed –– read like a timeline of the genre itself.

But the story is bigger than who played.

For one night, Stillwater wasn’t just a college town. It wasn’t a football town. It was the capital of country mu-

sic outside the mainstream machine. Fans traveled in from the likes of Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and beyond, packing the stadium and spilling into bars, restaurants, and hotels across the city.

This is what Red Dirt has always represented: music that belongs to a place.

Born in small venues like the Wormy Dog Saloon, the sound has never relied on polish or industry backing. It grew through word of mouth, late nights, and

loyal fans who carried it across state lines.

And now, it fills a stadium.

The night included the arrival of Stillwater’s own Wyatt Flores. Already recognized as a rising force in the genre, Flores brought an emotional weight to the stage that felt personal to the crowd. It was a hometown moment, and he carried it with authenticity.

Toward the end of his set, visibly emotional, Flores paused and told the crowd, with tears in his eyes, that this was a dream come true. It was one of the most genuine moments of the night, a reminder of how far both he and this music have come.

Following his performance, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame honored him with its Rising Star Award, a fitting recognition for an artist who appears to only be ascending.

If Flores captured the emotion,

Turnpike Troubadours captured the night.

The band returned to a city that has long been part of its story and delivered a set that felt like home.

As the sky darkened, their music took over the stadium, turning thousands of fans into a single voice. Each song’s opening chord brought everyone to their feet as they sang along to beloved hits. Song after song landed with precision. The energy built steadily. This was a band completely in its element.

Cross Canadian Ragweed, born in the smoky bars of Stillwater in the mid-90s, returned once again to the place that helped shape them. More than just headliners, they remain stewards of the Red Dirt sound: artists who have always championed the genre, lifted up emerging talent, and embraced opportunities to give back to the community that built them.

Their presence atop the bill felt intentional. Ragweed’s set, while strong, felt more measured than the performances that preceded it. In a setting far removed from the tight, electric confines of their early days, the energy didn’t quite match the anticipation. Still, loyal fans belted out every word, carrying the moment alongside the band. And that loyal momentum makes “The Boys From Oklahoma” so compelling. It’s not just about a reunion. It’s about recognition. A recognition of a sound, a place, and a culture that has always existed just outside the spotlight. Stillwater proved, once again, that Oklahoma can lead the country music industry.

But the question now becomes what’s next. Will “The Boys From Oklahoma” return? Will a new headliner emerge? Can this momentum continue for the future of Red Dirt music? If this weekend proved anything, the foundation is already there. And Oklahoma might have found its next big thing. REVIEW

PUZZLES

MICHAEL

messing around, say

39 Cabal’s schemes

44 Smooths, in a way

45 Dooley Wilson’s role in ‘‘Casablanca’’ 46 Abstract Expressionist Frankenthaler 47 Understand 48 Target for salicylic acid

49 They’ve got

Ranks 88 Was in charge of

Caribbean nation whose name means ‘‘land of high mountains’’

S, in the NATO alphabet

Some cameras, for short

____ Schwarz

How a misfit might feel

Inbox zero targets

One place for a massage

Heavy metal instrument in Verdi’s

Trovatore’’

1886 novella

More fraught

Book before Proverbs

Request in billiards or beer pong

Watch over

Office building abbr. 49 Milliner’s handiwork 50 Mowing, mulching, raking, etc.

51 Decorator 52 Basset hounds have big ones

One-named sports legend

or four, say

Extract said to

64 Ton of cargo 65 It contains all of (and all the letters of) Toronto 66 One who’s screensharing

68 Congrats from across the room

69 Ghostly being

70 Dismissive response on movie night

72 Parish leader

74 Bouvier ____ Flandres (Belgian dog breed)

75 Crown and ____ (alliterative bar order)

76 ‘‘Can’t wait!’’

78 Linear, for short

79 Eponymous hypnotist

80 Entrances and exits of camp dwellings

82 Alma mater for Marvel’s Tony Stark and DC Comics’s Lex Luthor, in brief

84 Cadbury confection

85 Nickname that omits “-lin”

89 Prestigious trophy name

91 Loathes

92 Where ‘‘The Four

Agreements’’ and ‘‘The Five Love Languages’’ may be shelved

93 Fernet-____ (Italian digestif brand)

94 Most merchandise at Ace and True Value

97 Rely on

99 Ill-humored

100 Fallopian conduit

101 Really long yarn

102 The New York Times’s ‘‘T,’’ on a phone screen

103 Actress Ward

105 Landed

106 World capital that’s home to the Kon-Tiki Museum

108 Slang term for a recording studio

110 Genre for Cypress Hill or the Sugarhill Gang

111 Alex and ____ (jewelry company)

PUBLISHER

Red Center Media

EXECUTIVE

EDITOR-WRITER

Phoebe Grandi pgrandi@okgazette.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Greg Horton ghorton@okgazette.com

COPY EDITOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Leslie A. Spears lspears@okgazette.com

PRODUCTION EDITOR AND BUSINESS MANAGER

Angela Clark Little aclarklittle@okgazette.com

SPRING INTERN

Hope Whitmire hwhitmire@okgazette.com

DISTRIBUTION

distribution@okgazette.com

ADVERTISING

advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Gina Nichols gnichols@okgazette.com

Sarah Barrow sbarrow@okgazette.com

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITERS

James Biscone

Brian Hearn Greg Horton Julie Porter Scott

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: MAY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the 19th century, Aries photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904) resolved to settle a debate about whether galloping horses ever have all four hooves off the ground. He developed a system to capture rapid sequential images, which ultimately helped lead to the invention of motion pictures. His answer to a narrow technical question opened up an entirely new art form. Moral of the story: Solving a specific problem may create unforeseen revolutions. In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to stay alert for how your focused efforts to address one challenge might birth even more significant breakthroughs. Don’t get so fixated on your immediate goal that you miss larger innovations emerging from your work.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): May is Free Thinking Month for you Tauruses. It’s also Free Feeling, Free Wheeling, and Free Healing Month. Wow! To observe this festive grace period, indulge in any of the following jubilant acts: 1. Declare your independence from anyone who tries to tell you how you should live your life or who you are. 2. Declare independence from your history, especially recollections that dampen your sense of possibility and old self-images that impede your yearning to explore. 3. Declare independence from groupthink and conventional wisdom. 4. Declare independence from your former conceptions of freedom so you’ll be free to arrive at fresh understandings of it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Navajo practice *hózhó* means “walking in beauty”: living in balance and harmony with life. But hózhó isn’t a static state you achieve once and possess forever. You must continually restore and reinvent it. I suspect you’re in a phase like that now, Gemini. Too much thinking and not enough feeling? Too much future and not enough present? I recommend you take corrective measures. Start by taking one physical action that grounds you. Have a conversation from the heart instead of the head. Spend an hour not

planning the story to come, but simply loving what’s here right now. Refresh your hózhó!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If a honeybee colony becomes too crowded, scout bees search for potential new hive sites. When they return, they perform waggle dances for their colleagues to convey specific information about different locations. Negotiations ensue. Various possibilities are offered and considered through more dancing. Eventually, the swarm collectively makes a choice and heads out to its new home. Your challenge right now, Cancerian, is to be like a scout bee who facilitates your group’s decision-making process. I invite you to carry out a reconnaissance mission and then perform your waggle dances for your people. Make your case with vigor and precision. Trust the group’s emergent wisdom to make the best decision.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Like all of us, Leo, you have persistent aches from old losses, absences, and wounds. They may seem like permanent burdens you will never be able to shake or transcend. But here’s some very good news: In the coming months, there’s a greater chance than usual that you’ll discover new approaches to healing them. The remedies won’t necessarily be logical or obvious. They may involve you conducting rituals, taking symbolic actions, or ambushing the pain from unexpected angles. Be alert for interventions that may seem too simple or unexpected to work.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your restlessness is building. How much longer will you pretend you don’t sense the pull of bright temptations and appealing sanctuaries? At what moment will you finally stop resisting your urge to slip past the usual boundaries and roam? The astrological omens hint that this pivot is close at hand. In the borderlands of your imagination, a daring journey is already taking shape. Where might it carry you? Here’s my guess: down into the raw, unfiltered depths of the future you secretly dream about.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In fairy tales, when heroes are rewarded for their help and kindness, their gifts are often tools of protection: a cloak that renders them invisible, a magic club that chases off foes, or enchanted shoes that enable them to outrun any threat. In other stories, the reward is meant to deepen the hero’s delight in living: a genie’s lamp, a cauldron that cooks up exquisite food, or a horn that calls forth marvelous companions from the fairy world. I mention this, Libra, because I believe rewards for your past and recent generosity are on their way. If you have any say in what form they take, I suggest you request something from this second, pleasure-giving category.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Poet Marie Howe wrote, “I don’t think we can love anything more intensely than we love a secret.” Many Scorpios feel this way. You understand that mystery is often a joy to be savored. Some truths reveal themselves only to those who summon the patient intelligence to be at peace amidst the confounding riddles. Non-Scorpios may be desperate to leave nothing hidden, but you like to learn from the teasing prickles. You know that some transformations need darkness to carry on their work. Your next assignment: Decide what truth needs more time in the deep before it’s ready to surface.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Diamond is the hardest natural substance, while graphite is soft and slippery. Yet they’re both made of pure carbon. The difference is in their structure. Let’s extrapolate from this fact as we ruminate on your life, Sagittarius. I’m 97-percent certain that you already have everything you need. Maybe you imagine you lack key resources and powers, but from what I can tell, you are well set-up. So I propose that you simply reorganize what’s available to you now. Take the “carbon” of your life and arrange it in new patterns. Your task isn’t further accumulation but reconfiguration.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My Capricorn grandfather was a master artisan. He told me that the best furniture is built twice: first in the imagination, then with wood. Let’s apply that theme to you. I believe you have mostly finished the first step of visualizing what you want. Now you’re almost ready to launch the actual work. I’m eager to see the practical effects that will bloom from your detailed fantasies. The rest of the world is excited, too. These days, we all especially need your talent for turning beautiful dreams into vivid realities. You have extra power to inspire us to convert our idealistic notions into dynamic actions.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I invite you to imagine a time in the past when you were almost perfectly content. Visualize that magical confluence of satisfying feelings. Where were you? Who was or wasn’t there? What could you see, hear, smell, and feel in your body? What made that moment so right? Next step: Make a vow to rebuild as many of those conditions as you realistically can over the next three weeks. Maybe you can’t recreate the exact scene, but you can approximate its essence.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The astrological factors now in effect are tending to generate useful and valuable cosmic jokes. I believe they may be disruptive and catalytic in helpful ways. In this spirit, I offer you the following affirmations, borrowed from internet memes: 1. “You may call me ‘melodramatic.’ I describe myself as a ‘creative problem-solver with flair and panache.’” 2. “I’m not overthinking; I’m overriding simplistic answers that hide the real truths.” 3. “You shouldn’t think of me as chaotic; the fact is that I’m generously non-linear.” 4. “I have a solid plan, but it’s always evolving to keep up with reality’s crazy insistence on ceaseless change.” 5. “Please dismantle your low expectations; I need ample room to exceed them.” 6. “I trust my instincts; they have often been wrong in interesting ways.”

Celebrating Impactful Leadership

Join us in honoring George Drew, whose 35 years of dedicated service and 19 years of distinguished leadership as President helped shape the legacy of Kirkpatrick Bank. We welcome his continued guidance as Vice Chairman of Kirkpatrick Bancorp, Inc.