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For over 35 years, Brent Gibson Classic Home Design has been the premier residential custom home designer for Edmond, Oklahoma City and throughout the state, setting high standards of excellence in home design.
Welcome to our Explore issue, though personally I find autumn a much nicer month for exploring the outdoors in this area....summers can be so hot and humid! However, many of us take our vacays (grand opportunities for exploring!) in the summer because that's when the kiddos are out of school.
In this issue, we offer two suggestions for exploration that won't require a full tank of gas.
Always a popular destination, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens offers visitors a bonus this summer. Now fully open, its new Expedition Africa area is attracting enthusiastic crowds. Additionally this year, the zoo celebrates a century of wildlife and wild memories at Lincoln Park! Read about it starting on page 18.
If you're looking for opportunities to explore that don't require braving the heat, you'll want to check out the latest exhibition at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This first-of-its-kind, immersive, projection-mapped exhibit features four vignettes telling the stories of Cowboy, Native American, Ranching and Rodeo cultures, showing both the historic realities and thriving contemporary facts and imagery of these diverse and distinct Western cultures. See page 14.
In our Fashion Forward column (p. 24), look for some fun and trendy ideas from Pink Attitude Boutique for our women readers seeking summertime adventures while looking their best, and staying comfortable in the process.
Publisher Jimmy Darden and I wish you a fun (and safe) 4th of July and a month filled with opportunities to explore the world, near and far.
JERRI CULPEPPER, MANAGING EDITOR CITYLIFESTYLE_OKC
July 2024
PUBLISHER
Jimmy Darden | jimmy.darden@citylifestyle.com
405.541.5650
MANAGING EDITOR
Jerri Culpepper | jerri.culpepper@citylifestyle.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Tiarra “Tea” Harper
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
Harlea Robinson
Mel Drake
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jerri Culpepper, Lindsey Davies
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kirstan Lanier
Learn
Proverbs 3:5-6
Find Your West
First-of-Its-Kind,
Expedition Africa
OKC Zoo’s Newest Expansion a Dream Destination for Wildlife Lovers and Adventurers of All Ages
Fashion That Excites Forget the Safari Hat: Pink Attitude Boutique Offers Great On-the-go Looks
Maggie Burroughs, Megan Cox, Basha Garner and Clare Dooling show
and accessories from Pink Attitude Boutique during a recent photo shoot at Riversport OKC.
1-7: More than 200 ballet lovers gathered on May 10 for the Second Annual Raising the Barre Luncheon benefiting Oklahoma City Ballet. The luncheon was held in the Chickasaw Nation Studio where Oklahoma City Ballet dancers usually rehearse. Led by chairs Elaine Levy and Cindi Shelby, the luncheon raised more than $425,000 for Oklahoma City Ballet programs. 1: Stephanie Naifeh and Paige Williams Shepherd 2: Kay Musser, Dr. Elizabeth Bard, Dr. Jeri McKinney, Cara Musser Fraley 3: Jill Williams, Stacey Haggard, Tiffany Sullivan 4: Jo Lynne Jones, Elaine Levy, Cindi Shelby, Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye 5: Mary Dahlgren and Whitney Cross 6: Lin Sanchez and Vicki Hunt 7: Libby Nelson and Jennifer Bowman
Photography by Mel Drake Photography
Impact Oklahoma awarded five central Oklahoma nonprofits $235,500 in grants during the organization’s 2024 Annual Meeting at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum May 9. Two central nonprofits were awarded $100,000 grants to be used for a project they may not otherwise be able to achieve: Latino Community Development Agency and Arise Single Moms each received $100,000. The remaining $35,500 will be divided between Peppers Ranch, the Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program and RestoreOKC.
On the fourth Friday of each month (this month on the 26th) through October, experience an unforgettable evening (6-9 p.m.) in the Wheeler District! Once a month, the Wheeler District Night Market will join up with the Farmers Market to offer an exciting night filled with farm-fresh finds, unique crafts, home goods, live music, food trucks, and much more.
The Sam Noble Museum recently received a $10,000 grant from Oklahoma Humanities, benefiting the museum’s 2025 Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair. The annual Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, hosted at the Sam Noble Museum, brings together hundreds of student speakers and learners of Native languages from Oklahoma and neighboring states. This vibrant event celebrates linguistic diversity and cultural heritage through live presentations of songs, speeches and stories.
Dr. Roberta Wright
ARTICLE BY JERRI CULPEPPER
A first-of-its-kind, immersive, projection-mapped exhibit at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum ( NationalCowboyMuseum.org) features four vignettes telling the stories of Cowboy, Native American, Ranching and Rodeo cultures, showing both the historic realities and thriving contemporary facts and imagery of these diverse and distinct Western cultures.
Situated within The Cowboy’s West Hallway, the large-scale, floor-to-ceiling exhibit encircles visitors in western vistas and tells the story of the migration West of America’s early pioneers by immersing them in the sights and sounds of the American frontier.
Whether it’s your first visit, or the first one in several years, now’s the time to visit America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture, as the whole family is sure to enjoy the new Find Your West exhibit.
Twenty-seven projectors and 768 LED tiles composed of more than 23 million LED lights are used to help make history come alive. The effort represents work from more than 50 people from five different countries.
The 3,000-square-foot exhibit is the first museum project for Lighthouse Immersive ( LighthouseImmersive.com ), billed as the world’s leading creator of projection-mapped immersive experiences. Lighthouse Immersive also produced the blockbuster Immersive Van Gogh exhibit , as well as Immersive Disney Animation , both of which have enjoyed runs in multiple venues worldwide.
“The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's collections allow us to tell the stories of the West better than anyone, but today’s museums cannot simply be repositories for archives of the past. It is important to make sure these stories connect with our guests in fresh ways,” said Pat Fitzgerald, CEO of the museum.
“We are thrilled to be the first museum in the world to partner with Lighthouse Immersive to bring the future of museum storytelling to our guests, who come from all over the world to learn about and experience Western culture and history,” he added.
Lighthouse Immersive worked with David Korins, Emmywinning creative director and principal designer of Korins Studio, to develop the layout and set design for Find Your West, which incorporates four vignettes: a tipi, a covered wagon, barn doors and a rodeo bucking shoot.
Korins' set design credits include the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” as well as multiple other Broadway, television, film and concert productions.
“Working on this exhibition was, for me, not just an honor but an incredibly fruitful and educational experience as well,” said Korins in the news release issued by the museum announcing the exhibit opening.
“The museum staff and the curatorial team taught me so much about the legacy of the cowboy, the extraordinary depths of their collection and the magic of the West.
“I have always believed in the power of three-dimensional storytelling, and these are astonishing stories to tell,” she added.
“It’s a privilege to continue new and exciting work that adds to the cultural landscape of Oklahoma. And it’s thrilling to honor the rich past of the museum while solidly taking a step into the future.”
The state-of-the-art addition to the museum’s experience was made possible through generous donations from the Harold Hamm Foundation, Continental Resources, and Larry and Polly Nichols to whom Fitzgerald gives credit for helping elevate the museum to world-class institution through this and previous donations.
“This is an experience that will change how you view both historic events and the vitality of Western life today,” he said. “This is just the beginning of how The Cowboy, with our partnership with Lighthouse Immersive, is changing how people will experience museums in the future.”
Find Your Way is part of The Cowboy’s "Live the Code" capital campaign announced last year, which will raise $40 million to modernize the museum’s guest experiences and infrastructure.
“The Cowboy’s executive staff approached us after the success of our Immersive Van Gogh in Oklahoma City, and we’re so glad they did,” said Lighthouse Immersive co-founder Corey Ross.
“We’re proud to have our best-in-class technology and capabilities to share these incredible stories of the West with the guests at The Cowboy, and we’re looking forward to bringing even more experiences to life in the near future.”
The Cowboy plans to work with Lighthouse Immersive again to open an immersive theater experience in a gallery in late 2025. About the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., in Oklahoma City is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West. For more information, call 405.478.2250.
S. Kelly Avenue Edmond, Oklahoma 73003 | (405) 348-4470 | www.meadowsoklahoma.com
You can always spot the student who spent their summer with Mathnasium.
Summer is the ideal time to do something that will give your child a huge advantage when school resumes in the fall: Accelerate their math skills with Mathnasium.
While most students experience math learning loss over a normal summer, disruptions due to the pandemic have caused many kids to fall behind even more. Mathnasium’s personalized Learning Plans are proven to improve grades and help kids catch up and get ahead in math. With live face-to-face instruction, either incenter or online.
And don’t worry — your child will still enjoy their summer. Because we make learning math fun.
Ask about our summer offer.
Mathnasium of North OKC (405) 412-8758 | mathnasium.com/NorthOKC 14101 N May Ave #116, Oklahoma City, OK 73134
ARTICLE BY JERRI CULPEPPER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARLEA ROBINSON
With 12 acres of new habitats for more than 60 species, renovations and experiences, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has much to offer adventurers, young and old.
Expedition Africa, a dream destination for wildlife lovers, is now a reality
exhibit! My kids loved the animals!” and “Fabulous addition to the zoo!”
Among the new expansion’s standout features is the renovated Love’s Pachyderm Building, home to some of the zoo’s most captivating residents. The building, which joined the
for visitors to the OKC Zoo. Presented by Inasmuch Foundation, it’s the zoo’s largest-ever expansion, encompassing new habitats, building renovations and enticing features that truly elevate the guest experience.
Foremost among the expansion is room for over 60 species native to the African continent. The spaces are intricately crafted to provide giraffes, lemurs, wildebeest, hyenas and more with welcoming homes that mimic their native habitats.
“One of the most exciting parts of Expedition Africa is that we’re able to provide natural enclosures for the members of our animal family,” said Dwight Lawson, OKC Zoo’s executive director and CEO prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expansion on March 26.
“It’s another vital step in our mission to connect people with wildlife and wild places all around the world.”
Since its opening, thousands of guests have visited. Comments on Facebook include: “Such a wonderful
National Register of Historic Places in 2021, retains its Midcentury Modern architecture with an enhanced and visitor-friendly interior housing African lungfish, dwarf mongooses, naked mole rats and more.
It also includes a new events space for meetings, parties and more, plus a new play area behind the building: Pachyderm Heights Adventure Tower, including a rock-climbing wall and a slide, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City. The building was originally constructed in the 1960s to house the zoo’s elephants, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses.
Outside the Pachyderm Building is a new savanna overlook, where the zoo’s herd of giraffes mingle with ostriches, Nile lechwe and Common eland. The savanna area connects to the newly constructed state-of-the-art giraffe barn, allowing visitors to see the herd all year round. One of the premiere attractions for guests, the giraffe barn not only shelters the herd when the weather is unpleasant, it makes the
perpetually popular giraffe feedings available no matter the season.
The expansion includes new covered areas for guests to sit and relax in the shade, as well as misters (especially appreciated in July and August!), while enjoying views of hyenas and African painted dogs and the habitat’s original sculpture, The Baobab: Home, Story and Survival on the Savannah. Baobab trees are often called the “Tree of Life” because they can live to be more than 1,000 years old!
Surrounding The Baobab sculpture are a new dining area and restaurant, Savannah Snacks, and the Africa-themed Baobab Gifts.
The $35 million Expedition Africa expansion was designed by PGAV Destinations, St. Louis, Missouri, and constructed by Timberlake Construction, Oklahoma City. It was funded through private donations, Historic Tax Credits and a dedicated 1/8-of-a-cent sales tax, approved by Oklahoma City voters in 1990.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Purchase advance zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets OKCZoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Admission is $16 for adults; $13 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children 2 and under admitted free.
The zoo wants ALL adventurers to feel welcomed. Strollers, wagons, wheelchairs and electric convenience vehicles
are available for rent. In addition, the zoo has partnered with KultureCity to become certified as a sensory-inclusive location. Guests may check out sensory bags, designed to help sensory needs in both adults and children. Filled with items that can lessen sensory overload and also engage, each bag includes headphones, a marble fidget, noodle fidget, tangle fidget and an ID card. Available at no cost at the Guest Services office.
Membership has its perks! As a ZOOfriends member of the Oklahoma City Zoo, enjoy free admission all year long, plus many additional benefits and discounts. Through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, the zoo is open daily at 8:30 a.m. for ZOOfriends with current memberships.
ZOOfriends members also support the zoo’s animal family, education programming and conservation initiatives both locally and globally. Join or renew today at okczoo.org/membership
Stay connected with the zoo on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting the zoo’s blogs. To learn more about zoo happenings, visit OKCZoo.org
Expedition Africa, the zoo’s largest-ever expansion, encompasses new habitats, building renovations and enticing features that elevate the guest experience.
Get ready to float on a cloud of comfort and style with Pink Attitude Boutique’s If You’re
FORGET THE SAFARI HAT: PINK ATTITUDE BOUTIQUE OFFERS GREAT ON-THE-GO LOOKS
ARTICLE BY JERRI CULPEPPER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARLEA ROBINSON
At Pink Attitude Boutique (ShopPinkAttitude.com), it’s all about looking fun and flirty, but also about comfort, indoors and out. Our models are shown at Riversport OKC, the go-to place for rowing, paddlesports and outdoor recreation.
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This lightweight sweatshirt and fringe shorts combo is perfect for those hot summer days, and the cream color makes it versatile for any occasion. Pair with Sammi Brown Flora cowgirl boots ($105) and Indy braided strap ivory flatbrim fedora hat ($42) Giddy up!
Opposite Page: Made from lightweight cotton, you’ll love the flutter sleeves and tiered design of this maxi dress. Pair with Beach by Matisse Lucy natural heels with buckles shoes ($59).
Clare Dooling gets ready for a day of carefree adventures in Pink Attitude Boutique’s “For the Fun of It Frill Cami Top ($39),” featuring contrast piping and a small, detailed bow in the front, adding a touch of playful charm; it’s paired with Perfect Escape’s high-waisted black shorts ($36).
Get the look with Beach by Matisse Lucy natural heels with buckle ($59).
The blue-and-white color scheme of the Summer Skies beaded strapless mini-dress will help you to razzle/dazzle at any event, thanks to its elastic top and sparkling sequins. The blueand-white color scheme adds a touch of elegance and fun.
Megan is modeling a Summer Skies beaded strapless mini-dress ($82) that’s sure to dazzle at any event with its elastic top and sparkling sequins.
Get ready to bloom in this Floral Dreams tiered mini dress. With tie straps and an elastic waistband, you’ll be both comfortable and stylish. Paired with hot-pink, multi-platform heels by Beach by Mattisse Cruz ($52.)
This white, cotton, tie-back dress with playful spaghetti straps and a flirty cut-out is perfect for a casual day out, and brings both style and comfort to your wardrobe. No wonder they call it a “tie-back”—it’s too good to let loose!
Pair this floral pant set with Beach by Matisse Lucy natural heels shoes with buckle ($59). This lightweight, breathable set includes a self-tie scrunch top and smocked waist flowy pant for a comfortable and flattering fit. With its vibrant colors, you’ll stand out in any crowd.
This smocked jumpsuit features pockets for convenience, a smocked top for a unique touch, and wide legs for maximum comfort and style. Indy braided strap ivory flat-brim fedora hat ($42)
Basha Garner looks stylish but also comfortable in this ultimate summer must-have jumpsuit ($59).
JULY 3RD
Red, White & Boom
Scissortail Park, OKC | 6:30 PM
Celebrate Independence Day with beautiful and inspiring music by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic during Red, White & Boom at Scissortail Park in downtown Oklahoma City. Grab some lawn chairs or blankets and bring the whole family out to enjoy a free concert. This patriotic event for all ages will feature a fireworks show at the conclusion of the concert. OkcPhil.org/RWB
JULY 4TH
Frontier City's July 4th Festival
Frontier City, OKC | 11:00 AM
This is your chance to catch thrills in the dark. Experience all your favorite rides in a whole new way. Speed through the trees on Wildcat with the only thing lighting your way being the fireworks bursting through the night sky. Bring the whole family for the illuminating firework display. SixFlags.com/FrontierCity
JULY 13TH - 14TH
New World Comic Con
The Pavilion, OKC
At the family-friendly New World Comic Con, heroes (and even villains) of all ages will have a blast checking out the wide variety of booths, competing in the costume contest, bidding on memorabilia in the silent auction or signing up for superhero school. NewWorldComicCon.org
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JULY 27TH - 28TH
Horror Con
Oklahoma City Convention Center
Any time of the year is a great time to enjoy a good scare, especially during this two-day event that brings all kinds of horror genre fans from around the region. From costume contests and haunted walkthroughs to live entertainment and vendors galore, Horror Con is sure to delight all ages. HorrorConOkc.com
JULY 27TH
National Day of the Cowboy Celebration
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, OKC | 10:00 AM
Held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, the celebration will include the main highlight, a larger-than-life performance by the Oklahoma Opry. Dress up in your best Western outfit and enjoy a day of crafts and family-friendly activities in honor of cowboy culture. NationalCowboyMuseum.org/Event/National-Day-Of-The-Cowboy-6
JULY 30TH - AUGUST 4TH
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma presents: Cinderella
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, OKC
Secure tickets to see the enchanting Tony-nominated musical "Cinderella" when it comes to the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma this summer. This classic fairytale is brought to life through an innovative approach that incorporates American Sign Language into the performance. LyricTheatreOkc.com/Shows/Cinderella events