Tulsa, OK May 2024

Ladies

Howdy Tulsa Readers!

We are Chris and Jordon King! We are Tulsa native-born and raised. We are raising three awesome kids, two girls and a boy. Tulsa has been such a great place to raise our kids, I know we have loved growing up in this community. On the topic of kids, May is the time we honor all the mommas and momma figures in our lives!

I don’t know about you but I love any opportunity to recognize the women in my life who just make life more rich and beautiful. Our wives, mothers and daughters are some of the most influential women in our lives. And of course with Mother’s Day this month, all eyes are on moms… But it’s not just the biological mothers but the mother figures in our lives who have made an indelible impact on us. It’s the family members, teachers, friends and neighbors doing awesome things in our communities, pouring into our lives - making themselves unforgettable and irreplaceable.

My mom, Chris here, always said something that has stuck with me, “garbage in, garbage out,” which was just her way of saying, “careful little eyes what you see.” That mindset has stuck with me into adulthood and in the way we raise our children. My mom, Jordon here, always taught do right by people. That’s what I love about this town, we have great morals and values right in the center of the universe. What lessons have your moms instilled in you?

While it’s always important to shop local and support our area businesses, this month is the perfect time to patronize businesses owned by women in our communities. That’s one of my favorite parts of this role - connecting with and championing the best of the best when it comes to Tulsa women.

It is a blessing to be able to be the new publishers of the Tulsa Magazine. I know we have big shoes to fill, as Kathy has done such an impeccable job. We want to wish her also a happy Mother’s Day, and an incredible retirement! I hope you can embrace us like you have her!

Thank you Tulsa,

Chris & Jordon King

CHRIS KING, PUBLISHER @TULSACITYLIFESTYLE

May 2024

PUBLISHER

Chris King

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

C.L. Harmon, Joe Harwell, Kacie Brown, Andrea Gardner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cindy Alvarez, Chris McConnell

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad

LAYOUT DESIGNER Rhiannon Coffman

Learn how to start your own publication at citylifestyle.com/franchise.

Six Impeccable Strokes

Fielding Excellence

Oklahoma’s 4’ 11” Music Gladiator

artist Shawn Wilson honors ancient Japanese artform.

Hall field hockey coach Christy Utter on her story, sport, and team

COMMUNITY

Our youngest learners go to PE every day with the same coaches who lead our championshipwinning basketball and football teams — building true community.

CREATION

The arts are an integral part of a Holland Hall education. All students share in the creation of music, painting, ceramics, dance and more.

CONNECTION

With a 9:1 student to faculty ratio and deliberately small class sizes, our students truly connect and develop strong relationships and a solid liberal arts education.

EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES

Now enrolling for the 2024-25 school year.

business monthly

LifeStyle Medicine Concierge Open House

Save the date.

Meet Dr. Renae Mayer MD and Staff. Discover a new standard of personalized health care where our unique approach includes traditional medical training, and functional medicine testing with options for integrative therapies. Our dedicated team is committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate medical care tailored to unique lifestyle needs! You're invited to stop by Lifestyle Medicine Inc. Thursday, June 13th 2024, between 4pm and 7pm.  Call to RSVP – 918-488-9874.

FC Tulsa Summer Kickoff Soccer Camp

The Summer Kickoff Camp offers players a fun opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of soccer in a supportive and encouraging environment. Players age 6 through 16 of all skill levels are welcome. The camp is May 28-31, 9am to 12pm at the Titan Sports & Performance Center in Tulsa. The four-day camp is $195 and includes all camp sessions, shirt and at-home training video.

Visit FCTulsaTrainingAcademy.com for info and additional summer camps.

2024 Holland Hall Summer Programs

Holland Hall offers 190 unique camp sessions available for 3-year-olds through adults that strive to challenge and engage students to grow in the areas of academics, arts and athletics. There will be eight, oneweek sessions held between May 28 and July 26 with a wide variety in both the morning and afternoon. Camps include Trains, Trucks & Dinosaurs for pre-k, Secret Agent Camp for 2-6 grade, Dutch Theatre Arts Camp for 4-8 and so many more.  HollandHall.org

Photography by FC Tulsa

SIX IMPECCABLE

ARTICLE BY ANDREA GARDNER

TULSA ARTIST SHAWN WILSON HONORS ANCIENT JAPANESE ARTFORM.

Artist Shawn Wilson amidst a sumi-é creation.

Photo credit: Valerie Grant.

Japanese ink brush painting – sumi-é –  is the ultimate minimalist art form. It is one part zen meditation and one part controlled precision. In just a few strokes of a paintbrush, the artist shares a lifetime of stories.

“People often ask me how long it takes to create a painting,” recalls Shawn Wilson, an internationally-recognized sumi-é artist. “I say: 10 minutes and 30 years! In sumi-é, it isn’t just about the painting you are working on. Everything you have done has led to this moment.”

The beauty of sumi-é lies in its simplicity: the canvas left untouched, the thoughts left unsaid, moments of silence pregnant with emotion. There are no sketches for the artist to fall back on. Nothing to cover up tiny imperfections. It is raw and real, what Wilson describes as “6 impeccable strokes” on a thin piece of rice paper.

Sumi-é takes a lifetime to master. Students of the ancient art form spend years gaining control of the brush, perfecting a simple stroke, and overcoming the unforgiving nature of rice paper, which Wilson says is “like painting on toilet paper.”

A sumi-é artist also has very little medium to work with. Many paintings are even done in shades of black though Wilson confesses she enjoys adding some color. Still, “it’s an art form that doesn’t do handstands for you,” explains Wilson. “It is about tiny nuances.”

CONTINUED >

"Crocuses," a sumi-é on handmade rice paper.

"Young Bamboo Tree," a sumi-é on hosho rice paper.

"Sleeping Cat," a sumi-é on unryu rice paper.

Learning to embrace those tiny nuances has given Wilson a youthful optimism. “When you identify as an artist, you see things differently. Even when I see the leafless shapes of trees in the winter, I am overwhelmed by how stunningly gorgeous they are.”

When Wilson began lessons with Sumi-é Master Koho Yamamoto in her early twenties, she was already an established artist, selling pen-and-ink drawings to New Yorker Magazine. While her artistic journey has led her around the world and through various mediums before returning to her hometown of Tulsa, it is sumi-é and her decades-long friendship with Yamamoto that have grounded her.

After 50 years as an artist, Wilson says she still feels the spark of the meditative experience: “You have to study the item you want to paint, get to know it. Consider where it came from and where it is going. Become the item. Then, paint like lightning!”

One of Wilson’s personal favorites, Crocuses is currently available for purchase at Joseph Gierek Fine Art. In this piece, flowers of deep purple and light lavender emerge in a field, newly opening in early spring. Though the painting appears to contain hundreds of meticulous strokes, it does not, in fact, contain many at all, for sumi-é requires the artist to apply various hues to the paintbrush at one time and to use meticulous control of the brush to create the illusion of many strokes.

Anticipation , a piece Wilson recently sold, displays a moment shared between two indigo birds. As one delicately perches on a tree branch, he seems to hold his breath in anticipation as a second comes in for a landing. It isn’t easy to paint movement, but Wilson has captured it so clearly that one can almost see the scene unfolding in this still image. True to sumi-é style, a few brushstrokes evoke an almost visceral response in the combination of longing and dread captured in the seconds before the birds are reunited.

These and other pieces by Shawn Wilson can be viewed at Joseph Gierek Fine Art (1342 E 11th St) or online at gierek.com/artists/shawn-wilson

"Anticipation" is a sumi-é on handmade rice paper.

"Winter is for the Boys," a sumi-é on handmade paper.

FIELDING EXCELLENCE

ARTICLE BY KACIE BROWN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MCCONNELL

Holland Hall field hockey coach Christy Utter has quite the resume. She’s won two NCAA championships and four Atlantic Coast Conference championships as a University of North Carolina field hockey team member. She spent years rising through the collegiate coaching ranks at the University of Louisville and Brown University. Now, she’s back at the school that started her field hockey career: Holland Hall.

Field hockey players celebrate a past win over Oklahoma City’s Casady School.

Holland Hall field hockey coach Christy Utter on her story, sport, and team

"

... the journey is so much more rewarding and more important than even the greatest of destinations."

Born and raised in Tulsa, Utter’s interest in athletics wasn’t entirely surprising. Her father, Fred Utter, was Holland Hall’s middle school basketball coach and later served as the school’s assistant athletic director. As a young student, Utter remembers spending time in his office -- then shared with field hockey coach Greg Gephart, who would later play a pivotal role in her collegiate recruitment -- meeting the friendly girls of the Holland Hall field hockey team. She joined as soon as she could.

Field hockey was popular at Holland Hall then, and though the school’s team is one of only two high school teams in Oklahoma, Utter says it remains popular now.

“Having a sport that is so different and so much a part of our school's history gives our athletes a sense of greater pride,” Utter says.

The school is so dedicated to the sport that donors recently made a huge investment in a new turf field, one of the biggest contributions to women's athletics in school history.

“The program at Holland Hall is strong right now. We have healthy numbers, the girls are committed, and we're seeing some success in our conference,” Utter says. “We are getting a long-awaited and dream-come-true turf field installed that will serve as a new home to Dutch Field Hockey and will be an additional training and game field for the soccer teams and other programs.”

Field hockey, played mostly by women in the United States, involves scoring a ball into a net with ice hockey-like sticks. It’s popular among multisport athletes, whose skills from soccer, basketball, and more are highly transferable. Holland Hall has

Head Field Hockey Coach Christy Utter with Trustee and Alumni Field Hockey Parent Annie Brady championed for the field with a host of parents and supporters.

Top: Workers lay turf on a new field hockey and soccer field, and the new field is one of the biggest investments into women’s athletics in school history.

Bottom: Claire Winton angles her way between two Casady School field hockey players during this year’s rivalry game.

long been known as a school that encourages student-athletes to play multiple sports, and Utter says this emphasis pays off in the college recruitment process and at home.

“I like that these athletes get to be coached and mentored by our other great coaches at Holland Hall, that they find new ways to gel as a team in other sports, that they can see and play with other great student-athlete leaders in our school, and that they continue to relish in school spirit throughout the other seasons,” she says. “I talk to college coaches all the time, and they continuously prefer multi-sport athletes.”

Utter’s true successes don’t come from championships or athlete signings, though. She says the lessons young women learn through sports in general are what make them so fulfilling - and important. She has high hopes for her athletes that extend far beyond the field.

“I hope they learn to stand up for themselves and their teammates, never give up when something seems insurmountable, recognize the value in their teammates no matter their skill level, and fight for something bigger than themselves in conditions that are often extreme. I hope they realize that they can make sacrifices that are so worth it, that they can have fun and absolutely love what they’re doing even when it's difficult, and that the journey is so much more rewarding and more important than even the greatest of destinations,” Utter says.

kick off summer kick off summer

THE 28T h Annual OKLAHOMA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Celebrate the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival in 1569 Castleton on Saturdays and Sundays, April 27th - June 2nd, plus Memorial Day, May 27th, 10:30am - 6pm. Queen Elizabeth and her Court of Nobles welcome visitors to weekly themes with additional visiting Kings and Queens.

Kids and families can participate in the Royal Quest for knighthood! Various events include the Wheel of Death show, the Birds of Prey show, drummers, magical tunes, traveling Acrobats, and don’t miss the hilarious Bob the Juggler. Knights and Dames host daily jousting tournaments and the Castleton Maze tests visitor's navigation and memory skills.

Grab lunch from multiple food options or a frosty brew from one of the pubs and check out the Royal Events including Queens Tea, Kings Smoker and Pub Crawl.

The Spice Boys perform the first two weekends and The Jolly Rogers will provide nautical merriment for the remaining four. The Cave is home of the bone-cracking sounds of Tartanic, featuring bagpipes and drums with Celtic and Viking sounds. Tartanic headlines the Castle’s 4th weekend afterhours event, the Ceilidh, for 21+.

The Castle of Muskogee is located at 3400 Fern Mountain Road in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Find age requirements for special events, discounts, online tickets, and the complete season lineup at OKCastle.com

UPCOMING DATES:

April 27-28

Opening Weekend

May 4-5

Romance Weekend

Wine Tasting

The Masquerade Ball

May 11-12

Pirates Weekend

Meade Tasting

Pirate’s Feaste

May 18-19

Celtic Weekend

Whiskey Tasting

The Ceilidh

May 25-27

Imperial Weekend

Memorial Day Parade

June 1-2

Spice Roads Weekend

ARTICLE BY JOE HARWELL

Thirteen+ stages provide a steady stream of entertainment

Oklahoma’s 4’ 11” Music Gladiator

THE SPITFIRE NATION IS ALIVE AND WELL

ARTICLE

BY JOE HARWELL | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Fair warning, this is written from the perspective of a fan. In January I looked forward to my early morning phone call with musician Jordan Rainer. Like many Okies, I followed her last year on The Voice as a member of team Reba McEntire.

After exchanging introductions, I asked what her day looked like. “I’m making breakfast, something I rarely do.” When I asked what was on the menu she responded, “SPAM and eggs.” My silent response, she’s my kind of gal, making the rest of our conversation easy and enjoyable.

On The Voice, Jordan came across as genuine and witty after getting a rare four-chair turn from the coaches.

Jordan had been trying to get on the radar of fellow Oklahoman Reba McEntire for a while. “Getting the attention of a major star like Reba could help my career.” When I asked what led her to try out for the voice she said, “Someone from the show actually reached out to me. The Voice knocked on my door after years of songwriting and performing.”

Before it was confirmed that Reba would replace Blake Shelton, Jordan knew the song she would perform if given a shot to audition. “I covered it for years, but there’s always a risk auditioning with a signature song of a coach.” High risk equals high reward. From the first guitar strum, everyone, including Reba knew what song was coming. What no one knew yet was Jordan would turn all four chairs performing Fancy like it was her own signature song. Once the coaches turned around, Jordan captivated them, and the audience, with her talent, look, charisma, and stage presence.

When John Legend asked why she picked that particular Reba song, Jordan confidently replied, “Cause it’s the best. It was written by a strong woman, it was made famous by a strong woman (Reba), and it represents lyrically what women do to survive, and I am a woman who has done what I’ve had to do to survive, and so I feel the song in every bone in my body.”

As the coaches made their pitches, Jordan continued to impress them with humor and a sharp wit. Responding to Reba’s inquiry about how long she’d been in Nashville Jordan quipped, “Moved there eight years ago with a husband and a wiener dog. Still got the wiener dog.” That brought the house down. If you missed her blind audition, it’s worth watching (or rewatching). youtube.com/watch?v=yIJ2yMywPt4

The day we spoke, Jordan was recording backing tracks for future performances. When I asked about being on the road she replied, “I love the road. Performing music in front of an audience is what I was meant to do. I’m running a business. Someone manages my social media, and someone else is booking tour dates.” When I asked the best way fans can support her Jordan emphasized downloading her music on Spotify. “It’s an important metric record labels use when deciding to offer contracts.”

Through the Spitfire Nation, for a monthly fee starting at $5, supporters like me can plug into a private Facebook group, have early access to unreleased music, first access to new music and videos, 10% merchandise discounts, monthly shout-outs on social media, monthly zoom calls, a virtual backstage pass, and handwritten lyric sheets at jordanrainerofficial.com

“I bombed at regular jobs, so it was music or nothing.”

MOTHER'S

Gift Guide DAY

Shop local with top picks from Ida Red and Parkhill's South Liquors & Wine

ARTICLE BY KACIE BROWN

#1 TULSA FLAG HOOK PILLOW: Let mom put her love for Tulsa on display.

#2  1989 SCENTED CANDLE: Pick up a perfect gift for a Taylor Swiftloving mom.

#3  HERE COMES COOL MOM CREW SOCKS: Celebrate cool moms young and old.

#4  ANTIQUED TRINKET BOWL: You can't go wrong with a sweet message.

#5 EXPO PAVILION 1000PIECE PUZZLE:

Enjoy hours of family entertainment with a puzzle featuring a Tulsa icon.

#6  VEUVE CLICQUOT :

Madame Clicquot made her name into a brand of excellence and had it shine the world over. Her formidable contributions earned her the nickname of "la grande dame of Champagne".

#7 BAILEYS CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR :

Made with real Belgian chocolate folded into delicious Cream from Ireland, Baileys Chocolate Liqueur delivers a velvety-smooth and delicious treat.

#8 KETEL ONE VODKA COSMOPOLITAN :

Ketel One Vodka Cosmopolitan Ready to Serve is made with Ketel One Vodka, triple sec liqueur, real cranberry juice and real lime juice. A perfect balance of sweetness and tang.

#9 CHAMPAGNE POMMERY:

Madame Pommery described her champagne in two words: joyful lightness

#10 ROSA REGALE :

Since the times of Cleopatra, Rosa Regale has been love at first sip. The empress had her lovers drink the wine in order to unleash their passion, and the rest is history.

MINDY TINER

CEO TULSA SPCA

Tulsa's Animal Welfare Advocate

Tulsa SPCA's CEO celebrates 10 years and 10,000 animals placed

ARTICLE BY ANDREA GARDNER

Since CEO Mindy Tiner joined Tulsa SPCA in March of 2014, the 110-year-old organization dedicated to the humane care of animals has seen tremendous growth. Under Tiner’s leadership, Tulsa SPCA’s budget has increased from $700,000 to $3.3 million. Its workforce has almost tripled in size, now with 3 full-time veterinarians. The campus on Mohawk Boulevard has grown to almost 30 acres with the new 7,000 sq. ft. John and Tricia Arend Clinic, a 460 sq. ft. cattery, the Tiffany A. Campbell Volunteer Center, and room to grow.

JUST WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ANIMALS AND ANIMAL LOVERS IN TULSA?

• Last year, Tulsa SPCA placed 1,406 pets in forever homes.

• Tulsa SPCA provides housing, enrichment and fulltime care for 90+ animals each month on-campus and in foster homes.

• Tulsa SPCA performs 6,000+ spays and neuters and close to 25,000 vaccinations each year through a veterinary clinic that not only serves animals awaiting adoption, but also provides low-cost services to the public.

• Tulsa SPCA offers robust Community Engagement programs, like the Mobile Adoption Center, Pets Are Love program, and humane education.Join Tulsa SPCA in its mission to improve the lives of dogs and cats, and their human companions by visiting tulsaspca.org/donate

s at Tulsa SPCA

HOMETOWN

Mindy Tiner poses with Athena (right) and Eris (left).

Photo provided by Mindy Tiner.

ARTICLE

HANDMADE

BREAKING BREAD

BY ANGELA BROOCKERD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES

Making homemade bread is coming back, and while the convenience of buying a pre-made loaf is readily available, there is nothing like the taste of a warm, homemade loaf right out of the oven. These easy-to-follow recipes are exploding with flavor and are simple to make.

LEMON ALMOND LOAF

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ cups flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• ¾ cup milk

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

LEMON GLAZE ICING:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest and lightly mix. Stir in flour mixture and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix oil, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract. Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes and then carefully remove from the pan. Next, make the lemon glaze by combining all of the icing ingredients and whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze all over the loaf and sprinkle with almond slices. Enjoy!

SOURDOUGH BREAD

For an added health benefit, try this probiotic-rich sourdough bread known for being easy to digest and a healthier gut-friendly option. To make sourdough bread, you will need a starter which can take anywhere from 7-14 days. To make your own, mix flour and water together in a jar and feed the starter each day until ready. There are many sourdough starter recipes online.

SOURDOUGH STARTER INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons sourdough starter

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 5 teaspoons water

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup active sourdough starter

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 4 cups flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

Twelve hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ¼ cup of active sourdough starter. Stir and cover and let the starter rise. The starter is ready when it has doubled in size and there are bubbles on the surface and sides.

To make the dough, add ¼ cup sourdough starter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water and stir. Next, add 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 teaspoons of salt. Use a spatula to work the ingredients together until there are no more dry ingredients in the bowl. Wet your hand with a little water to prevent sticking, and pick up the dough on one side of the bowl and stretch it up and over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this step until you have turned the bowl a full circle. Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding process one more time. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise on your counter for 8-10 hours.

Next, on a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball by pulling the dough into the middle of itself. Turn the ball over so the seam is down. Use your hands to gently pull and cup the dough until it forms a tight skin. Place the dough on parchment paper and transfer the paper and dough to a medium sized bowl. Cover the bowl and let it rise for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Score the top of dough with a sharp knife. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough up and transfer to a dutch oven. Place the lid on and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until golden brown.

THROUGH JUNE 2ND

Oklahoma Renaissance Festival -

Your gateway to another

3400 W Fern Mountain Rd, Muskogee, OK 74401

world

Step back into 1569 England to experience the royal quest for knighthood, a full-contact Jousting Tournament, Birds of Prey exhibitions and traveling Acrobats! Her Majesty will declare a theme to honor the visiting Kings each weekend. There will be a variety of food and drink, 13 stages with acts and music, over 140 artisans and much more. April 27th - June 2nd. okcastle.com

MAY 2ND

Children's Storytime at Tulsa Toy Depot

10114 S. Sheridan Rd Tulsa, OK 74133 | 11:00 AM

Children's Storytime on Thursdays is popular with Miss Carol Meyer, Tulsa's finest kids entertainer. Carol leads the kids in music and story-telling each week for 30 minutes of great active fun for the little ones. tulsatoydepot.com

MAY 10TH - 12TH

Mayfest

101 E. Archer, Tulsa, OK,

The University of Tulsa presents Mayfest, a Tulsa Music and Art Festival celebrating of art, culture, and community. The festival is free to attend and is  11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. To view a festival map and daily schedule of all the activities and shows visit TulsaMayfest.org.

MAY 11TH

73rd Annual Garden Tour

2435 S Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74114 | 10:00 AM

The 73rd Annual Garden Tour offers the public's greatest opportunity to enjoy Tulsa's private residential gardens in full spring splendor. Buy tickets at tulsagardenclub.org/garden-tour.

MAY 11TH & 24TH

FC Tulsa Home Games

ONEOK Field, 201 N Elgin Ave, Tulsa, OK 74120 | 7:30 PM

Love Soccer? FC Tulsa is Oklahoma’s premier professional soccer club that plays in the USL Championship. May 11th is FC Tulsa vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC featuring Mayfest Night and Fireworks. May 24 is FC Tulsa vs Oakland Roots SC featuring $1 Beer Section and Military Appreciation Night! Visit FCTulsa.com for additional info, game schedule and more.

MAY 12TH

Mother's Day Brunch Buffet

The Chalkboard Kitchen & Bar, 1324 S Main Street, Tulsa OK, 74119 | 10:30 AM

Make mom's day special with an unforgettable experience. Tulsa's iconic restaurant, The Chalkboard Kitchen & Bar, will hold a Mother's Day Brunch Buffet from 10:30 to 2:30 pm. To make reservations visit TheChalkboardTulsa.com or call 918.582.1964.

The Tulsa Botanic Garden’s Stanford Family Liberty Garden and Bumgarner Lotus Pool, constructed by JONESPLAN and Manhattan Construction Company, added almost two acres of developed gardens to the Botanic Garden. These new additions are the latest steps in the garden’s master plan, which aims to develop between 65 and 70 acres of gardens around the seven-acre central lake.

The Liberty Garden and Lotus Pool add another level of beauty and excitement to the garden, giving visitors more opportunities to engage with the outdoors.

where something flourishes, the place where family gathers, a safe haven, a place to

I

ARTICLE BY MEGAN HOBAN

The Art of Collecting

As consumers, we are constantly being enticed to buy. Whether it’s the jewelry we can’t live without, concert tickets to a show we don’t want to miss, or that favorite pair of shoes calling our name, we buy what we love, and art should be no different.

If you are new to acquiring original art, you may find it daunting, but it shouldn’t be. It is a special purchase that forces you to dig deep and discover a bit more about yourself. At first, many people shy away from buying original art because of the commitment. It’s a big decision after all, and how do you really know when it’s the “perfect” piece? Because art is subjective, part of the process is learning what style of art is the best fit for you. Is it colorful and energetic abstracts, or soothing landscapes that catch your eye? Maybe you are drawn to local photography, or even figurative works. There is no wrong answer, and maybe it’s a mix of several styles that creates your unique collection. The best way to find out your “art personality” is to get out and visit your local galleries. Consider making it a tradition to visit galleries while traveling or buy a piece of art as a gift on special occasions. In the gallery setting you can explore various art styles, mediums, and even learn more about the talented artists who create those works.

With the purchase of original art comes other considerations. Often, we have clients who need direction figuring out what size of art they need and its placement in the design of their space. If you find a piece of art you love, you will always find a spot for it. Ask the gallery if they offer in-home art consultation services to see the piece in your setting. Great custom framing is key, and well-designed framing is the jewelry to a great piece of art. Quality archival framing protects your art from UV rays that can damage a piece over time. Original art should last generations.

I’m often asked, should I buy art for investment? There is a place for investment art, but I don’t believe in buying art with the pretense that it will go up in value. There is no guarantee it will and to me, good investment art brings different riches to your life. Art that brings you joy, adds personality to your space, and makes your home original is an investment in you. The best art investment should be the feeling you experience gazing into an oil painting that perfectly captures a warm sunset over the prairie, or the texture created by a palette knife on the abstract that seems to pop off the canvas. That is what makes investing in original art priceless.

Art that brings you joy, adds personality to your space, and makes your home original is an investment in you.

DIY VANILLA ORANGE SUGAR SCRUB

Create your own DIY sugar scrub for a perfect gift for a special person in your life.

To make one 8 ounce mason jar of vanilla orange sugar scrub, you need:

• 1/4 cup of coconut oil

• 3/4 cup of sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 10 drops of orange essential oil

Soften the coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds. Next add the vanilla extract and the orange essential oil. Then, stir in the sugar, a little at a time. Print off a fun label or attach a ribbon to the jar, and your gift is ready. Enjoy!