Luxiere - Oklahoma Lifestyle & Real Estate // Edition 55
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48 Strange Magic
Bartees Cox was a three-sport standout in high school, but what he really wanted was the freedom to get away. He eventually got it, by embracing his lifelong love of music. Now a major artist under the name Bartees Strange, he’s embracing his identity.
STORY BY MICHAEL KINNEY
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Coach Mack's Thunderous Presence
Marvin Mack’s four decades of coaching experience and mindset help make him a steady, welcoming figure behind the scenes at OKC Thunder games.
STORY BY MICHAEL KINNEY
42 Konnichiwa, Flavor
Sushi was only the beginning — Awaji to Akai, Takaramono to Nazo, a wave of upscale Japanese restaurants is bringing delicious authenticity to OKC.
STORY BY GREG HORTON
54 We Didn't Start the Fire
Fire destroys; it also transforms. A challenging, breathtaking, deliberately brief exhibit from the Oklahoma Fashion Alliance burned with feeling.
STORY BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON
California Dreaming
A trip to Napa Valley is its own reward, but if you’re going, you should go in style … which means these well-researched recommendations should help.
STORY BY MEGAN SHEPHERD
80 The Power of ‘Abracadabra’
Dream plus determination plus talent — stylist to the musical stars Chloe Royer is proving that the right ingredients can turn opportunity into magic.
STORY BY ANDREA SCHULTZ
55 FROM THE PUBLISHER
Let’s talk about the power of transformation. It’s considerable. Transformation can be joyful, painful, healing, dramatic, artistic, bold or all of the above. In this, our 55th Edition of Luxiere, we’ve compiled—sometimes unintentionally—a collection of stories about transformation or change in its many forms. Oklahomans know all about change; one of our superpowers is our ability to embrace it, celebrate what comes next and grow together until the next transformation comes.
Writer Alexandra Bohannon attended the Oklahoma Fashion Alliance’s May runway show in Tulsa, the theme of which was “I Drew Myself on Fire.” According to the show’s executive producer and co-creative director, “Fire is destructive, but it’s also transformative; it’s also beautiful. It brings change.”
Who is better at transformation than a pop music icon? Best friends since high school, Oklahomans Chloe Royer and Genesis Webb have seen that brilliant creativity up close and have added their own creative spark to the scene. Both moved to Los Angeles after college to pursue exquisitely artistic career paths. The duo have worked together as stylists for musical icons Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga. Andrea Schultz writes about her conversation with Royer, and the magic that happens when an artist answers her creative calling.
Writer Michael Kinney brings us the story of Bartees Cox, aka Bartees Strange, a young man whose athletic prowess nearly muted his true calling, his music. As a three-sport standout in Mustang, the younger Cox could never have envisioned performing in front of sold-out crowds in London, hosting a concert at The Getty Center in L.A. or releasing albums to critical acclaim. He found something crucial in the process: freedom. Michael Kinney also traveled to Washington, D.C., to bring back the story of a spectacular photography exhibit,
The ’70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography, on view at the National Gallery of Art.
Three days in Napa Valley were transformative in the best, most blissful ways for writer Megan Shepherd, who brought back a spellbinding tale of sweeping vineyard views, rustic farms, world-class dining and a series of wine tastings you’ll want to read about. If your current schedule won’t allow a trip to the West Coast, Chef Jeff Chanchaleune and a cadre of other culinary talents launching upscale Japanese restaurants in Oklahoma City are happy to transport you for a few hours. Just ask writer Greg Horton, who takes us on a tour of what’s new and now.
Maybe Bob Dylan said it best: The times, they are a-changin’— and we at Luxiere are here for it. Thank you for joining us on this edition’s transformative, delicious, creative journey.
Until next time,
STACY D. JOHNSON Publisher, Owner
Each issue of Luxiere represents the combined efforts of an accomplished team of creative Oklahomans. We are pleased to share their work with you, and grateful for the time and talent each has contributed to bringing this publication into being.
STACY D. JOHNSON Owner/Publisher/Editor in Chief
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ON THE COVER
Musical artist Bartees Strange Photographer: Elizabeth De La Piedra
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Photograph by contributor Cooper Harrison for Luxiere Edition 55 feature We Didn't Start the Fire by Alexandra Bohannon.
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A Legacy in Concrete
Developer Mark Beffort’s influence on skylines nationwide
BY KATI HANNA
Few individuals have had as profound an influence on the Oklahoma City skyline as Mark Beffort. As the visionary behind some of the region’s most iconic commercial developments, Beffort has helped transform the urban landscape through a blend of grit, strategic foresight and relentless execution. Today, his work extends well beyond state lines, as he shapes landmark properties in cities like Indianapolis, New York and Kansas City through his firm Robinson Park. With a reputation for leading with integrity and building platforms that endure, Beffort is not just developing buildings; he’s redefining what leadership looks like in real estate.
What inspired you to explore opportunities outside of Oklahoma City?
The inspiration to expand beyond Oklahoma City really began with the opportunity to partner with the McLaughlin family, which eventually became Square Deal Investments. That relationship, and the trust they placed in me, opened the door to acquire our first out-of-state asset: Market Tower in Indianapolis. It was a pivotal moment. The McLaughlins, along with several other families, came together around a shared belief that we could accomplish far more collectively than we ever could individually. They empowered me to lead the transaction, leveraging my background as a broker, while my team (Robinson Park) brought a strong platform of in-house expertise—from due diligence to long-term property management. That collaboration became the foundation for what’s now a much broader footprint.
How do you define leadership, and what values have guided your approach throughout your career?
To me, leadership is about setting the pace — being the first one in, the last one out, and never asking anyone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. I’ve always believed in the grind. That said, real leadership also means listening, showing respect and creating space for others to advance. I don’t believe in entitlement, but I do believe
in opportunity, offering people a seat at the table and the tools to grow. My job as a leader is to be the steady hand, to stay grounded and keep pushing forward, no matter the obstacle.
You operate across several cities, each with its own energy and challenges. How do you ensure your work remains relevant and responsive to local communities?
I believe staying relevant starts with being present. Our property management teams aren’t just remote operators, they’re embedded in the communities we serve. We hire locally, encourage our team members to get involved with civic organizations and boards. Each city has its own rhythm, and we respect that by listening first and tailoring our approach accordingly. It’s not a one-size-fits-all model.
The commercial real estate world is changing fast. What trends are you watching most closely, and how is Robinson Park preparing for what’s ahead?
One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing is the growing demand for integrated platforms, where investment, development, leasing and property management are all aligned under one roof. That’s exactly why we unified everything under the Robinson Park name. In today’s market, clients want fewer handoffs, more accountability
and partners who can execute across the entire life cycle of an asset. Our model reflects that shift, positioning us to respond faster, act smarter and deliver more value at every step.
What does success look like for you — not just for Robinson Park, but in the legacy you’re working to build across industries and communities?
For me, success has never been about personal accolades. It’s about what you build for others, what doors you open, what risks you take so someone else doesn’t have to, what kind of impact you leave behind long after you’re out of the room. I’ve been fortunate in my career, and I see it as a responsibility to pay that forward, to give more than I take, even when no one’s watching.
For those who want to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you give to the next generation of real estate leaders?
Work hard. Really hard. You can’t be successful rolling in at 9 a.m., taking a long lunch and heading out at 3 p.m. This business rewards grit, consistency and people who are willing to show up
every day and do the tough stuff. It’s also about how you use your success. Give generously. Support your community. Invest in people who may never have the same opportunities you did. If you focus on doing the right thing and outworking everyone in the room, the rest tends to fall into place.
What’s one detail you always notice in a space — something that tells you it was well-designed?
For me, it’s the back-of-house. Many pay close attention to their lobbies, but if the mechanical rooms (the spaces no one else sees) are clean, organized and well-maintained, it tells me everything I need to know about how the building is run. That level of care doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects pride in ownership, attention to detail and a commitment to doing things right even when no one’s watching. Integrity shows up in the quiet corners, and I’ve always believed that how you treat the unseen parts of a building says a lot about how you operate as a whole. •
Mark Beffort
MARK BEFFORT’S EXPANDED FOOTPRINT
Robinson Park Portfolio Highlights
MARTINIQUE HOTEL | NEW YORK CITY
The historic Martinique New York on Broadway, located at 49 W. 32nd St. in Midtown Manhattan, is a 19-story, 531-room BeauxArts landmark — originally designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and now part of Hilton’s Curio Collection — that has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation blending Art Deco elegance with modern luxury. Robinson Park’s Design & Build team led the reimagining of the grand lobby and other public spaces, enhancing the guest experience while preserving the building’s historic character. Amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, over 8,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a dynamic dining scene featuring multiple concepts — including Michelin-starred Noksu, piloted by acclaimed Chef Dae Kim.
MARKET TOWER | OFFICE | INDIANAPOLIS
This 32-story, 522,704-square-foot office building located at 10 W. Market St. in downtown Indianapolis offers efficient floor plates with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, providing abundant natural light, and panoramic views of Monument Circle. Tenants benefit from a suite of upscale amenities, including a fitness center, wellness room, high-end conferencing facilities and secure bike storage with 24/7 access. The building also features heated valet parking, a sevenstory attached garage and on-site dining options. Robinson Park’s proactive management ensures seamless operations, contributing to an environment that attracts and retains top-tier tenants.
SKYLINE COLLECTION | OFFICE | KANSAS CITY
Robinson Park provides financial services and asset management for the Skyline Collection in downtown Kansas City, in partnership with local owner Copaken Brooks. This premier portfolio comprises three interconnected office towers — 1111 Main (formerly Town Pavilion), 1201 Walnut and the historic Harzfeld’s Building — totaling more than 1.3 million square feet of Class A office space. Tenants benefit from modernized amenities, including a state-of-the-art fitness center, a 10,000-square-foot conference facility and curated art installations. The buildings also offer shared parking garages and are situated near key city landmarks such as the T-Mobile Center and the Power & Light District. •
Kati Hanna is a seasoned growth strategist and partner with The Mettise Group, with over 25 years of experience advising companies across the globe on scaling, leadership development and strategic execution.
1111 Main, Kansas City
Market Tower, Indianapolis
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Dr. Susan Chambers lives a life that, from the outside, has until recent years looked a lot like a gilded fairy tale. She’s a beloved physician and the founder of a thriving women’s health clinic and hospital. She lives in a fabled mansion in one of Oklahoma City’s most beautiful historic neighborhoods. She married a wonderful man—a fellow physician she met in med school—raised three children, worked hard, volunteered in the community and traveled the world. And then, in 2023, it happened. Kyle Toal, her beloved husband of 35 years, died, and Chambers was thrust into uncharted waters, which threatened to take her under for a while and from which she is now thankfully beginning to surface. “You have to just lean into the losses and the sadness and the emotions that you don’t really want to feel, because if you don’t, then you don’t grow and you don’t get to renew and be better,” she says.
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Chairman of the Board, Dr. Susan Chambers
After the initial shock, Chambers approached managing her profound grief in characteristic style: all-in. She’s simply not wired to do anything halfway. “I try to do yoga every day. I have a devotional time in the morning, and I have a prayer time. That’s not just in the morning, that’s all day long some days,” she says. Movement and exercise have helped her cope. She rides her bike and incorporates Pilates classes into her already-busy schedule. “It’s been its own journey, of course, but through a lot of self-work and help from other people, I’m able to now find joy, and renew my commitment to enjoying life and enjoying what I do and staying in the moment and not worrying about the past and not worrying about the future,” she says.
As she found her way through her loss, Chambers continued to immerse herself in her medical practice of 30+ years (she’s delivered more than 8,000 babies!) and her community voluntarism. A defining characteristic of Dr. Susan Chambers is that if someone asks her for help, she will flat out say yes. Another? She does not do anything halfway. Nothing. Not a single thing. And a third? She’s got a great, lively sense of humor and zest for the kooky, which we’ll discuss more later. She credits her parents for her impeccable work ethic and ethos of giving back. “That was just something that they always did; they always gave back. They always were involved. We didn’t grow up with a lot of money, but [they were] certainly generous with their time, and certainly generous with their money to what extent they could be.”
Chambers grew up in Tulsa, where her mom taught English and journalism, and her dad was an accountant and businessman. Perhaps that’s where she inherited her entrepreneurial nature? She, at first, hesitates. “I guess so … we certainly started a couple of businesses 30-plus years ago that have succeeded, but I wouldn’t have called myself entrepreneurial at the time. In 1987, when we started this group, I didn’t know enough to be scared, even though it was very anxiety-provoking,” she says. “We were grateful to have good mentors to guide us down that path, and then we took the leap to start the hospital 10 years later.”
That medical practice, Lakeside Doctors Gynecology & Obstetrics, and the hospital, Lakeside Women’s Hospital, treat thousands of Oklahoma women through every season of life. “I really like my work. I really, really like taking care of women. In August, I’ve been in private practice for 39 years. Of course, I started when I was 10,” she says, laughing. Her career has evolved over time. “I loved delivering babies when I did that. I love doing gynecologic surgery.”
She also loves getting to know her patients and their families over the years. “Saturday night I got to go to the wedding of a young man I delivered 30 years ago.” That she’s still a part of this family’s life, as she is with many of the women she sees, is fulfilling to her. “That really gives me great joy and satisfaction in my work,” she says.
Chambers is in it for the long haul professionally, personally and as a volunteer. In 2024, she became Chairman of the Board of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, as OKC marked a milestone 30th anniversary since the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. In a recent interview with The Oklahoman, she talks about her personal experience immediately after the bombing, working at one of the hastily erected medical tents around the bombing site. Reporter William C. Wertz asks if she was afraid. Her reply: “No, I don’t remember being afraid.
It was a horrifying event, but it wasn’t fearful for us [as doctors treating people]. What I remember on the day of the bombing is that we weren’t sure at first what had happened. Two of my children were in school and I was worried about them. The phones were crazy, and you couldn’t just call.”
To mark the 30th anniversary, the Oklahoma City Memorial & Museum has launched a program called Journey of Hope. “We will be traveling to all 77 counties across Oklahoma, going to high schools where kids weren’t even born when the bombing happened and speaking to churches and other groups. It’s part of carrying our 30th anniversary message ‘A Day of Darkness — Years of Light’ throughout the state,” Chambers told The Oklahoman.
Other volunteer work? “I’m on the board at Oklahoma City Repertory Theater, because every board needs a gynecologist on it, especially a theater group,” she deadpans. Chambers also gives of her time to St. Luke’s Methodist Church and World Neighbors, the nonprofit she’s been involved with the longest, close to 30 years. “I fell in love with it when I just first learned about World Neighbors, and then I started going on some of their journeys. You either love it and it gets under your skin, or it’s not your thing because it’s hard travel,” she says. World Neighbors is an international development organization that works to alleviate hunger, poverty and disease in the most isolated rural villages in Asia, Africa and Latin America. “As I say, World Neighbors works at the very end of the road, and then you take a left and keep going. And that’s where they work.”
Chambers has traveled to Indonesia, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Haiti, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and Mali with World Neighbors. “Mali was amazing. That’s where Timbuktu is. I actually went to Timbuktu, got the T-shirt. That’s how poor that country is. There’s only one souvenir T-shirt you can buy, and it’s in Timbuktu … You can’t go to Mali now, it’s way too dangerous,” she says.
Dr. Chambers in Nepal as a volunteer for World Neighbors.
“It was a horrifying event, but it wasn’t fearful for us [as doctors helping people]. What I remember on the day of the bombing is that we weren’t sure at first what had happened. Two of my children were in school and I was worried about them.”
DR. SUSAN CHAMBERS
Leisure travel for Chambers is also often adventurous. “Through the years, we’ve taken lots of bicycle trips and things like that. We hiked Mount Kilimanjaro once and did the Inca Trail a couple of times,” she says, and admits she’s also fine with just going to the beach. Frankly, she sounds less enthused about that sort of trip, quickly adding “That’s fine, too, but I do like doing stuff.”
Remember earlier when Chambers’ kooky side was alluded to? ‘Witchy’ is more accurate. Her historic home happens to anchor a neighborhood, Crown Heights, that goes big at Halloween. And Chambers and her buddies play a pivotal role she calls ‘The Witches of Crown Heights,’ wherein they hang out, green-faced with a steaming cauldron, in full witch drag, passing out candy. Her work with City Rep makes more sense now, doesn’t it? The Witches have been at it for decades, and recently something genuinely magical happened. “This young man, in his 30s or so, brought us a scrapbook he had made of all the years that he had come as a kid, and now he was bringing his kids, and he gave it to us,” she says. Chambers is clearly delighted to have “terrified millions of children.” She’s kidding. “It’s just lots of fun, you know.”
This is a woman who is deeply and contentedly rooted in her community — through her career, her voluntarism, her home and her family. And we are happy to report that she’s slowly but surely getting her cackle back. •
Dr. Chambers greets President Bill Clinton during the 30th anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing remembrance ceremony.
Some things never change.
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Coach Mack’s Thunderous Presence
Warmth and wisdom behind the scenes
STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY
BY MICHAEL KINNEY
If you talk to Marvin Mack long enough, you will come away with a treasure trove of stories. That includes the time during his playing days at Langston University when he carried a .38 special with him for safety when he traveled to Mississippi.
Or even how a referee once threateningly showed him the pistol that was in his own pocket after Mack questioned a call during a game.
While those tales highlight what it was like in the ’60s and ’70s for a young, Black basketball player on the HBCU circuit, it’s the stories from his 40-year high school coaching career that tend to rise to the top. Whether they pertain to basketball or life in general, Mack has collected anecdotes and quotes that can be dropped into almost any conversation.
But these days, instead of seeing the game from the sidelines, Mack has another vantage point.
OPPOSITE:
Coach Mack greets OKC Thunder star and 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a fist bump before Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets.
Back in the bowels of Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center, out of sight of the 18,000 fans, Mack sits perched on a tall chair—a name tag emblazoned with “Coach Mack” on his lapel, a walkie-talkie on his hip and a smile on his face.
He is in charge of the corridor leading to the locker rooms when the Oklahoma City Thunder have a game. Mack is one of the first faces players and coaches see when they arrive on game day.
“This has been my position from day one,” Mack says. “I had an option to go to the floor or back here. I decided I wanted to be back here. So here I am still today.”
When Mack says day one, he means even before there was an Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. In 2005, when the New Orleans Hornets took up residence in the city for two years, he was on the job.
“Before [Hurricane] Katrina hit, I was here. I came down here for an NCAA playoff game, and the coach here was Leodies Robinson, the Millwood football coach. A great legend that’s gone on to glory now,” Mack says. “But I saw where we were hosting the NCAA men, and I asked him after Sunday school if I needed to get a ticket. He said, ‘Coach, I got something better than that for you.’ He said they asked him to put a 20-man team together, ‘and your name popped in my head first.’”
The next day, Mack arrived at what was then the Ford Center to officially apply for a security position.
“I beat everybody here. I was at the front door when they came in and filled the paperwork out,” Mack says. “The lady who was our boss saw my worth, ethics and how I handled things. She said, ‘Would you like to work concerts?’ I said, ‘By all means.’ So, I started working concerts and then Katrina hits. I was already in place. I’ve been here ever since and enjoying every day of it, every second of it, because of the camaraderie of teams and friends all over the country I’ve made.”
From Kevin Durant to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mack has gotten to meet every player who’s worn a Thunder uniform in the franchise’s 17-year history in OKC. He speaks of the respect he has for General Manager Sam Presti and his co-workers around the building.
Mack is a walking, talking history book for the team, and may be its most influential ambassador.
Nearly every player, coach, staff member and executive who slowly saunters into the arena hours before game time has some type of interaction with Mack. From a casual fist bump to a deep hug, he goes out of his way to make sure they feel welcomed.
For the ones he has seen many times through the years, Mack often pulls them to the side and inquires about family members, their jobs and their personal lives.
“I was taught from early childhood, treat everybody nice, and then nice will override everything,” Mack states. “And I’ve watched players come, I’ve watched them go. They’re now head coaches and assistant coaches in the NBA. But I watched them when they put their suits on and played out there on the NBA floor. So, it’s just treating everybody nice — and I guess they don’t get it everywhere, so therefore it’s just a big bond, like a fraternity, and I’m in that fraternity with these guys.”
Coach Mack walks and talks with Thunder shooting guard Isaiah Joe.
“So many, young or old, they all remember coach. I’m not bragging. It’s just that love recognizes love. We want to be loved. That’s where I am.”
COACH MARVIN MACK
That mindset of just being nice and treating everyone with respect was prevalent in Mack’s household while growing up in Guthrie. It also became a foundation for him while coaching for four decades (1980-2020) at Douglass High School and Taft Middle School.
“The final result (of coaching) was to take a ball of clay and you mold it and shape it into the way that you should be,” Mack says. “Not just athleticism, but being a productive citizen in the community, because a lot of the kids were fatherless. So, I’m now pawpaw to many, many grandkids.”
While Mack may not have the same type of influence on the professional athletes that he encounters these days, he still offers words of encouragement and advice when he can, regardless of uniform.
Players such as Kendrick Perkins, Zach Randolph, Draymond Green, Patrick Beverly, Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant stand out as ones he has a deep affinity for.
“Those are my boys. And when they see me it’s, ‘Yes sir, no sir, coach, how are you doing today?’ And they give me the biggest hugs that you’ve probably seen and witnessed,” Mack says. “So many, young or old, they all remember coach. I’m not bragging. It’s just that love recognizes love. We want to be loved. That’s where I am.” •
Mack with the Denver Nuggets’ and former Thunder star Russell Westbrook.
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A Moment of Appreciation
Natural beauty fuels Rick McClure’s drive to create
BY STACY D. JOHNSON
It’s one thing simply to look at the outside world; it’s another to absorb and be moved by the incredible beauty of nature. Longtime Oklahoma artist Rick McClure has made a career from the latter, and though he has amassed numerous awards and his pieces can be found in collections nationwide as well as OKC’s Howell Gallery, his primary goal is to encourage others to join him in appreciation of the great outdoors. McClure spoke with Luxiere about his process and influences, the artist’s role in society and more.
“Soft Reflections” 24x36” oil on canvas
What are the first things you recall that inspired you to be an artist?
At the age of 10, my mother recognized my natural talent and signed me up for lessons with a local painter in Clinton, Oklahoma. I only got through one series of lessons with her before she moved, but she took me through the entire process—we did everything from stretching the canvas to the final varnish. The instruction may have been short-lived, but it was enough to get me started studying on my own and painting regularly.
Can you walk us through your creative process?
Early in my career, I was recognized as primarily a plein air painter, completing small canvases strictly on location. However, as my gallery representation grew nationally, the demand for larger studio paintings dictated that I adapt my process to meet that demand. Today my plein air experience has become, more or less, information gathering for larger works; that includes painting quick, small studies, and some photographs to record needed details.
If you could sit down with any artist, past or present or future, who would it be and why?
Without a doubt I would say James Reynolds, who sadly we lost in 2010. As a teenage artist living in a small western Oklahoma town, I would regularly visit the local library in search of the latest issue of Persimmon Hill, a publication of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. It often showcased the paintings of the leading Western artists of the time, and my favorite was James Reynolds. Being primarily interested in the landscape as my subject matter, I found myself in awe of his loose, painterly rendering of his landscape backgrounds and surroundings. To this day I constantly refer to his book of landscape paintings for inspiration and motivation.
What do you find to be your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge for me today is time. I often feel that galleries think as artists we have a warehouse of available work and can ship a quality piece on a moment’s notice. When I find myself in this situation, the result is often work that doesn’t meet my expectations.
What art piece would you enjoy having most in your home or workspace?
Being a Representational/Impressionistic painter, I would most likely shy away from anything Abstract / Non Objective—and because of my respect for James Reynolds as mentioned earlier, I would love to have a large Reynolds landscape hanging in my studio.
Who are your biggest influences?
James Reynolds, Richard Schmid, John Singer Sargent and all of my dedicated students.
Please describe your studio or workspace.
After a short time renting studio space across town, I decided to build a home studio in our backyard. It provides plenty of space for my painting with an area for packing and shipping, as well as room to hold my weekly adult studio painting classes. I have a large studio easel that sits at the south end of the studio with a large full-length mirror sitting at the north end; that enables me to view my work in reverse, which helps in finding design and compositional errors.
What would be your dream project?
I really don’t have a dream project, so to speak. I definitely have no desire to pursue any form of a mural project or something of that nature. I guess the best way to answer that question is the hope of leaving a body of work that will merit a retrospective exhibition to be attended by those I have connected with through my art along the way.
What role do artists have in society?
ABOVE: “Ready To Go” 24x30” oil
OPPOSITE TOP:
“Forgotten” 18x24” oil on board
OPPOSITE BOTTOM:
“Beach Dune Excerpt” 12x12” oil
Being a landscape painter, it is in my nature to be emotionally moved by the beauty that is our world. I think too many take the beauty of what surrounds us for granted. I hope that through viewing my work, society will take a moment and appreciate the landscape that we are blessed with.
Describe the best piece of art you have created.
A few years ago I completed a large “Sierra Meadow” landscape that, in my opinion, is one of my best works to date. It was a lush, green meadow with a reflecting pond in the foreground and the majestic snow-capped Sierra [Nevada] Mountains in the background. I sold it to a local collector, and was told it hangs in his law office downtown. •
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Konnichiwa, Flavor
OKC welcomes a wave of upscale Japanese dining
BY GREG HORTON
In 2013, Chef Jeff Chanchaleune launched Kaiteki, a ramen truck that was born of his love for Japanese food and culture. While he’s well-known now, at the time, he was a young Lao kid, who, according to his recollection, was just trying to find his way.
“After my parents sold their business, I had to get a job that paid,” Chanchaleune says. Now the owner of Ma Der Lao Kitchen and Bar Sen, he began his career in the dish pit of a Japanese restaurant at 16. “I took a job at Sushi Neko, and I fell in love with every aspect of the food and culture.”
From that point, he did what he’s always done: read, experiment, taste, travel, watch, ask — digging into the food and following his natural curiosity. It’s a practice that has garnered him three James Beard nominations, including two finalist runs. The more he studied, the more he believed he could make Japanese food work in Oklahoma City.
We are currently watching a wave of high-end Japanese food roll into the state, and it will crest at some point, as all waves do … but for now, we get to enjoy the process of exploring a variety of Japanese dishes from different traditions. Chanchaleune is due much of the credit for preparing the way for local diners to embrace this trend that is finally arriving in the metro after reshaping the culinary scene in cities around the country.
“When I started Kaiteki, OKC only had sushi and hibachi, so ramen was relatively unknown except for one common version,” Chanchaleune says. “The food enthusiasts were excited about it, but I still had plenty of people walk up and say, ‘I can get a bag of this for 20 cents at Walmart, so why are you charging 10 dollars?’”
That sort of gap in understanding how things work has bedeviled restaurateurs probably since Romans set up outdoor grills to make street food in the Empire. It’s the modern version of “Why would I give you a drachma for a squab when I can kill my own for free?” And Chanchaleuene did what he always does: He educated the guests.
“I explained that the noodles were handmade in L.A., told them who David Chang is, talked about the process of slow-roasting pork belly, explained curing, just tried to fill in the gaps,” he says.
And then came Goro, and finally Gun Izakaya. The two partnerships with Rachel Cope’s 84 Hospitality, combined with the arrival of Okinawan ramen in the form of Tamashii, altered the market, both in terms of food options and the perception of Japanese cuisine. In culinary time increments, Gun was the best restaurant in Oklahoma City for what feels like five minutes, especially to those of us who still feel its absence like grief in our bellies.
Gun Izakaya — with its beautiful mural by Juuri, gorgeous woodwork, the smells of yakitori and yakimono, the zip of the Japanese highballs and the magic of karaage chicken and matcha donuts — was the last component in opening our city’s eyes to what Japanese food could be and where it could take us. And then the pandemic.
Chef Richard Ly’s Awaji Izakaya resuscitated the trend post-COVID. Fresh off his stint as the opening chef for Jimmy B’s, he took a chance on a spot in the far northwest quadrant and built the now popular spot in 2024. The success of Goro and Gun made it possible for him to open an izakaya without explaining what the word means, unthinkable in 2013.
Awaji
The fish program at Kanji
“I actually came to Oklahoma City in 2013 to work for Cafe Icon,” Ly says. “I brought rolls and recipes with me from Dallas, where they were years ahead of OKC in their acceptance of upscale Japanese food, including places like Uchi.”
Uchi expanded into Dallas from Austin, where it opened in 2003, a full decade ahead of Oklahoma City beginning to experiment with ramen. Ly arrived in Oklahoma, distressed to learn that the state was still smitten with cream cheese and fried rolls. Even as late as 2017, a popular sushi spot (now defunct) offered a dozen rolls at its soft opening, all of which contained cream cheese, or were fried, or both — not exactly the best iteration of fresh, Japanese cuisine.
“I have a few of those on the menu at Awaji,” Ly admits. “I wanted to open without any of that, but you have to give customers some of what they’re familiar with while leading them to new and better choices.”
Enter Viet Pham and Akai Sushi in the Wheeler District. Pham, a Minneapolis transplant, opened his stunning high-end Japanese restaurant last year, and it’s full most nights, and includes a stellar bar program, high quality fish selections, creative recipes, beautiful plating and an interior that oozes sophistication and elegance. It’s modern and traditional in the best way, and it signaled a shift in OKC’s palate and willingness to pay for great Japanese food.
This year has already given us Takaramono in the Plaza District and Kanji on N. Penn near 150th, and we’ll see the arrival of Nazo in the Ludivine 2.0 space on NW 10th and Ly’s second spot, Kaizume by Awaji on NW 23rd near Classen, before the year ends.
Industry analysts who track trends attribute this rise in upscale Japanese to several factors, and surprisingly, rather than disparage Gen Z — too popular when assigning blame these days — the younger generation gets credit for helping drive this trend. It’s a combination of them seeking out fresh, healthy options and their obsession with TikTok, a platform bursting with food porn. Ly and Pham both noted that another factor in the surge in interest has to do with finding gaps in a city’s food scene and then filling them with great options. On the same track, successful companies are now looking to expand into Oklahoma City and Tulsa because real estate is affordable, growth is nearly guaranteed for now, diners are hungry for what’s new and we do have legitimate gaps in our dining options like any city of our size. That’s great news for adventurous eaters, and good news for those as yet unconverted. •
The bar at Awaji
Specialty fish for Omakase at Kanji
Strange Magic
Bartees Cox finds freedom by returning to music
STORY BY MICHAEL KINNEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZABETH DE LA PIEDRA
At one point in his life, Bartees Leon Cox Jr. thought he wanted to be a pro athlete. Like many kids who grow up in Oklahoma and have any modicum of athletic ability, that seemed to be the logical mindset.
However, unlike other young dreamers, his goal had nothing to do with a passion for the game. While Cox was a three-sport standout at Mustang High and faced off against future college and pro stars like Ryan Broyles, Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Blake Griffin, he saw athletics as a way to get what he prized most—freedom.
“I don’t think I knew that at the time because I was really good at (sports),” Cox says.
“I thought, ‘This might be my ticket out of here. If I’m good at this, maybe I can at least move.’ That was kind of what I was thinking.”
It took Cox some time before he found that ultimate prize, though it didn’t come via the football field or basketball court. He found it in the one place he knew he should have been looking all along: his music.
Cox, who performs under the name Bartees Strange, is a singer, songwriter and guitar player. He describes his music as a melting pot of almost every genre and style imaginable.
“I kind of make stuff that’s like a lot of rock, a lot of funk, a lot of hip-hop, a lot of jazz, a lot of country—and it’s just kind of rolled up into this thing that is me now,” he says. “I feel like I tell people all the time, if you don’t like the first song, you will probably like the second song or the third one. There’s something in there for everybody.”
At 36 years old, Cox is watching his star rise in the entertainment industry. In the past few years he’s toured with Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Metric, Boygenius and The National; this year alone, he’s appeared on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney” on Netflix. And this August he’ll be sharing his sound at nearly a dozen stops across Europe from Budapest to Berlin to London.
Cox may be living a rock star’s life. But that was never his plan.
“I’ve always been in love with music,” he says. “My mom (Donna Mitchell-Cox) is a singer and she taught voice at the University of Oklahoma, and she was also a choir director and a praise team leader, and I grew up following her around and really being amazed by what music can do. But I think I was probably 14 or 15 when I kind of started developing my own sense of music and what I liked. Ever since then, I kind of wanted to be a part of music.”
Cox wasn’t dreaming about headlining a solo tour or fronting a band, though; at that time, he envisioned himself probably just joining a choir whenever he went off to college.
“It wasn’t until I was probably 18 or 19 where I was like, ‘I’m kind of good at this,’” Cox says. “I could always sing. But because I grew up with so many fully trained musicians, I was not interested in going down that path. But once I kind of found rock music and things like that, I was like, ‘This is something I can make. I want to do this.’”
The pivotal moment may have come during Cox’s senior year of high school while playing guitar for a local band. The group was invited to compete in a battle of bands, and his family was there watching.
“It was the first time I think I ever saw my dad (Bartees Cox Sr.) cry,” Cox recalls. “I was like, ‘I might be good at this.’”
He didn’t ask his father, who was in the Air Force, what brought him to tears. But he had a pretty good idea where the emotions came from.
“I looked free up there. I think that’s what he always wanted for us, was freedom,” Cox says. “When I was growing up in Mustang, I was lucky that I was a great athlete and people would kind of give me a break. I definitely had a lot of fear around where I could be at night, who I was around, just classic stuff growing up Black out there. I think him watching me really express myself and be free … I was happy.”
Cox admitted he didn’t fit the stereotypical mold of a young, Black kid when it came to his musical taste. He chose the name Bartees Strange because growing up in a Black church, “Everyone thought I was strange.
“Which can mean anything. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It’s just like, ‘He’s in his own world over there.’ I’ve always been that way. I think people always expected me to be one way, and then they get to know me and they’re like, ‘This dude’s on some other s***.’ I was definitely the only kid on the AAU basketball team who liked Fleetwood Mac.”
“It’s like, the thing about you that you think is the ugly thing or the thing that nobody wants, that might be the thing that you need to embrace.”
BARTEES COX
But when he is on stage with a vintage hollowbody Gibson in his hands, he’s able to be himself. It was something he sought out in other artists as well.
“I just kind of grew up with this picture of a rock band being like Eddie Hazel, Bootsy Collins, Garry ‘Diaperman’ Shider, George Clinton, the Gap Band, the Brothers Johnson and Brides of Funkenstein,” Cox says. “All these bands that they were so free in a time when my dad didn’t feel free. Those bands were my dad’s freedom. I think that when I started going into music, that was my backdrop. This is a place where Black people can just go do whatever you want. I think I wanted that so bad when I was in high school, college, and then definitely into my 20s when I started to feel the walls of life kind of form around me.”
Despite that, it would be another decade before he made his full immersion into the music world. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, he took a job in Washington, D.C., working as the press secretary for the Federal Communications Commission.
“I was trying to find someone that I wanted to be like, and I couldn’t find anyone,” Cox says. “I don’t want to be any of these people. I respect them and I respect that they were willing to do this with their lives, but I want to do something else. And I would pacify that need by playing in bands on the side.”
Cox knew where he belonged, and it wasn’t in an office, clocking in and out while working a 9-to-5. He knew deep down his journey had to go in a different direction.
“When I got there, I realized this isn’t my path. I don’t like this,” Cox says. “Over the course of my life, it was a lot of getting somewhere I thought I needed to be, and then coming back to music. And then in my late 20s, I came back to music and stayed. That’s kind of where I’ve been.”
He put out his first studio album (Live Forever) in 2020. The first single to be released was “Mustang.” One reviewer described the song as “something of an indie rock anthem wrapped up in mesmerizing synths, catchy riffs and bombastic vocals.”
Because the album came out during the COVID pandemic, he shot the accompanying video in his Washington, D.C., apartment. That same year, he released Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, which gave him the confidence to quit his job.
“It was really scary because I loved it so much,” Cox says. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything like this. I’ve never gotten to do the thing I wanted to do. And so now I get to, and it felt so exciting and cool, but also, in the back of my mind, I’m scared.”
That was five years ago. Cox has produced two more studio albums since then, including Horror, which was released in February.
According to Cox, creating Horror ($26.99 on vinyl) opened a boardedup door to a closet filled with everything from his life that he didn’t know how to address.
“The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, Black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral,” Cox says. “Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared.”
After its release, Cox began a 21-stop tour to promote the distinctive album. In his youth he could never have envisioned performing in front of sold-out crowds in London, hosting a concert at The Getty Center in L.A. or putting out a fourth album to critical acclaim.
“The one thing I wanted in my whole life when I was a kid was to get out of Oklahoma,” Cox says. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here because this place is horrible and there’s nothing happening.’ Then, as soon as I left, the thing that made me different was because I was from Oklahoma and no one else was. And that’s something that stuck with me. It’s like the thing about you that you think is the ugly thing or the thing that nobody wants, that might be the thing that you need to embrace.” •
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We Didn’t Start the Fire
The
Oklahoma Fashion Alliance demands your attention on what matters
BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON PHOTOGRAPHY BY COOPER HARRISON
Some fashion shows are a celebration. The Oklahoma Fashion Alliance’s fourth show cycle, I Drew Myself on Fire, is a channeling; it is a conduit of rage, grief and anguish, one that transmutes raw feelings, alchemizing them into something precious and striking, something that demands change.
The OFA leadership team asked each designer to create three looks that address a systemic issue — an Oklahoma pain point — whether by examining their own personal impact or offering a critique.
Parker D. Wayne, the show’s executive producer and co-creative director, explains why fire is part of the show’s theme: “Fire is destructive, but it’s also transformative; it’s also beautiful. It brings change.”
OPPOSITE: Model Kona Lee for designer Skylar Dyer at I Drew Myself on Fire
BELOW:
Anchoring the end of the runway during the show on May 16 and 17 is a tree sculpture that honors Oklahoma’s original pain: the destruction and erasure of Native peoples and their culture due to white colonization. This tree sculpture, created by artists Kilo and Zuany Shekinaa Perez, is entitled ᏥᏰᎸ
, which translates from Cherokee to English as i was using fire to draw my body fore i am always aflame
“We’re centering the whole room around this tree sculpture. The leaves tell the stories, they have different poems and legislation that’s been passed against people, and it tells the story of the past,” explains Wayne. “But also we’re including submissions from our own team, their personal stories, their dreams, their poems, their art, even their homes.”
Even before the presentation begins in the Arco Building in downtown Tulsa, spectators are invited to be present as sound artist Warren Realrider created a soundscape using natural materials, analog mixing techniques and Christian hymns sung in Cherokee.
As the soundscape comes to a climax, a three-piece string trio begins to tune. As the trio plays the first notes of Lux Aeterna, models begin their steady and somber walks down the runway.
What followed are the works of six talented designers, each trying to shed light on a critical issue that was important to them.
BRONWEN BELMONT
Full-time professional drag queen Bronwen Belmont has built the looks that have graced stages, bars and clubs since 2019. Early on, she developed an artistic affinity with corsetry that has followed her to OFA’s I Drew Myself on Fire
Her three looks “Chastity,” “Can’t Hold Back” and “Fetiche Overwhelm” all include corsetry with extensive stoning and beading on each, the third a particular standout — a hobble gown with a corset that laces from neck to hem, with arm gauntlet corsets fan-laced behind the back.
“Corsetry represents chastity, but also gives a strong dominatrix reclaiming pain,” says Belmont. “Growing up queer and repressing my sexuality in many ways, and blossoming into my adulthood and being an entrepreneur, has really helped me to reclaim all of that trauma as a queer person.”
Citing Mugler and Schiaparelli as fashion inspirations, post-OFA Belmont will continue to design for private clients and fellow drag performers, creating looks that will grace stages throughout the region.
RIGHT:
Executive Producer and co-creative director Parker D. Wayne (center) at I Drew Myself on Fire
Jordan Thomas for designer Elyjah Monks.
CAITRIN
23-year-old Caitrin may be newer to design, but their voice is strong.
“We talked about our pain points, which is honestly the hardest part about this whole process. It’s the intersection between class violence and sexual violence in Oklahoma. And I just wanted people to see how it felt to be shown, instead of assuming a story,” says Caitrin.
Also new to fashion, model Ashley Montoya wore Caitrin’s crocheted design “The Prophecy,” which shows how women can be treated like “hanging meat,” like a cow being hung after slaughter. Caitrin points out their custom-made high heels in the second look, “Roamantics,” an evocation of the vagabond trope with a bindle, are “made out of gelatin and foraged wheat and all the brownness from dirt.”
A mix of found materials (ratchet straps, anyone?), crochet and bioplastic is interwoven into their looks. This mimics their experience as an “Oklahoma skill collector,” having worked in a variety of artistic mediums, such as music and film.
ELYJAH MONKS
Elyjah (Ely) Monks started a skateboarding brand as a teenager but found himself in fashion after deciding to screenprint and sew garments for the brand.
Fast forward to 2025, and it’s the sewing and shirts that stuck around, not so much the skateboarding; Monks now has an in-house label, Souvenirs, at his Tulsa fashion storefront By.EVERYONE, featured in Luxiere 50, and these OFA looks are his fall collection.
“So, it starts with ‘The Professor’ who was wearing the oversized gym shorts, the double-breasted cardigan and the slicked-back hair. Then we got into a student, or unfortunately, ‘The Dropout’ because of this professor. And then the final look, which is ‘The Officer,’ shows the connection between the professors and when they fail their students, what ends up happening,” says Monks.
“A big part of this is just a big middle finger to Ryan Walters,” Monks concludes.
Left to Right: Alexandra Soleil and Ashley Montoya for designer Caitrin; Josiah Parks for Iman Knox; Brooklyn Bannister, Jordan Thomas, Zachary Harris for Elyjah Monks; Anna Valentine, Daphnee and Bailey Rush for designer Maurena Andrews.
Anna Valentine for Maurena Andrews.
OPPOSITE TOP:
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Designer Bronwen
MAURENA ANDREWS
While Maurena Andrews’ journey to fashion has been storied (she worked as a model and owned a modeling agency), her journey to I Drew Myself on Fire was much shorter — just 12 hours.
“I had 12 hours to get from finding the fabrics, creating patterns, to sewing them together, making sure they actually fit and doing the fashion show run-through. I mean, I started Wednesday, and I had to have them done by Thursday,” says Andrews.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Andrews stepped in at the last minute to create designs for the show. Her focal point centered on Mother Nature with “The Siren,” “The Phoenix” and “The Raven” gracing the runway — a reminder of the strength, resilience and beauty of nature, with the hopeful promise that “human interaction can make a difference for good.”
“At the end, I teared up. I stood back there, and I had tears rolling down my face, because, when I woke up Monday morning, the last thing I expected to have happened by Friday night was to be part of a full-fledged fashion show,” says Andrews.
IMAN KNOX
Iman Knox felt “on top of the world” after her designs hit the runway at I Drew Myself on Fire, despite her designs coming from an emotionally tumultuous space.
“My whole collection was inspired by my burnout from work, from working, and finding my voice — finding who I am as a Black woman in the workplace. And how performative and exhausting that can be, wearing many faces,” says Knox, who incorporated masks and faces as a motif throughout each garment. Her first look, “Depersonalization,” had model Josiah Parks wear a mask that sat over the entirety of his face, with additional face moulds spread throughout the rest of the design.
“Look two really expressed my burnout, and really the depth of that emotion, the faces were literally burning through your body toward the end of the train. And then look three is kind of that resilience coming out of all of that, reclaiming who I am as a creative and as an artist and finding what I love to do again,” says Knox.
Having attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for fashion, Knox now runs her fashion brand, House of Northbrook, aiming to provide an essential Black female voice in a largely whitedominated conversation in fashion and the arts.
RIGHT:
Josiah Parks for designer Iman Knox and Bella Wagner for Skylar Dyer.
Left to Right: Donny Vinn and Kona Lee for Skylar Dyer, Joshua Daniel and Alexandra Soleil for Caitrin.
Belmont at I Drew My Myself on Fire
SKYLAR DYER
Skylar Dyer focused on themes of abandonment, loss and destitution in his designs for I Drew Myself on Fire.
“There’s a lot of packing up and going, leaving everything. You can’t take anything,” says Dyer, who entered Oklahoma’s foster care program as a teenager. “I’ve had to start over time and time again throughout my whole life, where I have to leave all my possessions and start over again. And so that’s why I was showcasing a lot of the body, because you have to just take yourself.”
Citing Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garçons and Maison Margiela as part of his inspirations for his fashion brand Limitless by Skylar, Dyer also drew inspiration from the story of Mata Hari, a Parisian courtesan who experienced similar familial abandonment, leading to her eventual execution.
Hand-dyed silk organza, 400 ostrich feathers, thousands of Czech glass beads, all transform Dyer’s raw experience of loss into something gauzy, floaty and beautifully undone.
FROM THE ASHES
After the models finish their finale walk with the design team, the mood breaks with cheers and applause from the crowd, as well as smiles and hugs shared with the design team. Teardown of the space was a quick conflagration right at the show’s conclusion, due to their contract with the building, a fitting end to a show that burned bright but was finally quelled.
Wayne likened the show and OFA show cycles to a phoenix with phases of new life, death and rebirth.
“It’s the phoenix, which was also on our mood board, and that’s one of our logos that we use throughout the show,” says Wayne. “We see this as a night to bring about our own form of protest, which is tapping into our creativity, our higher selves, our community, especially. None of us could have done this show by ourselves.”
That’s a call to the audience, too — leaving something that will continue to burn in the viewer’s mind and heart even as I Drew Myself on Fire is extinguished. •
To learn more about the Oklahoma Fashion Alliance, follow the group on Instagram @oklahoma.fashion.alliance.
Widening Focus
A national exhibition framing a pivotal time in photographic history
BY MICHAEL KINNEY
Anthony Barboza, Helen Levitt, Tseng Kwong Chi, Diane Arbus, William Eggleston.
Unless you are steeped deeply in the world of street photography or art, these names may mean nothing to you. However, it was their work that documented the 1970s and ushered in a new era of photography by challenging society’s notions of what art is and who can shoot it.
These are just a few of the artists whose work was recently on display for six months at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., part of the exhibit The ’70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography.
National Gallery of Art, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund
“The profound upheaval in American life during the 1970s inspired artists to question the objective nature of documentary photography,” Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery, stated at the exhibit’s opening. “The extraordinary photographs on view in this exhibition explore their diverse and compelling responses, revealing relevant connections to today’s thinking about community and who gets to represent it, as well as broader concepts including photographic truth, equity and environmental responsibility.”
According to Andrea Nelson, associate curator in the department of photographs at the NGA, the idea was born out of an interest in performance photography that was happening in the ’70s. That slowly transformed into a broader documentary style that was taking place at the time.
“The ’70s is an interesting moment in the history of photography, particularly in the history of photography as it sort of intersects with the art world and wanting to be taken as a very serious art form,” Nelson says. “It’s one of the pivotal moments, I think, in the history of photography where you see that, you see that growth or you see that change that’s happening.”
According to Nelson, you can’t talk about the 1970s without first taking stock of what took place during the 1960s. It was a decade full of turbulence, wars, protests, riots, assassinations and political upheaval. For many, it may have seemed like America was going to boil over and something new was going to come from it.
But that didn’t happen. That left many young men and women searching for answers.
“In many ways, it’s like coming out of that time questioning and what happens after all of that questioning,” says Nelson. “What was interesting is that you really have maybe more of the fulfillment of that questioning and critique that was happening in the ’60s. I don’t think you would have this kind of questioning of what is documentary or who gets to be a photographer if you didn’t have that unrest that was kind of happening in the ’60s. It comes out of that moment of questioning.”
If photography in the ’60s was about documenting the struggles of society in a straightforward, hard news manner, the ’70s reflected a search for truth in a time of uncertainty. Americans witnessed soaring inflation and the Watergate scandal, as well as protests about the Vietnam War, women’s rights, gay liberation and the environment.
“I think what’s so interesting with photography is it is in some ways a more accessible medium and you have more people engaging with it, and it kind of expresses what’s happening at the time,” says Nelson.
She took on the task of going through the National Gallery’s permanent collection to find pieces that fit the exhibit’s various themes: Seeing Community, Experimental Forms, Conceptual Documents, Performance and the Camera, Life in Color, Alternative Landscapes and Intimate Documentary. Then came the difficult job of whittling her options to a manageable 147 photographs from 86 artists. All but two photos came directly out of the NGA collection.
ABOVE: Anthony Barboza New York City, 1970s gelatin silver print
National Gallery of Art, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund
John Simmons
Will on Chevy, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971, printed 2024
National Gallery of Art, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund
OPPOSITE: Anthony Barboza
New York City, 1970s
gelatin silver print
National Gallery of Art, Pepita
Milmore Memorial Fund
“I went through hundreds and hundreds just looking at what we had and picking,” Nelson said. “You always have to make hard choices because you don’t have an unlimited amount of space. There were definitely photographers that weren’t quite fitting the theme that I had to let go.”
Artists featured in the exhibit have produced iconic photography books that have become valuable collector’s items today. But when they were honing their crafts in the 1970s, that didn’t appear to be their focus.
“Photography has become an art form; when I started, it wasn’t. It’s about producing an image,” Barboza recently told The New Bedford Light. “When you take a camera and look at the world, there are a lot of things out there that you could photograph or not. You have to make that decision. It’s the same as any other art form. There is no difference between any of the art forms to me. It’s all how you feel and how you think and what you see.”
When The ’70s Lens shut down on April 6, the photographs went back into the gallery’s archive. But Nelson hopes those who ventured to D.C. to see the exhibit left with a better understanding of what was taking place during a unique moment in history that is still shaping how we see the world today.
“What I did hope people would take from it is to see what an amazing array of photography was really being produced through this questioning of what is documentary,” she says. “That questioning of that practice, and expanding it, just really opened the field to so many different viewpoints and different practitioners. To see such a rich variety of practice that was happening at the same moment.” •
National Gallery of Art, Gift of Timothy and Suzanne Hyde in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of Photography at the National Gallery of Art
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California Dreaming
Three blissful days across Napa Valley, California
BY MEGAN SHEPHERD
In California, pleasure seems to be a way of life: fresh flowers, farm-fresh plates for the table, afternoons spent drinking good wine with old friends in the sun. If these sound like your kind of pleasures too, might I suggest Napa Valley as the perfect place to enjoy them?
There’s a reason wine country has long been mythologized. Napa conjures dreamy countrysides, bountiful gardens and sweeping vineyard views. We’ve got some beautiful geological chaos to thank for its distinctive, signature terroir, via the collision of the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the Vaca Mountains to the east. Together, they form the illustrious Napa Valley, renowned globally for its full-bodied Cabernets. But the region is also known for varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—especially in mountainous subregions where the shade from the mountains cool the soil—as well as rustic farms, worldclass restaurants and grapevine-dotted meadows that stretch for miles.
Ready to taste it all for yourself? Perhaps it’s time for a getaway. While by no means comprehensive, this itinerary offers a great place to start for a lush weekend in Napa Valley.
THURSDAY, 5 P.M.: Get Ahead of Jetlag Inn Above Tide, Sausalito
Fly into San Francisco a day early and book a room at The Inn Above Tide for “luxury on the water.” This elegant, understated boutique hotel in Marin County boasts panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, the city skyline and Alcatraz. With east-facing windows overlooking the water, you’ll wake up to the sunrise. Watch it from your patio over breakfast, or turn the fireplace on and watch from bed.
Sausalito is a walkable bayside town, and while there’s plenty to love inside Inn Above Tide—like the daily wine and cheese tasting at 5 p.m. in The Drawing Room—don’t forget to explore the nearby galleries and restaurants. For fresh-as-it-gets seafood, book the omakase experience at Sushi Ran, or dinner at The Spinnaker for panoramic views of SF Bay. If you can swing it, make time to drive 25 minutes northwest to Muir Woods National Forest to wrap your arms around some majestic, 800-year-old redwoods.
Other great options: Gables Inn, Sausalito; Tickle Pink Inn, Carmel by the Sea.
FRIDAY, 7 P.M.: Check in to Your Home for the Weekend Silverado Hotel & Resort, Napa
Silverado Resort is the active vacationer’s paradise, with two PGA championship golf courses, eight tennis courts and six pickleball courts. Silverado hosts live ball and round robin tournaments every Saturday and Sunday, where guests can hop in with locals and compete for Queen of the Court. If that weren’t enough, scenic biking and hiking trails and daily cardio and yoga classes make it hard to wriggle out of a morning workout before dousing the day in wine.
Prefer to unwind on vacation? The outdoor fireplaces, rocking chairs and onsite spa set the stage for total relaxation, as does the 24/7 golf cart transportation around the property.
8 P.M.: Farm-to-Table Dinner Fare Charter Oak, St. Helena
If for some strange reason the French Laundry happens to be booked, Charter Oak makes a lovely alternative. Rustic seasonality is on the menu here, where elemental Napa cooking gets a surprising twist, and much of the fare is grown at the organic farm down the road. Try the yellow miso caesar; a bavette steak with citrus kosho and brown butter; and fresh farm vegetables with the most mindblowing vegan soy dip you’ve ever tasted. On breezy evenings, grab a spot near the fire pit outside and let lush foliage shade you from the sun.
Other Great Options: R+D Kitchen, Yountville; RH Restaurant, Yountville; Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, St. Helena.
SATURDAY, 10 A.M.: Your Tour Begins
Rule number one of wine tasting: Resist the urge to pack your schedule too full, and pick two or three, maybe four wineries to visit in a day. If your heart desires more, there’s always Sunday.
A few other tips: Book a driver (Uber and Lyft work well), and have a plan before you arrive. While some wineries allow walk-ins, it’s best to have reservations, ideally with about 2-3 hours between each booking. Most tastings will cost around $60 per person, but aim for a mix of elevated and casual stops, and remember that most places will waive the tasting fee if you purchase a bottle. The wineries below are great contenders for a first sip.
For the Foodies
Ram’s Gate, Sonoma
Start your day out west in Sonoma with a brunch tasting of sorts at Ram’s Gate, where there’s a lot to love: plenty of the Pinot and Chardonnay the Carneros AVA is known for, a breezy property where rustic charm meets modern design and a five-course meal with paired tastings served. If five courses feels too daunting, sample the a la carte menu instead. Pro tip: Get there early and see if Paul will give you a tour of the cellars.
For World-Class Art With a Side of Wine
The Donum Estate, Sonoma
A truly unmissable place to taste in Napa, Donum is an estate winery and immersive contemporary art experience. Equally renowned for its single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and for its expansive, world-class outdoor sculpture collection, Donum boasts more than 60 magnificent works by artists from all over the world.
The estate features 200 acres punctuated with pieces like Yayoi Kusama’s iconic “Pumpkin,” Richard Hudson’s “Big Mama” and Doug Aitken’s immersive “Sonic Mountain.” Travelers who’ve recently been through Terminal B at New York’s LaGuardia Airport might notice the same Mirror Balloons hanging from the ceilings at Donum—a signature work by Danish-born artist Jeppe Hein. For the best experience, book the walking tour to see these stunning works up close while you taste.
PHOTOGRAPH BY FELIPE
Views of the Bay Area from Inn Above Tide Sausalito, California
2 P.M.: Lunch Between Tastings
Ad Hoc, Napa
Ad Hoc is a more casual way to sample the delicious genius of chef Thomas Keller. The buttermilk fried chicken is by far the main attraction, and the giant platter is served family style and steaming, flecked with rosemary, perfectly crisped and perfect for sharing. If mashed potatoes are on the menu that day, don’t miss them. A tip: Want more of anything? Just ask!
4 P.M.: For All-American Photography and the Potato Chip Tasting of Your Dreams
Silver Trident, Yountville
For a change of scenery, head to Silver Trident in Yountville. With so much of the Napa wine experience characterized by hulking estates, Silver Trident offers a setting that feels like hanging out at your Connecticut friend’s house drinking wine on a Sunday afternoon.
An especially noteworthy detail here (aside from its 2021 Playing With Fire blend) is the potato chip pairings. You’ll appreciate the snack after a few hours of drinking wine, and pairings like Apollo’s Folly Rosé with Zapp’s Spicy Cajun Crawtators will have even novice tasters naming new flavors.
The photography-laden walls are feasts for the eyes. Find something you love? The winery ships! Pick a piece and a few bottles to remember the trip by, and Silver Trident’s concierges Rosemary and Beth will have both waiting for you when you get home.
5 P.M.: For Excellent Zinfandel and the First Black-Owned Winery in Napa
Brown Tasting Room, Downtown Napa
Readers who attended Tulsa’s Philbrook Wine Experience might recognize The Brown Estate and its House of Brown Rosé from the lineup of bottles poured this year—and for good reason. But to truly experience the heart of Brown, you have to taste its Zinfandels. A flagship varietal for the estate, Brown’s is rich and full-bodied with flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and pepper, all tied together with an elegant finish.
After a long day exploring Napa Valley’s estates, switch up the vibe and head to Brown’s downtown tasting room, where Zinfandel and rosé are always flowing. The mood upstairs is sleek and buzzy, where tastings run until 5 p.m., making it a great stop before dinner.
Other things to love about Brown: All of its wines are regeneratively farmed. Woman- and family-owned Brown is also the first Black-owned estate winery in the region, making its wines not just wonderful, but wonderful to support. And for the word nerds, its email newsletter is as poetic as it is informative.
7 P.M.: Room Service in Bed
Whether you do a caesar salad and fries or a pizza to go, odds are you’re gonna be ready to crash. Cheers to a successful day of tasting!
Silverado Hotel & Resort Napa, California
SUNDAY AT NOON: For a Love Letter to 1960s Napa Ashes & Diamonds, Napa
Pull up to Ashes & Diamonds, and the first thing you’ll notice is the zig-zag roof and the hulking yellow door. It’ll be the most stunning thing you see for all of 30 seconds, until what’s behind it steals the show.
There’s a youthful tone in Ashes & Diamonds’ tasting room, which feels somewhat unburdened by the stuffier standards of the Valley. A&D reimagines Napa through a lens of mid-century modern cool, describing itself as “a love letter to the Napa of the 1960s.” Owned by a former advertising and MTV executive, the space is infused with nods to music culture and vintage California charm: hip-hop and punk zines alongside sleek, modernist design. Fun fact with an Oklahoma connection: A&D’s label designer is also said to have created album art for OKC-born artist St. Vincent.
But it’s not just the aesthetics that set Ashes & Diamonds apart; the food and wine pairings are knockouts. With dishes like a Delgado Bean Tostada and a Flannery Beef Arrachera with queso and tortillas, paired with a Cab Franc Saffron Vineyard, every dish enhances the wine. And don’t sleep on the wines themselves; the Cremant and Cab Franc, in particular, are exceptional.
For a Casual Tasting With an Oklahoma Connection Hobo Wines, Santa Rosa
For a final stop before leaving town, head to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County and visit Kenny Likitprakong and Lynn Wheeler at Hobo Wine Company, where the tasting experience is refreshingly casual—the perfect yin to Napa Valley’s yang.
“It’s very much not Napa,” Likitprakong says. “You’re sitting in our production space, and I always call that area our living room, our lab, our office, our kitchen.”
The couple founded Hobo in 2022 to craft affordable, delicious wines with minimal environmental impact. “Our winemaking philosophy is pretty vineyard-focused,” Likitprakong notes. “It’s not ‘do nothing’ in the winery, but the idea is to do the work in the vineyard, and then the wine work is pretty easy from there. We farm a fair amount of acreage, and everything is organic. Then wine-wise, it’s pretty hands off at that point.”
Unlike the corporate estates of Napa, it’s a family affair over at Hobo; on my first visit, I swung in and found Kenny and Lynn’s children stomping grapes, and if memory serves, someone skateboarding around the facility. Today, tastings are by appointment only for $15, and led by Kenny, Lynn or either of their employess over the course of an hour or two. Keeping the operation small and tight offers the freedom to do things the way they want to—which usually means a laid-back experience that prioritizes connection.
“I feel like what’s important to us is to spend time with people, and not just educate them about our wines, but to get to know them too. I’m kind of at that point in my life when I just want to spend meaningful time with people, even if they’re people I’m never going to see again. I learn stuff from every single person who comes in.”
The name Hobo pays homage to the free-spirited wanderers of American folklore, and the team also produces Camp, focused on Santa Rosa-grown varietals; Banyan Wines, a collaboration with Likitprakong’s father made to pair with Southeast Asian cuisines; Folk Machine, a line of esoteric, experimental wines with a name at least partly inspired by the life of famed Oklahoman Woody Guthrie; Wheeler’s Chardonnay line Edith & Ida; a keg-only brand called Workbook; and Ghostwriter, focused on Santa Cruz reds. Back in Tulsa, you can usually find a few of their wines on the menu at FarmBar or on the shelves at Ranch Acres, but if you taste something you love, grab a few bottles to bring home.
OPPOSITE:
Other amazing spots to visit: Domaine Carneros, Cake Bread and, for a special trip, Opus One. •
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE BATTEY
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The Power of ‘Abracadabra!’
Chloe Royer proves magic exists when you answer your creative call
STORY BY ANDREA SCHULTZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATHAN COPES & CHLOE ROYER
Like many creative professionals born and raised in Oklahoma, Chloe Royer found herself relocating to Los Angeles a year after graduating college, in pursuit of greater opportunities after establishing a strong following online.
“It’s hard to get started and it’s scary,” she says. “You have a lot of obstacles and hurdles, coming from a place like Oklahoma, and you really have to prove what you’re doing and that it’s worth it.”
From having her own brand, Chloething Store, to becoming a styling assistant for a roster of pop powerhouses including Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and former Blackpink member Lisa, Royer is a prime example of what can happen when you stay true to your creative calling.
Chloe Royer
After graduating with a degree in forensic science from St. Edwards University in Austin, Royer returned to Oklahoma City for a year before making the move to California. However, moving halfway across the country is not always the ideal choice when that decision comes at the cost of leaving behind close friends and family.
“Some of my best friends are still in Oklahoma, and some of them have moved away, but I still have people there that I would love to be around, and all my family is there,” she says. “I feel like, and sometimes people misunderstand that too, like they make it seem like you think that you’re too good for Oklahoma or something, and it’s not like that at all.”
Royer’s best friend, Genesis Webb, pursued a similar career path — and through the common bonds of working in fashion and being raised in the Midwest, found resonance with pop icon Chappell Roan, who hired Webb as her stylist and creative director.
From attending Classen School of Advanced Studies together to now styling some of the most iconic fashion moments in pop culture, their friendship and commitment to building a creative world of their own has garnered them opportunities far beyond what they could have imagined when taking the initial leap of faith and leaving their home state.
One of their most recent gigs was styling the cast for the “Abracadabra” music video for Lady Gaga. “We did the Lady Gaga shoot together, and that feels very full-circle, because we were listening to Lady Gaga when we were like, 13, and now we’re working with her. I cried multiple times on set. Just to even be in the room with her is powerful. You can feel her energy, and it still just feels very surreal.”
Royer reflects on the overwhelming feeling that comes from helping to realize the creative vision of one of the world’s biggest pop stars: “The process itself was crazy, because we started out with, I think, around 20 main dancers for the ‘Abracadabra’ music video. We had originally had these outfits designed, and everyone was going to wear matching outfits … so I’m helping sew until like 2 a.m. every day, and then going to set at 7 a.m. the next day. The day before [shooting] they added almost 80 total dancers, and so we didn’t even end up using those outfits.”
Having only a week to prepare for a two-day shoot means working under tight deadlines and creative pressure, but it is all about being flexible and resourceful if all of that goes out the window once inspiration spurs a change at the last minute.
“Gaga was like, ‘You know, I want them to kind of all have a different style,’ so every person instead had to have a completely individual look. So we sourced a lot of thrifted and second-hand pieces, and then just went to town by cutting off sleeves or little lace pieces, and each person would come up and we would just throw some stuff on them and then be like, ‘OK, good.’ It was just a conveyor belt of people to style.”
This experience was still a dream for Royer. “She [Lady Gaga] is just so nice, and so ethereal. They always say, like, ‘Don’t meet your idols,’ but I’m like, ‘No, I want to meet them!’” Royer laughs.
Chappell Roan and her band at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards® Viewing Party styled by Genesis Webb and assistant stylist Chloe Royer
Chappell Roan and her band at Coachella 2024, styled by Genesis Webb and assistant stylist Chloe Royer
“I love, like, a full moment — outfits, glam, props, like a full world-building moment.”
CHLOE ROYER
Another full-circle moment came during the release of Gaga’s music video as they were back working with Chappell Roan and her team. “When we did the Grammys with Chappell, the Lady Gaga video premiered during the Grammys on a commercial break. So that was just like a crazy day: to, like, be at the Grammys working on this project, and then to also have this other major project we worked on debut at the same time. That day, in and of itself, was like one of the best days.”
Beyond styling clothes, Royer is also interested in conceptualizing an entire artistic experience: “I love, like, a full moment — outfits, glam, props, like a full world-building moment.
“For the past couple of years, I was doing work for my own brand, Chloething Store. So that was what I spent most of my time doing, like selling, shipping, it was just like a one-woman show. I’m still taking those skills and applying them to other things … I just think if you’re good at business and you’re good at being creative, you can apply that to almost anything in life.”
Looking ahead, Royer is hoping to move back to OKC in the near future and begin expanding her endeavors beyond fashion and styling to empower the next wave of creative professionals in Oklahoma. “Eventually I want to do something a little outside of my comfort zone, like teach business classes or something — just doing things that could especially help younger people, queer people and women in the community.”
And that community here is expanding, she says: “Oklahoma is obviously very different from L.A., but … it’s definitely grown a lot since I graduated high school a little over a decade ago. I’m excited every time I come back that there is more and more stuff going on. So I feel very confident that it’s going to continue in that direction; and one day it will be like a creative hub for people so they don’t feel like they need to leave.” • Follow her journey @killedbychloe and her brand @chloething.store on Instagram.
ABOVE: Chloe Royer creating the outfits for Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” music video.
LEFT: Royer behind the scenes styling Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” music video.
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Immersion in Spatial Poems
Tulsa Artist
Fellowship
and
curator Cassidy Petrazzi
ask where life ends and art begins
BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON
Presented by the Tulsa Artist Fellowship in its Flagship space June 6 through Aug. 9, Spatial Poems offers a special opportunity for Tulsa Artist Fellowship recipients, Tulsa residents and the broader art community to see complex and dynamic work that has never been exhibited in the city before.
To challenge the audience’s method of perception and push beyond frameworks of passive art consumption, curator and art historian Cassidy Petrazzi selected works from six contemporary, internationally known artists to support her thesis of Spatial Poems: Art happens in the encounter with life.
“The separation between art and life can be collapsed in a way that we often don’t fully experience in our everyday lives — and that is something as simple as looking out your car window as you’re driving or cooking food with other people. These can be really sacred and creative acts,” says Petrazzi.
You’re invited to Spatial Poems to not consume the art.
Olivier Mosset
Untitled (Yellow Tondos), 2007 Oil on canvas, 72 inches each
Mitchell Algus
The Anti-Sea No. 13, 2018 channeled whelks, collected Bayville, NY
Without the support of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship and use of its space, this exhibit may not have come to pass. The Fellowship’s Executive and Artistic Director Carolyn Sickles is proud to provide an anchoring location for the art scene in Tulsa via Flagship.
While Flagship began pre-pandemic as a “living room for the Tulsa Artist Fellowship,” post-pandemic, Sickles, her team and fellows didn’t want it to just be about the fellowship, so they sought to create a multiplatform community-driven space.
“That’s very indicative of the way the Fellowship kind of exists as a whole. It’s about the people, the needs that they have on their plate and how we all collectively want to use the [Flagship] space and make it something that can be a resource for a Tulsa-based curator like Cassidy,” says Sickles.
IN FLUX
Spatial Poems has been long in the making, with at least two years of work to bring it to fruition. This isn’t counting the research work Petrazzi did while writing her master’s thesis in art history about Alison Knowles, a founding member of the Fluxus art movement of the 1960s and ’70s.
As Petrazzi explains, Fluxus sought to bring “a group of artists together and work under a certain name and philosophy of anticommodification, open, indeterminate pieces that are really open to participation, performance and interpretation.” One common medium of Fluxus artists was that of the performance score, essentially instructions directing the reader or participant to perform an action as art.
So while Spatial Poems does not have any works by Fluxus artists within it, it’s an excerpt of Mary Lucier’s Fluxus performance score “Media Sculptures: Maps of Space #1 and #2,” published in Womens Work (1975) that serves as the literal and figurative guideposts for Petrazzi’s selections of the art in the exhibit and how she wanted audiences to interact with it.
However, to prevent any type of prescriptivist approach to the exhibit, Petrazzi eschewed vinyl lettering that explained Lucier’s score, to allow viewers room to explore on their own terms. Same with the interior walls that formerly divided the Flagship space: No walls in the space means the viewer has no externally dictated path and has to create their own.
Petrazzi does admit that Olivier Mosset’s “Untitled (Yellow Tondos),” displayed on a non-white wall — the wall’s blue color taken from the masthead of Womens Work — presents an anchoring point that stops viewers in their tracks.
“So often, and I’m even guilty of this too, you walk into a gallery, people kind of rush through things — plus attention is much shorter than it’s ever been,” posits Petrazzi. “And I think kind of shifting the color and the space and the way that it enhances some of the paintings, for me, is a cue to slow down and look in a different way.”
“Select an image of an environment. Concentrate on this image, discovering all the circles, squares or triangles in it, until either the original scene is obliterated or an entirely new landscape emerges, or until your mind can no longer hold all the information.”
MARY LUCIER
SCULPTURES: MAPS OF SPACE #1 AND #2
LEFT:
Peter Young #76-2000, 2000
Oil on canvas, 79.5 x 86.25 inches
BELOW:
Umico Niwa
Daphne Adorned Series: summer runner, 2025 Britannia pewter, foraged organic material
Dimensions variable
IN CONVERSATION
While the audience is encouraged to be in dialogue with each individual work of art, the exhibit is also designed to be in dialogue as a whole — emerging as a landscape in its own right.
Mitchell Algus’ evocation of the organic through his oil paintings and seashell sculptures is near Peter Young’s commanding, abstract oil paintings with similar color values and tones. The ellipses and shapes in Young’s paintings are mirrored in the motorized moving photos of Tulsa-based Tulsa Artist Fellowship alumnus Shane Darwent.
Umico Niwa’s whimsical metal and organic plant sculptures are tucked in unexpected corners like the windowsill, or hung from the ceiling, or hidden in structural elements. Even Niwa’s philosophy toward these sculptures works toward the show’s thesis — with each exhibition, the curator works with Niwa to source fresh flowers and determine the spatial placement of each sculpture in the room.
The time-based video art of Julia Calabrese, including one piece commissioned specifically for the exhibit serves as a nice contrast next to Mosset’s “Untitled (Rauschenberg White),” a canvas painted with prominent brushstrokes using the eponymous white tone. This painting seems to be the closing punctuation toward the energetic end of the exhibit — what happens when the original scene is obliterated, like Lucier instructs.
And to finally epitomize how the exhibition space will continue to transform throughout the exhibition, an edition of Mosset’s wellknown ice sculptures, “ICE III,” will be delivered to the Flagship alley space on June 6. Petrazzi hopes that audiences will feel the exhibit is “fresh and alive,” but all reactions and perceptions are welcome.
“I hope it’s work that they feel excited by and that there’s some sort of a reaction, whether it’s emotional or even if someone has a negative reaction,” says Petrazzi. “I think any reaction actually is good with art. You want someone to feel something about the work coming away from it.”
And through the lens of Spatial Poems, it’s the audience’s feelings and perceptions that complete these pieces. •
Spatial Poems runs through Aug. 9 at Tulsa Artist Fellowship Flagship, 112 N. Boston Ave., Tulsa. For more information, visit tulsaartistfellowship.org or follow Tulsa Artist Fellowship on Instagram at @tulsaartistfellowship.
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