Luxiere - Oklahoma Lifestyle & Real Estate // Edition 58

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EDITION 58

CONTENTS

32 The Partytrick Up Your Sleeve

If you’re preparing to host a special occasion, CEO Virginia Frischkorn’s “all-in-one solution for seamless event management” might be exactly what you need.

S TO R Y B Y A N D R E A S C H U LT Z

44 Building On Foundations

When it comes to design, where do you start? Nate Berkus is marking the milestone of 30 years as a designer with a new book that’s an inspiring, instructive masterclass.

S T O R Y B Y C R A Y B A U X M O N T - F LY N N

60 Racing the Bulldozers In a pivotal moment, Tulsa photographer Don Thompson acted fast— and managed to capture iconic shots of the 1970 destruction of the Greenwood District.

STO RY BY MI CH A EL K INNE Y

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66 If It Bleeds, It Leads

Spiritually inspired by Brian De Palma, OKC-based director Mickey Reece’s latest thriller Every Heavy Thing packs a paranoid, disorienting punch for noir aficionados.

STO RY BY A L E X A NDR A B O H A NN O N

Authentic Artfulness

Erin and Tim Cooper, spouses and business partners, are the creative forces behind OKC’s Cooper House: a boutique agency with a big and growing presence.

Their work is about context, identity, salience and longevity, and in sharing their clients’ narratives, they’re shaping their own.

STO RY BY G R EG H O RTO N

72 Bringing the Boom Back

Randy Hogan’s OKC career started just before the oil bust of 1982, but in the decades since, the developer’s vision and expertise have helped shape the city—literally.

STO RY BY MI CH A EL K INNE Y

1 8 Muskogee to Manhattan: Emiley Sexton | 2 4 Inside the Sanctuary: Nichols Hills Development | 2 6 Woman of Influence: Stacy Dykstra 3 8 Walking in A New Winter Wonderland: Ashley Liddell | 7 6 The Play's the Thing: OKC Repertory Theater | 8 2 A Pop of Color: Jamel Stephens

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58 EDITION

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In the middle of an Oklahoma winter, there’s a balance to strike between navigating the high holidays with all of their chaos and excitement, and embracing our bodies’ natural inclination to cocoon in our homes when daylight wanes. Harnessing the right kind of energy during these months allows us to draw inspiration, joy and fulfillment from all the season brings. We can meet vibrant new people at parties, attend beautiful or thoughtprovoking performances and revel in the social season. Alternately, we can use this season to immerse in the peaceful stillness—resting, reflecting and grounding our bodies and spirits.

This edition of Luxiere balances the two, bringing you stories of interesting people doing interesting things, some quietly and some boisterously. Luxiere’s newest contributor, Oklahomabased writer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn, shares an interview with designer Nate Berkus that comes as the latter celebrates his three-decades-long career with the launch of a compendium entitled Foundations. It’s a design masterclass, memoir and 400 pages of inspiration, just the ticket on a snowy Sunday afternoon by the fire.

We bring you the story of Tulsa photographer Don Thompson, who spoke with writer Michael Kinney about his iconic images of Black Wall Street, AKA Tulsa’s Greenwood District, as it was razed by bulldozers in 1970. Thompson still feels the destruction was an injustice, one he felt compelled to capture for posterity. Some of those images now reside in the National Museum of African American Culture and History in Washington, D.C. Life-long do-gooder and CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Stacy Dykstra, is our Woman of Influence. Her unwavering dedication to caring for others—especially those most in danger of falling through society’s safety net—has deeply moved us, and we hope you’ll feel that way too. Her story is a reminder to count your blessings and to help others any time you have the opportunity.

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Creativity is an Oklahoma specialty, and we are pleased to introduce you to Muskogee’s own Emiley Sexton Crawley, who now lives in Manhattan with her husband, and works for U Beauty, a skincare brand that’s been a fashion-set darling for years before becoming a global phenom. Closer to home, Erin Cooper, co-founder of Cooper House—an agency which often works in the national hospitality space—talks to writer Greg Horton about her firm’s creative philosophy.

Of course, there’s more to discover within our pages. We’re certain we’ll never run short of stories to tell, people to meet or experiences to share with you, dear reader, and for that we are thankful indeed.

Until next time,

STAC Y D. JOHNSON

Publisher, Owner

S TAC Y@ L U X I E R E .C O

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EDITION 58

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITION NO. 58

STACY D. JOHNSON Owner/Publisher/Editor in Chief Far And Away by photographer Don Thompson in Tulsa, 1991. Courtesy of The Hulett Collection.

DESIGN OUR CONTRIBUTORS nvsble.studio

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

ON THE COVER

each has contributed to bringing this publication into being.

Cooper House founders Erin and Tim Cooper at Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City Photograph by Todd Scott

LUXIERE MAGAZINE CORPORATE OFFICE MICHAEL KINNE Y

ALE X ANDR A BOHANNON

CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

WRITER

WRITER

WRITER

2123 N Classen Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73106 www.luxiere.co

Luxiere Oklahoma is published bimonthly, direct-mailed to a curated readership and distributed at select retail locations free of charge for individual use. To request copies, please contact the publisher. For more information, visit www.luxiere.co.

GREG HORTON

MEG AN SHEPHERD

K ATE FR ANK

WRITER

WRITER

WRITER

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Email: stacy@luxiere.co Phone: 405.808.1332

CR AY BEAUXMONT-FLYNN

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ANDRE A SCHULT Z S T R AT E G I S T /

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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JESSE DAVISON DESIGNER / WRITER

Advertising claims and the views expressed in this magazine by writers do not necessarily represent those of Luxiere Magazine. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited materials. Originals of manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials should not be sent to Luxiere Magazine unless specifically requested to do so in writing. Luxiere Magazine is not responsible for the return of any manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials submitted. Luxiere Magazine shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. Luxiere Magazine shall have no liability for any infringement of copyright or other arising out of publication thereof. Luxiere Magazine reserves the right to edit submissions before publication. Reproduction in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. All requests for permission and reprints must be made in writing to Luxiere Magazine, c/o Legal, 2123 N Classen Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73106.

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Muskogee to Manhattan How Emiley Sexton Crawley made her mark in the big city

BY K AT E F R A N K

B

reaking into New York’s fashion and beauty scene isn’t easy, especially when you’re coming from a small town in Oklahoma. But for Emiley Sexton Crawley, a Muskogee native and graduate of the University of Oklahoma, ambition, grit and a distinct sense of Sooner State authenticity have carried her from the heartland to one of the

most competitive creative industries in the world.

Today, Crawley serves as Content Manager for U Beauty, the popular skincare brand founded by entrepreneur and digital pioneer Tina Chen Craig. She manages all of the brand’s social channels and has been part of U Beauty’s journey since day one, helping it grow to more than 180,000 followers and an international presence. But her path to New York didn’t happen overnight.

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P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E SY E M I L E Y S E X T O N C R AW L E Y

FROM SMALL TOWN TO BIG CITY Crawley grew up in Muskogee, a tight-knit community where practically everyone knows each other. “It’s definitely one of those places where you grow up grounded,” she says.

She remembers her teenage years balancing part-time jobs, school and big-city dreams. “I worked at Chet’s, a hot dog stand in Muskogee, when I was 15,” she laughs. “It sounds small, but that job really shaped me. It’s where I learned how to work hard, stay consistent—all things that I’ve carried with me since.”

Even then, Crawley had her eye on something bigger. While her friends were focused on local football games, she was reading fashion blogs and daydreaming about life in New York City. “I’d be watching ‘Gossip Girl’ in Muskogee thinking, ‘I want to do that one day,’” she says.

After graduating from Muskogee High School in 2016, Crawley enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, studying public relations at Gaylord College. Though her family were longtime OSU fans, she said OU was the right choice. “OU really opened my world,” she says.

“I met people from all over and learned there were so many ways to build a career in communications and media.”

One class in particular, called Life After Gaylord, helped her see that the career she envisioned in fashion and media was actually within reach.

FINDING HER FOOTING IN FASHION During her time at OU, Crawley balanced classes with part-time retail work at Cayman’s, a boutique in Norman. That summer, while many students went home, she stayed behind to find an internship.

Her determination paid off: After discovering BagSnob.com, a blog run by Dallas-based fashion entrepreneur Tina Chen Craig, she coldemailed Craig about interning.

Craig brought her on as an intern, and Crawley began writing about handbag trends and fashion stories, her first taste of professional content creation. What started as a summer role quickly evolved into a year-long remote position while she continued at OU. Crawley’s experience with Craig became the foundation for her career in fashion and media. Through those connections, she began applying to more internships, determined to get her foot in the door.

Her persistence led her to New York City the summer before her senior year, where she interned for Prabal Gurung, a leading designer known for his modern, inclusive approach to fashion. She also spent time assisting during New York Fashion Week, flying to the city between classes to work backstage.

“That summer confirmed everything for me,” she says. “It’s where I realized I wanted to work in this space, in fashion or beauty, and that I could.”

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P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E SY E M I L E Y S E X T O N C R AW L E Y

FROM 405 TO U BEAUTY Back in Oklahoma for her final semester, Crawley interned with OKC-based 405 Magazine, helping manage its social platforms, upload online content and develop digital strategy, growing its social following by nearly 20,000 during her time there. “That internship was where I learned that social media wasn’t just about posting pretty pictures,” she says. “It’s about strategy, timing and storytelling.”

Just a month before graduation in 2019, Craig reached out again.

She was preparing to launch a new beauty line, U Beauty, and wanted Crawley’s help running social content. Crawley began freelancing before she even walked the graduation stage.

After finishing at OU, she continued balancing her job at 405 Magazine with freelancing for U Beauty. In 2023, after nearly four years of remote work, she officially joined U Beauty full-time as content manager, working from OKC and traveling regularly to New York for photoshoots and events.

“When I joined full-time, I already knew the brand inside and out,” she says. “I’d been part of it since the beginning, so it felt like a natural next step.”

OPPOSITE: Actor Michelle Monaghan, Tina Chen Craig and Emiley Sexton Crawley after a photoshoot for U Beauty BELOW: Behind the scenes shot of Michelle Monaghan during the filming for U Beauty’s “Get Ready With Me” campaign produced at the 2025 Emmy Awards

P H O TO G R A P H C O U R T E SY E M I L E Y S E X TO N C R AW L E Y

OKLAHOMA ROOTS, NEW YORK RHYTHM In 2024, Crawley and her husband, Coleman, who she’s been with since high school, finally made the move to New York City. “We lived in downtown OKC before we moved, near Jones Assembly, and I always thought that neighborhood had the most New York vibe of anywhere in Oklahoma,” she says. “So the transition felt smooth.”

Still, she admits the two cities couldn’t be more different. “OKC and NYC are complete opposites,” she says. “But growing up in Oklahoma taught me how to stay grounded and kind, qualities that actually stand out here. There’s a level of respect and genuine friendliness that people notice.”

At U Beauty, Crawley’s role centers on digital storytelling and luxury brand communication. She manages content strategy, creative direction and influencer collaborations, work that blends her PR background with her understanding of visual media. “Social is one of the most exciting parts of a company,” she says. “It’s how people experience your brand. You’re setting the tone for what they feel and connect with.”

Her expertise has taken her coast to coast, from creating content during New York Fashion Week to planning campaigns in Los Angeles. In March 2025, she helped oversee the launch of U Beauty’s partnership with actor Michelle Monaghan, who became the brand’s global ambassador. Crawley was behind the camera at many of those shoots, capturing behind-the-scenes content and leading social rollout strategy.

“Working with Michelle has been one of my favorite parts of the job,” she says. “She’s thoughtful and collaborative, it’s amazing to see someone at that level be so down-to-earth.”

Her proudest professional moment so far came during the 2025 Emmys, when she flew directly from a baby shower in Oklahoma City to Los Angeles to prepare Monaghan’s “Get Ready With Me” videos.

“It was one of those full-circle moments,” Crawley says.

WHAT’S NEXT As the holiday season approaches, Crawley shared a few of her favorite U Beauty products, including Proam, a clean, gender-neutral fragrance that debuted during NYFW, and The Essential Set, a trio of the brand’s best-selling products, available at Cos Bar in Oklahoma City.

No matter how far she’s gone, Crawley’s roots remain part of her story. “Growing up in Oklahoma gives you a work ethic and a sense of humility that doesn’t fade,” she says. “It’s helped me connect with people at every level, from team members to talent.”

For young people in Oklahoma dreaming of breaking into competitive industries, her advice is simple: “If someone tells you no, you’re talking to the wrong person. Keep asking, keep connecting, and don’t feel like you have to follow a traditional path. There’s more than one way to get where you want to go.”

From Muskogee to Manhattan, Crawley has proved that success in fashion and beauty doesn’t require a big-city upbringing; just focus, consistency and a bit of Oklahoma grit. •

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Inside the Sanctuary Nichols Hills’ new ultra-luxury enclave

BY CH R IS T IN E ED D IN GTO N

I

n the heart of Nichols Hills, something special is stirring. You may have noticed a bit of commotion at Sherwood Lane and Grand Boulevard Park and wondered. It’s our pleasure to report that what we’re witnessing is the advent of a ground-up enclave of 14 ultra-luxury homes—an exquisite undertaking on a once-ina-lifetime parcel of land, created by a dream team with a rich legacy.

“We’re starting all of the homes simultaneously and they should be completed in the next 36 to 40 months,” says project partner, Nichols Hills resident and longtime real estate visionary Charlie Givens. He described the community of one-level homes, which will range from about 3,300 to 4,900 square feet, as being somewhat based on a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton type of residence program.

Project partners include Givens; Nolan Coyle, great-grandson of G.A. “Doc” Nichols, who developed Nichols Hills, Crown Heights, Heritage Hills and other tony neighborhoods; brothers Jay and Craig Johnston of Johnston Builders; and Tony Say, a significant force in real estate development, oil and gas and investing.

Bruce Bockus, founding architect at Bockus Payne—who strongly believes that “beauty matters,” and that his role as an architect is to create beauty within his community—will design the 14 homes, two or three of which have been reserved by the partners. That means, when Sanctuary is complete, there will be fewer than a dozen homes available.

The compact grounds of the development are a hop and a skip from Nichols Hills Plaza and its many amenities; so close, in fact, that Givens jokes, “You could walk on your hands to Nichols Hills Plaza.”

Centering the enclave will be a stunning water feature encircled by homes, with a continuous sidewalk creating a genteel promenade.

The name Sanctuary is a clever nod to the church that occupied the land for decades, and also the perfect word to describe each home.

Architecture will be classical and transitional styles.

“We see this as an exceptional responsibility on our part to build something that lasts for generations,” Givens says. He anticipated opening sales in 45 days. “This is a legacy project for Nichols Hills. We see this as a 200-year development that will stand the test of time.” •

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R E N D E R I N G PR OV I D E D BY K R O N E A R C H I T EC T U R E

Woman of Influence

Stacy Dykstra

BY CH R IS T IN E ED D IN GTO N

O

n any given day, Dr. Stacy Dykstra has around 413,830 people on her mind.

That’s how many Oklahomans don’t have enough food in the 53 counties her agency, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO), serves. One in four children and one in six senior citizens are food insecure in our state. “One

of the things people probably don’t realize is that many of the people we serve are families with children, and that the families we’re feeding are working families,” Dykstra says.

She’s just wrapped up her fifth year at the helm of RFBO, which means she began her time as CEO during the first year of the pandemic, an exponentially tougher than usual time for people struggling with food insecurity. If she had her way, everyone would be well fed, and her job would disappear.

“It’s an honor to get to do this job. Although, I would love to put us out of business,” she says. “Trust me, there would be nothing I would be happier about.” She conceded that unfortunately there’s no danger of that, adding, “We’re going to do the best job we can in the moment to remove the barrier of access [to food] and just make sure we feel certain that if someone is courageous enough to ask for help, they can find it.”

OPPOSITE: Dr. Stacy Dykstra CEO, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma

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Before accepting the position at RFBO, she served as executive director at Smart Start Central Oklahoma, a nonprofit focused on early childhood education. She holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma, the former in early childhood education and the latter in instructional leadership and academic curriculum. Dykstra worked her way through school, taking a few hours each semester, as she and husband Chris raised their two girls.

Helping people thrive has been the focus of Dykstra’s academic and professional careers. When she talks about her life, her work and her philosophy, it’s clear as a bell: This woman was born to care for others. Her vibe is enthusiastic, joyful and energized. When she talks about specific clients, or the plight of impoverished people in Oklahoma trying to make it day by day, her empathy is palpable. She refers to herself and her team as “hunger fighters.”

It’s got a superhero ring to it, wouldn’t you say?

Dykstra was immediately intrigued by the opportunity to serve so many, and so directly. “The panel of people I interviewed with loved the Regional Food Bank. They believed in what they were doing, and they were just amazing. Their passion drew me in, and I’ve learned so much. One of the things is that this is all related.

When someone comes to you facing hunger, there is a whole potential slew of other issues they’re challenged by,” she says.

Oklahoma ranks in the top five hungriest states, with 15.4% of the population experiencing food insecurity, about two points above the national average. Of those who are able to work, many work multiple minimum- or low-wage jobs. Most of them, like most of the rest of us, hate having to ask for help. “As Oklahomans, we are pull-ourselves-up-by-our-bootstraps folks. People are very uncomfortable asking for help; they’re going to try to take care of it on their own. That’s why we serve so many more people at the end of the month. They’ve exhausted every other resource they have, and then they come to us and our partner system,” she says.

Dykstra likens the system to a web. If it’s spun well, nobody falls though—it catches everyone who needs help. “When that web breaks, or when we allow people to fall through the web, things get much, much messier,” Dykstra says. “We’ve got to keep the system strong and access points available, so that when people fall on hard times, they’re just taken care of until they can get back on their feet. Because I’ve never met anyone who says they don’t want to get back on their feet.”

What does she mean that things get messier? She started her explanation by reiterating that people really try to make it on their own before asking for help. Someone working a full-time, minimum-wage job makes about $15,080 per year in Oklahoma, where minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. That full-time annual wage is about $500 below the poverty line.

“Let’s say somebody runs out of food money, payday is a ways away and they decide to try to solve their budget problem by selling their bicycle,” Dykstra says. Maybe they’re too embarrassed to ask for help, or maybe they don’t know what resources are available.

“But that bicycle is how they get to work. Now, they either have to walk, or find another way to work,” she continues. Now, they’re coming in late or missing their shift—and pretty soon they lose their job.

With no safety net, before long, they’re in danger of being evicted. Maybe in a matter of days or weeks. “When you actually fall through the web, it means you’re even more resource-strapped.

Everything is going to require money to get out of, and money is the one thing you don’t have extra of. Once you get down there, it is really, really hard to work your way back up. This is why we’re so worried about our neighbors in this moment. Because not only did we have the government shutdown, which put a lot of people in a pickle, but to also take away SNAP benefits, even temporarily?

That gave people stability. Now the situation is unstable for so many of our neighbors.” That instability creates a ripple effect that is simply too much for those already living on the edge.

The team at RFBO, under Dykstra’s leadership, is doing everything they can. “We have about 1,300 partners across our 53-county service area, which is all of Western and Central Oklahoma. Our friends at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma cover the other third of the state,” she says.

They work with nonprofits, operate resource centers where people can come “shop” for food, partner with grocery stores to distribute food that might otherwise go to waste, deliver food boxes to senior citizens and work to offer nutritious, fresh and healthy foods to their clients.

Crucially, RFBO partners with more than 500 schools, providing children with on-site food pantries. Through its Backpack Program, elementary school children receive a pack full of kid-friendly, nonperishable and nutritious food on Fridays to get them through the weekends and school holidays. It’s a huge undertaking. Solving food insecurity will take all of us.

“Can you imagine how amazing our state and our communities and our neighborhoods would be if everyone had the opportunity to be who they wanted to be, to fully realize all of the gifts they had to share with us?” Dykstra says. “For me, that’s what drives me to go to work every day—to try to solve this problem.” •

LUXIERE’s Woman of Influence is presented by First National Bank of Oklahoma Member FDIC

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SANCTUARY IN NICHOLS HILLS

Adjacent to Nichols Hills Plaza, Sanctuary will be a private enclave of 14 single family homes of exceptional quality designed by Bockus Payne, adjoining the 65 acre Grand Boulevard Park—which is surrounded by multi-million dollar homes—this is the last and best site in Nichols Hills.

The exterior of the homes will have a consistent architectural thread of cast stone, masonry, cement-plaster and natural stone while the interior of the homes feature open living areas with 10’, 12’ and 16’ ceilings, elegant primary suites and bathrooms, abundant windows and generous outdoor living space. All homes and common areas will have lush landscaping and elegant lighting overlooking a gracious fountain.

All Sanctuary homes will be constructed simultaneously, ranging in size from 3,300 to 4,900 sqft with most being single story. Construction is expected to be completed

by December 2028 with home prices ranging from $1,975,000 to $3,500,000.

The location, design and construction of the homes at Sanctuary combine to make this limited offering “Forever Real Estate” that will last for generations, offering a much needed new lifestyle option for Nichols Hills.

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The Partytrick Up Your Sleeve The event-planning platform making its way to OKC B Y A N D R E A S C H U LT Z

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irginia Frischkorn, founder and CEO of Partytrick, set out to ease the pressure that practically everyone faces at some point in their life—that of hosting an event. The average person has roughly 30 gatherings per year, but whether it be a wedding, a 1-year-old’s birthday party or a first date, Partytrick was created

to become a “virtual party planner in your pocket.”

Frischkorn has been named one of the Top 50 Planners Worldwide by Vogue and Martha

Stewart Weddings and was recognized as a Top 10 Innovator in EventTech—as an awardwinning event planner with over 15 years of experience creating unforgettable celebrations, her repertoire includes everything from $500,000 to $5 million weddings, corporate and nonprofit events and brand activations for Ferrari, Chanel and Loro Piana … just to name a few.

Partytrick founder and CEO Virginia Frischkorn putting the final touches on the Bluebird Aspen Corporate Event by Alp & Isle.

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“I saw what all these other “Give me a million dollars, I can go spend it really well,” she says.

“But … if I have to plan something for my kids and a 2-year-old birthday party or 1-year-old birthday party, I didn’t know what to do. I’m not a great DIY person. I can bring all the people together and manage 300 people on site and get it done on time and under budget. But if I have to do it myself, I don’t know how to.”

This feeling likely resonates with anyone who’s tried to throw a meaningful gathering like the ones you might see while scrolling social media everyday. So where do you typically start when it’s your turn to do the hosting?

“You’re looking on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Partiful—and maybe you’re using some sort of project management [software],” she says. “Then you’re going to some blog to try to find a recipe.” But with Partytrick, users have an “all-in-one solution for seamless event management.”

Frischkorn described the user experience as being guided through every step of the process to equip you with the tools of creating an elevated event without the hassle. “You’ve got someone telling you where to go buy the cutest things, how to DIY it, what you should be playing for music, what the menu should be. And then it basically gives you a step by step paint-by-numbers solution.”

Living amid the rise of the “experience economy,” a term coined

by Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore in which a memory itself becomes the sellable product, we are witnessing the importance of social gatherings and how exclusive activations are becoming the next wave of ventures for small businesses and brands alike. “COVID hit and I realized that gathering is a necessity, not a luxury,” Frischkorn reflects of beginning the journey from event planner to tech founder: “How can I build, take what I built and bring it to the masses?”

Originally from Virginia (yes, Virginia is, in fact, from Virginia), she ended up falling in love with Aspen, Colorado, and the event world early in her career. “I saw what all these other planners were doing, and I’m super Type-A. And I thought, ‘This is really boring.’ It’s all cookie-cutter bull**** and such a missed opportunity. And I was like, ‘I’ll just start my own thing.’”

This “thing” was not yet Partytrick, but was the start of her first company: Bluebird Productions. “With Bluebird, we started initially with event marketing, event PR, social media management for the event industry, which wasn’t a thing yet.”

The entrepreneurial apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as much of her inspiration came from her late father. “My father was an entrepreneur,” she recalls. “We all just kind of grew up in that landscape of ‘If you can dream it and you can chart a path to it—like, no one’s gonna open the door for you. But you can figure it out.’ So it was like, ‘Alright, let me figure out how to take these tools and build something that can impact anyone and everyone for the better and really foster connection.’”

planners were doing and I’m super Type-A. I thought, ‘This is really boring. It’s all cookie-cutter bull**** … I’ll just start my own thing.”

VIRGINIA FRISCHKORN

Virginia Frischkorn

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LEFT: DLV Welcome Party featured on Vogue Weddings and Martha Stewart Weddings BELOW: Bluebird Aspen Corporate Event Ferrari

She finally took the leap to launch a tech product—which would eventually turn into Partytrick—but the very next day after launching this new venture, her father passed away. The timing of this moment rocked their whole family’s world in a way that steered her next steps and the “why” behind building a company whose sole purpose was to help people create intentional gatherings.

“My dad was my person,” she says. “And it was one of these things that caused my brother, my sister and I to have this moment of, ‘What are we doing? Why are we here?’

“I wanted to do something that’s going to really impact the world and make it a better place. And that is, how can I teach everyone to do what we’re able to do? So I shut down Bluebird and launched what is now Partytrick, which took that kind of notion of templatizing what to do, when to do it, how to do it, for a farm-to-table dinner down to a kid’s birthday party to a cookie decorating class, whatever it might be.”

Officially launching in 2022, it quickly built and scaled a tech business while continuing to take feedback and integrate more features to even better service small businesses and fellow entrepreneurs. That includes Ashley Liddell, founder of Winter Wonderland in Oklahoma City, which is having its first brand experience in Midtown Nov 15Dec. 30.

Frischkorn cited this local event as an example of the company’s current capabilities and how she plans to expand the app’s current features: “With Winter Wonderland, the software doesn’t support what it is right now. We can do some of our event marketing tools for now, but if Ashley wants to do this again next year, we know how to tap into it—and she can rinse and repeat the same event without having to search through thousands of emails.” This partnership allows Winter Wonderland to serve as a case study for ways in which this technology can be developed and modeled after in the future. The direct communication Liddell and Frischkorn have had throughout this season serves both sides of the event management tool by providing specific feedback in real time between the organizers of a large-scale event and the evolution of the platform itself.

“Anytime we’re creating these experiences, we can really make it easy to bring joy, bring community, foster connection. I love what she’s done with Averie [Gibbins] on this particular event, because how do you create these moments for experience? Experience matters.”

This is the true motivator for Frischkorn and the Partytrick team.

“It’s not about the stuff. It’s not even about how beautiful it is all the time. It’s, ‘How do you create these shared experiences together that are meaningful?’

“I think, again, my dad really conquered that home.” •

Find Virginia on LinkedIn and Instagram @virginia_frischkorn and explore her virtual party planning platform online atpartytrick.com and on social media @partytrick.

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Walking in a New Winter Wonderland A joyous holiday experience enlivening OKC B Y A N D R E A S C H U LT Z

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his holiday season, Oklahoma City welcomes Winter Wonderland: a new fully immersive indoor holiday experience located in the heart of Midtown. Ashley Liddell had the spark of inspiration to create a real life Christmas-themed “wonderland” where families can come make ornaments, write letters to Santa, decorate cookies, take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy hot chocolate—

all in a “magical destination designed to transform joyful moments into cherished traditions.”

Organizers hope to bring meaningful Christmas experiences to as many Oklahoma families and children as possible, and by partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County (BGCOKC), they’ve been able to make

quite an effect already.

The BGCOKC’s mission is to inspire and enable young people to reach their full potential. With the help of Winter Wonderland, proceeds from designated ticket purchases benefited its Jolly Holiday Drive that provided a holiday gift to every Club member, while also providing access for ticket buyers to shop the Amazon wishlist that shipped gifts directly to our local Club.

OPPOSITE: Winter Wonderland founder Ashley Liddell

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“Partnering with Boys and Girls Clubs has been such a big thing for us, and we’re very thankful that they came on board in such a short time, because it’s a big ask—but just having their mission involved just brings great meaning to the whole project,” says Liddell. “I think it just makes it special for all the kids, like all of the Boys and Girls Club kids get to come in for a couple of days throughout the season.

“I think even the unique element of the way that we’ve been able to curate partnerships outside of monetary ways, even of the experiences we’re going to be able to provide privately to the Boys and Girls Clubs, are going to be things that the community doesn’t see, but that partner sees,” says Averie Gibbins, founder of Strategy Studio.

Liddell and Gibbins were two friends who began planning the launch of Winter Wonderland from a conversation over brunch that took place mere months ago. That conversation snowballed into creating this immersive experience that opened its doors on Nov. 15. This timeline would have been nearly impossible to pull off, if it weren’t for the creative minds behind it and their ability to harness the power of community partners who quickly joined forces to support the shared goal of bringing joy to Oklahoma families this season.

“Ashley and I share the mutual value and mission of truly wanting to bring magical experiences to families in Oklahoma City,” says Gibbins.

“I’m back and forth from Dallas, Ashley’s been living in L.A., and the experiences that we see in those other markets and the way they are curated is something that we really want Oklahoma to experience.

Then for us to also bring other cool products and businesses like bringing the technology of Partytrick to this market is something that’s really cool.”

As the pair like to say, “Every detail is crafted to spark wonder in children and rekindle a childlike joy in all of us.”

In terms of the overall vision for the space, Liddell’s intention was to leave no stone unturned when it came to the elements that make a space memorable, especially for children.

Liddell personally ensures every detail is perfect.

“Every detail is crafted to spark wonder in children and rekindle a

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childlike joy in all of us.”

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ASHLEY LIDDELL

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Santa and Mrs. Claus share stories with kids from BGCOKC.

“Every detail matters,” she says, “so even the doorknob on the gingerbread house needs to look cute. We are building a lot of this by hand, all the little details. My mom and I have literally done all the small decorations with each other by ourselves. My mom’s such a big crafter, so I could not wait to bring her on to help me do all this, because that’s just what she loves. And for us to be able to do it together is the best.”

This notion makes the short timeline all the more impressive, given that the corner at NW 10th Street and Hudson Avenue is now almost unrecognizable—but it makes the event a perfect neighbor to the Holiday Pop-Up Shops, also temporarily located across the street through Dec. 21.

“She’s definitely bringing an upscale experience to Oklahoma City in an obtainable way,” says Gibbins. “I think just the way that Ashley’s curated it behind the scenes has been truly kind of insane, and the best way to see and experience. But the mission behind just every detail that she’s doing is for as many families as possible to experience Christmas, and she’s building everything from scratch.”

“Besides big installations, like the walk-through ornament, I’ve literally done every single thing myself,” Liddell remarks as she points to each detail around the room—“the snow on top of the ceiling, the ornaments hanging from the ceiling, the things on the walls, like all the snow that’s coming off the gingerbread houses, all the candy … we’ve literally done it all by hand.”

But Liddell is no stranger to a party—“If you’re my friend and I throw a birthday party for you, I’m going all out. That’s just how I am.

It’s all or nothing, yeah? So obviously I was gonna go all out for this.”

Which is also describes another great partnership happening this year with Partytrick, the event-planning platform designed to help you bring your wildest event dreams to life. By working directly with founder Virginia Frischkorn, that company has been able to assist in the planning of Winter Wonderland while currently working toward adding new software updates that will eventually equip business owners to throw large activations like this with ease, without having to sort through thousands of emails again next year.

For those interested in finding out what’s inside Santa’s workshop, you’ll be excited to find stations to write and mail letters to Santa, decorate your own ornament, warm up with hot cocoa from the hot cocoa bar and visit the Elves Toy-Making station and watch them hard at work preparing for Christmas Eve, as well as enjoying story time from Mrs. Claus during select hours.

Mom and Dad also can enjoy holiday-inspired cocktails. There’s a cocktail and mocktail menu created by another one of Liddell’s good friends, Claire Hampton from OKC staple Good Times.

“Obviously this is for kids and there are things for kids to do, but the space is elevated, and it’s obviously beautiful and decorated for Christmas—and I think it’s done in a way that adults will appreciate it, too. There’s lots for parents to do, and if they want to come on a date night and be underneath lights and ornaments, like, I would do that myself.”

After becoming a new mother almost exactly one year ago, just before Christmas, it was a given that this year would be even more sentimental, and inspired the way Liddell designed the space for all ages and families to enjoy.

Winter Wonderland will be open until Dec. 30, with plans to return each year, continuing the tradition of spreading Christmas joy to kids and their families in Oklahoma City. •

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit winterwonderlandokc.com and follow them on Instagram @winterwonderlandok.

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Building On Foundations The principles and philosophy that guide designer Nate Berkus B Y C R A Y B A U X M O N T - F LY N N

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ore than a decade has passed since Nate Berkus published The Things That Matter, the deeply personal, best-selling design book that invited readers into the philosophy and soul of his interiors. Now, as his celebrated firm reaches its 30-year milestone, Berkus returns with

Foundations — a sweeping, 400-page compendium that feels as much like a thank-you letter as it does a masterclass in timeless design.

When Berkus first sat down to conceptualize his third book, he envisioned something unconventional: a series of small volumes dedicated to specific rooms. “I thought this was the best idea,” he laughs, “but every publisher said it would cost a fortune to print

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20 different covers.” The compromise was Foundations — one comprehensive guide that distills three decades of expertise into a single, approachable reference.

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“It didn’t feel right to do a monograph celebrating me,” he explains.

“What felt right was writing a thank-you note with practical information for everyone who’s supported me all these years.”

The result is equal parts inspiration and instruction — photographic storytelling paired with checklists, diagrams and room-by-room design breakdowns. “It’s what I believe to be the good foundation of design,” Berkus says. “After all these years, I wanted to answer the questions people always ask: ‘Where do I start? How do I make it work?’”

Unlike glossy coffee-table tomes that focus solely on the visual, Foundations is built for practicality. Berkus partnered with magazine editor Heather Somerville to structure the material into “small, digestible bites.” Within its pages are measuring guides, visual references and before-and-after examples showing how inspiration images translate into actual spaces.

“Design on Instagram looks easy, but many of those people have never installed or managed a project,” he says. “I’ve spent 30 years doing it. This book takes those lessons and shows readers how to apply high-design principles to any budget.”

Each chapter demonstrates the anatomy of a room and how a homeowner’s inspiration becomes reality, how details connect back to original intent, how universal design language can empower readers.

“You might not find a pair of 19th-century urns,” he notes, “but you can understand what makes them beautiful and source something similar. It’s about accessibility without compromise.”

The release of Foundations coincides with Berkus’ 30th year in business, which is a milestone he approached with gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose. “It felt like the right moment to share everything I’ve learned — what’s worked, what hasn’t, what mistakes taught me,” he reflects. “If someone is going to spend their hardearned money improving their home, my work — and this book — should deliver.”

That philosophy of integrity has guided Berkus since his early days Designer Nate Berkus as a young designer appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” “I was 26 when I started with Oprah, and that experience gave me incredible opportunities,” he recalls. “But it also taught me the importance of Across his career, Berkus has worn many hats — designer, television saying no. You have to protect your philosophy, your name and the host, author, product creator. The through-line, he says, is philosophy: trust people place in you.”

For Berkus, design is rooted in empathy. With a background in “No matter the medium, it’s about staying true to what you believe and ensuring that what you put into the world delivers value.” sociology, he approaches interiors as emotional portraits. “Interior It’s a sense of integrity that drives his partnerships, which range design is about getting to know the people who live in a space — what from The Shade Store and Kravet to Rugs USA and The Tile Shop. “The they find embarrassing, what they consider a victory, how they wish partner matters as much as the product,” he explains. “After 30 years, to be seen,” he says. “Our job as designers is to dream a bigger dream protecting the trust people have in my name is everything.” for them than they can dream for themselves.”

His forthcoming collections underscore this renewed creative energy: The human connection, refined through decades of television over 15 launches spanning stationery, tile, textiles and decorative work, has shaped his storytelling instincts. “Television taught me to listen,” he explains. “Designers have to hear what’s being said and, accessories. The Rugs USA collaboration, for instance, reinterprets vintage inspirations — from Chinese and French Art Deco to Italian just as importantly, what isn’t.” mid-century tapestries — into accessible pieces that work in both a He recounted one unforgettable makeover for the Oprah show $5,000 room and a $500,000 one. “A heathered wool rug in camel is a he did in Baltimore: a grieving mother and her young son who had forever piece without a forever price,” he says. lost his twin brother. The producers planned to remodel their kitchen Berkus remains most proud of how his work helps people connect to support the boy’s cookie business, but Berkus quickly sensed the to their own stories. “What people really want is to feel connected in child’s heart wasn’t in it. “He didn’t want to make cookies — he their space,” he says. “When a home is organized, when it functions wanted to go to camp,” Berkus remembers. “That moment reminded beautifully, it changes how you live. You cook differently, you dress me that listening is the foundation of good design. It’s never about us; differently, you engage differently.” it’s about the life unfolding inside the home.”

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know the people who live in a space — what they find embarrassing, what they consider a victory, how they wish to be seen. Our job as designers is to dream a bigger dream for them than they can dream for themselves.”

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That belief extends to his personal life with husband and design partner Jeremiah Brent, with whom he shares two children. “We like the same things — we just use them differently,” he smiles. “Our rule is simple: If one of us says absolutely not, it’s off the table. No selling the concept.”

Their collaboration has evolved into harmony born of respect.

“There’s never one right way to do a room,” he says. “We promote each other, we celebrate each other. In the end, everything we build is for our kids.”

Even with television, books and a global product empire, Berkus remains energized. “I’m in a massive rebirth of the brand,” he says. “I feel creative, I feel awake, I have the right team around me. I’m not tired, and I’m not out of ideas.”

Berkus’ longer-term vision is to expand the Nate Berkus brand internationally before eventually passing the baton. “I’d love to build it up and then sell it to someone who can take it global — maybe end up in Portugal on a beach with my kids,” he laughs. “Let’s see where it goes.”

Through all the chapters of his career — from Oprah to Target to Foundations — Berkus has remained anchored by humility and humor. “Grace goes a long way,” he says. “Be the guy that when people see your name on the calendar, they’re happy to meet with you. This isn’t organ donation — it’s a bath mat. Let’s have fun.”

What, then, does it mean to be called one of America’s most trusted voices in design? “It means responsibility,” he answers simply. “Don’t mess it up. People are watching. Stay the course.”

And what object in his own home tells his story best? “Almost everything,” he admits. “Every piece ties to a memory — a trip, a moment, a person. My home is my autobiography.”

In the end, perhaps that is the essence of Foundations: a reminder that great design begins not with trends or technology, but with humanity — with the stories that live within our walls and the grace we bring to shaping them.

Nate Berkus’s Foundations is available through Simon & Schuster, Rizzoli and major booksellers nationwide. •

Lessons From Foundations Asked what readers should take away from the book, Berkus offered three enduring principles.

1. Incorporate something old.

“A room assembled entirely from a catalog will always feel flat,” he insists. “Patina, history and imperfection are what give a home depth.” Whether it’s a vintage lamp or an heirloom chair, old pieces ground new design in authenticity.

2. Know yourself before you start.

“Quiet the noise,” he advises. “Don’t design for TikTok. Design for how you live.” In Foundations, Berkus outlines exercises to help readers identify what they truly love and translate those instincts into cohesive choices.

3. Let design evolve.

“Good design isn’t about checking a box,” he says. “It’s an evolution. Homes grow as we do.” For Berkus, the joy of discovery — finding a treasure at a flea market or adding a new piece that shifts the room’s energy — is part of the process.

He is also is unabashedly anti-trend. “Trends are designed to make people feel bad about what they don’t have,” he says.

“To create an interior that reflects who you are, where you’ve been and who you love — trends are just noise.”

Instead, he looks to history. “If a material has been used since the 1920s, you’re safe,” he laughs. “Carrara marble, limestone, brass, walnut — these never go out of style.” His pragmatic rule of thumb: Experiment only with what you can easily change.

“Switch out your pillows or lampshades, sure. But don’t install a countertop you’ll regret in two years.”

That balance between permanence and play defines his design ethos: timeless materials layered with collected objects and handmade details. “When something’s made by hand — a basket, a textile, a piece of pottery — it earns its place next to the most luxurious thing in the room,” he says. “Craft equals soul.”

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Authentic Artfulness Erin Cooper’s path from small-town kid to big-time brand designer

BY G R EG H O RTO N

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rin Cooper is from Port Orford, Oregon, a small town on the state’s southern coast less than 100 miles from California; it could easily be called Cannot Wait to Graduate, Oregon. It’s a fishing village, and like many other small towns in the Texas Panhandle, Wyoming cattle country, Georgia farm belts and West Virginia

coal mining communities—all of which could easily be named Cannot Wait to Graduate, especially for the kids who always had ideas and ways of being that didn’t jibe with the smalltown ethos—it was the point of launch for a career. In this particular case, one that landed her and husband-business partner Tim Cooper in Forbes recently.

They founded Cooper House, a creative services agency, after her career in the U.S. Air Force (1998-2006), where she was a graphic designer in Space Command. That was the hook that inspired this feature earlier this year: Home-schooled kid grows up working in her family’s fish market on the Oregon coast, leaves for the military, lands in Space Command in

Colorado, moves to Oklahoma for love and winds up in Forbes. Not the sort of thing you script, unless you’re making movies, or romance novels.

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“I wasn’t sure what I’d do after high school,” she says. “I didn’t know what was out there. I thought I’d move to New York and go to film school. I had a camera in high school, so I shot video, participated in Shakespeare and community theatre productions, made my friends help me make movies.”

One memorable day she had all her friends in the trees just outside Port Orford, and she was shooting video when the resonance hit her.

“It was the Lost Boys in Hook! I remember thinking, ‘This is my dream!’

In a very real sense, I was already doing design and art direction.”

This too is a common theme in the kids who leave; the differences and drive show up early, whether it’s the theatre nerds producing plays, the gay kid experimenting with fashion, the angsty songwriter cobbling together a garage band or the “head in the clouds” artists endlessly sketching their lives, the differences are apparent early, and in retrospect usually seem inevitable. They are not inevitable, of course, and Cooper said her parents encouraged her to prepare for a different life by looking at the military. Both are Navy veterans.

“I knew I needed to get out,” she says. “I was already dating a deckhand on a fishing boat, and they didn’t want that to be my life, and neither did I. I went to see the Marine recruiter, and he said I was too small, so he sold me on the Air Force.” When she arrived home, having already signed up, her mom said, “I thought you were just going to get brochures!”

After basic training and tech school, she went into visual information for Space Command, a role that meant she worked in design, even after her command was converted to security forces post 9/11. It was in this capacity that she met Tim Cooper, a Bishop McGuinness and Denver University graduate (Digital Media Studies), when her department was given a “civvies” day to go downtown Denver to see a presentation about a complex design program.

“I was excited because we didn’t have to wear our uniforms, and then when we get there, there is this guy explaining how to work with a program I’d been trying to decipher, and he was using it effortlessly,” she says.

The admiration, attraction and wonder are still in her tone when she recounts their first meeting, and he too retains some important recollections. “She was the only one in the room asking questions,” he remembers.

“It was definitely his intelligence and competence that caught my attention, because I was not vibing with his outfit,” she says.

Tim remembers it differently: “She loved me for my pleated pants.”

Whatever the truth, and we’re leaning toward Erin’s version, the two married in 2004 so Tim could accompany her to England; she’d received new orders. Just before the wedding, her orders fell through, and they decided to marry anyway. They decided to honeymoon in San Francisco, but on the way there, she got the word she’d be deployed to Iraq. At the last minute, a fellow airman volunteered to go in her stead, and the Coopers officially became a design team when Erin left the Air Force in ’06.

ABOVE: Menu detail and custom brass clip designed for Perle Mesta at Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City, OK RIGHT: Welcome packet designed for The Balladeer Hotel in Mt. Airy, NC OPPOSITE: Collateral designed for Berkshires Untold in Lenox, MA 54 LUXI E R E

P H O TO G R A P H BY B E T SY D U T C H E R

BELOW: Illustration designed for Milo’s drink menu at The Ellison in Oklahoma City, OK OPPOSITE: Foil embossed monogram designed for Perle Mesta at Skirvin Hotel

P H O T O G R A P H BY T O D D S C O T T

P H O TO G R A P H BY R AC H E L M AU C I E R I

ABOVE & OPPOSITE: Cooper House co-founders Erin and Tim Cooper

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“I’ve looked at thousands of

P H O TO G R A P H BY TO D D S C O T T

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brands, and the ones that have a degree of artfulness are the ones that last.”

ERIN COOPER

“Our early websites were better because Erin didn’t think like a web designer; she thought like a designer, so she didn’t restrict her style,” Tim says.

Beneath every observation he makes about her work, there is a complimentary tone, the awareness of a man who has realized and continues to appreciate that he found the ideal complement in business and a partner in life and family—they have two children. In fact, they started Cooper House when Erin was eight months pregnant.

They returned to Oklahoma in 2007, citing cost of living and expansive opportunities. Since then, they’ve built a reputation as a creative, groundbreaking, attentive and narrative creative services agency. That narrative part is important, because when I asked her for her design philosophy, she thought about it for less than a minute before answering: “Great design comes from a great story, and in uncovering something authentic.” She understands how overused the “a” word is in branding, marketing and advertising, but she means it in the traditional, narrative sense—a real story about a real life and a real vision.

“We occasionally get a potential client who says ‘We want to be this,’ and I ask them, ‘But are you that?’” she says. “You can’t manufacture a story (that leads to authenticity); it has to come from what really happened. Many designs are meant to be ephemeral, but a hotel [Note: This has become their specialty, and it inspired the Forbes story] needs something that stands up to time. I’ve looked at thousands of brands, and the ones that have a degree of artfulness are the ones that last.”

Erin noted that branding a hotel is a long-term process, and it requires extensive conversations with clients about who they are, what their story is, what they want in the design and how to incorporate important parts of their story and personality in an overall design strategy. While Tim, brilliant in his own right, likes to say tongue-incheek that “We’re trying to keep the redheads in short pants,” they both bring a level of professional seriousness to a process that requires handling complex egos.

“The military served me well in this,” she says. “I learned how to navigate egos, leadership and strong personalities, so I can be assertive, but I also recognize that they are the ones taking the risk. We all have skin in this game; we all have ego, and I want the ego because I don’t want to work with people who don’t care.” •

Read more about Cooper House and get a feel for its visual storytelling at cooper-house.com.

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P H O TO G R A P H BY M I C H A E L K I N N E Y

Racing the Bulldozers The shoot Tulsa photographer Don Thompson still regrets, half a century later

BY MICHAEL KINNE Y

D

on Thompson was in the right place at a bad time. In 1970, the army veteran was back home in Tulsa the day bulldozers began to tear down the Greenwood section of the city for an incoming highway project.

When Thompson saw what was happening, he hurried home. Not to avoid

the destruction that was taking place, but to collect the means to document the events.

The budding photojournalist got out his camera and began chronicling what he could before it was all gone. Those photos became the final images of Black Wall Street before Urban Renewal tore it apart.

“They started tearing down businesses in that area. I thought it was an injustice. And to this day, I still think it was an injustice,” Thompson says. “Bulldozers were going in the area, tearing down businesses. People were losing their homes, their livelihoods. So I wanted to document those areas. And there were very few photographers that I knew of that were in that area. It seemed like I was the only one that was doing this. I felt I had to do this; I think it was my calling. I don’t know why, but I just had to get in there and try to photograph as much as I could.”

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Tulsa photojournalist Don Thompson

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The demolition was part of the Federal-Aid Highway Acts of 1965 and 1968, which called for an interstate highway to be built through the Greenwood district. It essentially split Tulsa in two halves, with the predominantly Black and poor on one side and white and economically advantaged on the other.

While a popular narrative is that the Greenwood area and Black Wall Street came to an end during the violence of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the reality is that Greenwood rebuilt itself and had once again transformed into a thriving, self-contained economy.

But according to Thompson, it was half a century later that the district was officially wiped off the map and almost out of the history books with the Inner-Dispersal Loop, which was completed in 1971.

In 2021, President Joe Biden said as much in a proclamation that acknowledged the federal government’s role in Greenwood’s demise.

The proclamation was posted on the official White House website.

But it has since been removed under President Donald Trump’s administration and replaced with the ubiquitous “404 Page Not Found.”

“I had worked in Greenwood back in the ’60s when I got out of the Army. And I saw the vibrancy, the entrepreneurial spirit of people working in that area. It was a great experience for me,” Thompson recalls. “As a young man, I was really impressed by what I was seeing.

You didn’t have to leave the community to find anything, it was right there in that community. Then, in the 1970s, things changed.

Eminent domain took over. Redlining of the Greenwood district took place. Urban renewal came in. The bulldozers came in.”

The images Thompson took that day are now part of the permanent collection at the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa and the National Museum of African American Culture and History in Washington, D.C. However, Thompson, who is married to Barbara Eikner Thompson and still living in Tulsa, never intended to become a photojournalist or community activist. When he first entered the military in the 1960s, he had never taken a photo or even held a camera.

But once again, he found himself in the right place when fate came knocking: Stationed in Würzburg, Germany, he was working as a public information specialist and wrote articles for newspapers back home.

“One day, the commanding officer called me into his office. He said, ‘Don, you’re going to have to take a photograph of our Commanding General,’” Thompson recalled. “He is coming to our company unit, and he’s going to be inspecting our unit. We need you to take photographs.’ I had no camera. I didn’t even know how to take photographs. I didn’t even know what a camera looked like. But I was a 21-year-old kid, and the commanding officer said, ‘You’re going to have to take photographs.”

Thompson went into town, found a camera store and asked the owner what he should get. After he explained his situation, the owner suggested a Yashica Twin Lens Reflex camera and showed Thompson how to operate it.

“I wanted to get into something that I had been really interested in, doing some photographs that Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks and other photographers were doing.

I felt that I had a calling in my life to document injustice.”

DON THOMPSON

OPPOSITE: Thompson stands in front of his image “Endangered Species” (1991) along Greenwood’s Pathway of Hope.

BELOW: “Main Street Kids,” Tulsa, 1991

By Don Thompson

P H O TO G R A P H BY © D O N T H O M P S O N , C O U R T E SY T H E H U L E T T C O L L EC T I O N

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P H O TO G R A P H BY © D O N T H O M P S O N , C O U R T E SY T H E H U L E T T C O L L EC T I O N

ABOVE: “Shine Parlour II,” Tulsa, 1970

By Don Thompson OPPOSITE: Thompson stands with an image he captured in Tulsa, 1970 entitled “Baltimore Barbershop.”

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“The next day, I went to this area where Earle Wheeler (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), who was the general of the Army at the time, was going to be,” he says. “I started taking photographs with this twin lens camera. It only held 12 exposures at that time. So I took the photographs, and I prayed to God. I said, ‘I hope this goes well.’”

When Thompson had the film developed, only one photo came out “OK.” He took it to his commanding officer, and was told it would do.

“I still have that photograph,” Thompson says. “I made copies of it.

Sometimes when I go to some of these lectures, I show the photograph: ‘This is my photograph that was taken over 50 or 60 years ago.’”

Despite the stress of the ordeal, the experience left a mark on Thompson. When he got out of the army, he took a correspondence course in photography for the next two years and started doing commercial photography. Using everything from Leica to Nikon cameras, he focused on weddings, class reunions and portraits.

“I was never really satisfied with that type of thing. I just didn’t like the commercial side of it,” he says. “I wanted to really get into something that I had been really interested in, doing some photographs that Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks and other photographers were doing.

I felt that I had a calling in my life to document injustice. I wanted to document what I was seeing: the injustice, the racism, the bigotry, the discrimination.”

Other projects Thompson has worked on include a photographic exhibit titled “Black Settlers, In Search of the Promised Land.” The portraits and stories of the men and women who escaped the 1921 Tulsa Massacre are on display at the Oklahoma State UniversityTulsa campus.

The list of Thompson’s accomplishments, exhibits and honors he has amassed over the past half century would take up an entire page by itself. Black and white prints of Thompson’s work were recently added to the Hulett Collection in Tulsa. Photographs such as “Baltimore Barbershop,” “Shine Parlour II,” “Endangered Species” and “Three Against the Wall” are now part of the same collection as his photography idols Cartier-Bresson and Parks.

Yet when Thompson looks back on the day he captured the fall of Greenwood, he still feels contrite.

“To this day, my one regret is that I was not in the area fast enough because the bulldozers were faster than I was,” Thompson recalls. “I couldn’t get in that area quick enough because I worked at night. And the only time I could get into the area was during the daytime. I had pictured those areas that I wanted to photograph, and by the time I got into the area, they were gone. So, the very few photographs that I was able to capture, I was grateful for. I could have taken more, but the bulldozers were faster than I was.” •

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Every Heavy Thing director Mickey Reece

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If It Bleeds, It Leads Mickey Reece and actor Kaylene Snarsky on new techno-thriller Every Heavy Thing

BY ALE X ANDR A BOHANNON PH OTO G R A PH Y BY Z ACH A RY B U R N S

O

ne year. That’s the longest that Oklahoma City-based director Mickey Reece has gone without making a movie in decades. Reece has “either 29 or 30” feature films under his belt, and wasn’t totally sure how many he had directed at this point in his career before settling on the number 30.

“A lot of them are not good,” says Reece. “For people to be like, ‘That’s crazy. That’s impressive,’

It’s like, well, you got to see the first couple. I mean, they’re not anything impressive.”

Reece, who grew up in Newcastle, Oklahoma, has come a long way from his high school days of shooting on tape in his parents’ house, using his friends as actors and crew. Now Reece’s features hit the festival circuit and typically go on international tour before being picked up on streaming. By the time his last film Country Gold (tagged by critics as “A Cinematic Country Classic”) premiered at Fantasia International Film Fest in Montreal in 2022, Reece was well into the throes of his next project, The Cool Tenor, this time with the Hollywood machine behind him.

The Cool Tenor was proving to be a much larger movie than Reece had experience making, and his first foray into development hell.

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“And I got bored with it,” says Reece on The Cool Tenor. “And I was like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna write something that I know can get funded and that we can do pretty cheap.’”

Enter Reece’s latest flick, Every Heavy Thing, which also premiered at Fantasia Film Fest this past July. This sleek, saturated indie technothriller seems to be the antithesis of Hollywood bloat (shot for $300K in Oklahoma City using Reece’s favorite stable of actors and crew) and perhaps is a cure for the creative agitation Reece suffered during his unintentional hiatus.

“That’s the beauty of indie movies. Everyone is doing that labor of love because they love it,” says actor Kaylene Snarsky, who plays Cheyenne in the film. “That’s what we all want to do, is pour ourselves into a piece of something that isn’t just shiny and spoon-feeding you, you know?”

W.W.B.D.P.D? (WHAT WOULD BRIAN DE PALMA DO?) It’s likely Reece’s (nearly) continuous creative practice that has helped hone the skill and confidence that he exhibits in Every Heavy Thing, which he described as a “Brian De Palma movie from memory.”

“We’re not trying to remake one of these movies. We’re just going to go with that as our basis,” says Reece. “So whenever we’re having trouble making a choice, we can be like, ‘Oh, well, what would Brian De Palma do in this situation?’”

The film follows Joe (Josh Fadem), an ad seller at one of the last alt-weekly newspapers in fictional Hightown City, who witnesses a murder that may be connected to a string of missing women cases.

His life quickly unravels as intrepid newbie reporter Cheyenne (Snarsky) begins investigating the missing women and discovers a Big Tech bigwig (James Urbaniak) may be involved. As the tension ratchets, Joe rapidly loses his grip on reality.

Divulging too much more, such as the role of lounge singer Whitney Bluewill (played by horror legend Barbara Crampton), will spoil the ride, but audiences should know what they’re gearing up for: violence, nudity, kidnapping, dark comedy and Chekov’s XX ARM KYK Tactical semi-automatic shotgun, among other surprises.

Audiences know to buckle up from the very first few seconds, as the top of the film has a photosensitivity warning, indicating that the visual effects throughout could trigger seizures in people with epilepsy.

During some of Joe’s nightmares—or are they hallucinations? visions?— Joe enters a tech miasma of glitch effects and city footage that looks like something from Tron. (Fun fact: the film’s cityscape footage is actually from Tesla car cameras.)

“Every time there’s like a glitch that’s analog, that’s real. We literally sent it to a glitch artist,” says Reece, explaining that all the effects were done via analog equipment. “And then he takes it and gives me five different versions of the scene, because the glitch is always different, because the analog glitch is like … it’s always going to be different. It’s not like something that you create the exact moment you want it.”

Nicholas Poss’ electronic, sometimes droning, soundscape and score are pitch-perfect throughout and also make use of analog techniques.

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Mickey Reece talks through a scene with actor Vera Drew on the set of Every Heavy Thing.

“Nick is such a nerd,” says Reece. “He’s got a good job. He works at ACM[@UCO], so he’s just like, ‘I’m gonna use this money [from Every Heavy Thing] to buy all these old vintage synths’ that he’s using, and then learn how to use them. So that’s it—his music is amazing, but also it’s presented through the instrumentation that an ’80s techno thriller would have been presented through.”

While there are no accidents in this film, especially regarding casting (Reece said every cast member save one is playing a part he wrote for the actor who performs the role), Matt Couch’s production design or Jack Odell’s costuming, Reece and Snarsky evaded lines of questioning about the presence of specific themes.

“With Every Heavy Thing, all that stuff is in there,” says Reece in response to questions about themes of repressed sexuality and desire within the film. “But we’re not saying anything specific about it. It’s not on the nose; it’s there for you and for the critic to dissect.”

Actor Kaylene Snarsky playing Cheyenne in Every Heavy Thing

“I’LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST” While this is Snarsky’s first Reece film, she has been a performer since the age of 3 and has a bachelor’s degree in dance and arts management from Oklahoma City University. Where some indie directors may push boundaries or limits, especially on a provocative and charged thriller like Every Heavy Thing, Snarsky experienced nothing like that on set.

“I’m an intimacy coordinator as well, and I’m somebody who is not afraid to advocate for myself,” says Snarsky, who works on other feature film sets to coordinate sex or nudity sequences. Snarsky, who had a nude scene and some stunt work in the film, felt comfortable on set. As Every Heavy Thing was her second feature as an actor, she recalls how much having a mostly Oklahoma-based cast and crew mattered to her.

“Oklahoma filmmaking, the crew that we had, the people that come together for projects like this, just create an environment of safety and community,” she says.

That said, Reece wasn’t afraid to push Snarsky’s performance and help her grow as an actor during shooting, which she welcomed.

“Coming from a theater background, that’s something I had to learn a lot. Being on camera is a very different process, and you don’t need to do as much as you think you do, because the camera works like a human eye, and it can see every thought that you have,” says Snarsky.

One day, Snarsky recalled, a conversation with Reece helped her shift her performance in the film and transformed her on-camera craft.

“Because Mickey was like, it looks like you’re ‘Acting.’ And I totally, I totally was ‘Acting.’ I was trying to give something, because that’s what my brain went to do. But that’s not what you need to do on camera. On camera, you have to have a thought. And that says plenty,” says Snarsky.

Some of Reece’s strengths as a director come from his experience in front of the camera, including starring in his most recent feature, Country Gold. According to Mickey Reece’s BELLE ÎLE, a short documentary about his perspective as a director and artist, he originally wanted to be an actor. As Reece states in the doc, “Sometimes I just had to step in and play whatever part we didn’t have anyone for, whether it was fitting or not.”

That perspective has been critical in directing actors who take his script from the page and transform it into a performance for the screen.

“And I’ve definitely had actors that didn’t really understand the material, but it’s like, it’s OK. You don’t need to, just do what you do,” says Reece. “Like I always say, just go out into the field, put your glove in the air, and then I’ll take care of the rest.”

It’s Reece’s strong commitment to his vision and storytelling, his truly unique perspective on the world and his desire to improve at his craft that have launched him into this next phase of his career—and Every Heavy Thing has plenty for audiences to sink their teeth into.

“I’m never in a place to sit back and reflect, because I’m always trying to do something better. I’m always trying, always wanting more,” says Reece. “You got to get better with every movie.” •

To keep up with the latest for both Mickey Reece and Kaylene Snarsky, you can follow them on Instagram at @mickeyreece and @kaytothelene.

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J ERDAN DERM .COM

Bringing the Boom Back Randy Hogan’s role in shaping present-day OKC WORDS & IMAGES BY MICHAEL KINNE Y

R

andy Hogan had no intention of coming back. After the Oklahoma City native had graduated from high school and moved off to Texas to seek his fame and fortune, returning to the Sooner State was the last thing on his mind.

But while working at a Houston-area bank in 1982, Hogan received an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“My dad (Dan) was trying to get me moved back. We owned the Journal Record Building downtown. So, I

came back to help renovate that, lease it and manage it. I really had no plans coming back to Oklahoma City, but he kind of needed the help. Obviously, for him, I’d do it,” says Hogan.

Hogan’s desire to help out his father ended up turning into more than four decades of him changing the landscape of Oklahoma City. In the process, he helped turn it into a boom town, again.

Hogan, who founded and runs Stonegate Hogan Commercial Real Estate Services, has put together multimillion dollar real estate projects that primarily focus on mixed-use properties across the state. However, you would never know it by his office: a nondescript space on the first floor of a building overlooking Lake Hefner, with no signage out front. Stonegate Hogan doesn’t even have a website.

OPPOSITE: Stonegate Hogan founder Randy Hogan

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The 69-year-old remembers it being a very different atmosphere when he first came back to Oklahoma at his father’s request.

“My timing was impeccable,” he says with a laugh. “The Penn Square Bank folded 45 days later, and everything we had planned went to hell in a handbag. It was over. We were going to develop some apartments; it was the oil boom and I had some customers that were really very active in the apartment business.”

Oklahoma was suddenly in the midst of an oil bust, which was triggered by a sharp decline in oil prices due to oversupply and reduced demand. Unemployment rates soared and residents started moving to other states. It left those in the business community scrambling for answers.

“There were a lot of people that were younger and who were in different businesses, developments, certainly real estate,” Hogan recalls.

“I literally remember actually hosting at the Journal Record Building a group of people that just were saying, ‘What do we do now? I mean, what in the world do we do to move this city forward?’ It was from all walks of life, and I don’t think we accomplished anything, but we sure talked about it.”

Instead of picking up stakes and putting Oklahoma in his rearview mirror again, Hogan accepted the challenge of trying to help turn his city and state around.

It took close to a decade, but Hogan started to see glimpses of the transformation that was coming with the first MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects Plan). That also re-energized Hogan’s passion for real estate development, which he first found while working in Texas.

“I got hooked on development when I was in Houston,” Hogan says. “It was a boom time. There was probably more development in Houston during the three years I was there than any place in the country, because the energy business was going up.”

While Hogan had worked on several management and leasing deals, his first big project was Lake Hefner Parkway.

“I really kind of became interested in developing something here on the water,” Hogan says while looking out his office window. “We were the first public-private partnership in Oklahoma City. I pitched this to the Hall family. They were our partners going into it, and Jim Couch was the head of the water trust at the time, who later became a great city manager. But they made the decision. They thought it would be great for Oklahoma City to have a place where people, especially from out of town, can come and really see a different slice of Oklahoma City.”

With its restaurants, walking paths and amazing views, Lake Hefner has become one of OKC’s biggest attractions. It is the lake’s signature lighthouse that Hogan is most fond of discussing.

“We thought the lighthouse would be kind of fun to have. But I never dreamed it would turn out to be this,” Hogan says. “I was in Nantucket with my family, we were actually on my dad’s boat, and I kept looking—and there was this little lighthouse. It’s called Brant Point Lighthouse. I walked up to it, and I saw all these people going up to it. It was 36 feet tall. It’s the most photographed or visited lighthouse on the East Coast. That’s when I go, ‘I think we could build that.’ My family thought I was insane. They thought I was crazy when I first told them. So, we built ours—which is 38 feet tall.”

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Chicken N Pickle located at The Half

“I think that’s my favorite part. It’s like you’re creating these pockets of entertainment and gathering places for people, and it kind of helps build a city in a small way.”

R A NDY HOG A N

Andretti Indoor Karting located at The Half

Hogan made the entire project sound like it came together with the snap of his fingers, but he admitted the Lake Hefner Parkway was one of his most difficult jobs to complete due to lawsuits, raucous city council meetings and non-stop protesting from people who were against the project.

But in the end, Hogan prevailed.

“All of these were zoning battles,” he recounts. “It was not a fun experience because you have a few people making a ton of noise. Then they all come to your restaurants, which the restaurant guys tell me.

They go all the time and say, ‘You know, we really protested this, but God, we really love this.’ I go, ‘Great. I sat through a three-hour city council meeting where they were telling everybody what bad people we were.’”

Those types of experiences often have Hogan contemplating retiring from the game. But even after having a redevelopment agreement go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, he can’t seem to step away.

There are very few areas in the city that Hogan hasn’t had a hand in developing. And he isn’t done yet.

Hogan and his partners are putting the finishing touches on The Half, another mixed-use property located along the Broadway Extension in north OKC. It currently houses American Fidelity, Dolese, Flix Brewhouse, Chicken N Pickle and its most recent addition Andretti Indoor Karting.

He is also putting together a mixed-use project near 150th & Portland that will be anchored by Scheels, a sports retailer that began in Fargo, North Dakota, with a 330,000-square-foot structure that houses a Ferris wheel. The employee-owned business now has 34 stores spread throughout the central corridor of the country. That includes Tulsa, at 6929 South Memorial Drive.

These are the types of ventures Hogan is drawn to these days— ones that are big and fun and add to the growth and prosperity of his hometown.

“I like creating a kind of fun sense of play,” Hogan says. “Where people can come and enjoy it, and I can come and just sit back and watch everybody enjoy being out. I think that’s my favorite part.

It’s like you’re creating these pockets of entertainment and gathering places for people, and it kind of helps build a city in a small way.” •

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The Play’s the Thing OKC Repertory Theater brings new play reading festival and more

BY ALE X ANDR A BOHANNON

W

hat is the balm for a soul suffering the malaise of modern convenience?

When our attention is so fragmented, our taste commandeered by algorithms on glowing screens; and while we’ve never been more

connected, but we’ve never been more disconnected from one another?

The Oklahoma City Repertory Theater (OKC Rep) wants to provide you with the raw

materials for snapping out of this trance.

“There’s something about the live theater that, to me, is so transformational,” says Emily Comisar, executive artistic director for OKC Rep. “The fact that you are participating in a story, that you are doing it with other live humans sitting around you, and that you are seeing a performance that will never be exactly replicated the way that you’re seeing it is so important. For me, number one in terms of feeling more connected to other humans and feeling less alone in the world.”

A scene from Life Sucks at OKC Repertory Theater

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OKC Rep Executive Artistic Director Emily Comisar

P H O T O G R A P H BY S O F O C U S P H O TO S BY R . TO L A R

PLAYTIME In contrast to the full-scale performances OKC Rep typically produces, RepFest is intentionally stripped down. While actors have had 20 hours of rehearsal time for their plays, they will act from behind music stands, using their scripts, with no scenery or props.

Most play readings happen during the new play development process for playwrights, but the three plays that were performed at RepFest 2025 were well-received and have been performed across the country. The Comeuppance, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who won the 2024 and 2025 Tony Awards for Best Play, and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Primary Trust by Eboni Booth received the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. John was written by Annie Baker, who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Comisar noted that in future years, RepFest will present newer works that are less polished than those performed at RepFest 2025.

The goal of those is to give playwrights a chance to hear their written work performed in front of an audience and see how individuals react.

Comisar hopes Oklahoma City will be an early stop on the lifespan of a play that the entire country eventually gets to enjoy.

“We’re gonna see what works well and what doesn’t work as well during this inaugural year,” says Comisar. “What I’m really hoping to do is make it feel like a festival, which is why I named it RepFest. I want people to want to be around the whole time, to want to see all three shows, to maybe spend a day where they come to two different shows, and they hang out in the lobby in between, and to feel like they’re part of a community.”

P H O T O G R A P H BY B R I T T N EI B E AU C H A M P P H O T O G R A P H Y

Bringing audiences a blend of crowd-pleasing and thought-provoking theatrical experiences—all of them high in quality—has been OKC Rep’s goal for the past 24 years. With a recently reworked mission statement, the community and audience are at the theater’s beating heart … and that’s where OKC Rep’s new play reading festival, RepFest, enters stage left.

“So what [RepFest] accomplishes for us is kind of two- or threefold.

One is that it introduces our audiences to the play-reading format.

And it does that using some plays that are really, truly excellent,” says Comisar about the inaugural festival, which took place Nov. 19 through 23 at the Te Ata Theater at Oklahoma Contemporary.

A reading of The Comeuppance by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at OKC Rep’s RepFest 2025

“What I’m really hoping to do is make it feel like a festival, which is why I named it RepFest. I want people to be around the whole time … and to feel like they’re part of a community.”

E M I LY C O M I S A R

PLAYBILL But whether the plays are performed during RepFest or full-scale productions, the directors and cast always receive compensation for their time and talents. Compensating actors, directors and all crew members fairly is an important part of OKC Rep’s mission.

According to Comisar, OKC Rep’s average production costs between $125,000 and $150,000, with most of that money earmarked for cast and crew compensation. Cast members are on Actors’ Equity contracts, which guarantee them minimum salaries and other benefits; other crew members are under their specialty union contracts as well. In light of national cuts to art funding, Comisar is counting more than ever on patrons’ generosity to help the theater continue to flourish.

“Because we’re a nonprofit, because we have an accessible ticket pricing model, ticket sales account for less than a quarter of our total revenue. And so we really rely on the generosity of the community,” she says.

With excellent programming coming next year, which includes full productions like Life Sucks, which ran Oct. 9-19, and New York Times bestselling author Lindy West’s one-woman show Every Castle, Ranked premiering April 10, 2026, Comisar encourages the community to think about OKC Rep not just at end-of-year giving. In fact, on Dec. 2 (a.k.a Giving Tuesday for those in the nonprofit know), Comisar launched OKC Rep’s monthly giving program.

“If someone commits to a $10 gift or $10 a month, I think for most people, $10 a month is not a ton, but for us, it really adds up over time,” says Comisar. “And one of the things that I want to do is encourage monthly recurring giving because even if it’s a little bit every month, it starts to add up as the program grows, as the months go by, and it becomes revenue for us that is stable and sustainable, because we can expect it’s going to happen.”

What keeps the ghost light on in a non-profit theater is the generosity of patrons. The reason OKC Rep is putting on another season is the eager audiences who want to transform, explore, unhook from the algorithm or just be entertained for a little while.

“I’ve had people say to me, ‘Gosh, I feel like 10 years ago, I would have had to just go to New York to get this, but here I can drive down the street and get it,’” says Comisar. “And that’s exciting for me.” •

To check out Oklahoma City Repertory Theater, visit okcrep.org or follow the organization at @okcreptheater on Instagram.

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A Pop of Color Jamel Stephens celebrates flavor and culture with Afro Pop

BY MICHAEL KINNE Y

J

amel Stephens had a tough decision when coming up with a name. He was creative enough to conjure up a moniker that described the soft drink he was bringing to market back in 2022; the issue was choosing the perfect one that wouldn’t upset anyone out of a plethora of options.

While Stephens personally uses the term soda, he knows coke, pop and even soda pop are used in other regions to describe any brand of carbonated drinks.

The budding entrepreneur from Enid landed on “Afro Pop.” While it had a ring to it, he said the name also pays respect to the original Black-owned soda company in Oklahoma.

“When I first started Afro Pop, I didn’t know that there was another Black-owned company that used to exist in Oklahoma,” Stephens explains. “But as I did more research, I found out that there was a soda company called Afri Cola—eventually, it became Jay-Kola. But yes, there was a company like 100 years ago. I think, naturally, Afro Pop does pay homage to it.”

Afri Cola is believed to have been established in 1918 by Percy James and his wife Hattie as one of the few African American bottling companies in the Southwest. It wasn’t listed in the Oklahoma City Directory until 1921.

Re-named Jay-Cola in 1924 and then Jay-Kola in 1935, its origin came about due to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company refusing to sell its products in Black neighborhoods, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

“During that time Black people couldn’t go and get a Coca-Cola from a non-Black,” Stephens points out. “With them creating Afri Cola, they were just creating an opportunity for them to be able to see themselves represented. Afro Pop is just an evolution of that.”

Stephens sees more than a passing similarity between Afro Pop and the original Afri Cola, which stayed in business until 1965. Like Percy and Hattie James, he understood the obstacles that stood in front of him when he first decided to take this entrepreneurial path and he still proceeded. According to Stephens, Black-owned businesses make up less than 1% of the beverage industry.

82 LUXI E R E

“I think that it was definitely scary at times. I would be traveling to Tulsa and—you see this big semi from one of the major brands on the side of you and you’re in a small car,” Stephens says. “In comparison, you’re so small to a semi. And you’re carrying just a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what they’re carrying. I think it was a little symbolic to what we do. We’re so small, but we are making an impact, even at a small scale.”

Afro Pop’s current product lineup consists of three drinks: Summer Nights (a blueberry lemonade flavor), Grandma’s House (butterscotch) and Blvcker The Berry (blackberry cream soda) are sold in vibrant 12-ounce cans whose visuals were designed by local artists.

Stephens is more than just the brains behind a growing soda empire; he is also the lead mixologist. He created each of the three flavors Afro Pop has been built on.

“I wanted my products to feel nostalgic,” he said, “feel like home, feel like an extension of themselves.”

The first location Stephens was able to place Afro Pop was Factory Obscura. He sold the OKC artists’ collective on the idea before he had even produced a product back in 2022.

“It was actually the first time that I ever pitched this idea to someone.

And so to hear someone was on board, it was just comforting, as well as it reminded me this was a great idea and that what we were doing was going to work.”

Afro Pop’s reach has spread to more than 125 locations in 22 states.

Stephens eclipsed more than $100,000 in revenue in two years.

But the 26-year-old wants to make sure Afro Pop is not just a flavor-of-the-month brand that will be forgotten when the next new thing hits on social media. Like Percy and Hattie James, he is looking to change the game.

“My initial thought was I wanted to see this blank canvas where people were able to tell their own stories and be able to create beautiful artwork on the cans,” Stephens said. “I wanted something that was very unique and not just another cola, cream soda, root beer. We’ve seen those things a thousand times. I want to really challenge the beverage market.” •

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Charli Bullard / Private Office Advisor 1138 N Robinson Ave • Oklahoma City charli.bullard@evrealestate.com 405-414-6215 ©2025 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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© 2025 Sotheby’s Internat ional Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s Internat ional Realty®is a registered t rademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s Internat ional Realty office is independent ly owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s Internat ional Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without not ice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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A December Evening at Avondale The sun dips low over Nichols Hills, casting a soft winter glow across the corner of Avondale Drive and Belford Avenue. The lights along the roofline flicker to life, warm and golden, outlining a home that feels like it was built for this very season.

You pull into the drive, and before you even step inside, you can hear laughter drifting from somewhere in the house—kids negotiating whether it’s too early for s’mores, someone queuing up holiday music, the soft clinking of glasses being set out for the evening. The front door opens to the comforting scent of a woodburning fireplace, and the kind of quiet luxury that doesn’t try too hard … it just is.

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You wander outside for a moment, where the patio lights sparkle against the stonework. Someone has already set out the marshmallows, and there’s a throw blanket folded over the arm of a chair with your name all over it. The kind of simple comfort that feels rare now. The kind you want to hold onto.

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Selling the Exceptional 2025 SIGNIFICANT SALES

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SOLD | 5309 Pulchella Drive, Gaillardia | $2,750,000

SOLD | 7151 Country Club Drive, Penhurst | $2,650,000

SOLD | 2402 Grand Circle, Nichols Hills | $2,625,000

SOLD | 2422 Grand Circle, Nichols Hills | $1,975,000

SOLD | 1633 Saratoga Way, Saratoga Farms | $1,900,000

SOLD | 15532 Laguna Drive, Ezperanza | $1,700,000

SOLD | 4550 Mayes Drive, Norman | $1,675,000

SOLD | 1653 Saratoga Way, Saratoga Farms | $1,300,000

For more information about our Exclusive Listings and Developments, please visit DAVIDOLIVERHOMES.COM

Sage Sotheby’s International Realty | 1047 NW 68th Street, Oklahoma City © 2025 Sage Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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T HE

JOY BA R ESEL P ORTFOLIO OF FINE HOMES

1913 HUNTINGTON AVENUE, NICHOLS HILLS SOLD

14616 MISTLETOE DRIVE, GAILLARDIA $1,885,000

105 LOWER GREENWAY, CARLTON LANDING $1,785,000

1117 TEDFORD WAY, NICHOLS HILLS $1,650,000

1826 DRAKESTONE AVENUE, NICHOLS HILLS UNDER CONTRACT

1301 NW 20TH STREET, GATEWOOD SOLD

7901 LAURA LANE, OKLAHOMA CITY UNDER CONTRACT

1204 NW 42ND STREET, HELM FARM SOLD

908 NW 38TH STREET, CROWN HEIGHTS SOLD

5710 N MILLER AVENUE, BELLE ISLE $749,000

14 NE 3RD STREET, DEEP DEUCE SOLD

1223 NW 20TH STREET, GATEWOOD SOLD

1801 DRAKESTONE AVENUE, NICHOLS HILLS $599,000

3119 SPRING WILLOW ROAD #36, JAMESTOWN $497,000

2224 NW 27TH STREET, SHEPHERD HISTORIC UNDER CONTRACT

Joy Baresel / CEO Private Office Real Estate Advisor, Broker +1 405-826-7465 joy.baresel@evrealestate.com joybaresel.evrealestate.com Instagram: @joybaresel ©2025 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

Gratitude & Global Connections As we close out this wonderful year, I’m so thankful to have helped dozens of families find their perfect home and to have reached over $40 Million in sales. Serving as CEO of Engel & Völkers, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with top advisors from around the world from New York to Dubai. These experiences have enriched my knowledge, helping me bring the very best insights back to my clients here in Oklahoma.

I want to wish you a warm and joyful holiday season. I look forward to helping even more families find their place next year. If you’re dreaming of a new home or just want to chat about the possibilities, I’d love to connect.

Cheers to new beginnings and continued success in the coming year!

Warm Wishes, Joy Baresel

L E A D E R S H I P S U M M I T N A PA KAREN ARENSON Chicago North Shore

ALLY SWOPES Scottsdale Waterfront

CIARA CAPONI Panama City, Panama

AMY LEONG Vancouver, BC

TYRA RUDRUD Vail, CO

JOY BARESEL + FIFI Oklahoma City

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