July Nichols Hills Community Magazine

2 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community

CONTENTS

Cover story

Darci Lynne Farmer on being a ‘normal’ kid. 4-9 ‘America’s Got Talent’ winner goes to summer camp and back to school.

Beaux Arts. 7-9 & 12-13 Individual portraits of the Beaux Arts Debutantes and their Escorts.

Art of fashion. 14 ‘Fashioning Art from Paper’ now on display at Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 3

Darci Lynne A ‘normal’ kid with extraordinary talent

Above, Darci with her Katie the Yodeling Cowgirl puppet. At left, Annie Oakley Society co-founder Judy Hatfield, Darci Lynn with her award, a custom-made Annie Oakley puppet, and co-founder Cathy Keating.

4 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Annie Oakley Society presented Darci Lynne Farmer with its inaugural Little Sure Shot Award during its annual luncheon.

But the presentation was pre-recorded. Darci was at summer camp doing “normal” kid things.

The rising Deer Creek eighth grader was the winner of the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent” with her ventriloquist act. Darci loved to sing as a child, but was very shy.

Her parents, Clarke and Misty Farmer, encouraged her to perform in the International Cinderella Scholarship Program and she was crowned International Mini Miss. She met the teen title holder, Laryssa Bonacquisti, a young ventriloquist and was intrigued.

Her 10th birthday present was a puppet.

Darci’s idol was a past winner of “America’s Got

- Photo by Jerry Hymer

Darci Lynne Farmer with puppets Oscar and Petunia.

Talent,” ventriloquist Terry Fator.

Darci made the commitment to help keep the art of ventriloquism alive and went to work honing her skills.

In 2014, she entered and won Edmond’s Got Talent.

She went on to win first place at Oklahoma’s Got Talent and Oklahoma Kids, in addition to Broadway, Specialty Acts and overall Entertainer of the Year at American Kids in Branson, Mo. Continued on Page 10

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 5

Beaux Arts Society names 2017 Debutantes, Escorts

T As per tradition, the Beaux Arts Debutantes are presented by their fathers during a ball at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Above: Ann Jouillian with her father Edward Joullian IV during the 2017 Ball.

6 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

The Beaux Arts Society has announced the 19 names of the 2018 Debutantes who will be presented at the 73nd annual Beaux Arts Ball set for Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.

The Society also announced the names of 19 young men who will serve as escorts.

The Beaux Arts began in 1945 as a costume ball benefiting the Oklahoma City Arts Center, now the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Under the auspices of the Beaux Arts Society, the Ball became a Debutante presentation the following year and included the announcement of a civic leader as Beaux Arts King, a tradition that continues today. Now in its 73nd year, the Beaux Arts Ball continues to raise funds for the museum’s acquisition fund, having raised more than $1,000,000 to date.

This year, the Debutantes are: Sophie Noelle Bondurant, McKenzie Ann Carlin, Ellie Katherine Dunn, Allison Grace

Farhood, Abigail Mae Garrett, Caitlyn Michelle Greene, Kiki Danielle Greene, Mary Elizabeth Milam, Caroline Grace Mullins and Grace Caroline Patton.

Also, Grace Elisabeth Pitman, Lauren Katherine Platt, Caroline Jeannine RainboltForbes, Eleanor Jane Rainbolt-Forbes, Emma Jane Richmond, Sayde Lynn Saunders, Kaylee Nicole Scott, Kathryn Elizabeth Wheeler and Alexandria Elizabeth Williams.

The Escorts are: James David Bozalis, Blake Davison Brigham, John William Dunn III, Jacob Michael Ellis, William James Harlow, Grayson James Katigan, Blake Christian Kirkpatrick Keesee, Patrick Henry Kennedy and Cole Thomas McDaniel.

Also, Andrew Cook McDonald, Robert Henry Nayfa, Joshua Armand Paliotta, Philip Louis Pippin, Matthew Cowan Price, Collin Madison Reid, Ian Lindsey Self, Logan Joseph Stevenson, Matthew Thayer Thompson and Jakob Alex Trachtenberg.

2018 Beaux Arts Debutantes

Sophie Bondurant

McKenzie Carlin

Sophie Noelle Bondurant attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Nicole and Dr. William Laban Bondurant.

McKenzie Ann Carlin attends the University of Kansas. She is the daughter of Holly and Dr. Mark William Carlin.

Abigail Garrett

Caitlyn Greene

Abigail Mae Garrett attends the University of Kansas. She is the daughter of Betty Jane and William Braden Garrett.

Caitlyn Michelle Greene attends the University of Georgia. She is the daughter of Michelle and Christopher Greene.

Ellie Dunn Ellie Katherine Dunn attends the University of Texas. She is the daughter of Vionette and John William Dunn, Jr.

Kiki Greene Kiki Danielle Greene attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Michelle and Christopher Greene.

Allison Farhood Allison Grace Farhood attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Drs. Lisa and Vincent Farhood.

Mary Milam Mary Elizabeth Milam attends Oklahoma State University. She is the daughter of Anita Crites Milam and Carl Skogsberg Milam.

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 7

2018 Beaux Arts Debutantes

Caroline Mullins Caroline Grace Mullins attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Kimberly Ann Mullins and Michael Lee Mullins, Sr.

Grace Patton Grace Caroline Patton attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Caroline and Guy L. Patton.

Caroline Rainbolt-Forbes

Eleanor Rainbolt-Forbes

Caroline Jeannine Rainbolt-Forbes attends the University of Denver. She is the daughter of Dr. Leslie Rainbolt & Mr. Scott Forbes.

Eleanor Jane RainboltForbes attends Colorado College. She is the daughter of Dr. Leslie Rainbolt and Mr. Scott Forbes.

8 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

Grace Pitman

Lauren Platt

Grace Elisabeth Pitman attends Vanderbilt University. She is the daughter of Christa Pitman and Dr. Gabriel Pitman.

Lauren Katherine Platt attends the University of Oregon. She is the daughter of Elizabeth and Michael Collin Platt.

Emma Richmond Emma Jane Richmond attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Anne McKinney Richmond and Jeffrey Curtis Roone.

Sayde Saunders Sayde Lynn Saunders attends Oklahoma State University. She is the daughter of Tracey and Robert Cecil Sanders, Jr.

2018 Beaux Arts Debutantes

Kaylee Scott Kaylee Nicole Scott attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Susan and Gerald Scott.

Kathryn Wheeler

Alexandria Williams

Kathryn Elizabeth Wheeler attends the University of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Janine and Gregory Wheeler.

Alexandria Elizabeth Williams attends the University of Denver. She is the daughter of Jill and James E. Williams.

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 9

Darci Lynne

Darci’s first passion, above, was gymnastics.

She said she practiced 30 hours a week. At right: Singing during a preschool program.

Darci made an appearance on “Little Big Shots” in March 2016 and was the first child ventriloquist ever to perform on an evening show in the 40-year history of the Vent Haven International Ventriloquists’ ConVENTion in July 2016.

In the first episode broadcast on May 30, 2017 of the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent,” Mel B pressed her golden buzzer, sending Darci straight to the quarterfinals. She would go on to win the competition with her Pentunia rabbit puppet, stuttering Motown mouse puppet, Oscar, and others.

The prize was $1 million and a headline gig at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nev. These days, her travel schedule is only on weekends as she will return to Deer Creek Intermediate School in the fall as her family strives to help her remain as “normal” a kid as possible.

As for college and career plans, she is keeping her options open.

“I’m not sure yet,” she said. “I always wanted to be a veterinarian.”

10 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

She recently sang “The National Anthem” at an OKC Energy game – without a puppet.

“I would love to write and record some songs,” Darci said.

Since her “America’s Got Talent” win, Darci appeared on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas along with Fergie as part of a New Year's Eve event.

Meeting Kristen Chenowith was a real highlight of her new fame.

“I wouldn’t ever had imagined meeting her,” Darci said. “Kristen Chenowith is one of my favorite people ever. It was so awesome.”

Her advice to other young people is “to just go for it.”

“If you are passionate about something, don’t let anyone stop you,” Darci said. “If I can do it, you can do it.”

She said her family and friends work hard every day so she can have these opportunities.

And, yes, she did buy her mom a dishwasher with her winnings, just as she vowed in her post-win interviews.

“It was a GE,” Darci said.

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 11

2018 Beaux Arts Escorts

James Bozalis

Blake Brigham

John Dunn

Jacob Ellis

William Harlow

Grayson Katigan

Blake Keesee

Patrick Kennedy

Cole McDaniel

Andrew McDonald

12 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

2018 Beaux Arts Escorts

Robert Nayfa

Joshua Paliotta

Collin Reid

Philip Pippin

Ian Self

Matthew Thompson

Matthew Price

Logan Stevenson

Jakob Trachtenberg Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 13

‘Fashioning Art from Paper’ “Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper” continues through Sept. 9 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA).

The exhibition features 78 life-size, trompe l’œil paper costumes by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave encompassing over 500 years of fashion history. OKCMOA is the exclusive regional venue for the exhibition.

“The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is honored to be one of co-organizers of this prestigious retrospective and national tour,” said President and CEO E. Michael Whittington. “This is the first time de Borchgrave’s four

14 Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine

innovative paper fashion collections have been shown together and visitors will enjoy both the scale of the works and range of styles presented. From Marie de Medici to Coco Chanel to Les Ballets Russes, this exhibition is sure to amaze and delight.” de Borchgrave (born 1946) is a prominent Belgian artist, painter and sculptor, best known for her paper costumes. Programming and events throughout the summer will be inspired by “Fashioning Art from Paper” including classes, camps, workshops, public tours and events.

Nichols Hills & NW OKC Community Magazine 15