deadCenter Film Festival by Oklahoma Gazette

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM

INSIDE COVER A hybrid deadCenter Film Festival runs from June 10 through June 20. By Matt Dinger Cover by Phillip Danner

NEWS Juneteenth Editor/Publisher introduction 8 Pride events 10 Chicken-Fried News 5 7

EAT & DRINK 12

Gazedibles

ARTS & CULTURE COVER deadCenter Film Festival deadCenter reviews 22 Festival of the Arts 25 Calendar 14 21

MUSIC 26 27

Record Store Day Live music

THE HIGH CULTURE 28 29

Green Grow Fest Strain review

FUN 30 31

Puzzles sudoku | crossword Astrology

VOL. XLIII NO. 02 PUBLISHER | Bryan Hallman bhallman@okgazette.com EDITOR | Matt Dinger mdinger@okgazette.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Phillip Danner DIGITAL MEDIA & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR | Kendall Bleakley ADVERTISING advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Saundra Godwin sgodwin@okgazette.com Christy Duane cduane@okgazette.com Jonathon Simms jsimms@okgazette.com Melissa Griffin mgriffin@okgazette.com ACCOUNTING/HR MANAGER Monique Dodd mdodd@okgazette.com CONTRIBUTORS Jacob Threadgill Jerry Bennett Phillip Rodriguez

OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

They can laugh, but they can’t deny us. They can curse and kill us, but they can’t destroy us. This land is ours because we come out of it, we bled in it, our tears watered it, we fertilized it with our dead. So the more of us they destroy, the

– Ralph Ellison –

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM

Juneteenth has always been a family holiday for Jabee Williams, but this year it’s a holiday for all of northeast Oklahoma City. “It’s something that my parents would tell us about as a kid growing up, and we always celebrated Juneteenth. A lot of my family is from Texas,” Williams said. Juneteenth, a combination of the words June and nineteenth, is celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of the end of slavery in Texas. While slavery had officially ended in the United States two years earlier, news reached the state on June 19, 1865. “That is our Jubilee, our day of freedom and it’s just as important as the Fourth of July,” Williams said. Williams is using his recently-established nonprofit, With Love, to orchestrate the event, which includes several stages of live performances and educational sessions, as well as usual festival fare. The main event will be hosted on NE 23rd St. between N. Kelham Ave. and N. Hood St. from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Juneteenth. There will be a cookout and film screening starting at 6 p.m. on June 20. “There’s a whole generation of people who are just learning about it. We were having roadblocks even trying to get insurance stuff because people didn’t realize it’s a celebration. It’s not a protest. It’s not a rally. It’s a celebration of freedom.” The event will be hosted by George Lee AKA Conscious Lee, teacher, speaker and nationally-renowned debater who grew up in Texas and now resides in the metro. Headlining the festival is Sa-Roc, who released her tenth record, The Sharecropper’s Daughter, last fall on legendary Minneapolis-based hip-hop label Rhymesayers. The new album is

an homage to her father’s experience as a tobacco sharecropper. Los Angeles based poet, political activist, academic, and emcee Propaganda will also be in attendance. “One thing we’re going to focus on, too, is the education component. ... When you think about what we’re seeing right now, with these bills being passed about education and about history, and race theory and things like that, the idea of the celebration of Juneteenth is something that ends up being taken out of schools, then we have the option to educate ourselves and one way to do that is to make sure that we celebrate it each year. Not only celebrate it, but provide education on what it is and why we celebrate it,” Williams said. Juneteenth also shares a particular history with Oklahoma City, being the title of Oklahoma City native Ralph Ellison’s second novel. The posthumous novel, first published in 1999, was patched together from thousands of pages of notes. Nappy Roots Books will be reading passages from the book as well as from other selections during the festival. The Oklahoma City Thunder book truck will also be there. African dance classes will be available for children on another stage during the festival and a number of black-owned food vendors will be serving meals throughout the day. Williams’ nonprofit was originally named For the East Side With Love. This is its second event. The first was painting murals at the newly-opened grocery store, The Market at EastPoint. “It’s just an honor to be able to do it and be able to kind of do something that isn’t about me, but it’s about our community and the rich history in our community, the history that we have in our neighborhood on the east side,” Williams said.

Propaganda (L) & Sa-Roc (R) | Photos provided

Nappy Roots Books will be conducting live readings to children (and adults) during the festival. Reading selections include:

On Juneteenth by Annette

Gordon-Reed. This sweeping story by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author tells of Juneteenth’s importance to American history. Gordon-Reed weaves together history, dramatic family chronicles, and searing episodes of memoir.

Juneteenth, A Children’s Story by Opal Lee (illustrated by

Peter Viska) shares the history of the end of slavery and the jubilation experienced by people who tasted freedom for the first time. On sale will be a selection of books for children and adults about iconic figures in African American history such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and others.

Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison is

an eloquent and beautifully written tale by Oklahoma’s premier African American author.

NEWS OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM

Bryan Hillman (L) & Matt Dinger (R) | Photo Gazette Staff

I suppose it’s time to introduce ourselves. I’m Matt Dinger, the new editor-inchief. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, I come from a news background, having spent more than a decade at The Oklahoman covering just about everything in limited fashion but specializing in crime reporting and news features. I started writing about cannabis for the Gazette in October of 2018 and for a year was the managing editor of Extract, our monthly medical cannabis publication, before COVID-19 brought that project to a screeching halt in March 2020. I continued to write for every issue of Oklahoma Gazette that was published before production on the paper also finally halted in December. And I’m Bryan Hallman, the new publisher of Oklahoma Gazette. I’m also

an Oklahoma native who has lived all over the state. I began my career in social work and special education before moving into media. I have more than 20 years of business management experience under my belt and have worked for local, regional and national media companies in both radio and print. I have three adult children. If you’d like to reach me for questions or comments, please email publisher@okgazette.com. All right. That’s out of the way. Dinger here. It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic was brutal on many small businesses and ours is no exception. We halted publication in December, unsure of when we would return. Well, here we are. We hit the ground running again with a very small staff, less than half we had when the pandemic decimated live

events and businesses where the public gathers, which is our bread and butter. We are rebuilding rapidly, but please excuse our dust. I personally penned the majority of the first two issues while re-establishing connections with writers. You will see some familiar names in upcoming issues, some of whom wrote for us last year and others who wrote for us years ago. It’s been said that half of this city has published a piece in the Oklahoma Gazette. Now I’d like to publish the other half. You will see us write about things that we have not in the past and you will not see others that we have historically covered. Don’t worry though. The horoscopes and puzzles are safe. I spent the previous 15 months under nearly complete lockdown and as I ven-

tured out again after being vaccinated, I noticed that so much has changed. Let’s talk about it. As more and more people are vaccinated and restrictions are lifted, people are returning to old haunts and checking out new spots. Construction in this city is moving at a breakneck pace and so is culture. Every person I’ve spoken to in the past month has a hope for the future that I’ve never experienced in my lifetime. After more than a year apart, the hair has stood straight up on my neck several times from all the raw energy around me, whether in bars, restaurants, alleys or gathered around a stage. The energy is palpable and we hope to capture at least a glimmer of it in our pages. Oklahoma Gazette henceforth will be more kinetic, and we are doubling down on coverage of all the awesome things folks are planning for this summer. There are more exciting things happening in the metro now than we have pages or time to cover but we will do our best. You’ll also notice several types of new features in the coming months. Creative Director Phillip Danner weathered the storm the past year while brainstorming new ways of approaching and enhancing our content. The coloring page and QR codes were his ideas, among many others. Oklahoma Gazette has been a part of this community for more than four decades, but it’s also been too far apart from it. In addition to seeing us out and about at more places this year, expect us to start holding events both intimate and enormous. The bad news is that all of these things cost money. Numerous alt-weeklies just like ours have sunk in the past year and we came very close. Some people still think that we’re gone forever. We’re back. For now. The only way we can continue to support our communities is by our communities supporting us. We are almost exclusively driven by advertising revenue. Our existing partners have been fantastic in getting us back up and running and we hope the direction we take is exciting enough to build more. Everyone I’ve talked to about the paper’s future has been excited and optimistic. That gets us through the 16-hour days, but it doesn’t keep the lights on. As we get the machine oiled and running on all cylinders again, help keep us in the loop of happenings and people we need to meet. My email is editor@okgazette.com. While I may not have the time to reply to every email that comes my way, I promise that I look at every single one. Times are tough but they’re getting better. It’s good to see you all again.

Onward. NEWS OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

Pride Month is here and numerous events are being held around the city before the main Pride weekend festivities and parade scheduled for June 25 and 26. See our cover story in the next Oklahoma Gazette for details about that, but in the meantime, check these out.

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Toke ‘n Drag Benefit June 19, Relax Park, 500 S. Western Ave. More than two dozen cannabis personalities from around the state will appear in drag to raise funds for displaced LGBTQ youth with an educational twist that deeply respects the significance of the show’s date by elevating BIPOC voices within our communities. The preshow begins at 7 p.m. with a supply drive for a grand prize along with swag and raffle items from more than 40 brands. The event on the main stage begins at 9 p.m.. There will be a Brazilian churrascaria food court and craft non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. The onsite Hub Bar offers alcoholic drinks and Garden of Weeden is an attached dispensary. Tickets are $10 before and $15 day of show.

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM NEWS

Photo Phillip Danner

Pride! on the Plaza The return of Live! on the Plaza begins with Pride! on the Plaza June 11 from 6 to 10 p.m. This is the return of the block party held in the Plaza the second Friday of each month. Below are some of the participating businesses and what they have already announced for the event. Velvet Monkey: hair show at 8 p.m. Magic Tree: aerial silk show at 7 p.m. (will perform throughout night) DNA Galleries: poetry & chill from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pie Junkie: Cosmic Whoopie Pies Plaza Walls: hosted by OKC Pride Alliance plus an interactive mural Dig It: Bedtime performance at 6 p.m. (@bedtimetheband) - vogue class at 7:15 p.m. - drag performance at 7:30 p.m. Thrive Mama: rainbow headbands for kids OKC Improv: Shows at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. featuring community members who identify as LGBTQIA+ Bad Granny’s: dance performances Empire: Pride Slice The Press: Second drag show at 9:30 p.m. By.Elyjah + Aurora (Plaza Backyard): Live music from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Chelsea Days + Granpa Vern Lyric Courtyard: Friends of the Plaza reception from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

CAMP

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Photo Phillip Danner

Pride Night with the Oklahoma City Energy The Energy FC will host Pride Night on June 12 when the Greens face Birmingham Legion FC at Taft Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Pride Night can be purchased at energyfctix.com/pride with $2 from each going directly to the OKC Pride Alliance. In addition, Energy FC Pride shirts and scarves will be available for sale with 20 percent of proceeds also benefiting the OKC Pride Alliance. Matchday celebrations will include a special rendition of the national anthem, Pride-themed décor, rainbow smoke bombs for the supporters and more from the 2SLGBTQ+ supporters group, the Main Street Greens. The Energy will also participate in the OKC Pride Fest.

daily

Photo Unpslash.com

OKC Zoo Pride Sip & Stroll Leading into the main OKC Pridefest, the Pride Sip & Stroll will be held June 23 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Up to 1,200 people ages 21 and up will be able to wander on an outdoor path to adventure through the zoo and guests will experience wildlife from around the world as well as featured drinks inspired by Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Belize and others. While most of the 100-acre zoo will be open for exploration, giraffe loop and Oklahoma Trails will be closed for guest safety. VIP admission is $40 per person, which includes early entry to the event with check-in times from 5:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., a special sea lion presentation at 7 p.m., and access to Dino Safari, Stingray Bay, and lorikeets. Limited to 300 guests per night. General Admission is $25 per person and includes entry between 6:15-7:45 p.m. and access to Dino Safari. A Drink Passport is $30 per person and includes six $5 drink tickets to be used for a 5 oz. sample of each specialty drink. Guests can purchase tickets to Flamingo Mingle, Stingray Bay, lorikeets, and carousel during ticket purchase or on-site. Entry times are spaced every 15 minutes to allow for maximum social distancing. After scheduled check-in, guests are free to stay through the duration of the event.

NEWS OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

chicken friedNEWS Rather than do the right thing and name it the Misinformation Superhighway, the Oklahoma legislature decided once again to take it too far (like they always do). Coming soon nowhere near you: Donald J. Trump Presidential Highway. Once again, instead of pushing through important legislation during unprecedented times for the nation, this state or its capital, the Republican clown car on the hill decided to dedicate crucial time to repealing a state law so that a 20-mile stretch of U.S. 287 from Boise City to the Texas state line in nowhere Cimarron County can carry on the legacy of their exalted orange one. Boy, must he be proud. In the rankings, are highways more or less tremendous than walls?

In order to kiss the ring on one of those tiny Trump fingers, the legislature had to repeal a law which stated that all people for whom highways are named must be dead three years unless they are a Medal of Honor recipient. While some might wish we are living three years past the date of Trump’s funeral, we are not. And while he is a human monument, the living fossil that is U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe will also be memorialized. As a Midwest City highway interchange, no less, which fits fairly well if you think about it. One can only hope that the stretch was picked for its traffic gridlock and crumbling infrastructure, a fitting tribute to the man himself. This bullshit takes effect Nov. 1.

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Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it, but what happens to those who never learned it in the first place? Thanks to the efforts of right-wingers with quaking knees collapsing under the weight of the realization that the history of the United States of America might not be as star-spangled awesome as they were led to believe, anything labeled “critical race theory” will be banned from being taught in Oklahoma schools. “Among the concepts that would be prohibited are that individuals, by virtue of race or gender, are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously. … The measure would also prevent colleges and universities from requiring students to undergo training on gender or sexual diversity,” the Associated Press reported. The last place that people should go to challenge their perceptions and learn about new ways of perceiving the world around them is a school, right? The thing is, Oklahoma public schools were where most of us learned about

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race practice. We saw our friends of color getting hassled more or treated differently. We also learned about gender inequality through dress or conduct codes and their variances between boys and girls. Twenty years later, when I see groups of kids who would be exposed to “critical race theory” in the schools, diversity is just something that seems hard-wired into their friend groups and their understanding of culture. No, the sad part is that those who could learn the most from exposure to such ideas now are the ones who needed it then and are also the ones foolishly attempting to pass that ignorance on to the youth.

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GAZEDIBLES

Healthy Options There is no better time to start experiencing the bounty of in-season fruits and vegetables than late spring and early summer. Whether you’re in the mood for a salad, smoothie or fresh fruit, these seven restaurants provide plenty of options. By Jacob Threadgill Photos Provided

Café 420

Cheever’s Café

Organic Squeeze

This plant-based café and shop opened at the start of the pandemic, so you might’ve missed it last year. Following an alkaline diet, which focuses on eliminating highly acidic foods like meat, legumes and added sugar (among other things), its offerings are different from other vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the city. Fried oyster mushrooms masquerade as fried chicken in a variety of indulgent dishes. Sea moss, with its purported anti-inflammatory properties, is the star of its smoothie menu.

It is impossible to compile a list of best salads in Oklahoma City without mentioning the quinoa avocado offering at A Good Egg Dining Group’s flagship restaurant. A non-traditional salad from first look (where is the lettuce?), but nothing but delicious when all of its elements combine. The combination of red quinoa topped with avocado, chile-lime corn, pico de gallo, goat cheese, almonds and garlic vinaigrette is equal parts flavorful and filling thanks to the protein-rich quinoa.

The best way to absorb nutrition is to consume fruits and vegetables raw, which is great and all if you love salads and crudite, but what about something with more flavor? All of the juices available are cold-pressed, meaning they retain maximum nutritional benefit. You can grab juices by the bottle, customize a smoothie order or pick up salad and a few pre-packaged meals at this Nichols Hills spot.

409 N. Walker Ave. Facebook.com/AlkalineCafe420 405-768-3470

2409 N. Hudson Ave. Cheeverscafe.com 405-525-7007

6434 Avondale Dr., Nichols Hills Organic-squeeze.com 405-796-7793

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OOZIE Mediterranean Restaurant

Plant

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The key to unlocking a flavorful Mediterranean meal comes with a few caveats: it’s only available Monday through Friday and closes at 5 p.m. Located on the bottom floor of an office building, OOZIE offers traditional Lebanese classics along with Americanstyle breakfast and grill classics. Order a fattoush salad for flavorful and healthy bites, but don’t forget about pairing a salad with some of the best falafel and baba ghanoush (made with grilled eggplant for added flavor) in the city.

The aptly-named Plant has served plenty of smoothies, salads and plant-based entrees since opening in Midtown in 2019. Much of the menu changes with the season to feature the freshest ingredients, like its current naked summer salad, that go next to staples like a bonsai bowl and many of its meal-like smoothies. If ingredients like reishi, ashwagandha and chaga sound confusing, don’t worry. There’s plenty of information available on menus and from knowledgeable staff who will let you find the right mix for your diet.

This is an example of following the KISS motto (Keep It Simple, Stupid) because the offerings at this family-owned restaurant showcase traditional Mediterranean recipes bring in crowds for this fast-casual concept where customers choose proteins and toppings. While the big, rotating cones of chicken, beef and lamb sizzling on a spit-roaster draws customers, its flavorful salad options of Fattoush, Greek, tabouli and Mediterranean are the perfect compliment to the meats or tasty falafel.

This is a recent addition to the Chisholm Creek development by way of its original location in Shawnee. You might be familiar with a portion of its menu, acai bowls, which use the tiny, antioxidant rich berries as the basis for a healthy snack. Surf Bar also offers bowls made with pitaya (also known as dragonfruit), as well as eleven options of smoothies in addition to customizable versions. It’s a worthy breakfast (open from 8 a.m. until the evening) or a healthy treat following a visit to another Chisholm Creek restaurant.

1211 N. Shartel Ave, suite 102 Oozierestaurant.com 405-742-7659

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14600 N. Pennsylvania Ave, suite A Shawarmaandcompany.com 405-286-1646

1332 W. Memorial Road, suite 110 The-surf-bar-ok-llc.square.site 405-915-9373

E AT & D R I N K O KGA Z E T TE .CO M | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

Buy deadCenter a drink this summer because it’s finally of legal age.

By Matt Dinger

For its 21st year, a hybrid deadCenter Film Festival will begin June 10 and run through June 20 at various Oklahoma City locations with many screenings available online. “We did the virtual festival last year and that really gave us a great groundwork for what we wanted to do this year. So we knew at a minimum, we were going to have the virtual piece,” deadCenter Film Festival Executive Director Alyx Picard Davis said. “As we kind of got closer to June, we started building in opportunities as we saw they might fit. We’ve always had outdoor screenings as a part of deadCenter, so we knew that we would be able to do that, too. We’ve really put a lot of energy into making our two outdoor screenings really be just awesome.” Tickets to the virtual festival are $100. A Pride Pass for the festival includes access to all of its queer programming June 17 through 20 as well as admission to a secret happy hour. Pride Pass perks are included with the virtual pass. There will also be numerous in-person and outdoor screenings and events throughout the duration of the festival. On the in-person screenings side, the festival has added two new locations. “We’re in the Wheeler district Friday night with the rockdoc, ‘We Are The Thousand.’ And I could not be more excited about that film. It is perfect to watch outdoors with a bunch of people. It’s just really nice to look at and listen to. And then Saturday, we’re going to be over at Washington Park, which is a brand new venue for us. We’re premiering the [Oklahoma City] Thunder documentary “Pause the Game” and also showing Questlove’s ‘Somersault,’” she said. We Are The Thousand documents the global formation of a thousand-plus member band who all happen to love the Foo Fighters. The short documentary “Pause the Game” is the fourth Oklahoma City Thunder film to premiere at deadCenter. It revisits the historic moments prior to tipoff against the Utah Jazz, complete with interviews from key players that night when the NBA stopped the rest of the season due to a positive COVID-19 test from one of the Jazz players. After

its premiere, “Pause the Game” will be available for free to stream online as part of the festival’s Community Showcase through June 20. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s music documentary “Summer of Soul (... Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” brings to light never-beforeseen footage of the 1969 festival presented at what is now Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. “We’re gonna throw some big parties outdoors where we know people can be safe and enjoy on their comfort level, which still changes day to day. We walk around and we’re thrilled we’re vaccinated, but we know some people aren’t and some people can’t and we want everybody to be able to enjoy film and the kickoff to summer,” Picard Davis said. This year marks a festival first for the Best Indigenous Short award. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize. The seven films in competition for the in-

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM COV E R S TORY

augural award categor y are: Blackwater, San Diego, The Writers Room, Roots of Lacrosse, Totsu (Redbird), Sardis, and Inage’i (In the Woods). “It’s huge for us to be able to offer that category. We’ve partnered with the Cherokee Nation film office who’s been doing just some excellent work with indigenous filmmakers and indigenous filmmaking to make that award possible,” she said. For the vaccinated and those comfortable with indoor events, there will be plenty of air-conditioned festival showings and events. “We have a really great partnership with Tower Theatre that’s allowing us to do our techCenter industry fair, and have our VR and have a couple happy hours over there just because they’ve been so great about their COVID pre-

cautions and how they sanitize. We felt very comfortable sending people there,” Picard Davis said. tech Center will highlight film businesses, industries, resources that have popped up recently and will include various deadCenter programming. It begins with an “industry fair” networking opportunity in the lobby. Music

continued on page 19

DEADCENTER FILM FESTIVAL 2021 DEADCENTER 2021 NARRATIVE FEATURES HOW IT ENDS (OPENING NIGHT FILM) Directors Daryl Wein & Zoe Lister-Jones / 2021 / 83 minutes On the last day on Earth, one woman goes on a journey through LA to make it to her last party before the world ends,running into an eclectic cast of characters along the way.

INBETWEEN GIRL Director Mei Makino / 2021 / 90 minutes Teen artist Angie Chen turns to secret hookups with the heartthrob of her private school after her parents’ sudden divorce.

THE END OF US Directors Henry Loevner & Steven Kanter / 2020 / 90 minutes After a savage breakup, a young couple is forced to continue living together when California issues its stay-at-home order for COVID-19. Now they must try to move on without moving out.

WOMEN IS LOSERS Director Lissette Feliciano / 2020 / 84 minutes Inspired by real women and the Janis Joplin song of the same title, WOMEN IS LOSERS is a dramedy that follows the life of a young single mother whose refusal to let herself and her newborn son sink into poverty puts her at odds with pre-Roe v. Wade America.

IDENTIFYING FEATURES Director Fernanda Valadez / 2020 / 95 minutes A mother travels across Mexico in search for her son whom authorities say died while trying to cross the borders into the United States.

BETWEEN WAVES Director Virginia Abramovich / 2020 / 100 minutes After his disappearance, Jamie purses her missing lover through parallel dimensions until she collides with a shattering

wrapped in shades of blue with highlights of sea green.

MY FIONA Director Kelly Walker / 2020 / 86 minutes How do you navigate the world when your best friend inexplicably takes her own life? to Fiona’s wife and child, seeking solace and perhaps more in the relationship that gently unfolds.

GIVE OR TAKE Director Paul Riccio / 2020 / 98 minutes When a disillusioned New Yorker’s father dies, he goes home to Cape Cod and prepares the house for sale while sharing it with his father’s temperamental live-in boyfriend. Grieving, they circle each other, butt heads, and negotiate how to remember the man they both loved, and the

I’M FINE (THANKS FOR ASKING) Directors Kelley Kali & Angelique Molina / 2021 / 90 minutes When a recently widowed mother becomes houseless, she convinces her 8-year-old daughter that they are only camping for fun while working to get them off the streets.

MOVING IN 2008

FEEL SO GOOD (OKLAHOMA FEATURE) Director Ben Tefera / 2021 / 93 minutes A desperate hypnotist uses a young woman to unknowingly perform crimes, leaving her with strained relationships and fragmented memories.

Director Calogero Carucci / 2020 / 78 minutes A family tragedy during the recession of 2008, catalyzed by unemployment, personal crisis, and illness.

PAPER TIGER Director Paul Kowalski A widowed immigrant mother in LA fears her schizophrenic teenaged son is turning into a school shooter.

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DEADCENTER 2021 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES HOLY FRIT (OKLAHOMA FEATURE) Director Justin Monroe / 2020 / 119 minutes In this three-year race against time, Tim Carey, a talented, yet unknown LA artist bluffs his way into winning the commission to create the largest stained-glass window of its kind. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to make it. After answer…a famous glass maestro, named Narcissus Quagliata.

ALIEN ON STAGE Directors Danielle Kummer & Lucy Harvey / 2021 / 83 minutes British Bus driver’s amateur stage show of Ridley Scott’s Alien, accidentally makes it to a famous London theatre! With awkward acting and special effects requiring more luck than judgement, will their homemade homage be alright on the night?

DEAR MR. BRODY Director Keith Maitland / 2021 / 96 minutes When 21-year-old hippie-millionaire Michael Brody Jr. decided to give away his $25-million fortune to anyone in need, he ignited a psychedelic spiral of events.

A FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO

REZ METAL Director Ashkan Soltani / 2021 / 71 minutes Rez Metal highlights a seminal moment in Indigenous heavy metal: when Kyle Felter, lead singer of the Navajo heavy metal band I Don’t Konform, sends a demo tape to Flemming Rasmussen, the Grammy Award-winning producer of several Metallica albums, including Master of Puppets. A few from Denmark to Window Rock, Arizona, to meet the band.

NO ORDINARY MAN Directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt / 2020 / 83 minutes No Ordinary Man is an in-depth look at the life of Oklahoman musician and trans culture icon Billy Tipton. Complicated, shows what is possible when a community collaborates to honor the legacy of an unlikely hero.

ONCE A FURY Director Jacqueline Rhodes / 2020 83 minutes notorious 1970s lesbian separatist collective that published a national newspaper and planned to seize state power. Featuring interviews with 10 of the original 12 Furies, photography by JEB (Joan E. Biren), and archival materials.

Director Lynne Sachs / 2020 / 64 minutes

images with her father, Ira Sachs, a bohemian businessman

SAKTHI VIBRATIONS (OKLAHOMA FEATURE)

the web that connects a child to her parent and a sister to eight siblings, some of whom she has known all of her life, others she only recently discovered.

Director Dr. Zoe Sherinian / 2019 / 85 mins The Sakthi Folk Cultural Centre, located in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India uses the Tamil folk arts to develop self-esteem and economic skills in young poor Dalit women (former outcastes

SAPELO

reveals how Sakthi reclaims the degraded parai frame drum and dance to re-humanize and empower these young

Director Nick Brandestini / 2020 / 91 minutes Sapelo is a documentary that journeys within a unique American island to tell the story of its matriarchal griot, Cornelia Walker Bailey, and her adopted sons coming of age in the last remaining enclave of the Saltwater Geechee people.

CLEAN SLATE Director Jared Callahan / 2021 / 95 minutes CLEAN SLATE follows two friends in a drug recovery program in the American South struggling to come to terms with their addiction and mental illness by making a short

SKATING POLLY: UGLY POP (OKLAHOMA FEATURE) Director Henry Mortensen / 2020 / 109 minutes Peyton Bighorse and Kelli Mayo are step-sisters from Oklahoma who founded their band, Skating polly at the ages of 14 and 9, respectively. They call their style of music, “Ugly Pop”: infectious melodies, but with real-life blemishes still

success, and try to stay true to themselves and their love of music.

TOPOWA! NEVER GIVE UP Director Philip Sansom & Inigo Gilmore / 2020 / 80 minutes This is the inspirational journey of 12 young musicians from some of the toughest slums in Uganda, to some of the biggest music stages in the world. It’s a story of resilience and hope, carried along by a joyous, foot-stomping celebration of music and life.

performance and reclaimed cultural identity in a complex campaign against gender, class, and caste oppression.

DEADCENTER FILM FESTIVAL 2021

DEADCENTER 2021 OKIE SHORTS

OKIES 1 TOTSU Director Jeremy Charles / 2020 / 11 minutes An indigenous woman must confront a mysterious predator in parallel worlds of prehistory and dystopian future.

BLACK OWNED Directors Francis Lacism, Precious Alexander & Mathew Robbins / 2021 / 14 minutes Documentary on black owned business in Tulsa, Oklahoma and how they have been successful in their journey as black owners.

OK|LA EPISODE TWO “THE AUDITION” SARDIS Director Colleen Thurston / 2020 / 11 minutes Deep in the Choctaw Nation, a picturesque lake hosts an unusual sight: an island populated by rows of headstones. This of what was the town of Sardis, Oklahoma.

TURTLES Director Brylee Russell / 2020 / 18 minutes A coming of age comedy about a girl with a hopeless crush on an eccentric grocery store worker.

JABEE: HOPE Director Chris Freihofer / 2020 / 4 minutes Alone on a late-night streetcar ride, Jabee sees a boy that reminds him of his low-income upbringing, and how his hard-working mother tried to “make something out of nothing”.

ROOTS OF LACROSSE Directors Shelby Tsioweri:iohsta Adams & Joanne Storkan / 2020 / 24 minutes This short documentary provides a brief history of the sacred and cultural aspects of this lacrosse, originally played for the Creator, as well as for the health and welfare of the American, Indigenous lacrosse: Iroquois, Great Lakes, and Southeastern.

SNOW DAY Director Jacob Burns / 2021 / 7 minutes On a snowy day, a young man copes with the loss of an old friend.

OKIES 2 YARN Director Colton Tompkins / 2020 / 2 minutes A tiny man made of yarn comes to life.

THE WRITER’S ROOM Director Cary Thomas Cody & Orrin Ponkilla / 2021 / 16 minutes Two pop-culture obsessed friends think they have what it takes to make the greatest horror movie ever.

Director Ethan Cooper / 2020 / 2 minutes

YOU’RE NOT SAFE IN YOUR OWN BED Director Alexandra Swanbeck / 2021 / 22 minutes When Franklin is assaulted by a close friend, she decides to deal with the trauma the only way she knows how: avoiding her mother, disassociating, and partying.

STICK UP Director Chris Oz McIntosh / 2021 / 12 minutes A young woman gets more than she bargained for when she stops at a gas station on her way out of town to score some quick cash.

OKIES FEATURED MUSIC VIDEOS MOTHICA: BLACKOUT Director Ian Rowe / Recording Artist Mothica / 2020 / 4 minutes Overwhelmed by loneliness, Mothica turns to an addictive inner demon.

THE IMAGINARIES: WALKING ON A WIRE Director Reagan Elkins / Recording Artist The Imaginaries / 2020 / 4 minutes their way and one another with glimpses of another world giving them hope and direction along the way.

GREYSON CHANCE: BAD TO MYSELF Director Rahul Chakraborty / Recording Artist Greyson Chance / 2020 / 4 minutes Greyson Chance’s deeply intimate admission of overcoming his personal obstacles, “Bad to Myself” follows his journey of self-discovery into his true passion: performing on the stage.

ON EGO Director Jessica Ray / 2021 / 2 minutes

PHANTOM POWER Director Sam Brown / 2020 / 3 minutes An overlooked sound mixer must silence an eerie voice she discovers when capturing room tone on set.

DEADCENTER FILM FESTIVAL 2021

OKIES FEATURED MUSIC VIDEOS (CONTINUED) ONYX LANE: THE DREAMS WE HAD Directors Christina Giacona & Patrick Conlon / 2021/ 3 minutes post-classical visual album Cube of Light by Christina Giacona and Patrick Conlon.

DEADCENTER 2021 SHORT FILM PROGRAMS ADULTING Seven stories about people confronting the real world.

ROBERTO: DORRIGO Director J. Logan Alexander / Recording Artist Roberto / 2020 / 4 minutes NEIGHBORHOOD RUMBLE - ONE NIGHT ONLY EVENT - Roberto “The Classic” vs “The Future” - Who will win Sheila from Down Unda’s Heart? - See it at The Dorrigo Arena!

ALL THE FEELS ALLIES & ADVERSARIES Eight shorts about enemies, frenemies, and besties, oh my!

COMING OF AGE

SALEM BLUE: AROUND IN MY HEAD

Onward and awkward, seven stories about growing up.

Director Johnny Blanco / Recording Artist Salem Blue / 2021 / 6 minutes Music Video for the song “Around In My Head” by Salem Blue.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

SAMANTHA CRAIN: BLOOMSDAY

EPISODICS

Director Samantha Crain / Recording Artist Samantha Crain / 2021 / 3 minutes In celebration of the potential in every day to carry and bestow light, kindness, belief, and wisdom, a cake is passed from person to person in the darkness and coldness of the bleak midwinter. The cake is eventually given to a band who performs the song of hope.

Check out six binge worthy episodics.

OKLAHOMA COMMUNITY SHOWCASE A LONG ROAD TO LIBERTY Director Bryan Beasley / 2021 / 9 minutes “A Long Road To Liberty” is a retrospective history of the African American experience in the state of Oklahoma. Referencing such touchstones as; The 1st Kansas at the Civil War Battle of Honey Springs, Black Wall Street, Clara Luper’s sit-in at Katz Deli, and Ralph Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man”. has made strides through the African American mavericks of today.

NEW YEAR, NEW JUSTICE Director James “VideoHero” Ridley / 2021 / 30 minutes 131 miles. 4 days. A team completes a walk from the State Capitol to McAlester in support of Julius Jones, who remains on death row despite credible evidence of his innocence.

IKHAIYANA LA CHI (I WILL REMEMBER) Director Mark Williams / 2021 / 35 minutes Produced by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. “Ikaiyana la chi” tells the unknown stories of the last Choctaw removal to Oklahoma in 1903 by train, the cultural impact it had on the Choctaw people and a certain Oklahoma community.

HORRORFEST .

KIDSFEST Twelve animated shorts guaranteed to bring out your inner child.

LOVE, SEX, AND DEATH MUSIC VIDEOS want to add to your playlist.

MEDIUMS RATED R FOR RESTRICTED SERIOUSLY SCI-FI Seven mind-bending shorts exploring alternate dimensions outside our reality.

THE ARTISTS Seven shorts that glimpse into the passion and pitfalls of a creative life.

THE HUMAN CONDITION Five shorts that will restore your faith in humanity.

UNCONVENTIONAL NARRATIVES OKIES 1

COMMEMORATION & REBIRTH Director Hudson LeGrand / 2020 / 28 minutes A documentary on the making of an original ballet - created to honor and remember victims of the domestic terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS

OKIES 2 Round two of our favorites from around the state!

continued from page 14

videos from the film festival program will be playing inside the actual theater, and upstairs will have virtual reality programming. Green Pastures Studios, the Oklahoma Film and Television Academy, Boiling Point Media and the Oklahoma Film and Music Office have already confirmed for the fair. Oklahoma musicians include: Greyson Chance, Samantha Crain, Jabee, The Imaginaries, Mothica, Onyx Lane, Jessica Ray, Roberto, and Salem Blue. The videos will also be playing inside Tower Theatre on a loop June 11 and 12. “We’re also bringing Oklahoma films, both our features and our short films. We’ve partnered with Rodeo Cinema and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. So Oklahoma features will be presented at the Oklahoma City Museum of Arts and then our short films will be at Rodeo Cinema. And then, super special, we’re bringing back Horrorfest. So our collection of horror shorts that make you go ‘What the fuck?, Rodeo Cinema just opened a second screen in The Paramount building on Film Row, so we will be showing Horrorfest Friday night and we’ll have two screenings of that to accommodate a smaller capacity. None of these screenings are going to be full capacity. Each one of these venues has their own COVID process procedure that they’re working with and that’s worked well for their audiences and their audiences are our audiences, so we feel really, really good about getting people back into the theater in some form or fashion, and are just really excited that we can celebrate our Okies here in person, and then throw as much of a virtual celebration as we can for the rest of the world,” Picard Davis said. The complete festival schedule is printed in this issue of Oklahoma Gazette. While many of the films are available virtually, some are exclusively in person and are noted there and on the online schedule which can be filtered with a myriad of tags. “You can watch films, on your phone, on your tablet, on your computer, I recommend you watch them on your television sets. There is an app that is compatible with Roku and [Amazon] Fire stick and Apple TV, or you can hardline your computer in if you need

to. We have volunteers and FAQs to help people navigate that if they didn’t have the privilege of navigating that last year, or maybe this year they forgot. I probably need a little bit of a refresher, but there are multiple ways to enjoy the festival on your own terms. We’ve even seen people rent an inflatable screen in their backyard and throw a party for their pandemic pod. So I definitely encourage people to get creative and, and make it theirs because these have been two very special, special years. We are

eager to return to the full in-person onslaught that is a deadCenter Film Festival in a normal year, but for these two years, we’re having as much fun as we can with it and we’re seeing some really creative ideas come out of it. Honestly, the most exciting thing is to see how we’ve been able to innovate and what people are responding to,” she said. But, in some form or fashion, it appears that the virtual platform will be around for good. “The film industry is a very dynamic

e’re gonna throw some big parties outdoors where we know people can be safe and enjoy on their comfort level, which still changes day to day. We walk around and we’re thrilled we’re vaccinated, but we know some people aren’t and some people can’t and we want everybody to be able to enjoy film and the kickoff to summer.” Alyx Picard Davis

industry. Now more than ever. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes nuance that goes into being able to present a film on a virtual platform and when the structure returns to more normal, as the dust settles, it may be a challenge to get certain films’ approval to be in the virtual space. But what we’ve seen is we have a much broader reach. And the number one thing I heard about last year was, ‘I got to see more films than I’ve ever been able to see. Because I could just sit down and watch them back to back to back to back. I didn’t have to worry about parking. I didn’t have to worry about setting aside time for a meal because I could just heat up some popcorn and go.’ You can’t overlook just how impactful that is for some people. And certainly, it’s, it’s, it’s fun to be able to play catch up. So we look forward to finding a way to creatively build out the virtual space. It may look a little different. It may be its own experience. I don’t know yet but we will definitely have some way for people to experience deadCenter online, probably forever now until we put microchips in our heads,” Picard Davis said.

COV E R S TORY OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM

There are too many stellar films to mention in deadCenter’s 180-plus film slate this year, but here are some that Oklahoma Gazette recommends you catch.

Alien on Stage

Dir. Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey Photo Provided This oddball documentary captures an amateur British stage production of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece “Alien” which makes it from their small community theater to Leicester Square Theatre in London. Yes, you read that correctly. To make things weirder, the director, the writer, the actress playing Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver’s character) and the set designer all are members of the same family. The stage production is charming if silly, an ode to the obsessive nature of pop culture fandom. The attention to detail must be applauded and the chest-burster rehearsal scene is one of the funniest scenes screened so far this year. “Alien on Stage” will be available through deadCenter’s online platform this year

Paper Tiger

Agnes

A bleak exercise in character drama, “Paper Tiger” tells the story of a mother who fears her schizophrenic son is on the verge of a killer rampage. A slow burn that intersects elements of loss, mental health, violence, immigration, culture clashes and the pressures of teenage life, the film builds to a soul-crushing climax. This film is raw and definitely not a party movie but well worth watching. “Paper Tiger” will be available through deadCenter’s online platform this year.

A highlight of this year’s festival is a special presentation of Mickey Reece’s “Agnes,” which debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival this month. “Agnes” tells the story of a nun’s disturbing behavior sparking rumors of demonic possession at a remote convent. The showing of “Agnes” is 8 p.m. June 19 at Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave. The film will not be available via deadCenter’s virtual platform. Oklahoma City auteur Reece is rapidly gaining steam, with five features and a short documentary of his work now available through the Alamo Drafhouse’s on-demand streaming platform. The six-pack can be rented for $8 or purchased for $21. His previous feature, “Climate of the Hunter,” is also now available through the AMC+ and Shudder streaming services. Expect to see more about Reece’s next feature in future issues of Oklahoma Gazette.

Dir. Paul Kowalski Photo Provided

Dir. Mickey Reece Photo Provided

A Long Road To Liberty Dir. Bryan Beasley Photo Provided Inasmuch Foundation

A nine-minute film that briefly examines the history of Black people and their experiences in Oklahoma. Historical reenactments, along with archival photos and videos of Black Wall Street, Clara Luper’s sit-in at the Katz Deli in downtown Oklahoma City, and Ralph Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man” are all included in this short, which the director has said he wants to develop into a feature-length project. We’d love to see this as well because, while the scope of the short is impressive, it’s obvious that there is a lot of material waiting to be explored. “A Long Road To Liberty” will be available through deadCenter’s online platform this year.

Rez Metal

Dir. Ashkan Soltani Photo Provided International Documentary Association A good music documentary really gets beneath the surface of a subculture. A great music documentary examines the role of that aesthetic microcosm within its larger environment. Profiling the Navajo metal band I Don’t Konform and the relationship the band cultivated with Flemming Rasmussen, the Danish producer known for his early work with Metallica and albums by Morbid Angel and Blind Guardian, the documentary also explores the realities of growing up on reservations. “Rez Metal” will be available through deadCenter’s online platform this year. ART S & CULTURE OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

Tradition of Spring Arts By Phillip Rodriguez

The Festival of the Arts has been a spring mainstay for Oklahoma City since 1967, and this year’s event will be bigger than it’s ever been. Literally. After its cancellation last year for only the second time in its history (the 1995 festival was scheduled to be held just days after the Alfred P. Murrah Building bombing), expectations are high for this month’s festival and its expanded grounds. In downtown Oklahoma City’s Bicentennial Park June 22-27, this year’s reemergence will see a few firsts, including its first ever summer dates, and an eastward expansion towards City Hall. This will not only allow plenty of space for social distancing but also adds more artists and stages than ever, as well as the addition of a food truck pavilion serving up a variety of Oklahoma City’s mobile eats. The length of the festival has been expanded as well, from four to six days long. Both locally-known as well as internationally and nationally-recognized artists will be showcasing their work, with a total of 144 artists on display that week. For those wanting to dip their toes in early, The Arts Council is offering a

“Festi-First” program. Patrons who commit to $250 or greater in advance art purchases will receive a complimentary breakfast and an early invitation to the festival, as well as access to special areas with refreshments and snacks and express check-out lanes at all art sales tents. Local artist Rory Morgan, who will be showcasing in Tent 15C, said “I am incredibly excited to be back at the arts festival, and looking forward to it being the biggest show of my previous years.” Morgan noted he’s kept his gallery in Northpark Mall successful during quarantine by continuing to paint commissions for customers, but that he hopes his festival appearance will drum up even more interest in his work. In addition to visual art, this year’s festival also features two stages for performing arts jam-packed with performances from diverse artists through all six days; whether it’s indie rock groups

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM ART S & CULTURE

Photo Provided | Arts Council OKC

like Dinosaur Boyfriend or Bedtime, local celebrities like Lucas Ross or Carter Sampson, Poetry and Chill, Led Zeppelin cover band, or a youth talent competition dubbed “Festivals Got Talent.” “We’re very excited to be performing again, and getting back to being in front of people and sharing our love of music with everyone,” said Eli Tostado, one of two members of local band Bedtime. “We were supposed to play last spring, but the world went upside down… I think I speak for both of us that we will still be a little nervous.”

For more information, including a detailed listing of food truck menus, featured artists, a venue map and more.

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CALENDAR are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Abandoned Atlas Foundation to sign Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State Oklahoma. Join the Abandoned Oklahoma team as they tell the story of the school bell ringing for the last time at Dunjee School in Spencer, Oklahoma; the closing of the roadside treasure W. S. Kelly Merchandise in Cogar, Oklahoma; and the end of an era for Lindley Hospital in the town of Duncan. There isn’t much time hasn’t touched and the answers to the questions behind some of Oklahoma’s most talked-about, abandoned locations will be found within the pages of this unique publication., Sat., June 12, 3 p.m. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT, JUNE 12

FILM Holler In a forgotten pocket of Southern Ohio where American manufacturing and opportunities are drying up, a determined young woman finds a ticket out when she is accepted to college. Alongside her older brother, Ruth Avery joins a dangerous scrap metal crew in order to pay her way. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456, rodeocinema.org. OPENING FRI, JUNE 11

HAPPENINGS 2021 NCAA Women’s College World Series The 2021 NCAA Women’s College World Series will be held at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium - OGE Energy Field in Oklahoma City, June 3-10, 2021., Through June 9. USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, 2801 NE 50th St., 405-424-5266, ncaatickets. com/championship/womens-college-world-series. THROUGH JUNE 10

Bloody Mary Bingo Looking for something to do after brunch and before the drag shows?? Come get a Bloody Mary starting at $5 and $15 Mimosa Pitcher, and play some bingo with us at Partners and win some amazing prizes! Hosted by Teabaggin’ Betsy, Sundays, 4 p.m. Partners, 2805 NW 36th St., 405942-2199, partners4club.com. SUNDAYS

901 W. SHERIDAN, OKC

2021 ASSEMBLY

Charley Crocke! W/ GUS CLARK

06.25.21

American Aquarium

W/ EMILY CLARK ROBINSON

07.18.21

Josh Abbo! Band W/ COREY KENT

08.13.21

Moon Taxi 08.26.21

Colony House BACK BEFORE YOU KNOW IT TOUR

W/ FLEURIE

09.28.21

Mat Kearney THE JANUARY FLOWER TOUR

10.19.21

Johnnyswim 10.20.21

Dr. Dog 11.19.21

Close Encounters: Western Wildlife The animals of the American West are as iconic as the landscapes they inhabit. Among boulders, forests, rivers, and lakes, they burrow, forage, soar, hunt, and ultimately, inspire. They inspire conservationists to protect and preserve their habitats. They inspire traffic jams at Yellowstone and other national parks with their rock star celebrity; and they inspire artists as they have for centuries. $12.50 * Senior and Children discounts available, Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through July 11. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., (405) 4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org/exhibition/closeencounters-western-wildlife. THROUGH JUNE 11 Dino Safari Be in awe as you trek through the Zoo’s Pollinator Garden to discover life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that demonstrate movement and sounds like the prehistoric creatures. See them roaring and breathing right before your eyes! This new immersive experience connects guests to many of their favorite dinosaurs through 15 one-of-akind animatronic displays and 8 skeleton replicas. Learn how dinosaurs evolved over time and where they roamed as well as what the OKC Zoo is doing to fight extinction of Oklahoma’s beloved lizard, the horny toad, also known as the Texas horned lizard., Through Oct. 31. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.org. FRI-THUT

EYEwitness Tour - Chief Wade Gourley, First Responder Experience the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum through stories from those most affected by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Wade Gourley is currently the OKC Chief of Police. On April 19, 1995, Gourley was at home getting ready for work and felt the whole house shake. He rushed to the bomb site and continued to work long hours for weeks. Gourley serves on the Memorial Conscience Committee and is an Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees. $25.00 per person, Fri., June 18, 8-10 a.m. Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, 620 N. Harvey Ave., 405-235-3313, MemorialMuseum.com/ eyewitness. FRI, JUNE 19

TICKETS & INFORMATION AT

THEJONESASSEMBLY.COM

| O KG A Z E T T E .CO M A R T S & C U LT U R E

J U N E 9, 2021

Finding Peace In Chaos - Randy Veiten-

Midtown Cool Down On the third Wednesday of June, July, and August, participating Midtown restaurants

and bars will be providing a special happy hour menu featuring over-the-top, tropical, or fruit-forward drinks from 4pm to 6pm for Midtown Cool Down., third Wednesday of every month. Midtown OKC, NW Eighth St., 405-235-3500, midtownokc.com. WED, JUNE 16 | Photo Provided heimer from Gaia TV Randy Veitenheimer is an energetic healer and counselor. A member of the Potawatomi tribe from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. With awareness beyond his years, Randy studied the power of plants and vibration in the healing process. His in depth studies, teachings and practice of martial arts in concert with a love of science led to a healing method called Creative Energetic Health. Randy offers guidance and simple techniques designed to help us all regain sovereignty, joy and peace. $35 in advance $45 at the door, Sat., June 19, 5-7 p.m. Wyndham Garden North OKC, 6200 N. Robinson Ave., 405-308-8877, tinyurl.com/yj7puekv. SAT, JUNE 19

Historically Local Council Grove/Castle Falls Tour The only castle in Oklahoma City, whose construction began on 1- 23-45, is celebrating its 75th anniversary by hosting a historically local tour monthly. Standard tour time is 12PM-1PM. Just west of the city, the original castle is now Castle Falls Restaurant with an accompanying Grande Hall., There is NO Charge but registration is requested. Registration @westendistrictokc.com/events/ Free, third Saturday of every month. Castle Falls Restaurant & Event Center, 820 N. MacArthur Blvd., 405-942-6133, http:castlefalls.com. SAT, JUNE 19 LIVE on the Plaza LIVE on the Plaza is the Plaza District’s second Friday artwalk. Each second Friday, Plaza District businesses stay open late with featured artists, live music, special events, local shopping and much more!, second Friday of every month. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-426-7812, plazadistrict.org/calendar/2019/7/12/live-on-theplaza-dance-on-the-plaza. FRI, JUNE 12 Plaza’s Big Awards The Plaza District is bringing its love of public art, one-of-akind businesses, music, performance, and unique streets (we love you, 16th Street!) to Fred Jones Ave. (next to Jones Assembly) to celebrate OKC, great public spaces, locally owned businesses, and the champions of all things awesome!, Thu., June 17, 5 p.m. The Jones Assembly, 901 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-212-2378, plazadistrict.org. THU, JUNE 17 Sherlock Holmes - The Exhibition The great Sherlock Holmes has summoned you – and his is an invitation not to be refused. In Sherlock Holmes – The Exhibition you will be transported into Sherlock Holmes’ London to solve a mystery in a world newly introduced to his groundbreaking methods. This interactive experience will delight audiences of all ages as it showcases areas of forensic science that enabled Sherlock Holmes to solve crimes, and brings to life the historic underpinnings of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s rich and vibrant stories., Through Sept. 6. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org/ sherlock-holmes. THROUGH SEPT. 6

Sip & Stroll This once a week evening experience invites up to 1200 guests ages 21 and up on an outdoor path to adventure through the OKC Zoo and the natural world of our animals! Guests will experience wildlife from around the world as well as featured drinks inspired by Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Belize and more!, Thursdays. through June 24. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405424-3344, okczoo.org/our-events#collection=1503. THURSDAYS THROUGH JUNE 24

Third Saturdays in WesTen District The WesTen District welcomes you to Third Saturdays in WesTen with a MadPotter Open House, Council Grove Historically Local Tour at Castle Falls, and a Marking Tree Open House., Complete details at www.westendistrictokc.com/ events No Charge, Sat., June 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Third Saturdays in WesTen District, Northwest 10th Street Corridor, 405.256.8033, WesTenDistrictOKC.com. SAT, JUNE 19

FOOD OSU-OKC Farmers Market at Scissortail Park Oklahoma City’s largest outdoor market features an all-made and grown-in Oklahoma producer-only marketplace providing access to more fresh products to serve the community. Located at the corner of Oklahoma City Boulevard and South Robinson Avenue, the Scissortail Park Farmers Market will be open, rain or shine, every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. through October. Scissortail Park, 300 SW Seventh St., 405-445-7080, cissortailpark.org/osuokc-farmers-market-at-scissortail-park. SAT Picasso June Veggie Dinner Join Picasso Cafe on the third Tuesday of each month for a four to five-course menu; featuring a fresh and creative take on vegetarianinspired fare. Enjoy with or without wine pairings., Tue., June 15, 6:30 p.m. Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo St., 405-602-2002, picassosonpaseo.com. TUE Record Store Day Record Store Day, Come hang!, Food + Music + Cannabis, Saturday, June 12th12-5pm, Limited Edition-Event T Shirt and Poster, Overflow parking available., Sat., June 12, 12-5 p.m. Guestroom Records, 3701 N. Western Ave., 4057684944, guestroomrecords.com. SAT, JUNE 12

YOUTH Better Conversations Session for Teens Sportsmanship Join your peers in lively interactive conversation as we navigate challenging topics facing our world today. Sessions will be held at the Oklahoma City National Memorial under the Survivor Tree every Tuesday in June from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. The sessions are geared toward teens (14-18 yrs) and

will be facilitated by teens. It’s free to participate but spots are limited, so register online today at MemorialMuseum.com. Free. Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, 620 N. Harvey Ave., 405-235-3313, MemorialMuseum.com. TUESDAYS IN JUNE

PERFORMING ARTS Art Afloat is bringing local artists together to take over the Bricktown Canal every Thursday night, to be called the Art Afloat Showboat Concert Series., Thursdays. Bricktown Water Taxi, 111 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, bricktownwatertaxi.com. THURSDAYS Lyric’s Grease Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma invites you to be a fan in the stands this summer when it presents the hit musical Grease at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Pribil Football Stadium., Tuesdays-Sundays. through June 27. Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, 801 NW 50th St., 405-842-6638, bmchs.org. OPENING JUNE 15

Music From Home Join OKCPHIL as they capture some of that talent with crossover folk and country songs you’ll love including Blue Bayou, Little Rock, All American Girl, Nine to Five, Devil Went Down to Georgia, The Climb, Don’t it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue and more., June 11-12. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI & SAT, JUNE 11 & 12

Patio Peepshow by Terre Rouge Patio time at 51st Street Speakeasy!, Thursdays 8:30p-11:30P., Come & go private performances., A true carnival red light style, vintage private peepshow with all local cast members!, Responsibly see your favorite local artists behind the glass in a social distanced, contact free, outdoor, environment., $2 Tokens sold walk up at event., $5 weekly burger special., No tickets needed, come and go. 2, Thursdays, 8:30-11:30 p.m. through Aug. 27. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405463-0470, fb.me/e/48rXuc7Q3. THURSDAYS Terre Rouge Speakeasy Burlesque - Live Jazz Vintage Show Live Jazz Vintage High Glam Burlesque, **Fancy & Vintage Dress Encouraged**, Terre Rouge Burlesque, finalist in OK Gazette’s Best of OKC for Best Performing Arts Group, is famous for bringing back the heyday of OKC with, 1940s-1950’s era Classic Burlesque with live period Jazz music, vintage costuming and high caliber performance. An enchanting live experience set in an intimate Speakeasy environment designed to take you to a place of old world luxury and glam., More than a show, it’s an experience! Dress to impress (vintage encouraged)!, TWO Showings 8:00p&10:30p, Audience capacity will be restricted., Advance Tickets encouraged; Show SELLS OUT!, Sat., June 12, 8:30-10 & 10:30 p.m.-midnight. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, fb.me/e/d5FmQorym. SAT, JUNE 12

Children’s Garden Festival Tiny Gardens and Enchanted Woods Join Myriad Botanical gardens for the annual Children’s Garden Festival! 10 days of activities, crafts and creative displays inspired by a selection of books featuring tiny people and magical creatures. Enchanting vignettes will be created by local artists to bring these books to life. The 2021 theme, Tiny Gardens and Enchanted Woods, highlights a variety of books that will appeal to a wide range of ages. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.org. FRIDAY, JUNE 11 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 20 | Photo by Carl Shorrt Jr

ACTIVE Botanical Balance The Gardens offer a space of beauty and tranquility to help relieve stress and quiet your mind. Classes are open to all levels, whether you are a beginner or an experienced yogi., Tuesdays, Saturdays. through June 12. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, calendar.oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com/event/botanical-balance-free-yoga-3/?instance_ id=14983. TUESDAYS & SATURDAYS Walk Bluff Creek Park, OKC This noncompetitive walk is open to the public. All ages are welcome. There will be 10 Km and 5 Km routes, along park trails. Wheelchairs and strollers will do fine on the paved shorter distance, but the 10-KM route will be primarily on the mountain bike trail. Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash. Restrooms will be available; water will be provided at the start., New Walker Packets will be available for $6.00. Hosted by Wandergruppe Walking Club, go to AVA.org for more information Free unless you are getting IVV credit., Sat., June 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Bluff Creek Park, 4551 W. Hefner road, 4053819359, my.ava. org/find-an-event.php. SAT

VISUAL ARTS Ed Ruscha: OKLA You can now reserve your free timed ticket for Ed Ruscha: OKLA! This exhibition is a survey of works by one of America’s most important artists, looking at the ways in which work throughout Ruscha’s career was connected to his childhood in Oklahoma City, and his continued trips back there from Los Angeles. Featuring objects spanning the artist’s 60+ year career that explore his relationship to Oklahoma, Ed Ruscha: OKLA presents iconic pieces such as Twentysix Gasoline EYEwitness Tour - Tom Hall, Survivor Experience the Stations and Chocolate Room alongOklahoma City National Memorial Museum through stories from those side newer, lesser-known bodies of most affected by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah work, including two recent Drum Federal Building. At the time of the bombing Tom was working for the Skins paintings. Free timed ticket General Services Administration (GSA) on the first floor of the Federal required., Mondays, Wednesdays, Building. Tom was severely injured by the bombing, but recovered and re- Fridays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and turned to work for GSA until he retired in 2015. He considers it an honor to Thursdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. through have been on the Memorial Design Selection Committee, serve as a Board July 5. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Trustee, serve on the Conscience Committee and participate in the Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, Memorial Marathon. $25.00 per person, Fri., June 11, 8-10 a.m. Oklahoma oklahomacontemporary.org/exhibiCity National Memorial & Museum, 620 N. Harvey Ave., 405-235-3313, tions/upcoming/ed-ruscha-okla. THROUGH JUNE 6 MemorialMuseum.comeyewitness. FRI, JUNE 11 | Photo Provided

Fieldworks: Beyond Measure Beyond Measure features works produced by Fieldworks project collaborators and OU faculty Todd Stewart and Robert Bailey. Fieldworks, an interdisciplinary residency, invites artists, scholars and students to artistically respond to the presence of humans in the American Southwest. Beyond Measure presents a selection from the Fieldworks project’s diverse archive of objects, photographs, texts, videos and more., Available slots can be reserved up to two-weeks in advance. Free timed ticket required., Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. through April 19. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org/exhibitions/current/fieldworks-beyond-measure. THROUGH

chronicles the contributions of women to the colorful past, vibrant present, and unlimited future of the banjo. From prominent contemporary performers such as Alison Brown and Rhiannon Giddens to pop icons Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and many others, historic insights, instruments, stage attire, and a glimpse of ever-changing fashion trends all help in the telling of this important aspect of banjo history., Through May 31, 2022. American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com/currentexhibits/special-exhibits. THROUGH MAY 31

APRIL 19

Fritz Scholder: Beyond Stereotypes After relocating to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a teaching position, American artist Fritz Scholder (Luiseño) stated he saw one too many over-romanticized and generalized depictions of Indigenous people “looking at the sunset.” With his Indian series, started in 1967, Scholder sought to replace the tourist-approved narratives perpetuated by white artists with the realities he witnessed every day. By combining realism and spirituality with vivid colors and expressive brushstrokes, Scholder created radical new imagery of modern-day Indigenous life., Wednesdays-Sundays. through Nov. 7. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com/visit/events/ scholder. THROUGH NOVEMBER 7 A room with a View: Scenes of the Italian Countryside Artists from around the world have long been captured by the enduring appeal of the Italian countryside. Its sweeping vistas, at times sprinkled with ancient ruins, make for an enticing subject for artists in a variety of mediums. American artists in particular traveled to Italy throughout the nineteenth century to study not only the great masterpieces of ancient and Renaissance art, but also to sketch and paint the campagna, or countryside, basked in a beautiful glow., Wednesdays-Sundays. through Nov. 7. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com/visit/ events/room-with-a-view. THROUGH NOVEMBER 7 Second Friday Art Walk In keeping with the CDC’s guidelines to a safe reopening, we will limit the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk to a virtual broadcast experience that celebrates art, artists and our local businesses on Friday, July 10 that we can all enjoy from home., tour shops studios, venues and galleries to view visual art exhibits, hear live music and more, 6 p.m. second Friday of every month. Downtown Norman, 122 E. Main St., 405-637-6225, downtownnorman.com. FRI, JUNE 12

Submissions must be For OKG received by Oklahoma live music Gazette no later than see page 27 noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings.Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to Listings@okgazette. com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Women of the Banjo A special exhibit at the American Banjo Museum Women of the Banjo

A R T S & C U LT U R E O KG A Z E T T E .CO M | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

| Photos Phillip Danner

by Matt Dinger

Record Store Day is going to be a lot different this year. Guestroom Records, 3701 N. Western Ave., is teaming up with Mosaic and Cock-O-The-Walk to turn the day into a block party. From 9 a.m. to noon on June 12, the record store will be doing 15-minute appointments so that people may shop safely. A $10 deposit will be required to save a spot. “We’ll have hundreds of new, exclusive releases. We’re gonna be releasing a lot of kind of high-end used records we’ve been squirreling away too,” Guestroom owner Justin Sowers said.. “Once the appointments are over at noon, give or take, we’re going to open. We’re not going to pack it out. We’re going to limit it to probably 25 people in the store, maybe 20. We’re still kind of feeling out what feels comfortable. We’re gonna take all those high-end records, whatever didn’t sell during the appointments, I’m going to take some Record Store Day stuff out there and we’ll take it outside, sidewalk sale style, out in the back part for the show, so that should be pretty fun.” Sowers noted that all of Guestroom’s employees are also vaccinated. “There’s two items of Flaming Lips interest for Record Store Day. There’s a Flaming Lips [The] Soft Bulletin companion double-LP that’s coming out. It’s limited. It’s like b-sides, demos, comp tracks, some alternate takes, remixes, that kind of stuff from The Soft Bulletin era, which is exciting. Barring shipping delays, all of our copies should be signed by Wayne [Coyne],” he said. If you’re new to vinyl, Guestroom also offers very affordable AudioTechnica turntables and speaker bundles starting at $189. “We don’t make much margin on that because I don’t care about selling the printer. I want to sell the ink, so I want you to have something that sounds good, that you like, that looks good,” Sowers said. Nicholas Ley will be there, performing under two different monikers. First, his band Colourmusic will be playing a set, including a number of songs from 26

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM MUS IC

their new record. “We’re gonna play some stuff off of that, but we’re also gonna play some songs that we haven’t gotten to play before and play older songs in weird ways. We’re doing it as a really free, experimental kind of electronic version of the set. When we usually play it, we’re kind of tied to certain instruments and we’re changing that up,” Ley said. After that, as part of duo Brothers Griin, he will be performing a DJ set until the party peters out. ” Thank Goodness Hell is Easy To Get Into,” the new Colourmusic record, is released by Resonant Cult Records. Resonant Cultivation is the growing arm of Mosaic. “They just opened Mosaic+ and they’re like, ‘How do we do this in a cool way?”’ Ley said. “Well, for one thing, you guys are right next to Guestroom, so the music and the culture part about it has to be kind of at the forefront and if we can get people there, even better because Guestroom is fantastic, but only so many people can fit in, especially on Record Store Day.” There is a new back parking lot to the strip. When he saw it, Ley instantly knew that would be the spot to set up to perform. “We don’t need a stage. We’re just gonna do it like a block party type thing and people can hang out … We can bridge everything with a good time after a lot of us have been completely isolated and separated for a while. I think most people are vaccinated. Some people aren’t, but we’re still going to be doing it in a safe way so everybody can kind of engage at their own discretion. I think it’ll be a good time. It’s gonna be easy to | Photos Phillip Danner

park and hang out and get a beer. There’s some free food. We’ve got free posters, we’ve got some T-shirts we’re gonna give out I mean, just all kinds of cool stuff, just to kind of be out and celebrate being alive and being together again,” Ley said. Cock-O-The-Walk has been licensed to sell beer in the parking lot during the event and food will be provided throughout the event from The Wedge and The Drum Room, both just a little bit farther north up N. Western Avenue. “Guestroom is an anchor in Oklahoma City and we’re excited to bring artists in through Mosaic with arts and music and events like this. So this is the first one and we’re really excited,” Mosaic owner Reid Colley said.

“We’ve got chicken and wings from The Drum Room and 15 pizzas from The Wedge. If those fly, all I have to do is call The Wedge back and make an order and they can bring more. Everything. Posters, shirts, food. Everything is free. Mosaic is paying for it all. This is the shit that we can do. This is fun. This gets people back together.” There will be 200 posters for the event handed out for Record Store Day, as well as a T-shirt. “We’re already planning the one for July 17 and that’s the cool thing. Cock-O-The-Walk and all the neighbors are so amped about it because you know with Cock-O-The-Walk you’ve got a certain group that won’t go in there because it’s smoking but for them to be able to have events and be able to do things too is going to really add a lot to the to the block for sure,” Colley said. Record Store Day begins with appintments at Guestroom and coffee and donuts provided by Mosaic at 10 a.m. and continues until at least 5 p.m. with Brothers Griin on the decks.

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY, JUNE 11 Dylan Stewart/ ben McKenzie/ Dan Martin, Blue Note

Jon Wolfe, Diamond Ballroom. COUNTRY

These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Midas 13, Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar. ROCK/COVER Ravens Three, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC TRIO

The Normandys with From Parts Unknown,

Dirty Honey with special guest Joyous Wolf, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

89th Street

Dr. Pants, Full Circle Bookstore. SINGER/SONG-

SATURDAY, JUNE 12 Carter Sampson, Core4 Brewing. FOLK Drop Dead Dammit/ 5 Dollar Thrill/ Agony incorporated, Blue Note Flametrick Subs Return, 89th Street

Gunfighters Dilemma, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. ROCK Michael Fresonke, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC Midas 13, Landing Zone. ROCK/COVER

SUNDAY, JUNE 13

WRITER

index Paradox/ Endfall/ AV8, Blue Note

Jazz in June, Andrews Park Tennessee Jet, Tower Theatre. ROCK

SUNDAY, JUNE 20 13 Friday’s/ Deadweek/ The Fills, Blue Note

MONDAY, JUNE 21 Jason & Shawna of Ravens Three, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant.

Celtic Jam, Full Circle Bookstore. CELTIC Live from the Lawn: OKCPhil – Home Spun featuring Kylie Morgan, Scissortail Park. Tab Benoit, Tower Theatre. BLUES

MONDAY, JUNE 14 Jason & Shawna of Ravens Three, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 Andrew Frasco & The U.N., Tower Theatre. ROCK Dropout Kings, 89th Street

THURSDAY, JUNE 17 Jazz in June, Brookhaven Village. Jonathan Foster/ Nikki Jackson, Blue Note

FRIDAY, JUNE 18 Corey Matthews/ scott Dammit/ Aurora James, Blue Note

Jazz in June, Brookhaven Village. Jimbo Mathus, Tower Theatre. FOLK Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS! MUS I C OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

JUNE 23RD ISSUE PRIDE GUIDE SECTION

ADVERTISING@OKGAZETTE.COM

Open Saturday!

OCEAN VIEW Find us at Booth 321 $16 PER BAG (2 CU FT)

1101 N Meridian 405.415.9480 www.CultivateOKC.com 28

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM HIGH CULTURE

BY: Phillip Rodriguez

Green Grow is getting out from beneath the fluorescent lights and into the sunshine this year with the inaugural Green Grow FEST. Scheduled for June 25-27 at the Route 66 Event Center in Depew, which is between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, GreenGrow FEST will be a three-day outdoor festival that promises to break the mold of previous cannabis events. Taking cues from Burning Man and EDM festivals, which the festival-runners say they were particularly influenced by, the festival will be held in a campground that was most recently home to the EDEN 2021 EDM festival. “It’ll be a little bit of a Burning Man vibe, a little bit of a Cannabis Cup vibe,” Jay Wright, festival organizer, said. A private lake for swimming with a 120-foot water slide, dozens of RV hookups, a mud volleyball pit, a wading pool, an onsite burger restaurant, and what’s scheduled to be the largest smoke-out and laser light show in the state’s history, set this apart as an allinclusive, and very different, cannabis festival experience. “The expo scene is a lot of dry, concrete trade shows,” Wright said, “but we want a thriving outdoor cannabis market.” But what would a cannabis expo be without a cup competition? Wright said that even this will be different from other expos, as this will be “the first voting-based cup in the state.” He said that others prioritize sponsors over actual patient perspectives when it comes to cup winners, but that GreenGrow will listen only to votes from attendees in order to pick the winners. Voting is being held online and began

June 1st, with categories ranging from the expected, like “best flower,” “best grower,”or “best solventless concentrate,” to the somewhat unexpected, like “best social media personality,” “favorite cannabis brand,” or “most innovative topical.” Several local EDM musicians feature on the festival’s bill as well, fully committing to the EDM/Burning Man vibe. Headlined by TYNAN, the bill also features EDM artists like Whiskers, Kenzie Sway and Krewx, with stage and audio production by scene mainstays Subsonix production team. Tickets start at $44 for general admission, to $88 for a VIP pass that offers networking opportunities and access to special refreshment areas. No medical card is required to attend the event, but is required to consume cannabis on the site. Wright said that all general admission passes will include an opportunity to pay $25 for a patient recommendation or a renewal, and that all VIP passes will come with that for free. This means that, whether you’re already a cannabis patient or wanting to become one, your doctor recommendation is already covered or discounted thanks to the festival organizers. For tickets to Green Grow Fest, scan QR code with your smart phone.

Strain name: Divine Gelato

For more information strain reviews scan QR code with your smart phone.

Grown by: Medicine Man Acquired from: High Society Date acquired: May 27 THC/CBD percentages: 14.37 percent/0 percent (per Highgrade Labs) Physical traits: purple and light green with densely frosted trichomes Bouquet: sweet and gassy Review: After smoking this, I’ve decided that this will be the last review I write with THC percentages. This Divine Gelato tested below 15 percent and its terpenes tested at 2.39 percent, but that tells you nothing about how good of a smoke this one is. Nothing against Highgrade Labs. They’re good people doing good work and I don’t doubt their analysis, but man. This one glistens in the light, tastes like a dream and puts me in an elevated but calm mood. This one is going in the personal stash and labeled as an “anytime” strain. Low doses do the job but heavier hitting isn’t overbearing either.

Strain name: Glazed Apricot Gelato Grown by: Resonant Cultivation Acquired from: Mosaic Date acquired: May 20 THC/CBD percentages: 22.3 percent/0 percent (per Cannabest Labs) Physical traits: Purple and dark green with wiry orange stigmas and frosted with trichomes Bouquet: Sweet and pungently sour Review: Ice Cream Cake is one of those indicas that, if grown well, will just absolutely clobber you. It had been a while since taking this one, but this run from Elite Leaf was solid. And while they did not have any Wedding Cake on shelf, they do have the other cross, Gelato #33, which is equally as hard hitting. A heavy but smooth smoke, this one is definitely going to try to make you take a seat, but a mixture of the Ice Cream Cake with Elite Leaf’s Orange Cookies provides the perfect balance of relaxation and focus.

Branding for Humans HIGH CULTURE OKGA Z E T TE .COM | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE YOU DO THE MATH

By Jennifer Nebergall | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0606 1

24 27

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60 66

87 93

100

103 106

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ACROSS 1

Supply for an ultimate Frisbee team 6 2019 box-office flop described by one critic as ‘‘Les Meowsérables’’ 10 Picks the brain of 14 Extemporizes 19 ‘‘Why should ____?’’ 20 Feeling tender 21 Apartment, in real estate lingo 22 How spring rolls are cooked 23 Oscar-winning actress

24 25 26 27 31 32 33 36 38 39

59 Royal staff 61 Sort represented by the 21 22 emoji 64 Fruits often used in sushi 25 26 66 Cattle in [cattle/pigs] 69 Burrito condiment 29 30 73 Vodka mixer 74 Hopeless predicament 32 79 Birthstone for Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris 37 38 39 40 41 and Alexandria OcasioCortez 44 45 46 80 Toffee bar brand 49 50 51 82 What the nose knows 84 Major move, for short 54 55 56 57 58 85 ‘‘ ... unless you disagree’’ 87 Naturally occurring 61 62 63 64 65 hexagonal crystals 90 ‘‘Dames at ____’’ 68 (Broadway musical) 91 Was fed up 73 74 75 76 77 78 92 Comics character with 81 82 83 84 the dog Daisy 95 Bear x tiger 88 89 90 91 98 ‘‘Billions’’ airer, for short 99 Et ____ 95 96 97 101 Hamilton, to Burr 102 Green cards, informally 101 102 103 Offering to a houseguest 105 Hardly any 104 105 106 Car in {plane, car, train, horse, car, car, train} 109 110 111 112 113 Pong company 115 116 117 114 Shakespeare character who inquires, ‘‘Are your 120 121 doors lock’d?’’ 115 Greet grandly 124 125 116 Provide funding for 118 Was accepted 119 ____ mess, English dessert born Mary Louise 42 Route 70 in {Route 10, of berries, meringue and One side of a 2015 Route 95, Route 101, whipped cream nuclear agreement Route 70, Route 25} 120 Its merchandise often It’s irreversible 45 Snitch comes with pictorial University of Florida 47 Hit film set aboard the instructions athlete spaceship Nostromo 121 ‘‘Set Fire to the Rain’’ singer ‘‘That was great!’’ — ‘‘No, 48 Cereal grain 122 Part of a golf club it stank!’’ 49 Fastener that leaves a 123 Mathematician Descartes Setting for Jo Nesbo’s flush surface 124 Credit-application figs. best-selling crime novels 51 Modern party-planning tool 125 PC platform popular in They have stems and 52 Lofty the 1980s white heads 53 Collector’s item Mild, light-colored cigars 55 Word after combat or DOWN Have because of cowboy 1 Grow faint Drive (from) 58 What two Vikings have 2 Coffee-order specification Recurring pain? explored 3 Garment whose name 8

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

SUDOKU MEDIUM | N°10825 Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com Grid n°10825 medium

8 9 2

7 9 3 5 9 5 6

2 5 1

8 6 3

2 5

J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

8 2 7 6

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 28 29 30 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 43 44 46 50 53 54 56 57 60 62 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 72

sounds like an apology Sign of distress Like many wildflower seeds Boutros Boutros-Ghali’s home city Nearly 5,000 square yards Comparative word Matched up What has interest in a car? Sound of disdain Long, loose robe Leave momentarily Brief evocative account Diarist Nin ‘‘Hello ____’’ (old cellphone ad line) Subatomic particle Some nice cameras, for short Wife of Albert Einstein Wipe out, slangily ‘‘____ deal’’ Has a tête-à-tête Pale pinkish purple Light-footed Muhammad’s father-in-law Cause of a smudge First work read in Columbia’s literature humanities course Like some news coverage Squeeze ‘‘Nice going!’’ Crux of the matter Rating for risqué shows ____-in-the-hole (British dish) Whale constellation Massive ref. books Have things in common Like music that uses conventional keys and harmony Org. whose website has a ‘‘What Can I Bring?’’ section Summer Olympics host before Tokyo They may come in a boxed set Summer hrs. in Iowa Co. captains? First line of a Seuss classic Parts of cars and stoves High-profile interviewer of Harry and Meghan Style of ‘‘Roxanne’’ in ‘‘‘Moulin Rouge!’’ Drawn out

75 Easterlies 76 Done again 77 Chef Waters who pioneered the organic food movement 78 Mrs. ____, ‘‘Beauty and the Beast’’ character 81 Kind of vaccine used against Covid 83 Slippery 86 Partly 88 Two-person meeting 89 Certain sots 91 Words often replaced when singing ‘‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’’ 93 Disney character who says ‘‘Some people are worth melting for’’ 94 Less sportsmanlike 96 Where the King lived 97 Tennis’s Nadal, familiarly 100 Make sparkling 103 Font flourish 104 Tease 105 Cartographic collection 106 In Touch and Out, for two 107 Texter’s ‘‘Then again ... ’’ 108 Cloud contents 109 Trees under which truffles might grow 110 ‘‘De ____’’ (response to ‘‘Merci’’) 111 Took too much, for short 112 ____ contendere 117 ____ Moore, antipoverty entrepreneur of the Robin Hood Foundation

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 0523, which appeared in the May 26 issue.

D O R I C C H U M

O P E R A H O U S E

C A M E R A C R E W

U R S A

S E C T

P A R A

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S L I M R Y I O T S P E I W S L M E A T R G B A A R K I E N S E

C O G I T O

A R E T H A

S U V A

O P E N T O

M O T N U B I E D S E S

B A C I C H T A K I E R A T W E T A X T C E G O O D A E R T F N A B E E P I D R S O I D E N A L T A B Y O S A R E A M A R R I T S M

H E S I L L C K O U S T I G H T L E E L L R T O M I N A S E D E E A D M C O C H A A N E M A B L R I Y T E S

E S O P H R A E G P U S S L A T E L E D O R E M I N N O U G A T

T A T A

A R T H R O

VOL. XLIII NO. 02

R I F L E

M A Y E R

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T I E S

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A D U L T M O V I E

P E T E E T A P E

Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution. Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor. First-class mail subscriptions are $119 for one year, and most issues at this rate will arrive 1-2 days after publication.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY - WEEK OF JUNE 10 Homework: Send word of your latest victory. Write to: newsletter@freewillastrology.com

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Aries actor Leonard Nimoy became mega-famous by playing the role of Spock, an alien from the planet Vulcan in the Star Trek franchise. He always enjoyed the role, but in 1975 he wrote an autobiography called I Am Not Spock. In it, he clarified how different he was from the character he performed. In 1995, Nimoy published a follow-up autobiography, I Am Spock, in which he described the ways in which he was similar to the fictional alien. In the spirit of Nimoy’s expansive self-definition, Aries, and in accordance with current astrological potentials, I invite you to make it clear to people exactly who you and who you aren’t

Cancerian author Franz Kafka put his characters into surreal dilemmas. In his novella The Metamorphosis, for example, the hero wakes up one day to find he has transformed into a giant insect. Despite his feral imagination, however, Kafka had a pragmatic relationship with consumerism. “I do not read advertisements,” he said. “I would spend all of my time wanting things.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to adopt his earthy attitude for the next two weeks. Take a break from wanting things, period. Experiment with feeling free of all the yearnings that constantly demand your attention. Please note: This break in the action won’t be forever. It’s just a vacation. When you return to wanting things, your priorities will have been realigned and healed, and you’ll feel refreshed.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

The poet Rumi declared, “A lover has four streams inside, of water, wine, honey, and milk.” With that in mind, Taurus, I will recommend that you seek a boost in the honey department. Your passions and feelings have been flowing along fairy well, but lately they’ve lacked some sweetness. As a result, you’re not receiving as much of the sweetness you need from the world around you. So your assignment is to intensify the honey stream within you! Remember the principle, “Like attracts like.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

I’m glad you’re not on the planet Saturn right now. The winds there can blow at 1,000 miles per hour. But I would like you to feel a brisk breeze as you wander around in nature here on Earth. Why? Because according to my interpretation of the current astrological omens, winds will have a cleansing effect on you. They will clear your mind of irrelevant worries and trivial concerns. They’ll elevate your thoughts as well as your feelings. Do you know the origin of the English word “inspire”? It’s from the Latin word inspirare, meaning “blow into, breathed upon by spirit.” Its figurative meaning is “to inspire, excite, inflame.” The related Latin word spiritus refers to “a breathing of the wind” and “breath of a god”—hence “inspiration; breath of life.”

Author Umberto Eco declared that beauty is boring because it “must always follow certain rules.” A beautiful nose has to be just the right shape and size, he said, while an “ugly nose” can be ugly in a million different unpredictable ways. I find his definition narrow and boring, and prefer that of philosopher Francis Bacon, who wrote, “There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” Poet Charles Baudelaire agreed, saying, “That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal: from which it follows that irregularity— that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and stonishment— is an essential part and characteristic of beauty.” Then there’s the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which reveres beauty that’s imperfect, transitory, and incomplete. Beginning now, and for the rest of 2021, Leo, I encourage you to ignore Eco’s dull beauty and cultivate your relationship with the more interesting kind.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

One of the more evocative passages in J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel The Return of the King is about the warrior Éowyn. It says, “Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.” I’m predicting a comparable transformation for you in the near future, Virgo. There’ll be some fundamental shift in the way your heart

comprehends life. When that happens, you will clearly fathom some secrets about your heart that have previously been vague or inaccessible. And then the sun will shine upon you with extra brilliance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Libran actor and author Carrie Fisher had more than the average number of inner demons. Yet she accomplished a lot, and was nominated for and won many professional awards. Here’s the advice she gave: “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident.” I hope you’ll employ that strategy in the coming weeks, dear Libra. The time is favorable for you to work hard on your number one goal no matter what your emotions might be at any particular moment.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Scorpio author Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881) had a gambling addiction for many years. At one point, he lost so much money betting on roulette that he had to take drastic measures. He wrote a novella in record time—just 16 days—so as to raise money to pay his debt. The story was titled The Gambler. Its hero was a not-very-successful gambler. Is there a comparable antidote in your future, Scorpio? A gambit that somehow makes use of the problem to generate the cure? I suspect there is.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

In her poem “Escape,” Michelle Tudoraddresses a lover: “Inside of you: a dream raging to be set free.” She implies that she would like to be a collaborator who provides assistance and inspiration in liberating her companion’s dream. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to make a similar offer to an ally you care for—and to ask that ally to do the same for you. And by the way: What is the dream inside you that’s raging to be set free? And what’s the dream inside your comrade?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Author Martha Beck has helpful counsel for you to keep returning to during the coming weeks. “It isn’t necessary to know exactly how your ideal life will look,” she writes. “You only have to know what feels better and what feels

worse. Begin making choicesbased on what makes you feel freer and happier, rather than on how you think an ideal life should look. It’s the process of feeling our way toward happiness, not the realization of the Platonic ideal, that creates our best lives.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Aquarian author James Dickey celebrated “the holy secret of flowing.” But he added, “You must be made for it.” In other words, he implied that the secret of flowing is a luxury only some of us have access to. And because we “must be made for it,” he seemed to suggest that being in possession of the secret of flowing is due to luck or genetics or privilege. But I reject that theory. I think anyone can tap into the secret of flowing if they have the desire and intention to do so. Like you! Right now! You’re primed to cultivate a robust relationship with the holy flow.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Why do humans enjoy much longer life spans than other higher primates? Here’s one reason: grandmothers. Anthropologists propose that earlier in our evolution, families with elder females especially thrived. The grandmothers helped care for children, ensuring greater health for everyone as well as a higher rate of reproduction than grandmother-less broods. Their longevity genes got passed on, creating more grandmothers. Lucky! Having older women around while growing up has been key to the success of many of us. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to celebrate and honor the role your own grandmothers and female elders have played in your life. And if you’re a grandmother, celebrate and honor yourself!

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY - WEEK OF JUNE 17 Homework: My birthday’s coming up. I welcome your blessings! newsletter@freewillastrology.com or PO Box 4399, San Rafael, CA 94913. ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Aries playwright Tennessee Williams was honest about the trickery he engaged in as he composed his entertaining masterpieces. “I don’t want realism,” he exclaimed. “I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people.” I fully support you, Aries, if you would like to make that your goal in the next three weeks. In my astrological opinion, you and the people in your life have more than a mild need for magic. Your ability to thrive depends on you all getting big doses of magic.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

“I remember wishing I could be boiled like water and made pure again,” writes poet Jeffrey McDaniel. Judging from the current astrological omens, Gemini, I think you could be made reasonably pure again without having to endure an ordeal like being boiled like water. Do you have ideas about how to proceed? Here are mine: 1. Spend 15 minutes alone. With your eyes closed, sitting in a comfortable chair, forgive everyone who has hurt you. Do the best you can. Perfection isn’t necessary. 2. Spend another 15 minutes alone, same deal. Forgive yourself of everything you’ve done that you think of as errors. Perfection isn’t required. 3. Spend another 15 minutes alone. Imagine what it would be like to unconditionally love yourself exactly as you are. 4. Spend another 15 minutes alone. Remember ten amazing moments that you enjoyed between ages five and 13.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

everything you’ve done that you think of as errors. Perfection isn’t required. 3. Spend another 15 minutes alone. Imagine what it would be like to unconditionally love yourself exactly as you are. 4. Spend another 15 minutes alone. Remember ten amazing moments that you enjoyed between ages five and 13.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

On June 23, 1940, Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely to a family that already had 19 other children. During her childhood, she suffered from pneumonia, scarlet fever, polio, and infant paralysis. The latter two diseases damaged her left leg, and she wore a brace until she was 12 years old. Nevertheless, by the time she was in high school, she had become a very good athlete. Eventually she competed in the Olympics, where she won four medals and earned the title “the fastest woman in history.” I propose that we name her your official role model for the rest of 2021. May she inspire you to overcome and transcend your own personal adversity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

According to physicists, it’s impossible for a human being to suck water up through a straw that’s more than 34 feet long. So please don’t even try to do that, either now or ever. If, however, you have a good reason to attempt to suck water up a 33-foot straw, now would be an excellent time to do so. Your physical strength should be at a peak, as is your capacity for succeeding at amazing, herculean tasks. How else might you direct your splendid abilities? What other ambitious feats could you pull off?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Philosopher Simone Weil wrote, “Only the light that falls continually from the sky gives a tree the energy to push powerful roots into the earth. The tree is actually rooted in the sky.” As you bolster your foundations in the coming months, as you deepen your roots, I hope you keep Weil’s brilliant observation in mind. Like a tree, the nourishment that will help you grow the stamina and strength and structure you need will come as you turn to the brightest, warmest, highest sources of inspiration.

Leo-born P. L. Travers wrote the children’s books about Mary Poppins, a nanny with magical powers. She was thoroughly familiar with folklore, ancient myths, and the occult. The character of Mary Poppins, Travers said, was a version of the Mother Goddess. But in her writing process, she drew inspiration mainly from what she thought of as the vast dark nothingness. She wrote, “I’ve become convinced that the great treasure to possess is the unknown.” To generate her tales, she listened to silence and emptiness. I recommend you emulate her approach as you create the next chapter of your life story.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Virgo poet Melissa Broder writes, “Romantic obsession is my first language. I live in a world of fantasies, infatuations and love poems.” I wouldn’t normally authorize you to share her perspective, but I will now. The astrological omens suggest you have something important to learn from being more enamored and adoring than usual. If you say YES to the deluge of yearning, you’ll gain access to a type of power that will prove very useful to you in the coming months.

To be in groovy alignment with cosmic rhythms, you won’t merely walk, and you certainly won’t trudge. Rather you will saunter and ramble and promenade. You will strut and rove and prowl. Likewise, you won’t just talk, and you certainly won’t mutter or grumble. Instead you will banter, rhapsodize, improvise, beguile, and lyricize. Catch my drift? You won’t simply laugh, but will chortle, cackle, and guffaw. In other words, Sagittarius, you are authorized to imbue everything you do with style, panache, and imagination.

Congratulations on being such a duty-bound, nononsense adult. May you continue to ply your dogged persistence and beast-of-burden attitude as long as it gets important tasks done, helps you feel useful, and doesn’t make you sick. But if you do get tempted to depart from the sacrificial path anytime soon, please know that you will not offend any gods or demons. Nor will you incur a karmic debt. In fact, I believe you have cosmic clearance to dabble with lightheartedness for a while.

You should feel free to experiment with fun and games that appeal to your sense of wonder.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no melancholy,” wrote poet Charles Baudelaire. What?! That makes no sense. I’m aware of millions of beautiful things that aren’t tinctured with melancholy. California’s Mount Shasta in the late spring twilight, for example. New York City’s Guggenheim Museum, a gorgeous gleaming building designed by genius architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Marmore waterfalls in central Italy. The gardens of painter Claude Monet in Normandy, France. David Byrne’s gloriously hopeful website, ReasonsToBeCheerful.world. I mention this, Aquarius, because I expect life to bring you a flood of non-melancholic beauty in the coming days. Take advantage of this grace to replenish your trust in life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Piscean author César Aira praises the value of escaping one’s memories. He writes, “Forgetting is like a great alchemy free of secrets, transforming everything to the present.” I’d love to see you enjoy alchemy like that in the coming weeks, dear Pisces. It’s a favorable time to lose at least some of the inhibitions and limitations you think you have to accept because of what happened in the past. As Aira says, forgetting “makes our lives into a visible and tangible thing we hold in our hands, with no folds left hidden in the past.”

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 1

Come visit the newest permanent exhibit,

Launch to Landing: Oklahomans and Space

This permanent exhibit was made possible by the generous support of

E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, M.D. Jirous and Barbara Jirous Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation, Records-Johnston Family Foundation Inc., Bob Ford, James C. and Teresa K. Day Foundation, Friends of the Oklahoma History Center, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institute,Washington, D.C. Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, Thomas P. Stafford Air and Space Museum, Weatherford, Oklahoma Bill Moore, Cameron Eagle, Ink Ranch

For more information call 405.522.0765 or visit okhistory.org 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. Oklahoma City, OK 73105