OVAC Round Up
We will miss our first Volunteer and Office Coordinator Sarah McElroy, who is heading to Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA this summer to earn a Masters in art therapy. Since Sarah arrived in 2008, OVAC’s volunteer program has grown as she added the Volunteer of the Month recognition, OVAC LI (Leadership Institute) and better communications. Less visible, Sarah also streamlined OVAC’s financial systems, saving us time and making it easier for us to complete three voluntary audits cleanly. Best of luck, Sarah. You better stay in touch and thanks for all your hard work! Thank you Lauren and Elisha for interning with OVAC during your spring semester. Elisha Gallegos is a budding artist who currently attends Oklahoma City University, majoring in Fine Arts. We loved working with her positive attitude. Elisha helped build the spring Momentum: Art Doesn’t Stand Still exhibition and also had work accepted in the show. Lauren Kubier is also an artist who attends the University of Central Oklahoma, majoring in Studio Art. Lauren assisted the staff on many research tasks and detailed projects. Both continue to be involved and volunteer throughout the Oklahoma arts community. Thank you both for being such dependable, hard workers! Recent OVAC grant recipients include Creative Projects Grants to Narciso Argüelles, Edmond; Paul Bagley, Oklahoma City; Jan Eckardt Butler, Tulsa; Eyakem Gulilat, Norman; Carol 28
ovac news
JULY | AUGUST 2011
Beesley, Norman; Karra Duncan, Tulsa; and Angela Piehl, Stillwater; a Community Arts Partnership Grant to Allison Clemans of Guymon; Professional Basics Grants to JP Morrison, Bixby; and Kate Rivers, Ada; and Education Assistance Grants to Brenda Dewald, Dover; Charleen Weidell, Luther; Mark Zimmerman, Edmond; Robi Parker, Broken Arrow; and Bonnie Amspacher, Norman. Thank you to our hardworking Grants Committee who reviewed (and funded) a record number of grants this year: Susan Beaty, Joey Frisillo, Pat Gallagher, Gail Sloop and Chair Debby Williams. You can read profiles of many of the recipients on the OVAC blog, www.ovac.blogspot.com. Upcoming deadlines are July 15 and October 15. OVAC is hosting its second annual OVAC LI (Leadership Institute) for active volunteers and committee members on July 23. If you are serving OVAC as a volunteer or want to get more involved, this afternoon event will be for you. Contact the Volunteer/Office Coordinator for more information: 405-879-2400 or office@ ovac-ok.org. OVAC programs run with the outstanding energy, ideas, and work of about 300 volunteers! Art People
The new Oklahomans for the Arts launched in May to formally advocate for public funding for arts, culture and arts education in Oklahoma.
Founding board members are Jim Tolbert II and Kym Koch Thompson of Oklahoma City and Linda Frazier of Tulsa. Jennifer James, an Oklahoma City-based PR practitioner and registered lobbyist will coordinate the group’s efforts. A full roll-out will occur at the Oklahoma Arts Conference October 26-27, Tulsa. Learn more at www.oklahomansforthearts.org. Louisa McCune-Elmore was named Executive Director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation in late April. She follows Susan McCalmont, who retired after nineteen years as executive director. McCune-Elmore, a native of Enid, Oklahoma, served as editor in chief at Oklahoma Today magazine for 13 years. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed more than $58 million to nearly eight hundred non-profits, including OVAC, helping to establish and finance such organizations as the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Science Museum Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Zoo, Ballet Oklahoma, and the Lyric Theater. Welcome Louisa. McCalmont has been named President of Creative Oklahoma, a statewide non-profit organization that promotes creativity and innovation in commerce, culture, and education. Susan, thank you for your leadership through the Kirkpatrick Foundation and congratulations on this next chapter. n