OKC Events March 3, 2003

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Mar 3, 2003 by Joan Gilmore

Three local artists will join for an exhibition at Stage Center, 400 W. Sheridan Ave., on Thursday.

The artists are Ashley Griffith, Liz Peveto and Carl Shortt and they will be present for an opening night reception from 5 until 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The gallery also will feature "When houses are alive, children learn to fly," a group of murals by children from Mark Twain Elementary School. The exhibitions are organized by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition and are open to the public during normal working hours each week.

Perhaps "sextet" has more implications than one realizes. One of the upcoming exhibitions is titled "Menage a Trois," more familiarly known as Biting the Apple, an annual exhibit at the Individual Artists of Oklahoma on Saturday. The evening is subtitled as an erotic art exhibition and fetish ball and always draws a crowd. Guests are encouraged to indulge in erotic dress or costumes - but no illegal nudity, please. The party, priced at $20 at the door, will begin at 7 p.m. when the cash bar opens and end when the pumpkin coach departs at midnight. The Convoy will provide sensual rock 'n roll music and food will be provided by Bellini's, Gaijin Sushi Bar, Galileo Bar & Grill, Gopuram, a Taste of India; Iguana Lounge, Lotus Steaks, Seafood & Sushi, La Baguette Bistro, the Mantel Wine Bar & Bistro, Mediterranean Imports and Deli and VZD's Restaurant and Club.

"A Poetic Spirit: The Enduring Art of Ken Riley" is the theme of an exhibit opening Sunday at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Ken Riley was recognized with the Prix de West Award in 1995. A members-only reception is planned from 7 until 9 p.m. Saturday and Susan Hallsten McGarry will give a lecture about Riley and his art from 7:30 until 8 p.m.

Nationally recognized artist D.J. Lafon will be honored at a reception from 6 until 9 p.m. March 14 to open an exhibition of watercolors at JRB at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave. That same evening, from 5 until 8 p.m., artist Ron Jackson will be honored at a reception to open his exhibit titled "Man the Creator." This exhibition will be at the Untitled Gallery, 1 NE Third St. Jackson's show will be on view through April 26. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is free.

On view at Kirkpatrick Galleries in Omniplex are contemporary works by Marcus Eakers and Shobo. This exhibit will be on view through April 6. Admission fee to Omniplex is required to attend this art exhibit.

Got winter blahs?

The Mental Health Association in Oklahoma County is inviting all of you who have the winter blahs to come shake them off at its Spring Fever party on Friday at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. The fund-raising dinner and auction will begin "promptly" at 6:30 p.m. when guests may preview the auction items. A cash bar will be available.

Dinner will be at 7:30 p.m., followed by the auction. Among the items, on which guests may bid are a near-mint-condition 1989 Chrysler Mazerati convertible, a variety of travel items and trips.

Oklahoma news personality Jennifer Eve will be official hostess for the evening. Reservations are $100 per person and sponsorships of tables of eight are $700. Corporate sponsors for this benefit include Bank of Oklahoma, Great Plains Coca-Cola and Love's Country Stores. For information call the Mental Health Association at 843-9900.

Meet the authors

When I've read a good book, I've always wanted to meet the author and that's rarely possible. However, Saturday night, at the Oklahoma Book Awards dinner a bunch of authors will be on hand and glad to meet any and all readers. The 14th annual dinner will be at the Petroleum Club downtown where finalists in the five categories will have their fingers crossed for luck.

The categories are Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children/Young Adult, Poetry and Design/Illustration. All books must have been written by Oklahomans or be about Oklahoma to be entered in the competition.

Each year, the Oklahoma Center for the Book, sponsor of the awards program, also presents the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award to a body of work contributing to Oklahoma's literary heritage. The 2003 recipient is Native American poet Joy Harjo, born in Tulsa and an enrolled member of the Muscogee Nation. She now lives in Honolulu.

For more information about the book awards or dinner, contact Glenda Carlile at 522-3575.

Citizenship dinner

Former Congressman J.C. Watts will be the keynote speaker March 19 when the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs has its annual Oklahoma Citizenship Dinner. The fund-raiser will be at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum with a reception planned at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and program at 8 p.m. Business attire is suggested for guests.

Individual reservations are $100 per person for the general reception and dinner and a patron table for 10 guests is $1,000 for a private reception and the dinner. Corporate categories are $10,000 for a table for 10 in a premium seating and reservations for the private reception and other tables of 10, with appropriate perks, are priced at $5,000 or $2,500.