Arts Council of Oklahoma City's 'Rite of Spring' prepares for art,

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Apr 18, 2007 by Joan Gilmore

Each year, the folks at the Arts Council of Oklahoma City try to have something different to offer the hundreds and hundreds of art and food lovers when they come downtown to the Festival of the Arts, held each April. This year's festival, scheduled April 24-29, 41st in a series, continues this tradition when the South Hudson Gallery unveils its art showing.

The festival grounds cover the area of Festival Plaza and Myriad Botanical Gardens. Admission is free to the public. No pets of any kind are allowed on the festival grounds.

Because it's Oklahoma's centennial year, the gallery will not include the traditional exhibition of works done by amateurs in collaboration with professional artists. Instead, the exhibit, titled "Braided Paths," will reflect on the past 100 years, illustrating how Native American and Western Heritage has influenced present-day reality. The exhibition is a joint effort of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum.

The festival will continue its "tent city" feature of works by 144 artists from Oklahoma and around the country. In the adjoining Myriad Gardens will be the kinetic art of Windscapes and the Environs furniture exhibit in Stage Center.

The lawn around the theater will be the setting for Sculpture Park with curators Julia Kirt, director of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition; Clint Howard, owner of Deep in the Heart Foundry; and Scott Hicks, president of the Shidoni Foundry. Howard's foundry will coordinate a night bronze pouring each evening during the festival.

Four stages will offer arts entertainment from the youngest elementary school students to professional musicians such as Edgar Cruz, Harvey and the Wallbangers and others. Street performer Daniel Dorlano will wow audiences with his talent at juggling, mime, modern dance and other choreography. He'll perform four times each day on Festival Plaza.

The food booths will continue offering all sorts of food, international and local. And the very young will enjoy the Children's Area, where they can design sun catchers or switchplates and visit a children-only art mart to shop for art priced at $5 or less.

The Artful Experience tent will be the heart of the arts at this year's festival. Inside the artists' "studio" at least four artists will be demonstrating four different media each day next to the artist market.

A highlight of the festival is the Festi-Friday Party, which will take place from 8 p.m. until midnight April 27 at Stage Center, 400 W. Sheridan Ave. The Chris Hicks Band will play for dancing and in between dances, party-goers will be able to sample food offered by local restaurants such as Cheever's, the Museum Cafe, Adobe Grill and many others. A cash bar will be available.

As always, opening night will feature the fabulous Festi-Friends party from 6 until 8 p.m. There's a charge for this one. For more information about the Festival of the Arts, call (405) 270-4848.