“This show is going to be classic Broadway,” Executive Director Jennifer Baker said. “We are going to have great performers, fun costumes, lots of bling and amazing dance numbers…you won’t want to miss it!”

The musical tells the story of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler who meet when she beats him in a sharp shooting contest at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and the two have to negotiate between their competitive sides and their blossoming love for each other. The show features a string of popular songs like “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “Anything You Can Do”, “Doin’ What Comes Naturally” and so many more!

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN PERFORMANCE DATES/TIMES
June 23            7:30 pm
June 24-26       2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
June 27            2:00 pm

Tickets are on sale now: $10 for adults, $5 for kids, 12 & under. To purchase tickets, visit www.soonertheatre.org. For orders by phone or in person contact The Sooner Theatre during regular box office hours: Tues-Fri, 10am-noon & 2-5pm. A service charge of $2 per ticket will be applied to all phone and online orders.

SummerStage began eight years ago with a cast of 30 kids from ages 8-18. It has now grown to a cast of 70+ who where awarded roles after a very competitive audition process.

Maddison Breedlove and Abigail Wilkins, both 13, are double cast in the role of Dolly Tate this year and are return performers in the SummerStage camp.

“The first year I tried out, I was nervous; the second year I remembered all the friends I made so I auditioned again; and the third year I thought, ‘This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,’” said Breedlove.

“I keep coming back because of the friends I’ve made and the thrill of performing,” added fifth-year cast member Wilkins.

SummerStage is the third production in the Republic Bank & Trust Studio Series and is part of The Sooner Theatre’s theatre education program. The theatre’s education programming is made possible in part by Republic Bank & Trust, the Oklahoma Arts Council, Norman Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the City of Norman.

The Sooner Theatre of Norman is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Sooner Theatre offers year-round events including in-house musical theatre productions, concerts by nationally touring groups, special events and dozens of performing arts classes at The Studio of The Sooner Theatre.

Guests will be able to explore the exhibition Chocolate, as well as other museum galleries; enjoy live music and sample a variety of delicious chocolate taste sensations. The event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

Chocolate takes visitors on a journey through history to get the complete story behind this tasty treat.  You’ll begin in the rainforest with the unique cacao tree whose seeds started it all. Visit the ancient Maya civilization of Central America and discover what chocolate meant nearly 1,500 years ago. Then travel forward in time to the Aztec civilization of 16^th-century Mexico, where cacao seeds were so valuable they were used as money. Discover chocolate’s introduction into the upper classes of European society and its transformation into a mass-produced world commodity. You’ll explore the plant, the products and the culture of chocolate through the lenses of science, history and popular culture. Chocolate and its traveling exhibition was created by The Field Museum, Chicago, and supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.  Local media support was provided by Cox Media and The Oklahoman.

The Sam Noble Museum was founded by an act of the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1899.  In May, 2000, the museum opened the doors of its current home, a 198,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility that houses more than 7 million objects and artifacts. Museum galleries feature exhibits that showcase more than 4 billion years of Oklahoma’s fascinating natural history.  The Sam Noble Museum serves as the official museum of natural history for the state, and the objects housed in this world-class facility belong to the people of Oklahoma.

The Sam Noble Museum is located at Timberdell Road and Chautauqua Avenue on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.  For additional information, call (405) 325-4712, or visit the museum’s Web site: www.snomnh.ou.edu.

Media Relations Internship Available

THE POSITION: We are now accepting applications for an unpaid Media Relations Internship for the Summer with a potential for Fall.  The intern will work with the PR Coordinator and will focus on NAC initiatives.  The position also entails updating and editing the website’s calendar of arts events; typesetting organization’s press jobs; assisting with special events; photographing special activities and events; and other duties as assigned.  This is a great way to gain experience in the field while giving back to the Norman arts community.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Students must be working toward a degree in public relations, journalism, advertising or related field. Applicants must be working towards completing a Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree. Excellent written and oral communication, computer and program, and designing and editing skills are highly desirable. Individual must be hard working, responsible, dependable, and self-motivating. Intern must commit to 10 hours a week and may earn class credit for their time.

APPLICATION: Please supply the following to be considered:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• A sample of your work (either writing or design)

All applications are due by Friday June 11, 2010 by 5:00pm.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Send completed applications to pr@normanarts.org, fax to 405.360.0086, or mail to:

Norman Arts Council

PO Box 85

Norman OK 73070-0085

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Norman Arts Council is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS:

Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be administered shortly after.

Please e-mail Josh Lunsford at pr@normanarts.org with any questions.  Thank you for your interest in this unique opportunity.

Adults and children of all ages are invited to the Firehouse Art Center, where tables will be set up in the gallery for creating with clay. Patrons can sculpt or hand build their own objects of inspiration.  After the event, Firehouse volunteers will fire the clay pieces, which will be available to be picked up at the next 2nd Friday.

“We would like to invite children and adults to come and be creative regardless of age.  The Firehouse Art Center has one of the best ceramics facilities in the state and we would like to share the joy of creating with clay,” said Douglas Shaw Elder, Executive Director of the Firehouse Art Center.

The Firehouse Art Center is funded in part by select grants from the Oklahoma Arts Council, Norman Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the City of Norman Parks and Recreation Department, as well as a corporate sponsorship from Republic Bank and Trust.  Memberships to the Firehouse Art Center are available by calling 329-4523.

For additional information about the gallery exhibit or the Firehouse Art Center, call 329-4523 or visit www.normanfirehouse.com.

The Firehouse Art Center is the first stop for CART on the 2nd Friday Circuit of Art. For more information on 2nd Friday Circuit of Art participants, venues, or events, please visit 2ndFridayNorman.com.

“It is very cool and exceptionally humbling to have a day officially known as Norman Music Festival Day and to be recognized by Governor Henry,” says Quentin Bomgardner, committee chair for the Norman Music Festival. “

The proclamation states:

Whereas, arts and culture flourish alongside academia and sports within the City of Norman; and

Whereas, as a result of the 2009 Norman Music Festival 2.5million new monies were generated for Norman, and the surrounding communities; and

Whereas, Norman is currently involved in a downtown revitalization project that will guide Norman and its citizens into the 21st century; and

Whereas, The City of Norman is known as the City of Festivals by the State of Oklahoma

Whereas, Norman has strong sense of community, a high quality of life and affordability, and appreciation for diversity, the arts and culture; and

Whereas, Norman was the first city in the State of Oklahoma to offer a free independent music festival for all ages to enjoy;

Now, therefore, I, Brad Henry, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, do hereby proclaim April 25, 2010, as

“Norman Music Festival Day”

in the State of Oklahoma, and urge all citizens of Oklahoma to consider attending this festival with friends and family and help grow the tourism and economy in the State of Oklahoma.

The arts walk is a monthly Cleveland Area Rapid Transit route that connects the Downtown Arts District with outlying galleries, performance halls and Campus Corner to accompany an art walk the second Friday of each month.

This month’s art walk includes the Norman Arts Council’s Community Kick-StART.  This special event will take place next to the Firehouse Art Center, located at 444 South Flood Avenue in Lions Park, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Community Kick-StART will be an evening full of free fun and entertainment for the whole community. Free chips and salsa will be provided by Freebirds to snack on while guests enjoy a live performance featuring Norman’s own music group, Off Boyd Jazz.

The event will feature an interactive community collage. Paints and brushes will be provided for the event, though community members are encouraged to bring any kind of art supplies (including flat artworks and printed photographs) to attach or use on a large canvas designed to represent the city of Norman.

Guests are encouraged to then hop on the trolley and experience the NAC’s signature event, 2^nd Friday Circuit of Art.  This art walk offers a snapshot of the Norman arts scene, which features the best in local talent, venues and cuisine.

For only 50 cents per ride or $2 for the whole evening, visitors can park and hop on a CART trolley at Republic Bank & Trust on the corner of Main Street and University Boulevard, or any other stop on the route, and visit participating art galleries and organizations from 6 to 10 p.m. CART riders can get on or off at any of the multiple stops throughout the evening.

Of course, Community Kick-Start is just one of the events taking place during April’s event.  Other free activities and openings are scheduled by members of the Norman Gallery Association and its supporting organizations throughout the night.

A complete list of each participating gallery, the night’s events and members of the Norman Gallery Association, as well as a CART map for the evening and instructions for riding, is available online at www.normangalleryassociation.com as well as http://2ndfridaynorman.com/. Or, follow the event and organization on twitter (normanarts & 2ndfridaynorman) and facebook.

Native American Student, Alumni,Faculty &

Staff Art Show 2010

Call For Art!

You may turn in art work to the Jacobson House, located at 609 Chautauqua, anytime in March up to April 7th, except on Mondays.  The phone number is 405-366-1667.

Who is Eligible:

*Anyone enrolled at OU or that has attended OU for at least 1 semester

*be a current (or former) staff or faculty member

*Provide proof of your Indian blood, i.e. CDIB or letter from your tribal office.

*No more than 3 entries

*Art work MUST be ready to display.

This is a juried art show, judges will be:

Director of the OU School of Art, Dr. Mary Jo Watson (Seminole)

Artist & OU graduate Thomas Poolaw (Kiowa)

Artist & IAIA graduate Micah Wesley (Kiowa/Creek)

Art Show opening reception will be on April 9th, from 7-9pm

For further questions call Susan at 405-325-1133 or the Jacobson House at 405-366-1667.

N.A.W.O.M.P.

A University of Oklahoma organization since 1997.

On July 7, 1910, fifteen women sold buttons to benefit The Oklahoma Orphanage (now The Children’s Center). Resembling the modern pin-back button, the original design included the image of an infant and was sold at whatever price the buyer could afford. Buttons were sold throughout the day, appropriately called “Button Day,” with donations totaling $400. Collected funds were used towards future building projects and equipment.
To our knowledge, Button Day has not occurred since its inception in 1910. We are excited to mark the 100th anniversary with an exhibition which will both highlight the talents of those in the community and celebrate the Center’s heritage as well.  In addition to a juried art exhibition, pin-back buttons made by local elementary school students and patients of The Children’s Center will also be on display and available for purchase. All proceeds will benefit The Children’s Center.

Click here for artist application, which includes all the details.

Arabesque (Steve Vanlandingham and Miranda Arana) teams up with The Merry Sisters (Kathy Dagg and Shanda McDonald) to form Celtic Caravan, a four piece super-group dedicated to exploring the enchantments of traditional Irish music. The ensemble will be presenting a special concert of Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day (Wednesday, March 17, 2010) at 8:00 PM at Sonder Music, Dance, & Art in Norman. Please BYOB, and don’t forget to bring some Guinness for the band!

The four musicians have been fixtures on the local Celtic scene for many years and have been playing together informally for contra dances and other regional events for the past three years.

Steve and Miranda played with the long-running Irish band Banish Misfortune until 2007 and have been together as world music duo Arabesque since 2004.  Miranda’s flute magically captivates audiences with energy and artistry. Joining with Steve’s compelling rhythms on a variety of string instruments, they blend a colorful palate of Irish and Celtic with Middle Eastern and other world music styles.

Kathy and Shanda belonged to the well-loved local group Calliope House until 2007, when they moved on to form The Merry Sisters. They feature a mix a beautiful vocals and fiery jigs n’ reels. Kathy is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bouzouki, mandolin and banjo and is a mesmerizing singer.  Shanda pours her special fiddle-sauce over everything and stirs in some lovely vocal harmonies.

Sonder Music, Dance & Art is located at 225 E. Gray Street, Norman, OK. For more information, check out www.sondermusic.com.  Come early to get a good seat, space is limited.  Jig dancing is permitted, foot-tapping is probably inevitable.