Brady Art Festival: Art and Soul of Tulsa
By CHARLES CANTRELL
Associate Editor
LOCAL SHOW: The Brady Arts District will host it first annual art festival titled The Brady Art Festival on May 14, 15 and 16 featuring only local artists exhibiting and performing in one of the most charming areas of downtown.
CHARLES CANTRELL for GTR Newspapers
Evidence that the Brady Art District in the heart of downtown is fast becoming a regional center for the arts was provided in mid-April when posters and branding for the first annual Brady Arts Festival was presented to the public. The festival, to run three days, May 14, 15 and 16, is a collaboration between the Brady Merchants Association and a non-profit organization of local artists calling itself Local Art Matters. The festival has branded itself “The Art and Soul of Tulsa” because it will only showcase local artists and musicians.
Walsh and Associates, the firm recently contracted to develop the branding for the Brady Merchant Association, also provided the poster design and festival graphics for the event.
Spokesperson for Local Art Matters, Debbie Ashley summed up the festival’s mission: “Our goal is to create a fun-filled, family friendly festival showcasing Tulsa’s excellent and diverse talent pool of artists. We want to draw in the best art and music the city and region has to offer. Without question, the Brady Art District is the perfect venue for this festival.”
The festival area will be situated at the intersection of Brady Avenue and Bob Wills Boulevard/Main Street running north to Cameron Street, flanked by the iconic Brady Theater to the west and Cain’s Ballroom to the north.
Many local musicians and bands will be performing throughout the event including local favorites Sam and the Stylees, Rebecca Ungerman, Cards in the Gale and others. The musicians will be performing on the stage located where Main Street crosses Brady Avenue looking north.
More than 40 artists will be manning booths at the festival displaying a variety of art including paintings, jewelry, pottery, decorative concrete, found-object art and some creations that defy categories. Regional wineries will be represented along with an “emerging artist” section featuring teenage artist’s work from area high schools. A variety of local food vendors will be present throughout the festival. In addition there will be a Tulsa Art Cars parade put on by Living Arts of Tulsa on Saturday at 2 p.m. followed at 4 p.m. by a kids box car parade.
“We’re pleased to host this festival showcasing Tulsa’s wide range of artistic talent. This is all part of this district’s continuing emergence as the regional art center of northeast Oklahoma,” says Paul Gilling, longtime Brady tenant and owner of Gilling Post Production.
Updated 05-11-2010
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