Oklahoma Arts Going Strong – Pioneer Library System Foundation

2015 OAC Conference OFTA Reception Photo by Kelsey Karper — (L-R) Erin Seapy, Galyn Hembree and Susan Grossman at Lucky’s on the Green in Tulsa, OK during the Oklahomans for the Arts Reception Tuesday evening, October 20, at the Oklahoma Arts Council Conference 2015. Photo Credit: Kelsey Karper

October 27, 2015
Susan Grossman, Development Officer

It is good to know that our creative industry is vibrant and going strong in Oklahoma.

You might wonder what we were doing at the annual conference of the Oklahoma Arts Council. Each October the conference brings together the state’s arts and cultural industry. And make no mistake. The arts are a thriving industry. Galyn Hembree, PLS Program Specialist, Susan Grossman, Development Officer, and Erin Seapy, Development Assistant, spent three days in Downtown Tulsa networking with over 450 other artists, arts managers, organizations, community and economic development professionals, arts educators and others in creative enterprises.

The conference included tracks led by industry professionals that focused on nonprofit management, educational development for artists, and community involvement and economic advancement through the arts. The 11 hometown branch libraries of Pioneer Library System contribute to the economic strength of each community respectively by supporting visual and performance arts programs.

During our stay we enjoyed seeing the renaissance of the Brady Arts District in downtown Tulsa, touring the Kendall-Whittier reviving arts district, performances by such outstanding musicians as virtuoso violinist Kyle Dillingham and the Paul Benjaman Band, and meeting with our fellow arts administrators before heading back south on the Turner Turnpike to Norman feeling re-energized for our work with new ideas and best practices.