Oklahoma City’s Underground Art Scene
Contributed by Elizabeth Moran - Oklahoma City Resident and Art Enthusiast
In the last couple of decades, Oklahoma City has undergone a massive facelift on many different fronts, to the great benefit of the general public. Oklahoma City has a thriving fusion of different cultures, and a substantial underground art scene. Oklahoma City is home to many organizations and events supporting independent artists, and has a number of rising stars in the underground art world.
We’ve comprised a list of must-sees for any budding art aficionado interested in experiencing local culture and seeking an interactive art experience. We’ve included annual events celebrating smaller artist, independent smaller art galleries and personal profiles for a few local artists.
Individual Artists of Oklahoma
Individual artists of Oklahoma, or IAO, is a local art gallery that takes applications from artists of all media, and gives preference to artists who are innovative, though provoking and socially relevant. The gallery is open to the general public, and fosters a casual and friendly environment in which visitors can have an interactive art experience.
Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts
The Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts is sponsored by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City, and has been held each spring since 1967. The Festival is held in downtown Oklahoma City, and is an outlet for the visual, performing and culinary arts. The Festival generally features around 150 visual artists of all media, has several performance stages throughout, and vendors sponsored by Oklahoma City arts organizations offer cuisine from all over the world.
The Paseo Arts Festival
The Paseo is Oklahoma City’s premier arts district. It began in 1929 as a shopping and small business district, but when the counter culture of the 1960s came about, the patronage changed. By the 1970s, it was transitioning into the arts district that it is today. The first Paseo Arts Festival was held in 1977, and it is now held annually each spring. The Festival hosts about 80 artists, who are carefully selected by a panel of expert jurors.
We are currently looking for more contributors for the Oklahoma City Art Scene. If you want to write about any of the following please contact us:
- Art Museums
- Art Galleries
- Local Artists
- Street Art
- Public Art
- Festivals and Fairs
- An Interpretation of Artwork
- Any Underground Art
Go to the Get Involved! page to learn about different ways to get involved with the Art-City.org project.
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