We all know that Oklahomans are a proud people. Whether it’s in connection with sports, chicken fried steak or the state’s pioneering spirit in the face of disaster – natural or otherwise – we like to show our state pride on social media and through the cunning use of T-shirts. It should be no surprise, then, that a new social media app called HeyLets found that Oklahoma ranks no. 8 in the list of the Top 20 Most Braggadocious states in the U.S. The study analyzed the nation’s self-promotional habits and asked 2,500 Americans who participate in social media to rate the number of posts they typically make on potentially self-promotional topics, according to Ann Murray, a spokesperson for HeyLets. The study found that about 64 percent of Oklahomans who interact using social media regularly post positively about Oklahoma and its people. California is no. 1 in the country, with 77 percent of its residents posting positive messages regarding their state. The most humble state is Utah, with just 22 percent engaging in positive state talk. The study proves what we’ve known all along: Oklahoma and its citizens are more than just OK.
Taking Aim
Students across Oklahoma are setting their sights on a sport that may be new to them but has ancient roots. Whether it is because of adventurous Merida in Brave or the defiant hero that is Katniss in The Hunger Games, kids today have been inspired to grab a bow and arrow and give archery a shot.
Helping facilitate this growing interest is Jay Rouk, the information and education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
“Archery has definitely received a boost from the movies, especially from females and recreational archers,” he says.
Since 2004, Rouk has helped introduce archery to 450 schools across Oklahoma through The National Archery in Schools Program, allowing more than 30,000 students in fourth through 12th grades to reap the benefits.
[pullquote]Archery gives students a boost in self-esteem and personal success,” says Rouk. “It allows them to set a goal and accomplish that goal on a small and larger scale.”[/pullquote]
“Students love it,” he says. “Schools contact me regularly to bring this program to their school.”
Once the curriculum is in place, students learn about archery history, safety practices and shooting techniques. The program is designed to improve mental concentration and self-discipline.
Shooting in teams of up to 16 members or as individuals, students compete at the local level to qualify for one of six regional shoots. The young archers work toward a perfect score of 300, and those who come closest go on to compete at the state shoot, which is scheduled for March 27 in Tulsa.
In the interest of fairness, there are equipment requirements that have to be met.
“Archers in the NASP program shoot only one type of bow: a Mathews Genesis that has universal draw length and light draw weight,” Rouk explains. “Young and old all shoot the same model of bow.”
The resurgence of this sport at the hands of pop culture has provided a great platform for positive social interaction as students share their passion and gain self-confidence.
“Archery gives students a boost in self-esteem and personal success,” says Rouk. “It allows them to set a goal and accomplish that goal on a small and larger scale.”
The small goal is to hit the bull’s eye; the larger goal is to become state champion, Rouk explains. The unique characteristic of archery is that virtually all students have a chance to achieve those goals if they are willing to put in the time.
“It differs [from] other sports by not selecting for a particular gender or body type or particular athletic ability,” says Rouk. “It is hard to predict what student will make a great archer.”
Made for You and Me
copyright Woody Guthrie Publications. Photo courtesy Woody Guthrie Center.
Woody Guthrie didn’t set out 75 years ago to write the most iconic folk song of all time. It just sort of happened. Disgusted by what he saw as the tidy patriotism of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” Guthrie penned a response song, originally titled “God Blessed America.” Though he dropped the direct reference to Berlin’s work in the final draft, Guthrie kept the biting wit and social commentary.
“This Land Is Your Land” has all the components of a great folk song. The tune, borrowed from an old Baptist hymn by way of the Carter Family’s song “Little Darlin’, Pal of Mine,” is catchy and propulsive. Since the verse and chorus have the same tune, even the least musically inclined people can pick it up in a matter of minutes, which makes it ideal for that staple of folk music performance, the sing-along. That sense of inclusiveness carries over to the lyrics, where Guthrie welcomes the audience into an America governed by everyday people.
[pullquote]“The sounds of the crowd singing along to that song is what the country is all about: Work together, sing together and make a difference in our society,”[/pullquote]
According to Deana McCloud, executive director of The Woody Guthrie Center, Guthrie wrote the song while living in a rundown boarding house in New York City. He based the lyrics on experiences he had and sights he saw crossing the country. This personal touch extended to the way Guthrie wrote the song.
“Woody used a typewriter to compose many of his lyrics; however, on this song, he handwrote the lyrics,” says McCloud.
No doubt the down-to-earth familiarity of “This Land Is Your Land” is part of what has made the song an enduring classic. Though Guthrie at first neglected the song – he didn’t record the song until four years after he had written it – it soared in popularity when it got picked up by the protest movements of the 1960s. Since then it has become a staple in multiple contexts, sung in classrooms and rallies everywhere. It has been covered by many musicians, including folk legends Peter, Paul and Mary. As American as the song is, it has also spread across the globe, with groups from Britain to Sweden to Turkey making the song their own, tweaking the lyrics to fit their respective countries.
In some ways, though, success has diminished the core message of the song, which is about the hardships facing everyday Americans. McCloud notes that most people do not sing the fourth verse, about the evils of capitalism, or the final verse, in which Guthrie reflects on the lines of people he sees outside the relief office: “I stood there wondering if/This land was made for you and me.” It’s a dark thought, but one more in line with Guthrie’s original intent than the sanitized version many sing.
The power of the song continues to this day. It has such meaning for so many that it was even sung by Guthrie’s old friend, Pete Seeger, at the first inauguration of President Obama. Seeger insisted on singing the original version, with all the verses. McCloud points out the significance of Seeger’s performance.
“The sounds of the crowd singing along to that song is what the country is all about: Work together, sing together and make a difference in our society,” she says.
Maybe, in an age of renewed economic trouble, Guthrie’s song, with its mixture of despair and hope, is more important than ever.
Dog Days Of Sundogs
Ten years ago, a weather phenomenon occurred in Norman skies that left many baffled. The phenomenon, known as sundogs and halos, occurred in the late afternoon of Feb. 10, 2005, and produced bright spots and arcs that resembled halos.
“Sundogs and halos are fairly common but are most often observed in the winter when the clouds that produce them occur most frequently,” says David Andra, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service’s Norman office. “Both are caused by thin, high-level clouds composed of ice crystals. Hexagon-shaped crystals refract, or bend, the light to create the bright regions we know as sundogs and halos.”
The sundogs refer to the bright “mock suns” that appear around 22 degrees on either side of the sun. The arc that connects the sundogs is known as the halo.
Pretty Women
Brandon Scott.
Oklahoma native Nancy Owens is helping women everywhere feel beautiful with her luxury botanical skin and body care line, La Chemie.
The Tulsa resident began La Chemie three years ago after feeling dissatisfaction with her own skin.
“I was inspired to start my line because I had never really found a skincare line that worked for me, so I decided to develop one myself,” Owens says. “I wanted pure, natural and nourishing products made from the best possible ingredients.”
Owens began research on how to develop her own line and ended up with extensive knowledge in several areas and earned a master’s level certification in clinical aromatherapy, a master’s degree in health policy as well as knowledge in biology, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry and nutrition.
“These credentials have helped in forming my skincare line because in order to develop a product line that is effective, particularly using essential oils, it is important to understand and respect how the body works,” Owens says.
The La Chemie line consists of a variety of moisturizers, scrubs, bath salts, eye creams and balms, all infused with natural ingredients like Frankincense oil or Dead Sea salts.
The products worked so well on her own skin that Owens began providing samples to her friends.
“When they told me how much they loved the products and started asking me where they could buy them, I knew I had something really worth pursuing on a larger scale,” says Owens.
La Chemie is offered in some of the nation’s finest luxury hotels and as gifts for Hollywood celebrities during VIP events. For a second year in a row, La Chemie products will be given out at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel’s pre-Oscars event, says Owens.
Additionally, La Chemie products are available in Tulsa at Nourish Drink Cafe and both SALT Yoga locations as well as online. In the future, Owens hopes to expand her line into more hotels and other brick-and-mortar locations. Owens also plans to keep giving back to the environment through her business.
“I am grateful that nature provides the exceptional ingredients needed to produce La Chemie,” Owens says. “So I feel a strong duty and responsibility to give back to nature to help replenish the earth’s natural resources.”
The Key To Design
After working on “Billionaire’s Row” in West Palm Beach, Fla., for five years crafting custom architectural ironwork for some of the nation’s most luxurious homes, nothing much phases Rob Key, owner of Rob Key Designs in Tulsa.
He spent several months creating ornamental iron stair rails, decorative gates and bronze grills over the windows for a 64,000-square-foot, $107 million home that at the time was the most expensive newconstruction home in America. The wealthy neighbors included an eclectic mix of the rich and famous, from Rush Limbaugh to Rod Stewart.
Key worked on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the 114-room villa originally built over four years in the 1920s by Marjorie Merriweather Post. He also spent time creating custom ironwork for the home of the late Malcolm Glazer, former owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was quite an adventure for the tall, lanky kid who grew up in the small town of Oilton, Okla.
“At that point in my life, everything was about basketball,” he laughs.
Key played college ball but now laments the fact that the small school he attended didn’t offer any arts courses.
After college, he headed back home to work for his father’s company. He learned welding while overhauling turbine engines used in aviation and received experience handling the exotic metals those repairs required. He eventually became a Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welder and was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
But after awhile, Key was ready to move on, and for nearly five years he ran his own FAA repair company and worked on virtually every part required to hold an airplane together.
“And that process required exact precision,” says Key.
It was Sept. 11, 2001, that changed the trajectory of his career. The terrorist attacks that day took a toll on the aviation industry and caused Key to consider other uses for his extensive experience in ironwork. It’s what eventually led him to transition his iron skills into crafting ornamental ironwork in Florida.
“I knew how to weld. This experience taught me how to forge. I came to art late in life,” says Key.
Once he grasped his passion for design, he continued to push himself. Key says he loves the artistic and creative process.
“Instead of repairing something, I was creating something,” Key says.
He began sketching designs that he would hand-forge into distinctive ironwork. In 2005, Key moved back to Oklahoma from Florida, unsure of what he was going to do.
“My brother owned a flooring company, so I helped him out when he needed it,” says Key.
During that time, he met contractors around Tulsa. He rented 1,000 square feet of space in Bixby. He exhibited examples of his work in a Parade of Homes tour, and within a few months he expanded his workspace to 7,000 square feet and hired three employees. He primarily produced ornamental stair railings, balconies and gates.
“Then I started making doors, and all of a sudden we had to double our space,” he adds.
His doors serve as entrances to homes in Oklahoma as well as Arkansas, Kansas and Texas.
“I’ve even shipped a set of doors to Brooklyn,” he adds.
Interior designer Kent Oellien, owner of Oellien Design, Inc., in Tulsa, has nothing but accolades for Key after working with him on several projects.
“Rob is a master genius at his trade,” says Oellien. “Trusting in the quality of his product allows us to glide through the job.”
Key hand-sketches all his designs and excels working in various styles, from traditional scrolls influenced by English, French and Spanish designs; to the clean lines of transitional and modern styles.
“It’s the simple designs that really showcase Rob’s talent,” says Oellien. “There is no place to hide any flaws.”
What also distinguishes Key’s work from others is that none of his products are pre-fabricated. Everything is hand-forged, beginning with the raw iron ore that is heated to 2,300 degrees to become malleable. Each piece is then hammered by hand into a pattern.
Key has also cultivated his affinity for art into a series of metal-crafted sculptures, mainly for his own enjoyment. And although he’s only had a couple of small shows, he has been contacted by designers from New York City who are looking at his sculptures for high-end hotel clients.
Key is most excited about a new expansion of his business.
“I am building a spec house in southeast Tulsa,” he says.
The style is transitional to modern with large, open areas framed with his hand-crafted iron windows and sleek iron doors. It’s a style he and his wife, Melissa, preferred for their custom home; Key crafted a stunning open iron staircase with a glassed-in wine storage space tucked under the stairs. Typically, Key doesn’t craft iron furniture or accessories, but he made the exception for his own house and created a custom wine rack.
As Key reflects on how his business has thrived, he is mindful of the constant process to give energy and detail to each and every ironwork project. Key continues to transform his passion for ironwork he discovered years ago.
Letter From The Editor
Used to be, brunch was reserved for celebratory Sundays. Hungry diners would pack restaurants on Easter and Mother’s Days, hungry for eggs Benedict and thirsty for coffee.
Over the past several years, brunch has transformed from a once-in-a-while meal to a whenever-you-can rite. Friends and family now plan weekends around the ritual of Sunday brunch. Saturday night antics are discussed, the upcoming work week is dreaded and the days spent sipping mimosas with loved ones are cherished.
Oklahoma offers a wide variety of brunch options. In “The Brunch Table” (p. 60), we tour some of the hottest brunch spots the state has to offer. From the spicy tastes of Doc’s Wine and Food and Café Do Brasil to the sweet offerings of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Museum Café (bread pudding French toast, anyone?), there are brunch meals to satisfy those who are searching for both sweet and savory options.
Also in this issue, writer Shaun Perkins takes a look at Tulsa’s successful Educare program (“Closing The Gap,” p. 67). The national nonprofit serves underprivileged children and their parents in 21 cities across the nation. Tulsa Educare, which operates three sites at elementary schools across the city, serves as a national model and is touted as a great example of how private and public partnerships can ensure that all children are given a great chance at educational success.
Jami Mattox
Managing Editor
Green Country Home and Garden Show
Opens Friday, Jan. 23 –
This three-day event is a must for any homeowner with home improvement ideas or needs for 2015. Held at the Exchange Center at Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St., Tulsa, this show features over 150 unique exhibitors with the latest trends in home repair, remodeling, gardening, landscaping, lawn care, home installation and energy conservation, home security, home furnishing and so much more. Enter for a chance to win $500 each day of the show and on Saturday, Jan. 24, see Allan Storjohann, host of The KRMG Gardening Show with Allan Storjohann, broadcast his weekly radio show from inside the Exchange Center. Ask questions and get ideas about products and services, get money-saving coupons from participating vendors, recieve free samples and even make purchases at this year’s, 12th annual, Green Country Home & Garden Show. For more information visit http://www.krmg.com/news/entertainment/2015-green-country-home-and-garden-show/nchhF/
Waka Winter Classic 2015
Friday, Jan. 24 –
Each year, the Waka Winter Classic tour travels across the United States in search of top bands and musicians to play at the Wakarusa Music Festival. This year, the tour stops at Cain’s Ballroom where five bands – Brujoroots, Bowlsey, Ripple Green, Jumpship Astronaut and Skytown – will leave all their talent on the stage in hopes to have the most votes at the end of the night, securing their spot in this year’s festival. Enjoy the Latin-Funk-Fushion dance party that is Brujoroots, a Tulsa based band; Experience the fearlessness Bowlsey offers as they rap over pop-tracks and soulful ballads; Hear from the three brothers of Ripple Green whose style has been described by Derek Brown of the Flaming Lips as “similar in feel to the Red Hot Chili Peppers but stripped of the macho-ness;” Dance to Jumpship Astronaut’s upbeat and euphoric sound that blends nicely the rhythms of dance, electronica and rock; and let Skytown, a Tulsa based, acoustic driven rock band, sooth your soul. Experience all five performances for $5 only and vote for the team most deserving of a trip to this year’s Waka Winter Festival. For more information, visit www.cainsballroom.com
Cyn Sings: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
Sunday, January 25 –
The late Ella Fitzgerald will be remembered this Sunday, Jan. 25, as one of the Tulsa Jazz Depot’s most popular performers, vocalist Cynthia Simmons, dedicates an entire night to Ella’s songs. During a stunning jazz and pop music career that spanned five decades, Ella Fitzgerald sold more than 40,000 records, won 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She’s a big voice to carry, and Simmons admits there’s some intimidation when producing and singing in a show dedicated to the late great, while at the same time knowing how important a tribute like this is. “I’m not Ella Fitzgerald, I’m not going to sound like Ella Fitzgerald. But I’m going to give the best tribute I can to a musical phenomenon, somebody who had a fifty-year-plus career in music, who kept going even after major illnesses. She was awesome, I love her, and I’m going to give her my best possible tribute,” Simmons says about Fitzgerald and the upcoming performance. Fitzgerald’s career began in 1934, when she won an amateur-night contest at the Appollo Theatre in Harlem. She broke into the mainstream in the 1950s with her best-selling solo records. Today, in 2015, her voice carries on. The tribute will take place at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, located in downtown Tulsa’s Jazz Depot, 111 E. First St., and is set to begin at 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.jazzhalltickets.com
