Sunday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m.

The season is just right for a soft chair by the fire, a page-turner or the warm voice of an Americana favorite. Carrie Newcomer brightens the weekend and stage at the Performing Arts Studio @ The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., in Norman. The singer and songwriter described as a “prairie mystic” by the Boston Globe takes the stage 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., and tickets are $20, available at www.ticketstorm.com. For more, visit www.pasnorman.org.

Opens Friday, Jan. 3

Living Arts of Tulsa presents two cool exhibits opening Friday, Jan. 3, just in time for this month’s Brady Arts District Art Crawl. Value by Glenn Herbert Davis and Route 66: Room #116 by Western Doughty feature the artwork both interactive and introspective. Value asks viewers to consider the spaces we occupy, while the photographs in Room #116 zap the romanticism and sentimentality out of the experience of life on the golden route. Exhibit reception is 6-9 p.m. Friday. For more, visit www.livingarts.org.

Ends Thursday, Jan. 2

The Oklahoma Paint Horse Club Holiday Classic continues to bring its show of excellence at Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., in Oklahoma City. Show horses, breeders, horsemen, exhibitors and more representing the Oklahoma club take to Oklahoma State Fair Park. Show opens at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, and at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, the show’s final day. Read more at www.oklahomaphc.net.

Ends Sunday, Jan. 5

It had to happen – the end of Arvest Winterfest. If you’ve yet to get in a turn about the outdoor ice rink, this weekend is your last chance. The month-long outdoor holiday festival, which began after Thanksgiving, will be open from noon-11 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, and from noon-10 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5. Last call for those scenic horse and carriage rides around downtown will be from 6-9 p.m., Saturday, too. Look for it at the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave., Tulsa. For more about Winterfest, visit www.bokcenter.com.

Ends Sunday, Jan. 5

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art invites all to get a look at a true work of art. Pablo Picasso’s Woman in the Studio, on loan form the St. Louis Museum of Art, went on exhibition in August 2012 at the University of Oklahoma art museum and pushed back its closing date a few times to give more opportunity to see it. But as of Sunday, Jan. 5, the cubist masterpiece of his second wife Jacqueline Roque moves on. The museum at 555 Elm Ave. on the OU campus in Norman will also close its exhibition of modern art from Latin America that day. Learn more about them at www.ou.edu/fjjma and visit before they’re gone.

Saturday, Jan. 4-Sunday, Jan. 5

The OKC Land Run Antique Show takes up residence in the Cox Pavilion at Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., in Oklahoma City. This event includes more than 50,000 square feet of merchandise from some of the country’s top dealers of antiques, collectibles, jewelry, records, architectural salvage and more. The show open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5. Tickets are $3-$5. For more, visit www.heritageeventcompany.com.

Ends Sunday, Jan. 5

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum closes two shows of exquisite Western art this Sunday, Jan. 5. Both the Cowboy Artists of America 48th Annual Exhibition & Sale and the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Exhibition & Sale bring uniquely creative visions to the gallery halls of 1700 N.E. 63rd St., in Oklahoma City. Whereas the cowboy artists show presents fine art in a variety of media – painting, drawing, sculpture – the traditional cowboy arts show presents a fascinating array of stunning artisan creations in everything from saddles and spurs to belts and jewelry. Make your final bids or just appreciate the displays. For more, visit www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Thursday, Jan. 2-Saturday, Jan. 4

How fast can micro sprint cars go? You’re about to find out at the Tulsa Shootout Thursday, Jan. 2-Saturday, Jan. 4, in the River Spirit Expo at Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St., Tulsa. This exciting race event also features a tradeshow that motor heads are sure to love. Gates open daily at 8 a.m. For more information about times and tickets, visit www.tulsashootout.com.

Friday, Jan. 3, 10 p.m.

Word of mouth travels fast about Parker Millsap, the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter who has quickly become a hit among music fans in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City venues. A little folk, a little rock and a little country, Millsap (who will release his self-titled debut album in February) has been hitting all the stages around town, and he’s about to stop in at the Mercury Lounge, 1747 S. Boston Ave. in Tulsa. Doors for the show open at 8 p.m. with opening act Cary Morin. For more, visit www.mercurylounge918.com.

New Year's resolutions prompt a lot of pressure for people under any circumstances. Committing to losing 50 pounds next year, reading the Library of Congress or giving up caffeine might sound great in December, but come second week of January – not so much!

So, for fans of the arts looking to expand their horizons or those just beginning to explore Oklahoma arts (in both cases, similar to myself!), a few resolutions for next 2014. But let's not call these "resolutions" to  keep the stress off. Let's call them "objectives."

Visit a gallery, museum or other arts venue you have never been too, once a month. How easy of an "objective" is this? How long does it take to step into a gallery you've seen but not taken the time to survey. On the other hand, if you take this objective to heart, discovering a new theater or unusual museum can be an absolute epiphany.

Study. Even before I began my exploration of Oklahoma arts and this blog simultaneously, I knew arts patrons that were more interested in being arts patrons than in actually understanding and appreciating the art that they support. Sure, attend an art exhibit opening with the glitterati. But take the time to understand what the contemporary artist from an uncommon culture? My experience is that there was much less of that. So, for 2014, make an objective to do that which is required to truly understand the composition, context and concept of every piece of visual art you observe. Ditto for non-standard theater. In my experience, the most challenging theater was neither at the venues with the brightest lights or the that which had the most obvious statement or purpose. We should all learn how to appreciate art in its own context as well as in the overall context of its medium and school.

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. I admit it. I like visual arts and dramatic theater and thus, I gravitate towards those things. Most arts aficionados have specific things they particularly enjoy and things with which they are either not terribly familiar or which they haven't enjoyed to date. Take a first look this year. Or take a second look. Step away from the familiar and give something new a chance to inspire you. I'm betting that before this year is over, you'll be glad you did.

These are pretty easy objectives to makes – and to keep. I am confident I will keep them and that I will be all the better for doing so. Give them a try and see how easy and rewarding they could be for you as well!

-Michael W. Sasser is Oklahoma Magazine’s senior editor and an award-winning journalist. For comments or suggestions, reach him at [email protected].