Gallery 1306

Studio 222 | Caricature Artist

SKETCHIN’ & SKATIN’
The Caricature Art of Hector Lopez
You probably don’t know who Hector Lopez is, but perhaps you have seen his art. He is an illustrator, cartoonist and the Official Oklahoma City Thunder Caricature Artist. By day he loves to spend time on his skateboard. But when the Thunder plays at home you can always find Hector in the hallway of Section 302 of the Chesapeake Arena doing what he does best, sketching caricatures of Thunder Fans; a skill he calls “Fast Food Art.” With a quick glance and a confident stroke of the pen, Hector effortlessly captures the essence of his subjects’ in less than three minutes. “When people ask me if drawing caricatures is my profession, I say it’s more like my anti-profession; because I arrived at it by being unprofessional and doodling all the time.” Join, Gallery as we spend time with this one-of-a-kind artist for a little Sketchin’ & Skatin’.

STUDIO 222
Ten years ago a secretary at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City felt drawn to do something to help her community. Since St. Luke’s is located near the city’s urban area, that “something” quickly focused on children in need. Today, that church secretary, Julie Robinson, is now the founder and executive director of Studio 222. The Studio, as it is called, brings in professional artists to expose at-risk children to lessons in creativity they may not otherwise experience, but art is just the main course. The children are fed a full meal. They are mentored. They hear guest lectures on everything from business to etiquette. Studio children go on field trips every week and, in a practical move, they also get free transportation to the program and home in the evening. Join Gallery in May as we visit Studio 222 and meet the hosts of artists and volunteers who join forces every day to give children a chance to shine.

Originally broadcast on May 11, 2013

Gallery 1305

Skip Hill | Lil Mike & Funny Bone

Lil Mike & Funny Bone
Just because you are a small person doesn’t mean you can’t have a big impact. Lil Mike and Funny Bone are, almost certainly, Oklahoma City's only on-call, full-time, American Indian, little people, hip-hop artists. Measuring in at a height of 4 feet 9 inches tall they're anything but a novelty act. The brothers, respectively have spent sixteen years making the rounds of contests, churches, birthday parties and schools while developing their skills as beat-makers and rappers in a series of independently produced recordings. Their songs have found radio play across the country and they have opened for many big-name acts such as NU Wine. The Christian message within their Music is meant to inspire, raise hope and to challenge those who are different to Dream Big.

Soul Bird, The Art of Skip Hill
Funky. Lyrical. Poetic. Vibrant. Colorful. Sophisticated. Reverential. The art of SKIP HILL is a savory gumbo of artistic and cultural influences gleaned at the apron strings of Romare Bearden, Picasso, and Van Gogh. Patterns, images and forms drawn from Negro folk art, Japanese Ukiyo prints, Russian Icons, the Italian Renaissance and tribal textiles and tattoos are tossed into the mix.

Originally broadcast on April 11, 2013

On the Next Gallery

Skip Hill | Lil Mike and Funny Bone

Airing on April 11th @ 7pm

Originally broadcast on April 5, 2013

Gallery 1304

Art on Fire | The Poet

Art on Fire
Have you ever watched a man set himself on fire for the love of art? Phillip Danner is just such a man.
He has been expressing himself through the use of fire and performance for over a decade. Danner is one of Oklahoma City’s premiere mixed media Artists. Growing up in Oklahoma, Phillip attended the Classen School of Advanced Studies and later moved to California then New York in pursuit of his artistic muse. Returning to Oklahoma in 2010, Phillip accepted an invitation by fellow artist Jarrod Smith to join “The Society,” an art collective located in the heart of the Plaza District in Oklahoma City.
“The concept behind The Society,” explained founder Jarrod Smith “…is not only to provide studio space at an affordable price but also to expand the number of opportunities for artists by collaborating under one roof…” Together, Danner and Smith have created a new tempo for the art scene in the Plaza District by holding several free art openings and music events monthly.



THE POET
What is a poem?
What does it mean?

Who is a poet?
Could it be me?

I don’t understand all the words that they say,
I don’t understand all the thee’s, thou’s and they’s.

Poems feed the soul,
Says the poet of the world,
They are the words of “The Voice”
But so much goes unheard.

“The Voice” has more words than thee, thou and thine,
It has words you will know
If you just give it time.

Gallery will show how a poem feeds the soul
We will bring you the poets
sharing all that they know.

They come in the month of love
To offer everyone a chance
To reconsider the simple poem
And help us all to join the dance.