November Must-Dos - 405 Magazine

November Must-Dos

An art show of secrets, a flood of acoustic bliss, Robert Picardo’s trip to the “Forum” and big deals on small paintings.

 

► The Art Beneath Your Feet

You move through and around it practically every day, but how often do you devote any focus to really seeing the city – its multifarious nooks and inhabitants and half-hidden details? Looking around at the urban environment that surrounds us can be surprisingly rewarding, especially if one of the directions you look is down: special exhibition The Secret Life of the City is on display in The Underground’s Invited Artists Gallery through Feb. 12.

Curator Romy Owens explains that the inspiration was urban life’s unseen layers. Each of the eight selected participants took a swing at visually interpreting the concept of a city’s “secret life,” with results ranging from an astrological reading of OKC based on its “birthday” to a colorful compendium of some of our street art culture.

The contributors include Kathleen Shannon, Erin DeMoss, Dylan Bradway, Stephanie Shilling, Kris Kanaly, Jason Pawley, Paul Mays and Sam Washburn. “Working with these eight artists on this exhibition has been a great joy, and I am thrilled with each of them for giving viewers these radically different experiences with art and secrets,” Owens says. Have fun seeing what you can find.


Heather Maloney


► Cold Front

With the temperature dropping outside, ’tis the season to be cozy. So settle in with The Depot for a month of cool music that will prompt warm appreciation: no fewer than four spectacular musical acts are visiting between now and Thanksgiving in the Winter Wind and Whistle Stop series, leaving lovers of acoustic bliss with a stock of extra gratitude. Enjoy indie-folk soul from sister act Annie Oakley Nov. 1, a progressive blend of bluegrass and jazz courtesy MilkDrive Nov. 8, classically trained chanteuse/songwriter Heather Maloney Nov. 10, and emotionally resonant guitar-slinger/singer Peter Bradley Adams Nov. 22.


► Funny Guy

You probably already know Robert Picardo as a star of screens large (The Howling, Wagons East) and small (“China Beach,” “Star Trek: Voyager”). Now the thespian is coming to OKC to take the CityRep stage’s spotlight. Picardo stars as Pseudolus in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” attempting to ride a tide of mistaken identities, disguises, phantom diseases, misplaced mare’s sweat (don’t ask) and mass confusion in order to win his freedom, get most characters to live happily ever after … and most importantly, entertain the audience. That last one’s a sure thing.


Mike Larsen, “The Panther”


► Little Big Show

Art doesn’t require a huge canvas to make a sizable impression on aesthetes – and although the individual pieces displayed in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s annual Small Works, Great Wonders Winter Art Sale are deliberately diminutive, the allure of the event is anything but, especially for those visitors in search of a new piece for themselves or an unmistakably thoughtful gift. The comparatively meager price tags make this a prime opportunity to start or further enhance a collection as well, so look closely: Western art bargains await.