The Plaza in Northwest Oklahoma City is a work in progress. Located on 1700 block of North West 16th, between Classen and Penn, the street packs as many cultures and artists as it can into about one block.
I couldn't bring myself to edit/Photoshop these photos. The most I did on any one of them was partial cropping.
The point of this essay was to show the artists behind the art while including the eclectic environment that is the Plaza. I wanted to show each shop's logo subtlety since that's the way the area has grown; delicately complex while being understated. Anyone who has been inside the shops here can put each owner with their store without having to include the title for each.
Lindsay Zodrow is one of the co-owners of Collected Thread. The store is a collective of about 40 different artists all selling their works in one location. Just by looking at Lindsay you can tell the store has an indie feel. The photo of the store above is her shop. Currently Lindsey has a few of her own items in the store, including scarves such as the one she's making behind her desk at the front of Collected Thread.
The Plaza is about artists helping artists. Every store or gallery is made up of at least three different artists' work of many different genres.
The renovation process for this lonely looking street has only been around for a few years, even though the area was a hot spot in the 1920s.
Next door to Collected Thread is DNA Galleries.
From the artwork outside and from owner/artist Amanda Weathers, you can tell this is a store that focuses on urban artwork and clothing.
DNA Galleries is owned by Amanda and her husband Dylan. It features a new urban artist each month with about 30 contributing artists. Amanda grew up in Edmond and followed her passion of art in the start up of her own collective.
Pictured above is Michael Kirby (left) and Jerrod Smith in front of Jerrod's piece predator vs. prey.
The piece is on display at Midwest Media and Marketing, a firm run by OSU Broadcast alumni Christopher Hunt who gave me some good advice on life. The display is part of the ongoing project at the firm called @1614 which allows artists to show their work in the building.
I wasn't fond of any of the photos I took with the artists directed at me. It just seemed too fake. This picture, I thought, turned out really well, even if I "stole" the moment from someone else.
T-shirt designer and co-owner of Warpaint Clothing Travis Pickett.
Travis was always a fan of creating designs but got sick of going through other companies to print them. So at Warpaint, he and other artists (including members of the Pretty Black Chains) purchased his own screening equipment and began the store a couple years ago.
Lead singer of Chrome Pony Steven Battles for a concert under Warpaint clothing.
Chrome Pony is all about showmanship with their danceable electronic music and Steven fed the crowd with his gestures.
The sound was deafening in the tiny basement of Warpaint Clothing for the show featuring The Pretty Black Chains as well. The basement (a.k.a. "Fungeon") is where the practice makes perfect for the Chains.
Poem reading during open mic night at Coffy's Cafe.
Happening every Friday, Coffy's Cafe allows an open mic to those who want their art and voice heard; something that cannot painted on a canvas.
Artist playing at Velvet Monkey Salon.
I initially didn't realize the girl on the couch was taking my photo. Each girls reactions are different referring the music. The couch and the neatly organized table is located square in the middle of the salon providing a welcoming feel for those in wait.
This photo is relative to the picture above it in that it's two artists performing for a captive audience surrounded by art.
Premier of Lee Jackson's work at Velvet Monkey Salon being reflected.
At the back of the salon, artist Lee Jackson had some of his new works of his photography.
Lee was able to give me some tips at his premier of photography (mainly how to view the histogram on my camera).
Don Narcomey's sculpture work at his gallery Chaparney Construction.
Don recently taught sculpting at UCO and continues to create works of art from steel, wood and other recycled materials. The gallery also features work done by Morgan Robinson pictured i the back from Stillwater who took Don's classes at UCO.
This studio was one of the first businesses to locate in the Plaza when it was mainly abandoned buildings.
Wall at Bad Granny's Bazaar.
This shop carries all sorts of novelties of pop culture from the past few decades. Walking into the store makes you instantly think post-modernism.
I received so much more from this project than just a few pictures. I made connections with the people that keep the Plaza alive. Some people had traveled the same path I had growing up and others were helpful artists that were easy to work with and give advice.
The story of the Plaza explains the story of Oklahoma City; a work in progress. Oklahoma City still has a long way to go to get its residents to start caring about buying local and supporting its artists. There are hundreds of creative thinkers in OKC that are trying to beautify the city and making it a cultural hub in the middle of the plains.
I couldn't bring myself to edit/Photoshop these photos. The most I did on any one of them was partial cropping.
The point of this essay was to show the artists behind the art while including the eclectic environment that is the Plaza. I wanted to show each shop's logo subtlety since that's the way the area has grown; delicately complex while being understated. Anyone who has been inside the shops here can put each owner with their store without having to include the title for each.
Lindsay Zodrow is one of the co-owners of Collected Thread. The store is a collective of about 40 different artists all selling their works in one location. Just by looking at Lindsay you can tell the store has an indie feel. The photo of the store above is her shop. Currently Lindsey has a few of her own items in the store, including scarves such as the one she's making behind her desk at the front of Collected Thread.
The Plaza is about artists helping artists. Every store or gallery is made up of at least three different artists' work of many different genres.
The renovation process for this lonely looking street has only been around for a few years, even though the area was a hot spot in the 1920s.
Next door to Collected Thread is DNA Galleries.
From the artwork outside and from owner/artist Amanda Weathers, you can tell this is a store that focuses on urban artwork and clothing.
DNA Galleries is owned by Amanda and her husband Dylan. It features a new urban artist each month with about 30 contributing artists. Amanda grew up in Edmond and followed her passion of art in the start up of her own collective.
Pictured above is Michael Kirby (left) and Jerrod Smith in front of Jerrod's piece predator vs. prey.
The piece is on display at Midwest Media and Marketing, a firm run by OSU Broadcast alumni Christopher Hunt who gave me some good advice on life. The display is part of the ongoing project at the firm called @1614 which allows artists to show their work in the building.
I wasn't fond of any of the photos I took with the artists directed at me. It just seemed too fake. This picture, I thought, turned out really well, even if I "stole" the moment from someone else.
T-shirt designer and co-owner of Warpaint Clothing Travis Pickett.
Travis was always a fan of creating designs but got sick of going through other companies to print them. So at Warpaint, he and other artists (including members of the Pretty Black Chains) purchased his own screening equipment and began the store a couple years ago.
Lead singer of Chrome Pony Steven Battles for a concert under Warpaint clothing.
Chrome Pony is all about showmanship with their danceable electronic music and Steven fed the crowd with his gestures.
The sound was deafening in the tiny basement of Warpaint Clothing for the show featuring The Pretty Black Chains as well. The basement (a.k.a. "Fungeon") is where the practice makes perfect for the Chains.
Poem reading during open mic night at Coffy's Cafe.
Happening every Friday, Coffy's Cafe allows an open mic to those who want their art and voice heard; something that cannot painted on a canvas.
Artist playing at Velvet Monkey Salon.
I initially didn't realize the girl on the couch was taking my photo. Each girls reactions are different referring the music. The couch and the neatly organized table is located square in the middle of the salon providing a welcoming feel for those in wait.
This photo is relative to the picture above it in that it's two artists performing for a captive audience surrounded by art.
Premier of Lee Jackson's work at Velvet Monkey Salon being reflected.
At the back of the salon, artist Lee Jackson had some of his new works of his photography.
Lee was able to give me some tips at his premier of photography (mainly how to view the histogram on my camera).
Don Narcomey's sculpture work at his gallery Chaparney Construction.Don recently taught sculpting at UCO and continues to create works of art from steel, wood and other recycled materials. The gallery also features work done by Morgan Robinson pictured i the back from Stillwater who took Don's classes at UCO.
This studio was one of the first businesses to locate in the Plaza when it was mainly abandoned buildings.
Wall at Bad Granny's Bazaar.
This shop carries all sorts of novelties of pop culture from the past few decades. Walking into the store makes you instantly think post-modernism.
I received so much more from this project than just a few pictures. I made connections with the people that keep the Plaza alive. Some people had traveled the same path I had growing up and others were helpful artists that were easy to work with and give advice.
The story of the Plaza explains the story of Oklahoma City; a work in progress. Oklahoma City still has a long way to go to get its residents to start caring about buying local and supporting its artists. There are hundreds of creative thinkers in OKC that are trying to beautify the city and making it a cultural hub in the middle of the plains.
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