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		MISSION: Since 1969, Living Arts of Tulsa has been steadfast in its mission of "presenting and developing contemporary art forms in Tulsa". Living Arts’ focus is on newly evolving ideas and concepts, in the creation of art forms, and exploring the relationship of art to other disciplines and fields of knowledge. Through the presentation of creative workshops, performances, exhibitions, films/videos, demonstrations of current art, lectures, related educational activities and research, Living Arts shares its interests with the community.
Living Arts is looking for volunteers in grant writing, Teachers Assistants, and Gallery Watchers. We welcome our New Directors as we enter into the new season with “vigor”!! Doug Phillips Wendy Thomas John Shafer Steve Ganzkow Jennifer Alden The Myers Gallery is a program of Living Arts of Tulsa which features work by innovative artists needing a venue to exhibit their thought-provoking works, but due to the non-traditional nature of their work have not been able to do so. These presentations include both site-specific installations and gallery exhibitions at Living Art Space and in various locations around Tulsa in order to expand the city's exposure to contemporary art forms. The Myers Gallery Committee reviews proposals each November for the following year's program. The Artistic Director, Steve Liggett runs the space and is himself an interdisciplinary artist. Living Arts Becomes National Performance Network Partner Living Arts of Tulsa is proud to announce that it has been selected by the National Performance Network to become a full Partner. Living Arts of Tulsa will now become the first Partner in NPN from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota (the Midwestern Region). The National Performance Network (NPN) is a group of diverse cultural organizers, including artists, working to create meaningful partnerships and to provide leadership that enables the practice and public experience of the arts in the United States. This new partnership will help Living Arts of Tulsa to support more programs designed to create, produce, present and provide training in the performing arts. It will also boost our abilities to 1) actively work with local artists to help them reach a national audience; and 2) bring in artists from the national arena to enrich our local community. NPN Partners share information about trends in the field, best practices, and the performing artists whose works circulate within, between, and beyond their communities. Together, the NPN Partners function as an applied learning community through which new ideas, techniques, and art move around the country.
Passages from the memoryScore “Living Arts of Tulsa was founded in 1969 to present and develop contemporary art forms in Tulsa. The first Board of Directors for Living Arts consisted of officers and Directors of 6 Disciplines: Painting, Music, Literary Arts, Cinematography, Theatre & Sculpture. The connection with the University of Tulsa has never been more prevalent than from the initial conception of Living Arts. Chuck Tomlins who was President, Director and Director of Sculpture, wore enough hats for him to establish a make-shift sleeping area in his studio on the second floor of the building. He was an instructor in the TU Art department along with Max Mitchell, Director of Painting for Living Arts and Carl Coker who was elected Vice-President of the organization. Virginia Myers headed the Music Discipline and taught as an adjunct at TU. Jerry Pope and Allen Hill, students at the University headed Cinematography and Kitty Roberts another student was Director of Theatre. “It was real simple how it happened,” explained Tomlins, “Urban Renewal said for a dollar a month you can have it, and we jumped. After that the doors opened. The first floor was for the performance works, we showed film, put on theatre piece and had a gallery. Studios were on the mezzanine and in the basement. Your space was defined by plywood walls just to give a little privacy.” “Going in, we knew the building was going to be torn down, it was just a matter of time. But we were going to make the most of it.” Art being created in the 1960’s was some of the most interesting work ever made...it was challenging, asking questions. At the vanguard were people who were connecting and creating pieces that were true inter-media works.” Documentation of events held during the fall of 1969, are almost non-existent. A Tulsa World headline dated November 9th, 1969, from a column called “Young Vibrations” by Youth Editor Dana Caldwell reads “From Comedy to Hallucinogenic Trip”. The column promotes a film program organized by Mark Ross, Director of the Arts Council and Jerald Pope, a TU senior to be held at the Living Arts Center on the following Saturday and Sunday, November 16th and 17th. “ From the beginning, Living Arts was a catalyst for artists who wanted to stretch the limits of their discipline and work with others in a different discipline. Living Arts has led an active life and after the Living Arts Center disbanded, Virginia Myers led the group until 1991. When Virginia passed away in 1991 and Franklin moved to Washington D.C. shortly after that, the Board made Steve Liggett Artistic Director. Steve subleased from John Ridgeway & moved into the Brickhouse Gallery at Cameron and North Main Street (224 N Main St). He had been asked by Lance Scudder to fulfill the obligations of TuCCA’s grants with the Oklahoma Arts Council and was doing so out of various venues around Tulsa. In 1992, Living Arts Board of Directors consisted of Mel Lee, Laurie Spencer, Suzanne Tipps and Miriam Spindler-Lynch. During this time, the board did not feel that Living Arts could accept the financial responsibility of the rent and utilities on the space at 224 N Main St. However, they agreed to allow Steve to personally pay for the bills, and, in return, accept administrative fees taken from admissions and grants. The Board approved by a vote to establish Living Arts Exhibition and Performance Space at 224 N Main in the old “Brickhouse Gallery”. It was approximately 1500 sq. ft. and had a spare lot next door that we called “The Burn Out Space” because a building had burned down there. Two years later, John Ridgeway decided to move back into the space and Living Arts moved to 19 E Brady and doubled our space to 3,000 sq. ft. Many of the programs flourished in this space and we started calling the area “The Brady Arts District”. In 2000, gentrification issues prompted Living Arts to move to 308 S Kenosha. And it was in this location that Living Arts flourished even more with 6,000 sq ft. We established Living Arts Studios there, a larger Media Lab, and a 30’ X 65’ gallery space. Slowly the Board became more confident and in 2008 made Steve Liggett a full-time employee. In 2005 the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts made a site visit and invited us to apply to them for a programming grant. Living Arts was the first in Oklahoma to receive such a grant and subsequently this led to a capacity building grant which helped Living Arts grow dramatically. In 2008 we were made Partners of the National Performance Network and in 2009 hired a second full time employee to become our Administrative Director. Thanks to a gracious gift from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Living Arts moved the offices, gallery, performance space and education programs to 307 E Brady in August of 2009, 40 years after beginning the organization. In 2010 the Board voted to keep the Kenosha space as a Research and Development LAB for cross-discilpinary artists and to build out and renovate 6 additional private affordable studio spaces. Living Arts is an organism which is constantly in the state of flux and evolution. It is currently the longest standing Contemporary Arts Organization in Oklahoma. Steve Liggett has been an arts advocate and artist in the Tulsa community for over 40 years. In 2001 he won the Harwelden Award for recognition of his art leadership in the Tulsa community. His formal education is from the University of Tulsa and he holds a Master of Arts degree with a concentration in Ceramics. After college he was the resident artist for the Tulsa Park and Recreation Department for 4 years leading to a position as the Director of Johnson Atelier for an additional 6 years. He has a wide background in teaching experience in both private and public schools in Tulsa and taught at Holland Hall Preparatory School and Riverfield Country Day School. He has served as the Artistic Director for Living Arts of Tulsa since 1993. His own studio work has evolved from his ceramics background to performance/video/installation work which has won many awards (Arts and Humanities Council Individual Artist Award, The Jingle Feldman Award, NextWorks grant for Interdisciplinary Work, DiverseWorks Interdisciplinary Artists Award, to name a few). During his time as Artistic Director with Living Arts of Tulsa, the organization has grown from one with only and education program to a rich multimedia arts organization recognized nationwide for its support of contemporary art and artists. It hosts eleven programs: Video/New Media Program, the Myers Gallery, Spoken Word Series, Contemporary Dance Program, the Performance Network, New Music, Education Program, Dance, Dia de Los Muertos Arts Festival, African Drumming Program ,The Tulsa ArtCar Weekend as well as The New Genre Festival. Most recently Living Arts became the recipient of the first award from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in the state of Oklahoma. He was instrumental in helping Living Arts become the first Partner of the National Performance Network in the Southern Plains states region of the country. He was also in charge of moving Living Arts from it’s location on Kenosha to it’s new location on Brady St. as one of the first in the developing Brady Arts District in Tulsa.
For information go to Call for Entries