New to Arts Council OKC’s Opening Night virtual New Year’s Eve Celebration, is FRESH PAINT: OKC NYE mural project and competition. FRESH PAINT: OKC NYE, presented by the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a collaborative project to promote aspiring young artists in the BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) community. Five artists, ages 18-25, are selected to premiere their mural during ACOKC’s Opening Night broadcast on December 31st, 2020.
“As we began to plan Opening Night 2021, we knew that it was going to be a different year for the event,” says Seth Lewis, Projects Director, ACOKC. “Working with the Oklahoma City Thunder, we saw an opportunity to create a mural project that showcased the young and upcoming artists in our community and pairing them with local professional artists to further increase our mission of bringing the arts and the community together.”
Anthony Brock, Jasmine Jones, Shakurah Maynard, Jessie Kay Shelton, and Verdean Thompson are this year’s selected artists and are mentored by local professional muralists, Ebony Iman Dallas and Dylan Bradway. Both mentors have full-time careers as artists, with broad art portfolios including murals, graphic design, and commercial sales. “We wanted to provide not only exposure, but a mentorship to help guide the emerging artists in marketing and promotions as a professional artist,” says FRESH PAINT Co-Chair Kelsey Karper, Co-Founder & Director of Logistical Creativity, Factory Obscura.
On December 28th, the murals will be exhibited outside of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark at Johnny Bench Plaza. For Opening Night 2021, the murals will be displayed during the free online streaming production where the community may vote on their favorite mural design. All participating artists receive a prize pack, and one young mural artist will win a Thunder grand prize. “Our local community will soon learn about these young stars and our hope is that they’ll gain knowledge and valuable skills to become our next generation of mural celebrities creating special places throughout Oklahoma City,” says FRESH PAINT Co-Chair Robbie Kienzle, Arts Liaison & Program Planner, Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.
Voting for People’s Choice begins December 28th and ends December 31st at midnight. The link to vote will be available at www.artscouncilokc.com.
Tune in to the Opening Night free livestream broadcast on December 31st, 7:00pm – midnight. Expect to see the virtual premiere of the murals and behind the scenes footage on ACOKC Facebook page and YouTube channel.