Each First Friday of the month, the community is invited to stroll the historic Paseo Arts District. All of the Paseo galleries have reopened, some with abbreviated hours, and most will be open late for First Friday. Restaurants will be open for dining, patio seating and takeout. All guests are required to wear a mask indoors, practice social distancing and use provided hand sanitizer when shopping. This month’s First Friday is May 7, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Paseo Arts and Creativity Center (PACC) is pleased to feature two exhibits in April - in Gallery One, Brennan Rhea’s installation Neighbors, and in Gallery Two, paintings by Debbie Flynn and photography by Steven Taylor. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 7, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The PACC will limit capacity and require masks and social distancing. Both exhibits will be on display May 7- 29 in the PACC at 3024 Paseo.
Brennan Rhea is an Oklahoma City based artist who enjoys mixing traditional mediums with contemporary design. She researches the marginalized and brings light to their stories through various mediums including acrylic, oil, charcoal, printmaking and stained glass. Neighbors is a visual report of four years of research into the process of immigration and those within that process. The installation features the portraits and stories of six people who have immigrated from Bolivia, Chile, Iran, Morocco, Canada and the Netherlands. Neighbors focuses on the human figure, from abstraction to realism, in hopes of breaking down barriers between groups to celebrate the intrinsic value of all.
Stephen Taylor became enthralled with the arts in third grade when he fell under the spell of Pablo Picasso. From then on, he immersed himself into the arts through music, visual art and theatre. The Paseo fascinated Taylor as a child and when he reached adulthood, he ran a live music venue on the Paseo called the Yellow Submarine. Taylor is a well-traveled man who has chronicled his many adventures through photography. In this exhibit, Taylor showcases his many photos of manhole covers from around the world.
Debbie Flynn was raised in Oklahoma and has a bachelor's degree in agriculture with a concentration in animal science and a nursing degree. She has been a nurse for over 18 years, but has always drawn and loved animals. She used graphite or pen and ink at a young age, but started her painting endeavor with oils in 2007. Her artistic style is contemporary realism using soft to bold colors to capture an expression or behavior of the animals she paints. Debbie has created art pieces for animal conservation events, like Endangered Species Day and World Giraffe Day. Her discovery of the natural world creates an image to be expressed through art.
Oklahoma City’s Unique Arts Destination, the Paseo Arts District is located between NW 27th & 30th Streets and Walker & Hudson. Each First Friday, Paseo galleries offer special themed exhibits, guest artists and a variety of live entertainment - all within walking distance. Ten restaurants and a handful of other shops round out the Paseo’s distinctive atmosphere.
For more information, call the Paseo Arts Association at (405) 525-2688 or email amanda@thepaseo.org. Visit thepaseo.org/join for membership information.