MOMENTUM is a dynamic exhibition shining a spotlight on the innovative talent of young artists. Taking place on April 5th and 6th at the historic Yale Theater in Oklahoma City, MOMENTUM will illuminate the creativity of visual artists ages 30 and under from across Oklahoma, providing a captivating glimpse into the state’s vibrant and diverse art scene.


THE 2024 EVENT

WHERE


227 Southwest 25th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73109


WHEN


Friday, April 5th, 2024 | 7:00PM–10:00PM
Performance lineup announced in early March

Friday features live entertainment, art activities cash bar, and shopping for unique pieces by local artists.

    

Saturday, April 6th, 2024 | 7:00PM–10:00PM

Performance lineup announced in early March

On Saturday, enjoy the art in a quiet and peaceful environment, then stay for a thoughtful Gallery Talk with our Curators and Spotlight Artists.


ADDITONAL PROGRAMMING
VIP Party:

Friday, April 5th, 2024 | 5:00PM–7:00PM

Enjoy an exclusive party to kick off the weekend of events. A curator talk from Guest Curator, Lindsay Aveilhé and Emerging Curator, Allison Ward, will take place at the VIP event.

    

Pay What You Can Hours:
Saturday, April 6th, 2024 | 1:00PM–4:00PM

Guests can enjoy the art in a quiet and peaceful environment along with an Artist Talk by Spotlight Artists, Bayliegh Fields, Erin Owen and Kendall Ross.


THE 2024 CURATORS

The Guest Curator and Emerging Curator work together to select the General Survey artists and three Spotlight Artists for Momentum. They also provide guidance and support for the Spotlight Artists throughout their projects and lead artist and curator talks throughout the weekend of MOMENTUM.

Lindsay Aveilhé
Guest Curator
DETAILS +

Lindsay Aveilhé is a Tulsa-based curator and art historian. Recent curatorial projects include The Soul is a Wanderer at OKContemporary (2023), Sol LeWitt at the Reykjavík Art Museum, Iceland (2020) and Sol LeWitt: Lines, Forms, Volumes at Galleria Alfonso Artiaco, Naples, Italy (2019). Aveilhé is Editor of the Sol LeWitt Wall Drawings Catalogue Raisonné (Artifex Press, 2018) and co-creator of the Sol LeWitt mobile app made in collaboration with the LeWitt Estate and Microsoft (2020). She was contributing author to Locating LeWitt: Between Mind and Body (Yale University Press, 2021).

Allison Ward
Emerging Curator
DETAILS +

ᴀʟʟɪꜱᴏɴ ᴡᴀʀᴅ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪ-ᴅɪꜱᴄɪᴘʟɪɴᴀʀʏ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛ ᴡʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ʜᴀꜱ ᴜɴꜰᴏʟᴅᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴠᴀʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴜᴍꜱ. ʜᴇʀ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛɪᴄ ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ʀᴏᴏᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀʙꜱᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴɪꜱᴍ, ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ꜱʜᴀᴘᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴘʟᴀʏ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴜʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴇɴᴄᴀᴜꜱᴛɪᴄ ᴡᴀx, ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴏꜱɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛᴜᴀʟ ꜱᴄᴜʟᴘᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ. ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʙᴏʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴏᴋʟᴀʜᴏᴍᴀ, ᴀʟʟɪꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛɪᴄ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ ɪɴ ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴜᴅɪᴇᴅ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛʜᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴄᴜʟᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀ ʙᴀᴄʜᴇʟᴏʀ’ꜱ ᴅᴇɢʀᴇᴇ ɪɴ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘᴏʀᴀʀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ. ᴀʟʟɪꜱᴏɴ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏ-ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜɪᴇꜰ ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏꜰꜰɪᴄᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏɴ-ᴘʀᴏꜰɪᴛ ᴏʀɢᴀɴɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀʀᴛ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ᴛᴜʟꜱᴀ, ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴ 2019. ᴀʀᴛ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴏʀɢᴀɴɪᴢᴇᴅ 18 ᴀʀᴛ ᴇxʜɪʙɪᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛꜱ, ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴘʟᴀᴛꜰᴏʀᴍ ꜰᴏʀ ᴏᴠᴇʀ 125 ᴏᴋʟᴀʜᴏᴍᴀ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴏᴡᴄᴀꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋ. ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ꜰɪᴠᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ, ᴀʟʟɪꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛɪᴄ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀɢᴏɴᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴇxᴘᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀꜱꜱ ᴀ ᴅɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ ʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴜᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪꜱᴄɪᴘʟɪɴᴇꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ʏᴇᴀʀ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜɪʟʙʀᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴜᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴀʀᴛ, ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱᴏʟᴏ ɢᴀʟʟᴇʀʏ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴀᴛ ᴘᴏꜱɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴛᴜʟꜱᴀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴘʀɪɴɢ 2023 ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀʀᴛ ꜰᴏᴄᴜꜱ ᴍᴀɢᴀᴢɪɴᴇ. ꜱʜᴇ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏʀɢᴀɴɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ-ᴅᴀʏ ᴀʀᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ɪɴ ᴀ 22,000 ꜱQᴜᴀʀᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴛ ᴡᴀʀᴇʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴛʀɪᴄᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴏᴡɴᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴜʟꜱᴀ.

2024 SPOTLIGHT ARTISTS

OVAC supports three artists to create a new body of work through curatorial guidance and a $1,000 honorarium. Before the event, the artists' pre-existing work is featured in an exclusive Preview. The Spotlight Artists debut their newly created works during MOMENTUM and end the event with a group Artist Talk led by the Guest and Emerging Curators.

Bayliegh Fields
Spotlight Artist
DETAILS +

Bayliegh Fields is a twenty one year old, Cherokee artist from Oklahoma. Bayliegh attended Rogers State University, graduating magna cum laude with honors of being the fine art outstanding graduate earlier this spring. Their work tends to showcase a juxtaposition of bright, vibrant colors, reminiscent of childhood, with themes of morbidity, death and identity. Recently, they have been using art to explore her identity in an open ended way so the viewer is put in the position to contemplate their own identity.

THE PROJECT: Echos of Youth
Echos of Youth is a collection of vibrant adult bedrooms with nods to the early 2000s on the outer panels, creating a striking contrast between childhood and adulthood. The central painting reinforces this theme, depicting both versions of the artist meeting in a familiar Oklahoma setting. Bayleigh will skillfully use color, nostalgic references, and lighting to weave a visually rich narrative with universal resonance.

Erin Owen
Spotlight Artist
DETAILS +

Erin Owen is an ecofeminist sculptor and printmaker based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In their work, they contemplate the destruction of the natural world and the challenges of living in a late-stage capitalistic society through the lens of play and their inner child. They are graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oklahoma State University and have been recognized consistently for their success within their creative community. They recently finished an internship at Universal Limited Art Editions in New York City as well as an internship at the Zygote Press in Ohio, and is expected to have a solo exhibition at Positive Space Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the end of 2024.

THE PROJECT: Environmental Gamble: The Reckless Pursuit of Progress
Environmental Gamble: The Reckless Pursuit of Progress endeavors to prompt contemplation on the interplay between late-stage capitalism and environmental degradation. Through a fusion of childhood board games and contemporary issues, the artist employs print and sculpture techniques to construct an immersive space, serving as a metaphor for the environment. The initiative, currently in progress, aims to challenge observers' perceptions and inspire a conscious approach to environmental preservation.

Kendall Ross
Spotlight Artist
DETAILS +

Kendall Ross, aka “I’d Knit That”, is an Oklahoma City based fiber artist. She is best known for hand-knitting colorful, wearable art pieces. She uses intricate hand-knitting colorwork methods like intarsia and fair isle to illustrate images and incorporate her original texts into the fabric of her work. Each stitch on every sweater, vest, mural, and textile is painstakingly planned and knit over countless hours using two needles and wool.Kendall gravitated toward fiber art throughout her childhood, learning to crochet from her maternal grandmother. The close relationships she built with women in her family through knitting and crochet inspired her interest in women’s history. Kendall earned a BA in American history from Pepperdine University where she researched racial divides between Black and white women’s knitting movements in World War I. Her background as a historian inspires the content and the purpose behind her art. In her day-to-day practice, the action of hand-knitting is how Kendall processes her emotions, experiences, and memories. She is inspired by the exercise of using a historically woman- dominated skill to communicate her personal narrative of being a modern young woman. Kendall is drawn to telling unapologetically intimate, complicated stories of feminine, overlooked moments in her life, putting private emotions on display for people to wear on their chest in their public lives. Kendall aims to redefine the perception of both fiber art and hand-knitting in fine art spaces, challenging others’ perception of what is and isn’t art, and who gets to decide.

THE PROJECT: Girly Things
Girly Things is an exploration of the ongoing debate between art and craft, delving into gender dynamics and power structures that influence narratives, language, and opportunities. In this project, Kendall Ross will hand-knit eight new wearable art pieces, including sweaters, cardigans, vests, and a textile wall hanging. Each piece, priced between $500-$2000, challenges perceptions of femininity and vulnerability often associated with craft. The project addresses biases against female-dominated fields and aims to provoke uncomfortable questions about art, gender, and validation. Ross's work at Momentum 2024 seeks to spark reflection on biases in defining art and provide encouragement to undervalued fiber artists.


GENERAL SURVEY ARTISTS

    Artists are selected from all over the state by the Guest and Emerging Curators. All types of visual media are accepted, including drawing, painting, film, photography, sculpture, live performance, and more! Momentum artists have the opportunity to meet new audiences, sell artwork through the exhibition, and win cash awards.

    Ariana Alarcon, Kayla Anley, Whitney Batres, Jordan Beaver, Rebecca Benjamin, Jonathan Bolivar, Elise Braggs, Paige Chance, Bryant Chitsey, Dayton Clark, Madeline Curry, Elliot Ditto, Logan Douglas, Sage Edsall, Evan Feeley, Anna Beth Ferguson, Jonathan Good, Gabrielle Guyse, Marshall Ingram, Erin Kelley, Lilly Klontz, Wesley Kramer, Jordan Lawson, Jarrod Lovick, Brianna Lucas, Wesley Luster, Jan macias, Madison Moody-Torres, Nayelly Morales Rojo, Paige Nguyen, Spencer Plumlee, Kira Hayen, Diana Rojas, Bayley Ross, Cinthya Salazar, Ruth Sanchez, Denae Smith, Krystal Solis, Saray Suarez


    GET INVOLVED

    THE 2024 COMMITTEE

    Co-Chairs
    Mady Hendryx and Mark Miller


    Committee Members

    Alaina Conley, Ali Bivens, Alleese Eldridge, Anna Farha Miller*,

    Casey Gilman, Dejah Owens*, Hailey Helmerich, Kendall Bleakley, Matin Alavi, Julia Moser, Khameo Ryan, Lauren Schlepp, Nathaniel Tipple*, Zoe Travers*

    * Returning Committee Member

    2025 COMMITTEE

    The next call for MOMENTUM Committee Members will be in October of 2024.


    2024 VOLUNTEERS

    The call for 2024 MOMENTUM volunteers is OPEN. Sign Up Today!



    SPONSOR MOMENTUM
    MOMENTUM offers young artists a platform to create, display, and sell their artwork in a professional exhibition. Through this experience, past artists have made connections to new audiences and propelled their artistic careers.The generous support of our sponsors allows us to continue this important work!


    2024 SPONSORS

    HEADLINE SPONSORS





    SUPERSONIC SPONSORS


    Diane Salamon


    TRANSONIC SPONSORS

    SONIC SPONSORS

    Amy & Jon Fisher, Bob Curtis, Diane Moershel, 
    Fitzsimmons Architects, Leah Roper, Mady Hendryx, Millers Remodel and Construction, Paseo Arts Association, Roger Runge, Ryan Cunningham, TRADESMAN Architecture

    VELOCITY SPONSORS

    Aimee Harlow, AJ Kirkpatrick, Blue Sage Studios, Brian Barber, Emily Crain, Elizabeth Sidler, Geoffrey Hicks, Hannah & Stuart Hudson, Hillary Farrell, Katelyn Elrod, Meg Salyer, No Regrets Tattoo, Susan Beaty, Trasen Akers, Velvet Monkey

    SPECIAL THANKS

    Anna Farha Miller, Alaina Conley, Al Eldrirdge, Ameria Barajas, Bad Granny's Bazaar, Bunker ClubBy.E, Calista Gimenez, Casey Gilman, Cassa Shafer, Cassidy Mcknight, Colby Bowers, Dejah Owens, Dig It OKCEcstatic Dance Oklahoma, Elissa Newmeyer, Emily Madden, Factory Obscura, Izzi Kienzle, Jaclyn Jacobs, Juliana Lopez, Julie Cummings, Katrina Loos, Kendall Bleakley, Lauren Kelly, Matin Alavi, Nate Tipple, National Cowboy & Western Heritage MuseumOak City Pizza Co.Oklahoma Today, Randy Marks, Romney Nesbitt, Susan Roberson, Science Museum Oklahoma, Paint N' CheersPorch Art Supply, Timothy Reese, The House of ClayThe Mule, Theresa Kerby, Thready or Knot, Up-Down, Zoe Travers

    ANNUAL SPONSORS







    CONTACT US

    Phone: (405)879-2400

    Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9AM–5PM

    Address:

    Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition

    1720 N. Shartel Ave. Suite B.

    Oklahoma City, OK 73103

    © 2024 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. All rights reserved. Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 73-1328072.

    Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software