City Feature: OKLAHOMA CITY

If I am endeavoring to spotlight great arts communities that you may have never considered, what better place to start than in the Heartland? Today I am bringing you Oklahoma City, or OKC for those who know. The Horse Show Capital of the World, the third largest city in the nation by land area, and home to the Cowboy and Western Museum, Oklahoma City offers its residents more than just working oil wells and lively livestock markets! I sat down with Aubrey Ballard, better known as The Dandy Liar, to chat all things arts and culture in her home city.

Aubrey and I have known each other since elementary school and have reconnected at various points in our adult lives. I have always admired her as an incredibly smart and kind person as well as a one-of-a-kind creative professional, so when I decided to do these city feature posts, she was the very first person that came to mind!

As a busy mom of two and crazy successful blogger, Instagram fashion influencer, interior designer, and vintage jewelry dealer, Aubrey has A LOT on her plate, but she was gracious enough to answer some of my burning questions about the arts and culture in her great city. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

Q: Start with the obvious. Aubrey, where do you find the best art in Oklahoma City?

A: There are some great galleries in OKC, but one of my favorites has to be DNA Gallery in the plaza district. They have their finger on the pulse of the creative community here, and are so great at highlighting lesser known and established artists alike. I’ve attended several shows there, and I often turn to DNA Gallery to source pieces both for clients and for my own home.

Q: Which local artists do you love? Have you collected any art by local artists?

A: I have yet to snag one of his pieces, but I’ve been loving works by Matt Goad for some time now. Highly influenced by his background in graphic design, he works in all mediums and his talent takes many shapes- from woodblock prints, to public murals and acrylic paintings. I’m particularly drawn to his signature bold color palette and the line composition that exists throughout his work.

Q: What do you love about living in your city?

A: Hands down, I love the creative community here. It’s very collaborative, and us creatives are very generous with one another. I’ve lived in 7 other cities and have found the makers and artist community in OKC to be the most inclusive. I moved here 10 years ago without knowing a single person. I was very quickly embraced by my peers and found myself feeling at home in my new city.

Q: Who else in OKC and beyond inspires you?

A: I find myself constantly inspired by architecture and interiors, as I view them as their own art forms. Lately, I’ve been loving British interior designers like Beata Heuman and Sarah Vanrenen, who push the envelope through color, texture, print and pattern. And of course, as a student of fashion, I am inspired by different tastemakers around the globe. Leandra Cohen is one of my favorite stylists of late. She does for outfits what I seek to do with my interiors- reimagine everyday pieces in a fresh, new way.

Q: What is your favorite piece of art that you own?

A: My favorite piece is a large scale painting of two women, painted by an unknown artist circa 1973 titled Jealousy. It was my first “big” art purchase and is still my favorite to this day. The two women depicted have very expressive eyes, and yet there is still an air of mystery about them, which has always drawn me to the piece. The style is reminiscent of fashion illustrations from the 70s, which speaks to my love of and background in fashion design. The colors also scream 1970s, with touches of neons and soft primary colors.

Thanks very much to Aubrey for sharing her city with us! I love knowing about the gems hidden right here in our own backyard and OKC is certainly one to watch!

Happy holidays everyone!