Setting up shop in downtown Chickasha this month will be the Second Friday Art Walk, taking place on Friday, July 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. As the name implies, this art show takes place on the second Friday of the month, and is an event that requires large amounts of planning and coordination from those in charge of it. The art walk features a wide array of art mediums, displayed in the shops of downtown Chickasha.
Various businesses in downtown Chickasha will be divided into “zones” for the various mediums of art, ranging from the Leg Lamp all the way to 6th street.
Dana Helms, the owner of Dana’s Creations, is heavily involved with the setup and promotion of the art walk.
Helms said that there will be free hot dogs, water, and other foods and drinks offered at the art walk. She also said that she talks with anywhere from 65 to 70 businesses a month in order to coordinate and put the event together. The art walk is free for all, and open to anyone wishing to enter their works into the show.
“There is no age limit to enter the art walk, just as long as you can come set up and have the ability to sell your work, you’re in,” Helms exclaimed.
The art walk has seen artists as young as ten years old come and sell their works of art.
Helms has also built a relationship with Shakespeare Wine Company and its owner, DJ Jenks, to help promote the artistic side of Chickasha.
Jenks gave his thoughts on the growing art community in Chickasha.
“One thing about artists, especially in this community, is that everyone is so giving, and everybody working together is something that we enjoy immensely,” Jenks said. “One of the things that my wife and I noticed is that in this community, it’s become such a tight knit community, and they have the ability to empower each other.”
Jenks is originally from San Francisco, Cali. and noted how art-centered Chickasha is becoming, especially when juxtaposed to other communities in the state of Oklahoma.
The art walks in Chickasha do not just reach within the city limits, but their impact is painted all over the world.
“We’ve had people from Bixby, St. Louis, and even some from Germany and from France,” said Jenks.
Helms has ambitions for the Second Friday Art Walk as the year goes on. She said that she hopes for students at USAO to enter the art walk and get a feel for promoting their art in the “real world.”
Along with her ambitions for the art walk, there are other mediums that Helms would like to see incorporated into the show in the future.
“I would like to see more sculptures in the show,” Helms said. “I feel like sculptures set up in the show would make things that much more grand.”
With something as big as the Second Friday Art Walk, it is easy to see that the town of Chickasha is developing an artistic side that sets it apart from other communities in Oklahoma.
“This is a small town that has an art studio,” Jenks said about the impact art is having on Chickasha. “A small town of under 20,000 has an art studio.”
Because of this side of Chickasha being painted onto the community, it will be interesting to see how this field will grow in the future.
“The idea that Chickasha is an art community is something that is valued in the state of Oklahoma,” Jenks said. “It’s a snowball on top of a mountain, and it’s growing.”
Those who are interested in entering the art walk need only call or text Helms at (405) 203-2834.
Paul Tointigh is a fourth-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
