Many cities and towns in Oklahoma host annual festivals with live music, creative cuisine and art exhibitors. Rush Springs Watermelon Festival, Downtown Edmond Arts Festival, Norman’s May Fair Arts Festival, Moore’s Fine Arts Festival, Tulsa Oktoberfest, Apache Rattlesnake Festival and Stilwell’s Strawberry Festival are examples.
Many Guthrie creatives, however, take arts, culture and architecture worship a step further by working hard to make every weekend a time to celebrate the arts as a whole.
“One of the most striking things about Guthrie in general and the arts district in particular is the fact that we have art in almost every diverse sense of the word,” said Lucy Swanson, founder and executive director of The Arts in Guthrie (TAG), a community organization with a mission to promote community arts involvement and education inside and outside the town of just over 11,000 residents located 15 minutes north of Edmond. “From our architecture that we have in our downtown all the way [to] glassblowers and jewelry designers. We have world-famous musicians like Byron Berline. We have The Pollard Theatre. We have music events constantly, year-round, all over town. The fact that music, the arts and culture are just a part of our everyday existence around here makes it special.”
Festival city
The list of artisans, artists and events in Guthrie is staggering. World-famous session and touring fiddler Byron Berline calls it home.He also owns his Double Stop Fiddle Shop and Music Hall bearing his name. Visitors to the city can experience the monthly Red Brick Nights art, food and music festival; Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival each October; Guthrie Escape fine arts, wine, food and music fest each fall; runs; walks; tours; art galleries and studios; bed and breakfasts; world-class bootmakers; eateries and bars; shops; museums; an art center; and even a beloved drive-in movie theater.
“The arts are what bring people out at night,” Swanson said of TAG. “When we’re going to do something in Guthrie, it’s going to be something art-related.”
Growing history
Guthrie’s creative hub revolves around its historic downtown area, which spans more than 30 acres, includes more than 100 structures and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1999.It’s touted as one of the largest Historic Preservation Districts in the nation. Woven into its borders is Guthrie Arts District, which earned Oklahoma Arts Council Certified Culture District designation in 2015.
One of the district businesses is Shelton’s Photography & Design. The past 14 of the 20 years they’ve operated it, co-owners Traci and Heath Shelton have called the arts district home.
“It’s a good environment for the whole family. It’s a good place for a date night. It’s nice just to relax, get away and enjoy the beauty of art in whatever form or fashion it appeals to you,” Traci Shelton said. “It’s conveniently located close to everything that we need. … We do a lot of location type of photography; it has the architecture and the environment.”
The area features seemingly endless subjects and looks, she explained — antiques and historical architecture styles spanning Late Victorian, Beaux-Arts, Romanesque Revival, Italianate, American Eclectic Movement, Neoclassical eras and more.
“But there’s also very contemporary types of structures that we can use,” she said. “You get a different look everywhere you go. … I think the growth has changed over time somewhat because of technology and tourism. Guthrie has definitely grown. It certainly has more of a variety of artists now than it did before. That’s for sure.”
Inclusive boundaries
The plan to make downtown Guthrie an arts and cultural destination began taking shape more than 10 years ago as Swanson worked with the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce.She also learned a lot as part of Oklahoma Arts Council’s 2013 Leadership Arts class.
“Going through that program really let me see our community through fresh eyes and see the tremendous amount of assets that we have in the arts in our community,” Swanson said.
Previously, efforts were made by city civic and business leaders to promote Guthrie largely for its historic value. After Swanson went through the Leadership Arts program, she said she recognized Guthrie had a lot more to offer, especially through the creative arts talents of its own residents.
“One of the best ways to [promote Guthrie arts] is to create a legitimate district that would be identifiable, that would be a destination,” Swanson explained.
TAG Arts District’s borders follow the general area of the city’s historical district. Swanson recognizes the following streets and landmarks as TAG’s area of influence: the railroad to the west, Noble Avenue to the north, Broad Street to the east and Vilas Avenue to the south.
However, with Guthrie Scottish Rite Masonic Center several blocks away, Swanson said she doesn’t like to define TAG’s borders by geographical areas.
Future plans for TAG include the creation of a nearby nature park with bike trails; a spoken-word and open-mic poetry event; a Guthrie walking tour; an artistic mentorship program; and a fund-raising album featuring Guthrie musicians, available through both digital and vinyl formats.
Additional plans will be based on a cultural impact study still in progress as well as the district’s participation in Creative Oklahoma’s Oklahoma Creative Communities pilot program.
“Guthrie’s so full of history that we’re really trying to find ways to incorporate all of the aspects that we have into something that’s really going to be beneficial and help people grow,” Swanson said. “It’s so easy to spend a whole weekend here in Guthrie and enjoy yourself every minute of it. There’s just tons of stuff to do. Plan it out and do it.”
The Arts in Guthrie
theartsinguthrie.org
405-534-4278
Experience Guthrie
Events
Red Brick Nights5-11 p.m. June 3
Food, shopping and music from K.C. Clifford, Brad Fielder and Jarvix (first Saturdays through September)
Historic Downtown Guthrie, Wentz Street between Oklahoma and Harrison avenues
Free
Oklahoma Hot Rod Association Car Show
7 a.m.-4 p.m. June 24
Mineral Wells Park
901 S. Division St., Guthrie
Byron Berline Band
7:30-10 p.m. June 10 and 24
Double Stop Fiddle Shop & Music Hall
121 E. Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie
$10
Bring It On: The Musical
June 9-July 1
The Pollard Theatre
120 W. Harrison Avenue, Guthrie
405-282-2800
$15-$30
The See Spot Run
Pet-friendly 5K, 10K and kids fun run
6:45 p.m. June 3
Downtown Guthrie
$15-$30
National Little Britches Rodeo Association 2017 National Finals Rodeo
July 4-9
Lazy E Arena
9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie
405-282-3004
Guthrie Escape
Fine art, wine, food and music festival
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 30 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 1
Historic Downtown Guthrie
405-260-2345
Free
Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival
Oct. 5-7, campgrounds open noon Sept. 30
Cottonwood Creek Flats, 702 S. Warner Ave., Guthrie
405-282-4446
$20-$80
Territorial Christmas
Launches 6 p.m. Nov. 25 with parade, territorial governor inauguration and tree lighting and related events run through December
Historic Downtown Guthrie
guthriesterritorialchristmas.com
405-412-4132
Attractions
Beacon Drive-In TheatreThe Fate of the Furious
Dusk June 2-8
Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Dusk June 9-22
2404 S. Division St., Guthrie
405-282-4512
$4-$7
Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Historic Carnegie Library
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
406 E. Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie
405-282-1889
Free-$10
Guthrie Scottish Rite Masonic Center
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday-Friday
900 E. Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie
405-282-1281
Free-$5
Note: Please call ahead to reserve tours.
Guthrie Farmers Market
8 a.m.-noon Saturdays
E. Harrison Avenue and S. Davidson Street, Guthrie
facebook.com/guthriefarmersmarket
405-282-1947
— By Gazette staff
Print Headline: Modern arts, TAG leadership ushers historic Guthrie into an artistic renaissance.