Photo by Jeremy Charles.

Sherree has been weaving together heart-wrenching harmonies for years and finally has an album for all of us to hold on to, instead of just going to her myspace page everyday like we used to do. Check it out on itunes. Or pick it up this Friday at her show at the Opolis.

Where are you from?
Oklahoma City as of recent.

What do you do?
I sing. I write stories, pair them with melodies. I constantly over-analyze. I’m all heart – no head. I make messes, and rarely do I clean them.

Who or what do you use for inspiration?
It seems like weather, and my family and friends show up a lot in my songs. Oddly enough, there is this woman’s chorus in Snow White that is really inspiring my songwriting. Search “snow white music – love’s first kiss (finale)” on youtube. You won’t be sorry. Other than that, this book called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is blowing my mind. Overall however, new uncomfortable situations are the most inspirational. They usually squeeze out some creative juice in some way shape or form.

What artists do you respect right now?
Atony Hegarty’s compositions, Henri Matisse’s use of color, Emily Bronte’s dedication, David Bazan’s lyrics, Dawes’s harmony parts.

What are you sick of?
John and Kate Plus 8, questioning my own rationality, waiting for Jacob Abello’s album. In no specific order.

What music are you listening to recently?
Man, this band “Dawes” is just wrecking my soul. It’s like medicine. It’s wonderful. Also, Corey Chisel and the Wandering Songs, Antony and the Johnsons, and this girl Sarah Jaffe from Denton, Texas.

What is your first creative memory?
In first grade I became really intrigued by complex harmonies so I tried to turn my family of 4 into a barbershop quartet. I made us all line up by height and gave them each a note to sing. It sounded just . . . . terrible.

What is your favorite food/drank spot in Norman?
Food: Sweet Basil. Pad Thai with chicken, spice level 2 and a half, omelet on top.
Drink: Anywhere I can get a nice wheat beer with a lemon. It’s a summertime must.

Album art by Nathan Price.

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OKC’s newest cool-kid art district is having their first arts festival on Thursday, October 3rd, featuring a bunch of local artists and musicians. Check it out here. And remember, its ‘plaza’ not ‘paseo’. People are sensitive.

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Check out our new twitter for tons of cool updates and possible give-aways in the near future.

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We are looking for ten Norman-based artists, photographers, or creatives who want to be involved in a unique photo experiment to be featured here on the House. Leave your email address in a comment on this post if you are interested, and I will contact you with details.

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Jonathan Brilliant, an artist from Charleston, South Carolina, is weaving together a new structure in Norman for his Have Sticks Will Travel World Tour. His opening reception is friday evening at six in the Lightwell Gallery inside the School of Art. The show will be up until September 25th.

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From their album The Birth. Directed by George Salisbury.

Via Oklahoma Rock.

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Norman’s own handmade art and crafts market, featuring a ton of local artists and artisans, is this Saturday the 29th along Buchanan Street on Campus Corner, from 10am – 6pm. Ryan Lindsey, Gentle Ghost, The Workweek, Brine Webb, Jacob Abello, and a bunch of other bands will be playing from 2pm – 11pm. Get excited.

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I’ve been pretty excited about this post for a while. There’s something refreshingly honest about the way Zach presents his work. The world needs more people like him.

Where are you from?
Denton, Texas but I lived in Norman for 7 consecutive, definitely “formative” years, as well as Tarrytown, the Bronx, and Manhattan in New York, and Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China.

What do you do?
Primarily, I consider myself a printmaker and collage artist but I love to play with clay, and I flirt with street art every once and awhile. Starting in September, I will be an elementary and middle school art teacher in Shanghai (foreign kids from international schools, my spoken Chinese is okay for travel and shopping, but definitely not close to fluency).

Who or what do you use for inspiration?
I’m a news junkie who grew up on skateboarding; so mostly angst, but I like seeing what my friends are working on, old comics and cartoons, masks, traveling, Harlem Renaissance literature, Adinkra symbols, Pre-Columbian art, Google image search, and so on.

What artists do you respect right now?
I like people who are producing work with positive messages, but aren’t too didactic. Also, really into this resurgence of popularity of using printmaking for different projects and applications.

What are you sick of?
Allergies, questions about my hair/ethnicity, and the influx of police in Norman.

What music are you listening to recently?
Mostly hip hop, but I listen to a lot of Oklahoman bands, especially when I’m away, and have been really into the Workweek and the Nghiems. Also, I’m working on a shirt design for the Workweek, so it’s been on repeat a lot.

What is your first creative memory?
I stayed with my grandparents a lot during my childhood, and my grandmother was a landscape painter. She would give me colored pencils, watercolors and crayons since I was four years old, and I would go to town on some loose leaf paper.

What is your favorite food/drank spot in Norman?
Viva Pepe’s!

Anything else?
I intend to host/curate some mail art shows while I’m in Shanghai, and want all those interested to contact me. Thanks!

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Cameron Buchholtz is relaunching his comedy podcast with a brand new look and feel brought to you by yours truly. Check out the first episode here.

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Crowboy has been around Norman for quite a long time, and he always had a very strong hand in keeping some sort of street art community alive in Norman.  I would venture to guess that most everyone in Norman has come across at least one of his single line poetry pieces scribbled on a dumpster or electric box at one time or another.  The amount of them is impressive and the ground he covered is extensive.  The status of his work as ‘art’ could be argued, but I won’t get into that.  I do think it can be said that his work is an attempt at intimate communication on the most accessible level possible.

Crowboy currently spends his days in Oklahoma City or traveling across the states.

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