Oklahoma City’s Newest Public Art Work – 1219 Creative Mural Project Featuring Yatika Starr Field

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 26, 2014) 1219 Creative is proud to announce the completion of a public art mural on the north side of our building at 1219 N. Classen Blvd. in Oklahoma City by internationally celebrated Oklahoma artist Yatika Starr Fields. This 140’ wide by 11’ tall wall mural was privately funded by neighboring business owners J.B. Askins of Abraham’s Bail Bonds and Rick and Tracy Bewley of Art Fusion Studios.

Robbie Kienzle, Arts and Cultural Affairs Liaison at the City of Oklahoma City and members of the Oklahoma City Arts Commission also facilitated the approval process for the short time period Fields was available to create the mural. The artwork is a long-term installation, with a potential 10 year lifespan, depending on the harsh Oklahoma weather. The mural is located in a public space, and is intended to be shared with neighbors and the general public.

In August of this year, Mr. Askins approached the Bewleys and Kyle Golding, CEO of The Golding Group and 1219 Creative art gallery curator, with the idea of using the North wall of their shared building for a public art project. Mr. Askins wanted to “do something positive for the neighborhood”. The Bewleys and Golding (artist themselves) formed a committee with Nathan Lee, Executive Director of non-profit organization Inclusion In Art to facilitate an open call-to-artist for the project.

The committee selected Fields for the project based on his creative proposal, extensive resume and impressive references. Submissions came from four different states, but all three of the top artist interviewed (Fields, Dylan Bradway and Kris Kanaly) are from Oklahoma.

About The Artist: Yatika Starr Fields is from Stillwater Oklahoma but currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. You can find his work in galleries all over the country like Chiaroscuro Contemporary in Santa Fe, Sam Noble Museum in Norman and The Heard Museum in Phoenix. His most recent in-state work was a permanent mural for the lobby of the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art. OSU Assistant Professor and Independent Curator Louise Siddons, PhD describes Fields as “a rising star of the contemporary art world. He has created murals across the United States and abroad but still feels strongly connected to his home state of Oklahoma.”

1219 Creative celebrated the completion of the mural with a gallery show with Fields and many of the Oklahoma City artist whom submitted proposals for the mural project Friday, November 28th. The free event included refreshments and the opportunity to meet the artist. Fields next art project will be at Art Basel in Miami, FL.

OK Gazette about Native American artist featuring Yatika Fields and he 1219 Creative Mural.