A score of artists, musicians, students and community members will ply their skills for the sake of improving arts education for Oklahoma City Public Schools students Sunday at Stage Center.
The eighth annual OKC Arts Spectacular features songwriter Jimmy Webb, Ballet Oklahoma, Lyric Academy and other acts.
It's an "entertaining" evening, said Ann McNellis, communications coordinator for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, and one that lets the audience view corporate citizens like Sonic President Cliff Hudson "in a different light," as they loosen their ties to rock out for the cause.
SUPPORT
The event benefits the foundation's Arts Education Fund, which provides grants to teachers for projects that improve arts curriculum that school budgets may not be able to cover.
Through previous incarnations of the event, more than $350,000 has been raised, providing:
" musical instruments,
" a sound system and
" teacher training for local schools.
Statistics support the benefits of including arts in the classroom, McNellis said, citing research indicating that students are four times as likely to garner recognition for academic achievement who participate in the arts three hours, three days a week.
DETAILS
A 6 p.m. art exhibit and sale precedes the 7 p.m. show and will feature paintings, wood turning and sculpture by J. Michelle Martin-Coyne, Betty Price, Louisa McCune-Elmore and more.
Stage Center is located at 400 W. Sheridan. For tickets, which are $25, call 297-2264. For more information, visit their site. "?Emily Jerman
