Untitled Art Space Inc

Preface: in 2024, artspace continued its commitment to expanding community outreach efforts and improving internal infrastructure to create a more enriching environment for both makers and students. Our diverse programming includes the mentorship program, artist in residence (air) program, the press studio, and three exhibition spaces, main gallery, press gallery, and the hive. 2024 was a year of transition. We lost a key staff member who had been preparing for a leadership role. Recruiting for both the mentorship coordinator and a new administrative/communication position was deliberate and challenging. We are proud to report that new team members have joined and are making meaningful contributions. Informed by strategic planning sessions conducted in 2023 and revisited in 2024 with a new facilitator, we developed a renewed framework for accountability, growth, and equity. Moving forward, our priorities include deepening the mentorship program and expanding the air experience to broaden student and community engagement. The mentorship program is one of artspace's flagship initiatives, providing students from oklahoma city public schools with arts education beyond what traditional academia offers. Each month, students spend an entire day working in our studios in an incubator environment with visiting artists/mentors. The flagship mentorship program served approximately 250 students in 2024, primarily from title i and alternative education schools. These middle and high school students-90% of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch-attended full-day immersive workshops focused on printmaking, animation, and other creative disciplines. We provided transportation, meals (breakfast, snacks, and lunch) and after-school access at no cost to students, families, or schools. The curriculum emphasized curiosity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Students explored both traditional and comtemporary techniques including screen printing, reflief, intaglio, and letterpress. They also engaged with practicing artists and industry professionals, including animator nicole, emmons. Her mentorship in stop-motion animation has let to student films being featured at the dead center film festival for four consecutive years. These programs provide valuable workforce development opportunities for our students. The artist in residence program at artspace was designed to host four local artists and two to four national/international visiting artists annually. In 2024, due to funding limitations, we welcomed one visiting artist and two local artists. Each artist shared their work and expertise through public talks, workshops, and exhibitions. These residencies offer a rich exchange of ideas and cultural perspectives-benefiting both our students and the broaer community. Air participants often create limited-edition prints, leave lasting legacies in our archive, and serve as role models for our mentorship students. We are activity writing grants to restore and expand the visiting artist component in 2025. In 2024, we converted an underused upstairs storage and studio space into a new public collaboration area, unveiled during our exquisite creatures event-an open house attended by more than 100 guests. Osu design students created wearable sculptures for the event, blending art, fashion, and performance. The evening featured live an silent auctions, as well as testimonials from mentorship students. In 2024, artspace was awarded approximately 149,000 in grant support. However, due to a delay in receiving a 60,000 arpa grant, only about 89,000 had been received by year-end. Despite this temporay shortfall, we sustained high-quality programming through careful stewardship, community support, and resourceful staffing. We we wrok toward our goal of serving 300 students annually by 2026, we remain committed to hands-on learning and ensuring equitable access to the arts. Our board structure reflects cultural inclusivity, and our programs are shaped by indeigenous values and diversity of cultural perspectives.

The hive: the hive has begun being repurposed-it was formerly a boutique give shop- into a dedicated gallery for student and mentor artwork. This transition realigns our physical space with our mission and fosters deeper engagement with emerging artists.