Things to Bring

Please bring photos in albums or slip covers to share. We will set up a table where people can leave their albums and others can join you in a trip down memory lane. If you are a great organiser you might label pics with names or events pictured to make it easier on the rest of us. Feel free to bring " then and now " pics to share.

Bring your favorite pot luck item to share... I still use some of the great recipes gleaned from our potlucks up on the hill.

Bring your kids and your friends

Bring a percussion instrument or two and of course, guitar, mandolin, harmonica etc players... bring your instruments.

If you have a great idea for an activity that you would like to share please get in touch with Lynda Jacobs to coordinate.

Bring a little cash for a glass of wine or a beer provided by Garden Deva who has graciously provided a place for us to meet. If you haven't been there before you are in for a real treat!

Open Door History Lesson by Kim Oswalt :-)

Hi to all of you,


here it is....A bit of history.


In the spring of 1978, Gary Henson and Kim Oswalt (along with spiritual guidance of Inez Running-Rabbitt) were imagining a magical space which would support local artists and provide a community gathering place. Along with the help of Helen Dryz, they found a warehouse on 15th Street in Tulsa and signed a lease. There began the seed of their hope that they could create an atmosphere where people would "remember something may have forgotten".


Gary was helped by visual artists Cathy Corvini (aka Manda Pie) and Margey Tuck to make a magical setting which would be the JR Tolkeinesque backdrop for many performances to come. Woofus, the Open Door "familiar"/daemon was always present and known as the dog that bit the hand who fed her, along with old ladies and children. (The Woofus! label became the recording company for artists, Blue Cliff and Rakugaki later on).


"Open Door" (Gary Henson) lent his name to the project.


In spring of 1978, the Open Door celebrated it's gala opening along with the support of many local musicians, Rocky Frisco and Anthony Carson/harpist among them. Andy Trumpeter, co-founder or Bread and Puppett theater and is entouage were there. Even Mimi and Pappy from Lawton, Oklahoma arrived for the festivities.


The Door was a welcoming place for hobitts and gnomes of all colors and creeds, gender and sexual orientations. Each week, poet extra-ordinairre Mary McAnally organized readings featuring slam readings from Meridel LeSuer, Joy Harjo, and many others, leading to an NEA grant to support the effort. Scholar Germaine Greer spoke at the Door to standing room only audience, celebrating its support of art and those who made it.


Just a short litany of memories for those who have ears to hear:


Valentine's Day and the "King of Hearts" (film was always provided in 8mm format by Les McClelland.) People dressed in their favorite characters, or made them up and we became the movie in 3-d.


Japanese night, where the floor was covered in cherry blossom petals, as per Inez Running Rabbitt's decree. Prophetic koto music, harp and cello filled the air while free floating libido seeped through the cracks.


Women's music concerts and a sold out at the Brookside theater, sponsored by the OD. Cris Williamson, Meg Christian and Margy Adam to name a few.


Native American theater performances.


Woo-hoo Halloween, gender bending parties and skinny dipping in the lake for those wild hearts!


Black Fox-providing space for the brave souls who gathered at the Door to successfully end the building of the nuclear plant which could have changed our lives forever and ever.


If you have any interest in Helen Dryz, Gary Henson, or Kim Oswalt-google their names and you will see what happened next.


Thank you to all who are making this 30th year anniversary a reality...


peace, love and art,


Gary, Kim and Helen

Where Are They Now?

What did you do when you grew up? If you have a web site send me a link so we can see what you've been up to I would be glad to post it here... again, email it to me and I will post.

Here's the Plan so Far....

Here's the plan so far....
Start gathering photos from Open Door Days now and put them in jpg format. We are working on getting a projector to shoot our photos on to the wall so that we can all share them together. We will let you know the details soon.

We thought it might be fun to work on a big collage together or several seperate ones so come prepared with magazine cut outs or just show up and create with us from scratch. ( we could use some magazines so start holding some back from the recycling bin now ) The collages will reflect who we were then and who we grew to be.

Got a song, a poem a band to share? We want to hear from you. Scott Aycock will be your contact person... write him at scottapoet@yahoo.com

Bring your percushion instruments and be prepared to offer up your rhythm on some of our old favorite group songs.

Bring the next generation... Their parents were once cool, cute, little hippie kids. Lets let them have a little peek at our past. Oh, that reminds me... Please feel free to invite a friend to come with you too. This is going to be a party worth sharing with our favorite people.

We will post updates of those of you who are coming. Please write Margee Aycock at artistswaygallery@yahoo.com. Include all of your contact info and if you would like for that information to be shared with the group. If you all would like I can compile those and email them to the group or post to the blog. Everything is still in the works so any suggestions will be welcome. We know you all are gifted, creative people so I'll be looking for my mail box to be filling up. artistswaygallery@yahoo.com