Entertainment

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 ionOk.com Al Bostick Actor, artist, griot Lifestyle … Culture … Entertainment publisher : Don Swift Advertising Sales Contributors editor : Hollie Niblett Becky Grantham Heidi Brandes editiorial assistant : Hans Weurflein Kim McAllister Duane Clancy editiorial assistant : Lauren Wright Amy Tackett Roberson Kanna Deutsch videographer : Jeremy Gossett Robbie Robertson M. J. Van Deventer Tim Farley director of photography : Michael Downes Jo Meacham website developer : Patrick Moore with Set Sail Media Photographers Linda Miller Justin Avera website developer : Brian Gaeddert Kerry Myers Michael Downes graphic design : Wendy Mills Hollie Niblett Jeremy Gossett Cheryl Payne Fran Kozakowski Lauren Wright Lauren Wright Amy Tackett Roberson Zach Seat Keith Walker Publisher’s Note Welcome to ionOklahoma, one of Oklahoma’s fastest growing digital online lifestyle magazines and news-entertainment website. We are actively reporting about Oklahoma people, events, and style. The majority of our loyal readers download FREE every issue on their computers, tablets, and mobile devices. Once each issue is downloaded it becomes very easy to access and read at any convenient time in the future. The ion weekend edition of things to do in Oklahoma has been well received and is creating an increase of website of nearly 33%. Every Thursday by 9am we are emailing our readers Eye On The Weekend describing 12 fun upcoming weekend events you and your family may want to attend. Also, at ionOklahoma we are creating a weekly restaurant review edition that will involve 4-8 restaurants located in the metro. This edition will be emailed to our ion subscribers every Tuesday by 9am. The restaurant review will include a 300-400 word feature review describing the menu and food being offered from each restaurant. This edition we are naming Bon Appetit Oklahoma and What’s Cooking From “Like” us on facebook ionOklahoma. facebook.com/pages/ Please send your feedback regarding each of these new editions IonOklahoma-Online We are very excited about the upcoming NBA Thunder Season and will be writing a weekly edition and updates about not only the 41 home games, but other behind the scenes feature stories that other publications don’t write about. We would like to extend our gratitude to all our loyal followers in central Oklahoma and encourage you to give us feedback. Please email your feature story follow us on twitter ideas, thoughts, or suggestions. @IonOklahoma Sincerely Don Swift OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ionOklahoma 9 Contents COVER STORY 12 The Fear of His Passion – Al Bostick has fought the fear of his passion and lived his dream as an artist in Oklahoma. by Linda Miller CULTURE 36 Hello, Goodbye… JRB Art at The Elms in November DINING 21 Custino’s Italian Kitchen 24 A Taste of Western 12 by Heidi Brandes FASHION 39 Yikes, Spikes 36 by Linda Miller ENTERTAINMENT 27 The Turnpike Troubadours and The Red Hot Chili Peppers by Doug Clancy TECHNOLOGY 44 Tech Get Smart: Raise your green IQ while lowering your electric bill by Kanna Deutch 10 ionOklahoma OCTOBER/NOVEMBER PEOPLE 51 Yvonne Kauger – A Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice With A Passion For Art by M. J. Van Deventer 77 30/30 NexGen Award Honorees COMMUNITY 17 Fighting the Dragon:Paddle For The Cure by M. J. Van Deventer 32 30 Pumpkinville pictoral 71 32 Chester’s Pumpkin Patch: Where Memories Are Made By Lauren Wright 57 Bright Star by Kanna Deutch SPORTS 46 Leaders of the Pack – the Thunder Girls by Tim Farley REVIEWS 74 BookBuzz by Malena Lott 46 PLACES 71 Carlsbad Carverns by Linda Miller DESIGN 62 Going Urban 67 Windows by Design by Hollie Niblett OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ionOklahoma 11 The Fear of His Passion For 30 years Al Bostick has fought the fear of his passion and lived his dream as an artist in Oklahoma. by LINDA MILLER ne week, Al Bostick is dressed “I tailor my dress to whatever I’m doing, but I do want in colorful garb and enthralling them to recognize that this is an African-American connected children with stories about to what they’re doing, and I make sure they understand O that,” he said. “That’s another way to open dialogue to black cowboys or African children and help them appreciate it.” princesses. The next week, he might be He captivates too as he sings and plays an African drum. coaching an acting class or writing a And there may be dancing. What child wouldn’t like that? children’s play or performing in “I discovered my calling a long time ago,” he said. community theater. Bostick’s joy comes from working with children, particularly African-American children and those from other He is constantly reinventing himself. cultures. He used to say that African-American children had That’s what struggling artists do. no fantasies — no princesses or kings in fairytale books. While he could do without the struggling aspect of his chosen “I started a quest looking for African princesses,” he said, vocation, his life revolves around the arts. And children. He and that led him to other stories. “I discovered African R can’t imagine doing anything else. So he does it all. folklore ... and it broadened itself that way for me,” he said. “I do most all of the art forms,” he said. Even as a junior high student in New Orleans, Bostick E It’s a philosophy he embraced when he decided to work in loved the arts. His school gave away free tickets to the opera the arts some 30 years ago. and he went every time. He remembers hearing Beverly Sills V “Visual, music, dance or theater. All of the art forms feed sing and seeing the first black production of “Carmen.” one another as I do whatever I do.” “My mother and grandmother and Godmother and all of O Bostick’s base is theater and storytelling with an emphasis them said even as a young kid that I was probably going to on African and African-American history and culture, but he be entertaining someone,” he said. “I was always kicking up C can build a presentation around any theme or topic. After my feet, twirling a stick or doing something artistic.” graduating from Grambling State University in Louisiana When he went to college, he was set on being an English with a bachelor’s degree in theater, he worked toward his teacher. “I auditioned for my first play and fell in love with it. master’s in acting and directing at OU. I had to change my major.” He quickly realized that bringing aspects of other arts into Then he had to call his mother, who worried how he would play would help him better portray characters on stage and make a living and where he would work. enrich his storytelling. “That’s what led me to being a “This is my passion and this is where I belong. I try not to Renaissance artist,” he said. worry about it. I think it will take care of itself.” His ability to bring characters and stories to life has made He feels even better when he gets letters from children and him a favorite among school children for years. Dressed in their parents. One parent thanked him for being part of a colorful and boldly patterned African clothes and jewelry, his school program. “Isn’t it wonderful that children can know appearance intrigues and delights. Plus it’s a great that stars dance and rivers sing,” she wrote. A woman now conversation starter. living in Germany sent him an email thanking him for 12 ionOkmag.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER teaching her to fly without strings. As a child she was shy and he helped her to see possibilities. “That makes part of what I do worthwhile,” he said. “You don’t know how many children you touch, to what extent you touch them.” Because Bostick embraces so many aspects of the arts, he has even more opportunities to make an impact on children as well as adults. Being a man of many skills keeps him busy much of the time, but he would welcome more work. “I always describe it as feast and famine,” he said. “Sometimes I’m very busy; other times it is a very slow process” Now is a slow time. Often he’s booked months in advance but sometimes he needs the work immediately. February is a busy month with black history and then summer brings a library tour with storytelling and plays based on a summer reading theme. To pay bills, many Oklahoma artists, whether they perform, paint or dance, take a 9 to 5 job, making their art part- time or an avocation. “But they’re no less passionate,” he said. “This is what I do every day. I don’t have a 9 to 5. I’m constantly trying to invent and reinvent so I’m working in my art form every day. I think that’s what separates me from a lot of the artists I know.” Oklahoma artists face other challenges, he said, including sometimes having to justify their prices. “As an artist, if I say I’m going to do this for 45 minutes and keep 100 to 150 people entertained, they say can I do that for $25? Sorry, I can’t.” Bostick knows that’s just the way it is so he does all he can to enlighten the public and improve his skills. He constantly researches and participates in workshops and classes so he can bring that knowledge and entertainment to others. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ionOklahoma 13 “Yes, it’s a full-time job. I couldn’t see myself doing anything man, Bostick is an artist in residence and on the touring roster for else,” he said.

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