Concrete lighters, henna tattoos and portraits of Megan Thee Stallion and Prince Akeem were just a few of the artworks Tulsans could experience during the Hidden Creatives studio tour.
The two-day event featured 14 stops around the city that highlighted nearly 70 established and emerging artists. Artists welcomed people into their homes, coworking spaces like Frequency Lounge or restaurants like Origin Coffee Company.
It was the brainchild of Shayna Brewer and the culmination of months of planning.
Brewer’s inspiration came from her time living in Brooklyn. She said a lack of financial resources among creatives ultimately led to an intriguing experience during her first tour.
“Most of the places that would be open were apartments with artists because we didn’t have enough money to have our own personal studios,” Brewer told The Eagle from her north Tulsa home-turned-tour-stop.
Once she moved to Tulsa in 2022 — with a stop in Austin in between — she wanted to replicate the model in her new city.
Leading up to the late May event, Brewer said she was a mix of stress and excitement.
“I kept having the ‘Field of Dreams’ line going through my head like well, ‘if I build it they will come,’” she said, “and it’s actually been a bigger success. I was not expecting to get 68 artists.”
Across town, inside Frequency Lounge at 1315 E 6th St., Sonia Hochlaf sat at her table ready to design and show off her skills. She’s a henna artist who said the goal of the event resonated with her.
“I love everything creative, everything artistic, everything having to do with expressing yourself,” Hochlaf said. “We need more people to put on events like Hidden Creatives, so that we can bring more attention to people that don’t always get the spotlight.”
She said being an artist is hard anywhere. But getting more eyes on their work, especially in the Tulsa scene, is something creatives could really use.
“Some people are almost so niche, it’s like you have to come across them at a certain place,” Hochlaf said. “So if you’re not really visible where people can see you and easily find you, then you’re not really going to get as much traction as you would like.”
That’s something Nikole Dragon, co-owner of Frequency Lounge, is trying to change. Dragon described the lounge, located in the city’s Pearl District, as a “creative safe space.”
“We don’t serve or sell alcohol. We are definitely 420-friendly,” she said. “Honestly, any type of creative event that we could possibly think of in this space is what we do.”
The Hidden Creatives objective of shining a light on emerging artists aligned with Dragon’s Hidden Frequencies series, which does just that.
“I bring in poets, spoken word artists, music artists, dancers, whoever has a specific talent they like to showcase,” she said. “Then I put you on a lineup, and you come in, you get a set time, and you come and show everybody what you can do.”
She said she also likes to highlight “out of the ordinary talents” like pole dancers and contortionists. But in order to be successful, she said people need to show up and put their money behind local artists.
For Brewer’s part, this event was just the start. She plans to make it annual and wants people to know that it’s open to artists of all kinds.
“It’s not just painters, it’s not just people who illustrate things,” she said. “We’re looking for crafters, woodworkers, if you’re a metalsmith, any sort of creator is welcome to be a part of the tour.”
When it comes to defining success for the inaugural event, Brewer said it’s simple: she’s listening to the artists.
“They were like, ‘I’m just happy to be a part of this and do this, and like, ‘we’re just happy that you threw it together, and maybe this year won’t be big, but next year will be,’” she said. “So just knowing that the artists appreciate it, and that they’re happy with the outcome, that’s how I measure success.”
