(PCM+) Sunny Dayz Series: Murals to Grace Ponca City Walls
(PCM+) Sunny Dayz Series: Murals to Grace Ponca City Walls
by Carey Head/ Staff Writer
The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
From Memorial Weekend through June 1, more than 50 muralists from Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama will converge on Ponca City to celebrate Oklahoma’s 4th annual “Sunny Dayz Mural Festival.” Over the seven days, artists will transform the exterior walls of downtown buildings using inspiration, patience and paint.
In total, there will be over 9,000 square feet of downtown walls transformed into public art for all to enjoy. The estimated value of these murals is well over a quarter million dollars. Sunny Dayz Mural Festival raises the money from private donors, brings the investment to Ponca City in the form of artists’ pay and money to buy art supplies, works to provide meals and accommodations for the artists and their friends and families traveling here in support, and then leave at the festival’s conclusion with just enough money to get home and start plans for next year.
Sunny Dayz Mural Festival (SDMF) is the brainchild of Virginia Sitzes, an Oklahoma City artist, art instructor and businesswoman. Through Sunny Dayz, Virginia’s enthusiastic team of volunteers do more than showcase female and marginalized muralists, these artists are paid while they create. Private donors funding public art as it is created.
For muralist Alena Jennings, Ponca City, the uplifting of women artists is important. “…Murals are more than just pretty pictures. Sunny Dayz is bringing over a quarter million dollars worth of art. It is representing women — which is at least 50 percent of our population — and minorities. It’s unlike any other festival in our state and that is why it is huge.”
To celebrate Ponca City’s 30 new murals, you are invited to the “festival” portion of the event. From noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, June 1, enjoy the action flowing from the outdoor stage at Fourth and Cleveland. Live music, DJ’s, vocal and dance performances will be featured as well as art activities- and are joined by food truck and merchandise vendors. Admission is free.
From bringing a lawn chair and visiting with the artists on site to volunteering with the many small details that make large events a success, Virginia says, “whether artist or art-curious, we really enjoy getting to know everyone and hanging out.”
The motivation behind Sunny Dayz Mural Festival is threefold: Provide career-building opportunities for women and marginalized artists through a juried selection process; enable these artists to create public art on private property which will be provided free to the host community; celebrate the completion of public art projects with a day-long, family-friendly festival.
These 52 artists were selected from a pool of over 554 applicants from 41 countries — three of them are from Ponca City. To be chosen, the artist must submit photos of completed murals for committee members’ judging and to not have been selected to paint a mural in the previous SDMF. This guideline aims to provide opportunities to artists new to the festival.
Once selected, the artist signs a lengthy contract stating that their art will be consistent with the style depicted in their festival application, and that their mural may not contain offensive, vulgar or obscene content nor any advertisement for a business, product or service. This signed contract joins the contract signed by private property owners giving permission for their building to be used as a mural location.
The Sunny Dayz Mural Festival got its name from Virginia’s love of summer, the longer period of daylight to spend outdoors to be inspired and to create. Alena Jennings, owner of Ponca City’s Doodle Academy, believes Sunny Dayz Mural Festival brings out the best in her, and she hopes it helps others, too.
“It is my responsibility to love and show love and light to this world. So, I’m going to show up. I’m going to love the crap out of everyone. I’m going to be kind, encouraging and loving and that’s what this is about: treating others with love and kindness and respect. That’s who I want to be in my life. That’s what I want these artists coming here to experience, it is my responsibility as a human, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, and I really want to challenge others to do the same.”
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*Fancourt D, Finn S. What is the Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Well-Being? A Scoping Review. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/what-is-the-evidence-on-the-role-of-the-arts-in-improving-health-and-well-being-a-scoping-review-2019.
READ MORE ABOUT SUNNY DAYZ:
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*Fancourt D, Finn S. What is the Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Well-Being? A Scoping Review. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/what-is-the-evidence-on-the-role-of-the-arts-in-improving-health-and-well-being-a-scoping-review-2019.
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