Reflective Moment by Helen Opper'2005

Helen Opper'05 is an independent curator and consultant at The Art Hall  on 23rd Street https://www.arthallokc.com/

"I am very pleased to be able to contribute to the cultural offerings of Oklahoma City through organizing exhibitions and working with artists at The Art Hall and other spaces around the city. 

The education and experience that I gained in high school, college, graduate school, and in internships and jobs in San Francisco and New York allowed me to broaden my horizons through studying many kinds of artwork and experiencing many different types of art jobs. This variety in turn allowed me to discover what I am truly good at, and to hone in on my strongest skills. 

My background at Casady has been influential in my career choice in two primary ways. The first is that I was exposed to a formal study of chronological art history in Mrs. Seitter's AP Art History course in a way that was fun and interesting. This, along with exposure to the humanities at home, was what helped me realize I wanted to work with art in some way as an adult. The second way that Casady's influence has shown through is the emphasis on helping others. While working in the arts has its occasional glamorous moments, most of us are more interested in working with other people in creative ways and using art to better others' lives, than we are in making a huge income (unfortunately not usually a reality in art jobs).   I was very involved with the Service Learning Committee, current name is YAC (Youth Active in the Community) and with several Service Learning projects during my time at Casady, and it has enriched my life as a result. I truly believe that art does improve peoples' lives by providing new ways to think about the world, and my work boils down to making art accessible to more people. Through organizing shows and helping artists develop their professional skills, gain exposure, and get their work sold, I know I am contributing to more than just those individual artists' lives. Art can change the world for the better, and I am happy to be part of a group of cultural workers and promoters."

Helen's latest exhibit is Fringe at the Art Hall https://www.arthallokc.com/fringe

FRINGE at The Art Hall, January - April 2018

Fringe at The Art Hall is an exhibition of artwork by the members of FRINGE Women Artists of Oklahoma. FRINGE, established in 2011, "is a collective of professional women artists actively working in our state to bring awareness to female artists. Wee are an alliance of contemporary artists providing various fine art mediums and provocative concepts to our communities. As a group, we work together to nurture and empower one another, gain visibility, and create opportunities, all while evolving individually as artists."