NewsOK article: The Music ENDS at Urban Roots

The Music Ends at Urban Roots

By Steve Lackmeyer | June 8, 2015

Deep Deuce lost something very special this week. I could go with the cheap and easy headline and point out that Urban Roots, the only black-owned business in the once historically black neighborhood of Deep Deuce closed its doors Saturday. But that’s too simple. What Oklahoma City has lost is a venue that really provided a wonderful “place” – the sort of place communities are craving in this era of divisions and isolation.

Let’s delve a bit into the who, what, where and when first. Chaya Fletcher opened Urban Roots, 322 NE 2, in 2010 in a space previously used as a sales office for development of The Hill housing development a block east. The building prior to that was boarded up and empty for years – but always boasted a great history.

The two-story building was built by Dr. Wyatt H. Slaughter in 1929 and was home to an Elks club until 1936. Over the next two years, the building was home to an array of juke joints, dance halls and gambling establishments, highlighted by Ruby’s Grill, opened in 1940 by Ruby Lyons and for six years a destination for food, music and dancing.

I was unable to contact Chaya upon hearing this weekend was the end for Urban Roots. I knew the restaurant and live entertainment venue was in trouble when an online fundraising effort was launched a couple of weeks ago.

Chaya posted the following on the Urban Roots Facebook page:

“Tonight we celebrate 5 years of Urban Roots and when we sign off tonight it will be the end of our run in historic Deep Deuce. This has been an amazing journey, when we opened our doors in 2010 we hoped to honor and preserve the roots of our ancestors in a sacred place. We feel we were instrumental in initiating new opportunities for culturally significant ventures and hope for those to see continued success. We strived to provide a space for culture, comfort, and creativity by using food as a medium. We’ve watched relationships and marriages form, the birth of babies and artistic freedom for many. We appreciate you OKC. You showed up and out for us and we are eternally grateful. EEDO & love…….”

So what have we lost? Quite a bit. I loved Urban Roots, went there several times and loved every moment. It was an opportunity to enjoy good food, laugh and enjoy great performances from folks like Miss Cookie Turner. The nights spent at Urban Roots were among the richest, most satisfying experiences I’ve been blessed enough to have lived in Oklahoma City. Sitting in Urban Roots, surrounded by so much life … I had only to close my eyes to imagine the next act might be old Five by Five himself – Jimmy Rushing.

Maybe. Just maybe. Maybe Urban Roots was secretly a time machine ride, allowing me to get, maybe, just maybe, a glimpse of Deep Deuce’s glory days when it was home to jazz greats like Charlie Christian and Jimmy Rushing – an era written about so vividly by Ralph Ellison:

“We were still too young to attend night dances, but yet old enough to gather beneath the corner street lamp on summer evenings, anyone might halt the conversation to exclaim “Listen, they’re raising hell down at Slaughter’s Hall,” and we’d turn our heads westward to hear Jimmy’s voice soar up the hill and down, as pure and as miraculously unhindered by distance and earthbound things as is the body in youthful dreams of flying.” (- Ralph Ellison, from “Shadow and Act,” 1964.)

Chaya Fletcher dared to celebrate a history that Oklahoma City collectively has sought to quietly erase. She also was creating a place where in an era where racial tension seems to be on the rise, our community could meet and enjoy each others’ company sharing in the joys of life – good food, good music.

But this ambitious effort was not an easy journey for Chaya. A couple of years ago she invited Robert Irvine of “Restaurant Impossible” to critique her operation and assist in a makeover. The results were impressive, but as a customer, I witnessed with how Chaya continue to struggle with balancing a restaurant and music venue. Business was either feast or famine.

The building sold a couple of months ago, and I was told by friends of Chaya she was facing a steep increase in her rent. I briefly considered dropping in a couple of weeks ago, but time, always quick and elusive, cheated me of one last evening with the spirits of Deep Deuce.

9 Ways to Relieve Bug Bites

I just had to post this, my aunt sent me this great article for bug bites, and I know I have been suffering from them, so maybe you too. Hope this helps someone. 

Women's Health Magazine 

Essential Oils Tea tree, lavender, and coconut oils all have properties that can alleviate itching, pain, and swelling, says Neal Schultz, M.D. In particular, tea tree oil is also antibacterial, which can help prevent infection from incessant scratching. Oils from different brands may be more acidic than others, so make sure you ask the store owner or a dermatologist about an oil’s concentration before you apply it directly to your skin. If the oil is too strong, you can dilute it with water, says Schultz.

Honey
If you don’t mind a bit of stickiness, honey is an anti-inflammatory and can make the itching a little less tempting, says board-certified dermatologistWhitney Bowe, M.D.

Milk and Water
This is Schultz’s favorite technique. Mix equal parts skim milk and water, dip a thin cloth (like handkerchief or an old T-shirt) into the concoction, and dab your skin.

Lemon or Lime Juice
These fruit powerhouses provide itch relief and are antibacterial, says Schultz. If you go this route, make sure you’re inside—these juices can burn your skin if you’re out in the sun, says Schultz. 

Toothpaste
“Most toothpastes have a mint or peppermint flavor, and the menthol ingredient creates a cooling sensation on your skin,” says Schultz. Your brain picks up on this feeling much quicker than the itching sensation. Plus, the intrinsic astringency of toothpaste helps reduce swelling.

Basil
This spice isn’t just limited to the kitchen. Basil leaves contain chemicals such as camphor, which creates a cool feeling, similar to menthol in toothpaste, says Schultz. Crush a few leaves and apply the bits directly to your bumps.

Ice
A single ice cube can constrict the blood vessels and decrease the body’s natural histamine release, says Bowe. Translation: less itching.

Tea Bags
It’s true! Cool tea bags draw fluid out of a bite to reduce itching and swelling, says Schultz.

Vinegar
This is a great home remedy to block itching because of its small acidic levels, says Schultz. Dab it onto individual spots or, if your body’s been a buffet for bugs, you can add two to three cups to warm water and soak in a tub. Apple cider vinegar may work even better, says Schultz.

Here is some extra info:
The Critter: Mosquito The Sting: A red, itchy welt that can swell to the size of a quarter The Fix: You can’t instantly erase a skeeter bite. But you can minimize swelling and scarring by swallowing an OTC antihistamine and rubbing calamine lotion over the site a few times a day. Calamine's ingredients—zinc oxide and ferric oxide—signal your skin to quit itching. 

The Critter: Deer tick The Sting: A raised, round bite that can develop into a rash shaped like a bull's‑eyeThe Fix: Though tick bites rarely cause itching or aches, they can lead to bacterial infections, including Lyme disease. Give yourself a once‑over after walking through grassy, wooded areas. If you spot a tick, a bite, or a growing rash, see your doc (ASAP, if you feel dizzy). 

The Critter: Bee, wasp, or hornet The Sting: A half‑inch reddish bump that stings—badly The Fix: Use a cotton swab to apply a basic meat tenderizer (available at any grocery store); enzymes in it can break down bug venom and reduce pain and swelling. Covering the site with hydrocortisone cream can also curb puffiness.

8 of the Biggest Mistakes Artists Make in their Art Careers

 By Alyson Stanfield on 05.07.15

You might be making mistakes in your art business that are holding you back from big growth.

Mistakes aren’t bad, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to be perfect in everything you do because seeking perfection is a sure way to be paralyzed by fear. We have to make mistakes in order to learn and to grow.

Mistakes are only detrimental if you keep repeating them without learning and correcting your ways.

Are you making any of these mistakes?

Not knowing where you want to go with your career.

I’m not talking about the need to have a specific plan, but I’ve noticed how few artists, especially when they’re just starting out, don’t “get” that running a business is serious stuff. You’re no longer making art for pure pleasure.

Everything changes when you start asking for money in return for your talents. For some artists, it changes for the better and you’re fired up to get your art out there. Other artists can’t stomach the pressure and lose all interest in making art. They can’t seem to get into the studio.

Is it more important that your work is in a museum, or that you earn $50,000 a year? The two aren’t mutually exclusive, but you will make different decisions if one is more important than the other. Only you can decide what is best for you.

Set goals and plan a path (or at least make some decisions) to get you there.

Not following up with people who express interest in your work.

Wow! Someone said they liked one of your pieces and talked with you about it for 25 minutes! And you just let them go???? Were you hoping that they’d magically find you, call you up, and ask to buy the work?

Some thoughts:

1. Ask such people if they’d like to be on your mailing list. If you can get one of their business cards, even better because you can send a personal “nice to meet you” note in the mail.

If they say No to the mailing list or if you forget to ask, track them down and find an email or address and send a quick note their way.

2. Tell them about a show or event you have coming up and ask if they’d like to receive an invitation.

3. Invite them for a studio visit.

Staying insulated.

Too many artists find a safe place and stay there for decades. You hang out with only watercolorists or potters and enter the same shows year after year.

Is that not you? Maybe your protective shield is the Internet. You stay in your studio and live your life online.

In both instances, you’re avoiding challenges and, therefore, avoiding growth.

Great art is informed by what we encounter on our journey in the world. Get out! [Tweet this.]

Ignoring your finances.

You can’t expand a business if you don’t know what your profit margin is or you don’t pay taxes and bills on time.

Ignoring your finances doesn’t make the problems go away. On the contrary, it compounds the problems.

My clients who start paying closer attention to the money trail find the experience enlightening. Either the situation isn’t as bad as they had imagined, or they are able to identify what must be done in order to improve their bottom lines.

Trying to do it all yourself.

There comes a point when you have to stop wearing all of the hats in your business.

Investing in help for your art business means that you are then free to work on the most important tasks that bring in income and recognition. These include making art and being the face of your marketing.

You will wear yourself out if you continue doing everything yourself. Not only that, but your best work will suffer and everything else will be substandard.

In my experience, you should hire help while it still stings your pocketbook a little. You’ll never wake up suddenly with an extra wad of cash to spend on personnel.

Waiting on someone else to sell the work.

Nobody cares about your success more than you do and very few people – gallerists, curators, agents – are going to be interested in buying/selling/showing your work until you demonstrate your interest in the same.

Artists who are just starting out are especially fond of focusing on gallery representation or in finding the mythical agent that will do all of the work for them. The gallerist might come in time, but you have to pay your dues.

You have to create a market for your art from the ground up. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You must be dedicated and ready for the long road ahead.

Presenting yourself in an unprofessional manner.

Examples of unprofessional presentations include:

• Talking smack about festival organizers within earshot of visitors.
• Self-designed (especially over-designed) marketing material that has no coherent message.
• Missing important deadlines.
• Showing up late to appointments.
• Not returning phone calls or emails promptly.
• Using crappy photos of your art.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Again, the goal isn’t to be perfect, but to show the world you care about how you and your art are perceived.

And, without a doubt, the biggest mistake you can make in your art business is . . .

Neglecting your mailing list.

The people on your mailing list are your collectors, fans, and supporters. They have asked to be part of your career.

Nobody else has the same list.

When you ignore the people on your list, you are saying that you don’t care enough to stay in touch.

When you promise a monthly email and fail to send it for many months, you are saying that your art career is unimportant.

When you contact your list only when you want something from them (e.g. sales, attendance, signups), you are saying that you value the relationship because of what you can get from them rather than what you can share with them.

Don’t you see how much easier it is to enjoy nurturing relationships in an authentic way rather than contacting people only when you want something?

Use your list! It’s your #1 asset.

www.ArtBizCoach.com