Center For Public Secrets To Showcase Art Made During Pandemic

A non-profit dedicated to telling the history of Tulsa is hosting an art show this Saturday, focused on art made during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Center for Public Secrets has been around for several years, but now they have a new location in Tulsa's Pearl District. From their building at 6th and Peoria, they hope to tell the history of Tulsa and be an ally to underrepresented communities.

"It's basically to tell the true stories of the real Tulsa and beyond,” Traci Mathews from the Center for Public Secrets said.  “We want to promote local artists, journalists, work with our community.”

Mathews said what better way to get that message across than to host an art show, the first official event at the new building. Photographer Rachel Rector is helping curate the show called Art in the Time of COVID.

"Just kind of going over what's happening socially in our political landscape and so these works have all been created after March 5, when it was declared a global pandemic," said Rector.

She said the show will feature art about anything from protests to connecting with nature. Painter Spencer Plumlee was there getting her art ready for the show.

"A lot of it is just me kind of taking snapshots of my life and making almost like a time capsule in a sense from what I've been experiencing," Plumlee said.

She said a lot of her work includes her friends, something that's very important during quarantine and isolation. 

"I think we've all felt the importance of those relationships in our lives," said Plumlee.

She said the show this Saturday will be like a reflection of the Tulsa art community and how they've reacted to their environment.

The Center for Public Secrets said this art show is just the beginning of its work to help tell Tulsa's stories.

For more information on the art show, visit their website here.