SSC Announces Creativity Symposium Lineup

The Language Arts and Humanities Division at Seminole State College has released the full lineup of performers for its Howlers and Yawpers Creativity Symposium on Sept. 28 and 29, from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. each day.

The free symposium will be held in the Jeff Johnson Fine Arts Center on the SSC campus. The event is open to the public, and area high schools and middle schools are welcome to bring their students to enjoy two days filled with an eclectic mix of musical performances, creative writings, dramatic readings, artistic presentations, and dances by a variety of professional and emerging Oklahoma artists and scholars.

Russ Tallchief will serve as the event’s Keynote Speaker, taking the stage at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Tallchief is an Osage writer, actor and dancer.

Jim Wilson will be the event’s Special Guest. He will present at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 29. Wilson’s presentation, “Homeland Returns,” focuses on the project that he and co-principal investigator Ervan Garrison have been doing to introduce the University of Georgia community to Native American tribal programs with ties to the Southeast, including Oklahoma.

Other performers include 2015-2016 Oklahoma Poet Laureate Dr. Benjamin Myers, “Oklahoma Today” Editor-in-Chief Nathan Gunter, fiction writer Christopher Murphy, poet and musician Janice Smith, artist and poet Spontaneous Bob, poet Mary Gray, musician Sunnie Baker, SSC art instructor Lynette Atchley, Wellbriety Coach Susan Stacy, poet Dr. Ken Hada, small press publisher Dr. Paul Bowers, musician Jonathan Isaacs, poet Sharon Edge Martin, fiction writer Rob Roensch, writer and musician Rick Reiley, poet Ron Wallace and SSC and East Central University English Instructor Jamie Worthley.

“We hope this symposium will encourage all those who attend and participate to continue to find passion in their creative arts and appreciate the role the fine arts play in education and in Oklahoma culture,” Jessica Isaacs, Symposium Director and Professor of SSC Language Arts and Humanities, said.

For the full event schedule, visit sscok.edu/events. The event will also be live streamed on the College’s YouTube channel.

High school and middle school teachers or counselors wishing to bring students to the event, or anyone wishing to bring large groups to enjoy the Symposium, should contact Isaacs for information about bus parking and other necessary arrangements at 405-382-9209 or by email at j.isaacs@sscok.edu.