Loose Leaf Co. Grand Opening

Tulsa birthed a new urban art gallery on Friday night as Loose Leaf Co. opened it’s doors for the first time. To mark the occasion, the illustrations of David “HEK” Rogers marked their territory along the white walls of this otherwise sparse venue. Although the event ran from 7 to 10pm, I showed up relatively early to avoid the bustle of the blue dome crowd, but to my surprise the room had already filled-in.

Something refreshing about the throng of artgoers was the mixed bag of age brackets. There was no particular demographic on display this particular night, as is usually the case with more traditional institutions, and most everyone seemed to be familiar with the crowd in attendance, indicating a tightly knit creative community.

The color on the wall was courtesy of the aforementioned artist, and while the illustrations were a familiar genre for anyone who’s ever ventured outside of Tulsa, the technicality and vibrancy of Mr. Rogers work did not disappoint. At times the work represented a style reminiscent of Sailor Jerry tattoos, or even popular body art in general. Stylistically, the vernacular also included motifs from both Asian and Spanish-Catholic cultures as made evident by the depiction of dragons and effeminate skull and cloak characters.

Although the work on display was already familiar territory for the urban art scene, the one recurring element that really impressed was a faux-wood grain effect that HEK brought to life by creating a lively maze of delicate strokes that would ebb and flow across the page. Anyone who bothered to stay awake during their art history course in college would likely compare this treatment to the woodcut masterpieces of old, and they would be right. More than a couple of compositions showcased this gorgeous effect and I marveled at each of them.

While rubbing shoulders with the patronage, a dialog commonly overheard was how much Tulsa needed more places like this. That sentiment can’t be overstated. One correlation that’s constantly being reaffirmed is between the health of a community and the vibrancy of it’s art crowd. Tulsa, like many comparable cities, is looking to integrate itself with the progressive 21st century mindset of the more metropolitan areas.

Those who forego the trite migration to NYC in favor of making a community of their own right here in T-Town should be applauded for not giving in to one of our more prevalent cultural cliches. There is nothing stopping Tulsa from becoming a scale model of the notable metro areas scattered along the coast, and although such a transformation will take many more years, it’s apparent that we are heading in that direction.

The new Loose Leaf Gallery and all of the other haunts that make up the bohemian-like pockets of Cherry St., Brookside, Blue Dome & Brady will continue to sprawl, consume and enrich the outlying areas. I look forward to the coming years in North Tulsa and Loose Leaf is just one more reason to maintain faith in that direction.

Interested in experiencing Loose Leaf? Make your way over to 328 E. 1st ST. in downtown, just North of all the Blue Dome attractions. You’ll be glad you did.

- Trevor_B

City Trend: Walkable Urbanism

by Cole Cunningham Gen X’ers are speaking out across the nation and setting a new trend towards walkable urbanism – a place you can live, work, shop and play – all within walking distance. This trend has already hit critical mass in cities such as Washington DC., Denver, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle, which are rated as our country’s most walkable cities. Will Tulsa follow this trend? Tulsans have been living the so-called American Dream for the past 50-60 years. The big house, gas guzzlers in the driveway and a big lawn to mow are part of the low density suburban lifestyle consumers have dictated in the past. But is the American Dream changing? We drive to work, we drive to the grocery store, and we drive to the gym these days. The problems are becoming clearer as developments continue to rise further away from downtown. Effects of sub-urbanism have begun to take their toll on our health and environment, with driving being linked to an increased rate of obesity and greenhouse gas emissions. With pent up demand from Gen X-ers coming into the housing scene, we can shift the tide. What this new demographic wants is largely a walkable urban lifestyle. In fact, national studies suggest that 30-40% of total people want a walkable urban lifestyle, and an even larger percentage of younger generations and empty nesters. And the best part is, with Walkable Urbanism MORE=BETTER. In contrast to sub-urbanism, the more people that join this movement, the better these areas become. As more people move into walkable areas, more restaurants and entertainment venues open making these areas even more attractive and desirable. The tide is turning for Tulsa. Brookside, Cherry Street and downtown are drawing the younger generations in with the convenience of everything in one place. With revitalization of these areas underway, it is apparent there is a healthy and growing demand. Cost of housing in these areas already exceeds the city average, but appreciation is not over, according to national estimations. Chris Leinberger, author of The Option of Urbanism, and authority on the subject says walkable areas command between 40%-200% higher prices than suburban properties (based on $/sq. ft.) nationally. With this in mind our walkable areas are a real bargain. Tulsa is currently subsidizing housing projects all over the city. We need to focus our efforts and invest in the future, urban renewal. Stop social engineering and let the market choose. If we look to more progressive cities and learn from example, we will see that the trend is arriving and we just have to embrace it. _______________________________ Cole Cunningham is a Design-savy real estate professional specializing in mid century modern, contemporary and urban properties throughout the Tulsa area. For more about Tulsa Architecture visit moderntulsa.net.