By COLLIN ZINK, Student Reporter
The Alva Mural Society is hosting a mural art festival Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The event will bring artists into town to paint three murals about Oklahoma. The event will also offer live music, food trucks and a 5K marathon.
“We are hosting this event because it brings art to Alva,” said Alva Mural Society member Erin Davis. “We also wanted to bring modern art to attract younger viewers. The murals have been approved by the mural society and the building owners. We want to show that Alva is acceptable to all kinds of art.”
Four artists – Kelly and Ty Tompkins, Tox Murillo and Jake Beeson – will come to Alva to paint the murals. Interested parties can meet the artists Friday at the Graceful Arts Gallery, 523 Barnes St., from 6 – 8 p.m. All day Saturday, people can watch the artists as they paint the murals at City Hall, 415 4th St.; the Farmers CO-OP Supply Store, 401 Barnes Ave.; and Exotic Heatwave, 1016 Noble St.
Also on Saturday, free music and games will be offered in the downtown square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food trucks will be downtown all day.
The artists will sign the murals on Sunday at 1 p.m. at City Hall, followed by the Farmers CO-OP Supply Store at 1:20 p.m. and Exotic Heatwave at 1:40 p.m.
MARATHON GIVES VIEWS OF MURALS
The marathon, called the 5K Fun Run, starts Saturday at 8 a.m. on the north lawn of the Woods County Courthouse, 407 Government St.
The course has paved streets that are well-marked and controlled, organizers say. Water will be offered at the midpoint and at the end of the race, and an electrolyte drink will also be offered at the end.
Interested parties can register by completing a sign-up sheet in the Newsgram, a local publication available for free on campus. They can also sign up on the day of the race.
“The 5K is … a scenic route to view the murals,” said Northwestern student Juliet Chaloupek, who helped organize the run.
The entry fee for the fun run is $20. Entrants will receive a T-shirt and a medal. The sign-up period on the day of the race is open from 7 – 7:45 a.m. Runners can also register at the Alva Chamber of Commerce, 502 Oklahoma Blvd.