I was first introduced to Amanda Zoey in 2017 as the initial installation of Factory Obscura, SHIFT, was underway. She was one of the artists who had signed on to help make that project possible, as well as, painted the mural on the exterior of the building. She and I had mutual Elemental Coffee friends and another great example of how coffee brings people together.
Jump ahead a couple years and I’m spending my days at The Boxcar and I still remember the first time she came in and the excitement of having one of my “city” friends coming down to grab a coffee at the shop. She’s someone I’ve kind of admired from afar, following her social and have enjoyed keeping up with her endeavors as an artist and farmer. Then comes 2020 which also gave us the opportunity to get to know her as a cyclist and catch her mid ride enjoying a coffee from time to time. She’s an adventure enthusiast and enjoys hitting the bike for a little gravel any time her schedule allows.
For this weeks coffee ride, we rolled down to Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City and posted up inside “The Unexpected Us” sculpture. For those unfamiliar with The Unexpected Us installation, it’s a massive woven willow stick sculpture in the shape of a bird created by Denise Duong & Gabriel Friedman. I’d never seen the sculpture in person and thought it was pretty freaking awesome and the perfect place to enjoy a coffee and conversation.
It’s a beautiful sunny day and I’m stoked to be sharing a coffee and conversation with Amanda about Oklahoma City art, fueling her creativity and community. So, here ya’ go, those hard hitting questions you’ve all been waiting for.
Checking out your website and it looks like from 2003 to current, you’ve easily had over 30 exhibitions. That sounds like so much creativity! At what point did you decide to take your career as an artist full time?
”Oh man, I think it was just an evolution. You know, when I opened the store in Plaza, that was kind of a fluke. We were going to buy a house and I saw a loft in the Plaza District, and at that time I wasn’t really familiar with the Plaza. Then I went and I saw the space, I looked inside, and I was like, oh my God, this is amazing. At that time it was the first and only live/workspace in the Plaza. I called the land lady and she asked what I was going to be doing there and I was like, you know, I’d just like to sell my art and live here. I just started doing art and then I don’t know, the shop opened up and I was like, I can really do this.”
The Wild Illuminate, by Amanda Zoey, located between Reno & Sheridan on Oklahoma. This one is along the Bricktown Canal and perfect to check out while riding through the city.
Over the years, how have you managed to keep your creativity flowing? From murals, to jewelry, to foraging for flower arrangements, you’ve managed to incorporate art into just about every aspect of your life.
”I’ve had some de-evolutions also though, where I’ve been like, is this even really what I want to do anymore, you know. I’ve been doing it for so long now and I feel like I’m growing passionate about other things. Growing things now. Riding my bike. I want to ride my bike more and go on bike adventures. The passion is still there. I just have to figure out how to make it all part of my life without making it the only thing in my life.”
How is the garden going? How are you balancing your passions and do you think you have it nailed down?
”I think I’m figuring it out as I go along. It’s interesting you know, the spring time is when, like my soul wants to be on the road. I want to be out adventuring, but I also have to be in the garden. It’s also prime mural time, and there aren’t always opportunities every year to paint murals. That’s actually where the farming came in. I started, you know, foraging for flowers and selling them at the Farmer’s Market because I had a whole year where I didn’t have any mural opportunities and that had never happened before. So, that’s kinda how I fill in the income gaps. Now, I just gotta kinda figure out how to say yes and no to things as they come along and be mindful about how much I take on.”
Growing up in Oklahoma, it’s been amazing to see the revitalization of the city over the last 20 years, including that of the arts. Who or what do you see as some of the main contributors to those efforts?
”I mean Plaza Walls, I feel like is one of the current leaders in the public art evolution. Plaza Walls is making an effort to like bring more racial and gender equality to the public art scene. Also, my friend Virginia Sitzes has just started an all female identifying mural festival called Sunny Dayz Mural Fest. To me, that is like one of the most important things. So, like I think Plaza Walls and my friend Virginia, they’re doing really good and important work.”
“Movement of the Prairie” by Amanda Zoey on display at the Omni Hotel OKC.
How fitting that just a couple days after enjoying a coffee with Amanda, USA Today released their report ranking OKC’s public art the best in the country.
The coffee we enjoyed: Methodical Coffee - Ethiopia, Dur Feres
Origin: Ethiopia
Notes: Blueberry, blackberry, cherry
Brewing Method: Pour Over
My thoughts: The listed berry notes caught my attention and I had to try it. I think it’s a fantastic cup of coffee. It’s not a total smack ya’ in the mouth berry bomb, but it’s smooth and the berry notes are easy to identify without being offensive. It has a really clean finish and I think would make just about any coffee drinker happy. The blueberry note was most prevalent to me as prepared in a pour over on the ride and at the shop. If you’re looking to try something new, give it go and let me know what you think.
Future Coffee Ride Guests:
5/19 - Ashley Dawn
5/26 - Tony Steward