Next on Gallery.

Make no bones about it.

Wharton's Mike Sass is like no other sculptor in Oklahoma.

It's not so much what he create, though it is unusual.

It's more about how he does it and the material he uses.

Bones.

I call it stressed that art because it's straight and twisted at the same moment.

That's basically how I see it.

And we'll do a sound check with Guthrie's Craig White.

His life, it seems, has always been about audio.

If something doesn't sound quite right, Craig can fix it.

He's also a talented musician, songwriter and professional.

I think what it takes to make a good engineer sound engineer is a love for music and a desire to get that music recorded and get it out to people.

And finally, you won't believe who this promising teenage actor grew up to be.

Here's a hint one of his biggest hits.

Is it a movie or a play?

It's a cherry.

Me.

Thank you.

This is gallery exploring the arts and culture of Oklahoma.

Major funding for gallery is made possible by the Pauline Dwyer Mecklenburgh and Robert Macklin Burke Jr Foundation.

Additional funding by the Curve Foundation, Jasmyn and Melvin Moran and Simmons all spar and buy the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Even at a place like the book, be known for showcasing art that's a bit out of the ordinary.

This piece by Lawton artist Mike Sass stands out.

The scorpion is about three feet around, so it's larger than most things in here right now.

And there's something else perhaps you can tell.

Look closely.

Now, you're not seeing a sculpture sculpted from clay or wood or rock or anything else like that.

The scorpion and everything else.

Mike says sculpts is made from bones.

His workshop is stacked floor to ceiling with bones.

Bones.

He's found bones people have brought to him.

Bones he's harvested.

And when Mike's ass has a bone to pick, he knows right where to go.

You know, I've got a rancher south of town who he has cow bones and he hunts kaios.

They do a lot of damage to his property.

So I have full access to all that and he is great guy for letting me do it and supplying me with everything I need to hopefully just to bust down.

And make no bones about it, Mike says, can create some amazing things with Mother Nature's leftovers.

I just love color.

I want my stuff not only to to stand out when you look at it, but if you just glance at it.

I wanted to just grab you and pull you to it.

It certainly does that.

This man was driving by Mike's house and couldn't resist stopping to take a closer look.

What I want for is it's all hers.

And you did it well.

And that's the reaction I get in person from people.

But actually, if I send people photographs, I've had, you know, luckily I'll draw your attention.

But as far as it just hasn't the pictures haven't been able to push me into mainstream art world yet and I you you really have to see it in person because it will captivate you in person.

I call it interested art because it's straight and twisted at the same moment.

That's basically how I see it.

It is eye catching, to say the least.

But sometimes people aren't quite sure what to think about it.

This is much positive.

I've had a lot of negative feedback from what I do to people's reactions.

It could go either way because I've been called demonic in a and I've been called a prodigy.

Well, those are pretty far apart, you know, and I'm just I'm just trying to Oklahoma boy trying to make good.

He's been to art shows from Austin to New York City.

And so far, the star of each one has been this creation that took almost a year to finish.

When I started out was I took a short job and I broke it right here in the center and folded it back and screwed to this fork buck skull.

And I fabricated the nose out of fish bones.

Shards of fish.

Bone shards of of bones.

These are all fish ribs here.

The actual horns that are attached to the deer skull.

And I closed this side mostly in, and I left this side mostly open.

So you can actually see the framework of how I did it.

It's cow leg bones.

And here, the top of cow skulls.

It contains seven steer skulls, one deer skull, nine cow skulls.

In the back feet are three coyote skulls with deer.

And it was coming out of their nasal cavity.

So you get the idea.

It's a pretty bony creature.

And you have to wonder where did might get the inspiration for such things.

I'm a huge, huge Frank Frazetta fan and my brother, you know, my older brother used to freehand Frazetta drawings and stuff.

And man, I just captivated by Frank Frazetta work and that.

And I never knew how much I was captivated until I started sculpting.

And this stuff just started coming out of me like this.

Start from one spark and imagination to a whole garage full of stuff made of bones.

How to put all these different pieces together.

So they formed something else was a mystery at first, until Mike remembered his own dislocated hip.

I'm actually screwed together.

I have three stainless steel pins in my head.

Screwed together.

And so when I picked up those pieces and can see the face, the first my first thought is, how could I hold those together?

Well, I can screw together.

I'm screwed together.

And that's the start of it all.

He uses putty to fill in any holes in the bone, and then usually he has to use several coats of paint.

Because the bones, a lot of them are real reports and they'll soak up paint like crazy.

A coating or two of liquid glass provides the sparkle and some extra strength for the finished piece.

It is complicated and time consuming work, but it has become a passion for my man.

When you love something like this, like I love it and it's the only thing that you want to do the rest of your life to see.

16 hours out here can go by like that.

I can get wrapped up in a piece and spend 16, 18 hours a day working on it for a long time.

And it's just I think it's just the neatest thing.

What can I come up with next?

What indeed it would seem Mike's creativity is limited only by an unlimited imagination.

I had at the time.

It was one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by local television.

A few people in this part of the country had ever seen anything quite like it.

A rock opera produced by a local church, written and even starring local high school students.

If I wanted your opinion, I would.

Ask you for it now.

But I didn't.

That I never will show it.

Drop the subject now.

It was a nice production performed in Oklahoma City, parts of Kansas City, Des Moines, Iowa, Wausau, Wisconsin.

A hole in I-35, a stretch in the summer of 71, I think, and a very enjoyable and very enjoyable experience.

The fight scenes so dramatic and well-rehearsed onlookers during taping not exactly sure what was happening, call the police thinking a riot was about to start.

How can you speak so harshly when our son needs sympathy?

You only have confusion when you speak so hastily.

I had an in it was written primarily by my brother and and some other folks.

So I had a little bit of an end that some might not have had.

But so that was that was a pretty it was an ambitious project for for a group written by all all all teenagers.

There were no none of the music was written by anybody out of high school.

It helped launch what turned out to be a hugely successful career.

Well, one of the young men who had a leading role.

No, not in Hollywood and not on Broadway.

This man's career has been made at the drive in and away.

I think that was my first formal leadership experience and kind of so we talk about this side, this authorship through the arts in one way or another, individually, collectively, really helping a young person express themselves and begin to see themselves differently than they would otherwise today.

Cliff Hudson is the chief executive officer of Sonic Corporation.

He views the experience in that long ago, rock, opera and the wisdom of his junior high school music teacher with setting him out on the path to success.

By the time I was a senior in high school, I was our student body president at our high school.

And I see that.

I truly see that as a direct outgrowth of this encouragement by my junior high school music instructor.

It was very, very director.

She recognized certain things in me that she pulled pulled out of me.

Cliff Hudson continues to draw on the creativity he cultivated years ago on the stage to make his business the success it is today.

There is a lot of creativity just on the marketing aspects of Sonic, and that's a that's a large part of our business.

There are other aspects, I think, of creativity, of an organization, have the design and how to get make sure people are motivated, they have a sense of opportunity, how to give, how to give people a chance to interact with each other at all levels within the organization.

Creativity plays a big role there.

24 Dicho.

Even in the way Sonic's new corporate headquarters is laid out, no more high rise office space and no top four corner office for the head man.

It's not so much a big deal that I call it unconventional.

As much as it is a space that shows that.

I think we've been we've had some creativity about how we want to see ourselves living day to day in a work setting so that it it yields great results.

As Cliff Hudson climbed the corporate ladder, he didn't leave his love for music behind.

He created a group called the Sonic Tones made up of company employee things.

You know.

The interesting thing is, as we have started doing that with our coworkers, it's interesting to see how many people have kind of come out of the woodwork within the company fellow steps up, Hey, I play the saxophone, I play the trumpet, I play the accordion, I play, you know, so and so forth.

So actual folks stepping up and you can tell they're kind of saying, you know, when you add a brass section, you know, remember me, you know, so it's a it's a fun it's a fun thing.

It's also a good thing for arts, education, the sonic tones and other members of the community known more for their real jobs than their musical talents, perform every year at the Oklahoma City Art Spectacular.

The show began in 1998 and has raised almost a half million dollars for fine arts, curriculum, materials and equipment for arts education programs in the Oklahoma City public schools.

Hudson, of course, is also chairman of the Oklahoma City School Board.

So he knows a little about the needs.

The resources available for arts, education and public schools in Oklahoma.

Is is is inadequate.

And I think it's inadequate by a significant margin.

The focus that we've had to bring in order to have impact with the resources that we do have.

I think arts education has often suffered and your reaction some degree can be, you know, what am I going to do about that?

The as a state, I think we have to we really have to come to some decision.

Is this important for us?

What kind of resources we're going to dedicate to make sure that that that that occurs.

And that is arts education for all children in Oklahoma.

State leaders from both business and political worlds are talking about it.

500 of them met recently at the governor's mansion to discuss a plan called Oklahoma.

The state of creativity.

Creativity in the arts can translate to success in all other subjects and in every endeavor.

I really believe the only thing that holds us back is ourselves.

Yesterday, we've had so many successful businessmen and corporate executives knows that better than anyone.

All he has to do is remember back in the day when he starred in a high school rock opera.

By the way, at Home and Away, I think that was my first formal leadership experience in Canada.

So we talk about this side, this author ship through the arts, and one way or another, individually, collectively, really helping that young person express themselves and begin to see themselves differently than they would otherwise.

And in fact, that's exactly what happened for me as a 13, 14 year old boy in Oklahoma City public schools.

Well, I'd say I started getting interested in music when I found a radio in an old building by my parents house.

And when I was about a third grader and mom said it didn't work and I had to try it out anyway, and started tuning into Caleb May and WKYC and listening.

I don't know for sure why I picked those stations because my parents didn't listen to those stations, but they just attracted me.

I guess.

And from then on, I just I was an avid music listener.

Eventually, when I was in eighth grade, a bunch of us guys said, Well, let's get together and have a band.

So so-and-so played guitar and another guy played drums and another one bass.

And I said, Well, I'll buy a microphone.

That went on for a year.

And then I, the guitar player, talked me into playing guitar.

And from then on, guitars were really the only thing I wanted to do.

I went ahead and went to college just in case I wasn't famous rock and roll guitar player, and I became a music major and went to school in Alva for a couple of years, came to Oklahoma Christian and then did my master's at Eco.

During that time, I started teaching at Rose State.

What happened was I had a studio and somebody says, Well, why don't you teach a class about that?

So I put together a syllabus and got all the right authorization and so forth, and it worked really well.

She takes her shop and spins his cash.

To feel better.

I think what it takes to make a good engineer or sound engineer is a love for music and a desire to get that music recorded and get it out to people.

She's love and she's driving her middle class.

I do think that that teachers ought to be involved in what they're teaching.

If you don't play guitar, you shouldn't be teaching it.

If you don't if you don't sound engineer, then you shouldn't teach it.

Sure, we have some of the samples we did in class which were just voice sounds and looks like hi hat and some snare stuff, even though it's not really a snare, is it?

No, it's another voice.

Voice sounds.

Yeah, I like to teach because it gives me a time with the students.

New kids, every semester, every few semesters.

And it's they're always bringing things in for me to listen to.

It keeps keeps me feeling young when you're hanging out with a bunch of kids all day.

You sometimes feel much younger.

If you ever ask Craig for a.

Comment about anything you be.

You very, very seldom actually get one.

And he actually once told me one time, If I don't say.

Anything, then just take it as good.

Because if I say anything, it's usually.

Going to be a bad comment.

So.

So that's one of the most memorable things I know.

Craig But yeah, I really enjoyed having Craig as an instructor for all my classes.

I do try to encourage them.

I probably am not good enough sometimes I just tell the class, you know, if I haven't said anything bad about it, about you so far, you know, you're doing great.

And and this is your one compliment for the semester.

So you might want to take a note on that and write it, you know, so you can look at it when you need to.

I really like it.

He's he's the first teacher I've ever had that really just kind of, like, sparked my interest into something so much to make me kind of get into it.

And it's kind of like, I don't know, I couldn't really see myself doing anything else now because I like this so much.

When my students come to me and say, What does it take?

I usually say, Oh, you need to love it.

You have to desire becoming good at what's going on.

The people that at Rose State who really succeed are the ones who spend endless hours in the lab rooms, in the control rooms, because they have to.

Some people find out they don't want to spend that much time doing it.

Other people just live at the studio.

When I do see talented kids or kids who are willing to work and some come in either way and some both.

And I see them typically go on and do things.

I do warn them that they may have to do more than one thing to make living a comfortable living.

But I also tell them if they want to do it enough, that they'll figure out a way to do it.

My approach to how quickly the students pick things up and my advice to them is to I'm going to set out some things you need to do, and if you do them, I'm going to know how how you're doing as far as learning goes, if you do them on time, you know you're going to have a better chance at a job also.

And I never discourage somebody from doing anything.

It's to me, they should do what they want to do.

And and if nothing else, they're going to learn how to maybe make their own songs in their little context studios and and get in a job as an accountant somewhere and and make more money than I would ever think about making.

Here we go.

One of my students, Craig Shirk, which we're doing, he's done some quite a bit of recording and he's taken most of my classes.

He's an example of someone who lives and breathes it.

I couldn't really imagine going out there to do anything with music without knowing what I've learned from going there, because I don't know, just, I mean, about recording and music in general.

Like he has theory classes.

And I've learned about music theory.

I've learned about music business.

And there's I mean, there's so much stuff that goes on and most people have no clue.

Craig has been out a few times this semester.

Actually, we couldn't find a good time for their band to record at Rose State, so we just made it a recording to project to go out to my place and do it.

He didn't get to do the engineering, but he's he's been working on it since.

I haven't touched it since I recorded it.

Well, the things that I hope to work on are more and more of my own material.

I mean, the the possibilities are endless about what can be done now.

And I just I need to find the time to do it.

So in the summers, I teach a little bit less, mainly do Internet classes and hopefully get some time to really work on some things.

Well, my biggest satisfaction is continuing to work with those students, whether they're musicians or engineers or film score people or whatever.

But I like seeing them learn and I like seeing them say, Wow, I never knew what that was for.

That's that's what's when you hear that, you know, that they've there, they're going to remember that.

So, yes, I would say that I do it.

It's in there.

I, I did it before I knew there was money.

For more information about all our stories, visit the gallery page of our WETA website.

And as always, if you have any questions or a story idea for us, send us an email.

Gallery at OED Dot TV.

This is gallery exploring the arts and culture of Oklahoma.

Major funding for gallery is made possible by the Pauline Dwyer Mecklenburgh and Robert Macklin Burke Jr Foundation.

Additional funding by the Curve Foundation, Jasmyn and Melvin Moran and Simmons all spar and buy the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Said with me.

Was bringing it down.

She would never be free, but she's got a ticket to ride.

She's got tickets.

She's got a ticket to ride.

I don't know why she's riding so hard.

Certainly not from CBS.

So I just glad that.

So that she's smiling over and she's so good.

She's telling all the.

World that her baby.

Five things.

You know, you buy some diamond rings, you know, and she says so.

She's in love with me.

And if she's in love with me.

Believe the four VHS or DVD copy of this program.

Please send a check or money order for 20 to 95 to the to foundation post office box 14190.

Oklahoma City 73113.

Or to place a credit card order.

Call 800 8796382.

During regular business hours.