OKLAHOMA CITY - Turn over a new leaf this fall at the Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain. Educators and artists of all ability levels can attend weekend retreats taught by nationally-renowned artists in the visual, literary and performing arts. Oklahoma public school educators automatically receive full scholarships to the program, including tuition, room and board.

“The Institute is my favorite thing about fall,” said Catherine Kinyon, an arts and humanities instructor at Murray State College in Tishomingo. “The Fall Arts Institute is one of the ways I continue to grow as an artist and educator.”

The Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute (OFAI) occurs during select October and November weekends at the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center in Southwest Oklahoma. An ideal location for arts immersion, the resort offers the amenities and comforts of a fine hotel inside a scenic state part. OFAI participants gain inspiration from the natural setting while learning from nationally-renowned artists.

This year's faculty artists include award-winning songwriters Mark Selby and Tia Sillers. This Nashville-based, husband and wife songwriting team are responsible for over twenty hit singles, including the Dixie Chicks' Grammy-winning #1 hit “There's Your Trouble.” Selby and Siller's OFAI workshop, “The Art and Craft of Songwriting,” will occur Oct. 12 - 15.

In addition to songwriting, the Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute offers workshops in drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking, photography, music, theater, dance, writing, arts integration, and more. Online registration for workshop space and scholarships is available at www.oaiquartz.org or (405) 319-9019.

“Each of the 5,000 teachers who have attended OFAI have returned to their classes eager to share their new skills with their students. I encourage every teacher to attend OFAI at Quartz Mountain,” said Sandy Garrett, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

OFAI is administered by the Oklahoma Arts Institute, a private, non-profit organization developed in 1977 with a vision to cultivate established and emerging artists and educators through art workshops, immersion and awareness.