Factory Obscura and Community Building
Written for English Composition I at The University of Oklahoma - Professor Conrad - Spring 2023
Factory Obscura is "an Oklahoma City-based collaborative company creating immersive experiences that awaken wonder, build community, and make the world better."(Meet the Collective). This is a group of artists who have come together to create new ways of experiencing art. They do this through temporary exhibits across multiple states, a permanent exhibit in Oklahoma City, and hosting events throughout the year. These events and the experiences that Factory Obscura seeks to cultivate show their core value of building community. While reflecting this value, it is also apparent that Factory Obscura narrows their engagement to diversity, inclusivity and equal opportunity. This was discovered through research, personal experience and an interview with an artist on the team. It is important to take a look at the core values of a group and understand how actively engaging with socio-political issues can highlight this core value. Getting a better understanding of what motivates a group can be very helpful when someone is interested in joining. There are many ways Factory Obscura as a group engages and actively seeks to build the community through diversity, this shines the brightest through the construction of their permanent exhibit Mix-Tape in Oklahoma City.
Nothing screams inclusivity to me more than jumping through every hoop to make sure something is accessible to everyone. While planning the build for their first permanent exhibit, the members of Factory Obscura had accessibility at the forefront of their minds. It is said best on the accessibility section of their website. "Inclusivity is in our bones. It drives the choices we make and the art we create, and it extends to the farthest reaches of every experience we build. That’s one reason we’ve worked intentionally to make sure Mix-Tape, our first permanent experience, is accessible to people of all abilities." (Mix-Tape is Accessibility in Action). In the modern world it feels too easy to think of diversity and inclusivity in terms of gender, race, or sexual preference. While these are very important, Factory Obscura took it to another level wanting their art experience to be accessible to "people with blindness, hearing impairment, autism, and other abilities" (Mix-Tape is Accessibility in Action). In my opinion this is a prime example of community building as a core value for Factory Obscura. It isn't easy to plan an immersive art experience, but I believe making it accessible for someone who is hearing or sight impaired is a great way to ensure as many people can come together as possible. They took this very seriously, working with a company called Crossing the Chasm, "a local consulting firm that helps museums and other attractions with accessibility issues" (Mix-Tape is Accessibility in Action). Before even laying the foundation for this experience, inclusivity was the main goal, the core value that brought the whole project together. "The training informed the layout and design of every space before any walls went up.", Tammy Greenman one of the co-founders puts this into words the best, "Then we made intentional use of music, color, ambient sounds, vibrations, textures, and more to create the most meaningful experience possible for the most human beings possible." (Mix-Tape is Accessibility in Action). Each action that went into building their permanent exhibit Mix-Tape exemplifies inclusivity. The idea of creating an experience combining all five senses and appealing to the widest variety of people shows the care and value Factory Obscura has for the community. While incorporating this value into every bit of planning is one way they show their motivation, hosting events is another facet they have successfully explored.
The events that Factory Obscura hosts are a wide variety of themes ranging from adult nights at the exhibit to open-mic nights to inspire vocalists to perform. While each of these events shows the values of Factory Obscura, there are two organizations they have paired with specifically to engage in diversity. Freedom Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Pride Alliance are both "devoted to Oklahoma’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Community through fostering inclusive, all ages, affirming programming." (Our Mission). Factory Obscura has paired with the Oklahoma City Pride Alliance to host Youth Pride Nights at their installation in Oklahoma City. "These Youth Nights serve as a hub for young people to gather in a safe space, unite with their friends, and make new ones. We’re constantly working to add more programming and events!" (Our Mission). Creating a safe space for a vulnerable group of people is an inspiration and clearly shows Factory Obscura's value for community building through engagement in diversity. According to the American Psychological Association, "LGBT youth are more likely to have suicidal thoughts or attempts, personal safety issues and lower academic achievement than their heterosexual peers." (Youth at Disproportionate Risk), and Factory Obscura continues to engage in this topic through their yearly Transgender Day of Visibility. "Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces." (Transgender Day of Visibility at Mix-Tape). Factory Obscura may appear on the surface as just a group of artists, but through their engagement in diversity and inclusivity they show their core value of community building. Through hosting these events multiple times, a year, Factory Obscura is actively engaging in diversity. They have made it their goal to create safe spaces for people to engage within the community. The group has a very clear interest in community building, this is seen in more detail as we look at individuals within the group.
While doing research on Factory Obscura I came across one of the groups artists on Instagram. The artist wishes to remain anonymous, but I had the chance to ask them a few questions about the group and it's values. My focus was to get a better understanding of how the group felt about engaging in socio-political issues and understanding how this engagement highlights their core values. In the interview the artists states "I strive to incorporate a diverse array of imagery and themes that resonate with people from all walks of life. I believe that art has the power to bring people together and foster understanding" (Tellez). This shows that while there are many clear examples of Factory Obscura actively engaging in diversity, the members incorporate this into their art as well. This idea of starting each art experience with diversity in mind highlights their motivation towards diversity and inclusivity. This shows that the heart of the group’s values come from the individual members. The artists I interviewed also teaches at school within the city, focusing on art education through inclusivity. "I encourage them to explore themes related to equality and inclusivity by inviting them to share their own experiences and perspectives. By providing a safe and supportive environment, I hope to inspire them to create art that reflects their unique voices and promotes understanding and unity among their peers and the broader community." (Tellez). This shows that at the group’s core each of the members of Factory Obscura are just a person who has a value on building the community. This groups motivation comes from within each individual and they've come together to build and create a better world. This continues to be seen as we look further into other artists biographies.
One interview with one artist in the group may not truly show the group’s value. Reading through various biographies on artists within the group has continued to highlight this shared interest in building the community. Another of the artists talks about how she "focuses on projects that build community", and further mentions her new art space will be "investigating the intersection of art and community". (Kelsey Karper). She continues to put work into researching new ways to help build the community. Another prime example of how these core values motivate the artists within the group, and the group as a whole. This is one of many more examples of how each artist shares this value. Another artist within the group was born in Venezuela and now shares her love for the community in Oklahoma City. She has a degree in social communication and employs that through her art to "touch the general community in a broad spectrum". She continues to talk about how "being outside her motherland, made Beatriz see herself as a global artist" (Beatriz Mayorca). She has now worked on collaborations with Factory Obscura to build the community and continue to engage in topics related to diversity. It is very clear when looking through each artist that has joined Factory Obscura, they have a common core value. Each individual cares about their community and wants to create experiences that appeal to every person regardless of race, gender, sexual preference, or even disabilities.
On the surface, Factory Obscura appears to be a group of artists creating a new way to experience art. As we dig deeper into the groups motivation it is highlighted in their own words the value of community. Looking further into social media we see posts empowering people, "Visibility isn’t just empowering trans people to celebrate who they are, but for all Oklahomans to show support for our trans community members." (Facebook). This Facebook post about the Transgender Day of Visibility highlights the groups engagement in diversity and inclusivity. We saw their partnerships with groups such as Freedom Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Pride Alliance. Both being groups with strong engagement in building the community through diversity. Hosting events and creating safe spaces for members of the community shows the care and value for the community. Picking through the members of the group we revealed each of them shares a core value of community building. The interview also showing an interest in educating the youth through a combination of art and diversity. Ensuring art is accessible to the community. Finally, examining biographies of other artists within the group continued to show the care they have for the community. It isn't just the core value of the group Factory Obscura. Each member made their way to the group because they had the same individual core value. Bringing these people together with a common goal has brought strength to the community and through their exhibits, and the events they host it is clear Factory Obscura is motivated to engage with diversity, inclusivity and accessibility.
Bibliography
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/factoryobscura/.
Hill, Doug. “Sensory Stimulation through 'Synesthesia': The Fred Hosts Factory Obscura's Interactive Environment.” Norman Transcript, 29 July 2022, https://www.normantranscript.com/sensory-stimulation-through-synesthesia-the-fred-hosts-factory-obscura-s-interactive-environment/article_4483eede-0ebd-11ed-83e0-67bbcb28259b.html.
Karper, Kelsey. Kelsey Karper, https://kelseykarper.com/about.
Mayorca, Beatriz. Beatriz Mayorca, https://www.bmayorca.com/about.
“Meet the Collective.” Factory Obscura, https://www.factoryobscura.com/meet#our-mission.
“Mix-Tape Is Accessibility in Action.” Factory Obscura, Factory Obscura, 30 Dec. 2019, https://www.factoryobscura.com/news/2019/23/mix-tape-is-accessible.
Moan, Nicole. “About.” Nicole Moan, http://nicolemoan.weebly.com/about.html.
“Our Mission.” OKC Pride Alliance, https://www.okcpridealliance.org/our-mission.
Tellez, Brandon. “Interview with Jane Doe of Factory Obscura.” 3 Apr. 2023.
“Transgender Day of Visibility at Mix-Tape.” Transgender Day of Visibility at Mix-Tape, https://www.factoryobscura.com/events/2023/3/31/transgender-day-of-visibility-at-mix-tape.
“Youth at Disproportionate Risk.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/disproportionate-risk.
