CENTRAL STANDARD LAUNCHES IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA WITH INAUGURAL EXHIBITION DRIFT///HOLD
Le'Andra LeSeur, That body of (a reflection of the sky), 2024.
13-channel video, sound, red light, Inkjet prints on paper, collaged artifact. Dimensions variable.
February 13, 2025 – Tulsa, OK – Central Standard, a new contemporary art platform based in Tulsa, will launch its inaugural exhibition, Drift///Hold, presented in partnership with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship. The exhibition opens on February 20 at the newly renovated Price Family Properties’ Arco Building (119 E. 6th Street, Tulsa, OK). Founded by Tulsa-born curators Lindsay Aveilhé and Ashanti Chaplin, Central Standard is dedicated to elevating contemporary art in Middle America and fostering international artistic exchange.
Drift///Hold will be on view through March 29, with public hours from Thursday to Saturday, 12–5 PM. The public is also invited to a reception on Wednesday, March 5, from 5-8 PM, featuring a special performance by artist Warren Realrider at 6 PM, as well as drinks and light fare. Private group tours of the exhibition are available by appointment.
Featuring Oklahoma-born or Oklahoma-based artists Ashanti Chaplin, Yatika Fields (Osage, Muscogee, Cherokee), Le’Andra LeSeur, Warren Realrider (Pawnee, Crow), and Nathan Young (Delaware Tribe of Lenape Indians), Drift///Hold explores themes of transformation, perception, and the interplay between physical and metaphysical worlds. Through performance, sensorial installations, and natural elements, the exhibition invites audiences to rethink knowledge and time through intuition, memory, and ancestral wisdom.
In addition to Drift///Hold, Central Standard will present a companion exhibition, I Put a Spell on You, featuring artist Kalup Linzy at OATH Studio (1119 South Owasso Avenue), a historic Tulsa home designed by architect Bruce Goff. Visits to the exhibition are by appointment.
For tours or general inquiries, contact info@central-standard.org, visit central-standard.org, or call +1 917 428 4359.
Media Contact
Georgina Zhao | FITZ & CO | gzhao@fitzandco.com | +1 212 444 4046
Founded in 2025, Central Standard is a contemporary art platform dedicated to amplifying artistic voices from Middle America and fostering global artistic exchange. Through cutting-edge exhibitions and public programming, Central Standard positions Tulsa as a dynamic hub for contemporary art.
Co-founders Lindsay Aveilhé and Ashanti Chaplin bring over 30 years of combined experience at leading art institutions worldwide. Aveilhé, a distinguished curator and editor of the Sol LeWitt Wall Drawings Catalogue Raisonné, has organized exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally. She is a current 2025-2027 Tulsa Artist Fellow. Chaplin is an artist and curator working at the intersection of material practice, public engagement, and cultural production. Formerly the inaugural Curator of Public Engagement at Dia Art Foundation, she is a recent Tulsa Artist Fellowship alum.
Nathan Young, NDN MEDICINE, n.d. Mixed media. 61” x 30”.
ABOUT TULSA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Established in 2015, Tulsa Artist Fellowship was created as a place-based arts initiative by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), that addresses pressing challenges for contemporary artists and arts workers living in and joining the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. A central part of the Fellowship’s initiative is to bring, enliven, and participate in Tulsa’s growing and thriving arts community. TAF supports contemporary artists across all mediums and is committed to celebrating diversity in all its forms and freedom of expression.
ABOUT GEORGE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a charitable organization dedicated to providing equal opportunity for young children through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services, and civic enhancement. GKFF believes that Tulsa is a land of opportunity. A generous and welcoming community, this city is not bound by traditional conventions. GKFF is dedicated to making Tulsa the best city for children to be born, grow, and succeed.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Georgina Zhao | FITZ & CO | gzhao@fitzandco.com | +1 212 444 4046
Grace MacDonald | FITZ & CO | gmacdonald@fitzandco.com | +1 650 823 7333