STAR PARTY AT EASTSIDE RISE
Friday, November 21, 2025
6:30 – 9:30 PM
Join Tulsa Artist Fellowship for a night under the Tulsa sky as we host a community Star Party in collaboration with Eastside Rise, Space For Us, and Tulsa Artist Fellow Alicia Smith, whose work explores Mesoamerican cosmologies and horizon-based astronomy. Together, we’ll trace the movements of the stars, planets, and constellations that have guided stories and timekeeping for generations.
As Saturn glows in the south and the Pleiades rise in the east, Alicia will share cultural insights on how ancient observers connected with the horizon and sky above.
We encourage guests to bundle up, bring a lawn chair, and, if you have one, your own telescope or binoculars. Warm beverages will be provided to keep spirits bright as the evening cools.
This free community gathering invites all ages and backgrounds to slow down, look up, and connect with the stars, each other, and the stories that shape our view of the universe.
Program Highlights:
Telescope viewing (including live deep-sky imaging with eVscope) + others
Guided horizon-based sky navigation
Cultural cosmology insights
Community reflection under a darkening sky
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Alicia Smith is a Xicana Multidisciplinary artist and activist and a 2025-2027 Tulsa Artist Fellowship Awardee. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma with an emphasis in Contemporary Sculpture and Printmaking and her Masters of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her work utilizes ancestral prayer technologies, oral tradition, indigenous futurism and New Weird Science Fiction to interrogate colonial narratives and explore identity. Through this practice she advocates for cultural perpetuity as a response to the unfolding Anthropocene. Smith’s work has been shown at Pulse Contemporary Art Fair in Miami, Untitled Art Fair in San Francisco and A.I.R. Gallery, Field Projects and Ortega y Gasset in New York City. Additionally she was a resident at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and her pieces have been included in the Kaddist Collection and the Whitney Museum of Art’s Special Collections.
ABOUT SPACE FOR US
Space For Us is dedicated to making STEAM resources and careers in space sciences more visible and accessible to underserved communities, particularly minorities and BIPOC individuals of all ages while promoting dark sky protection and advocacy. Regardless of background, everyone should be able to explore and contribute to the infinite possibilities of space exploration and astronomy. Space for Us empowers and inspires the next generation of diverse space enthusiasts, spacefarers, and professionals and fosters an equitable and inclusive environment within space sciences and related fields.
ABOUT EASTSIDE RISE
Eastside Rise is a community-rooted organization advancing economic opportunity and neighborhood vitality on Tulsa’s East Side. Working alongside residents, business owners, and local partners, Eastside Rise supports efforts to preserve the area’s cultural diversity, protect against displacement, and promote development that reflects the community’s identity. Through programs that strengthen small businesses, expand access to resources, and build local leadership, the organization helps ensure that East Tulsa continues to thrive on its own terms. Eastside Rise is an initiative of the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF).
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Eastside Rise is located at 1801 S. Garnett Rd., Tulsa, OK 74128. Free parking is available in the on-site lot. Restrooms are located on the first floor of the building, which is fully wheelchair accessible. The star party will take place outdoors, so guests are encouraged to dress for the weather, bring blankets or chairs for additional comfort. Complimentary hot beverages will also be provided. Star parties are weather-dependent and may be cancelled or rescheduled due to poor sky conditions.