Fifteen-year-old twins Emily and Lauren McDowell say that they’re lucky because their parents have always supported their endeavors, artistic and otherwise.

“In our family, we’re really just encouraged to do what we want and what we love,” says Emily. “If we really, really want to do something, they’ll figure out a way.”

Fortunately, their latest undertaking—an intensive eight weeks of Emily studying acting and Lauren studying drawing & painting—did not require their parents shuttling them to Oklahoma City or paying for expensive classes.

The girls were two of 79 students selected for a new program of the Oklahoma Arts Institute, Oklahoma’s Official School of the Arts. The pilot program, called the OSAI at Home Academy, provided online training for artistically gifted high school students during the first half of this school year. Every student selected for the Academy attended on full scholarship.

The Institute is known for operating the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain (OSAI), the state’s highly competitive two-week residency program for high school students. Every winter, students from all corners of Oklahoma audition in the hopes of securing a spot at OSAI, where they can embark on a deep dive in their chosen artistic discipline: acting, chorus, creative writing, dance, drawing & painting, film & video, orchestra or photography.

With nearly 1,000 applicants competing for just 270 spots, competition is stiff. This fall, the Institute launched the OSAI at Home Academy to provide young artists with limited access to arts education opportunities in leading-edge instruction during the school year.

Emily has always been drawn to acting because it’s a chance for her to explore other points of view.

“I really like to tell stories through other people,” says Emily. “Especially when that person maybe can’t tell their own story for whatever reason.”

Lauren’s favorite style of artwork is pointillism, where images are created from hundreds of tiny dots. She also enjoys architectural drawings, which require something else she loves: math.

At Butner High School, in Cromwell, the McDowell twins do not have access to a theater program, and opportunities to study in the visual arts are limited. Lauren spends many of her Sunday afternoons working on her drawings in Butner High’s art classroom, but she needs advanced instruction to further her talents. Emily has performed with the Children’s Theater in Oklahoma City, but driving to the city is a time-consuming affair.

Emily is quick to say that there is nothing good about COVID-19. But she feels that if there is something good, it is the opportunities afforded through the new world of online learning.

“I had never heard of an acting class over Zoom, and I don’t think it would have ever crossed my mind before COVID,” Emily says. “I’m definitely not saying that COVID is good, but without COVID, we probably would not have been able to do this, and it’s been a really great experience.”

Oklahoma Arts Institute President & CEO Julie Cohen agrees.

The nonprofit had been bouncing around ideas for outreach to rural areas for many years. But there was always the logistical problem of finding a central meeting place for students from all parts of Oklahoma, especially during the school year, as well as a number of financial constraints. When the organization was forced to move OSAI online last summer because of the pandemic, they realized how effective online programming could be.

“We had never considered online programming before COVID-19 hit. But we were forced to try it, and our students were still able to study with exceptional faculty artists and learn advanced skills in the arts,” says Cohen. “After OSAI at Home, we knew that it was the perfect solution to providing students from rural communities with this sort of advanced training.”

The McDowell sisters were accepted into the OSAI at Home Academy thanks to excellent teacher recommendations. Their nominators said the girls would benefit from instruction not available to them at Butner High and that both are hard-working students who exhibit fine leadership qualities.

Once the sisters learned they were selected for the Academy, apprehensiveness set in. Would the other students be coming from schools with big theater and art programs? Would collegiate-level courses prove to be too difficult?

“I had never really met anyone my age who was also really into acting. And these kids were really good,” says Emily.

The acting instructor was Sara Topham, a Canadian actor who has performed on Broadway and in big-budget films and is well-known for her Shakespeare work. In class, each student focused on two monologue pieces that will be used to audition for the 2021 Summer Arts Institute.

Lauren, who studied with painter and SUNY Adirondack Fine Arts Professor John Hampshire, knew that she might be creating work in unfamiliar styles and mediums, like charcoal. But with Hampshire’s guidance and encouragement, Lauren learned the ins and outs of charcoal and began to shade and highlight her work in a new way.

“I had never worked with it before. It’s this powder that you just, like, barely touch when you put it on, and so you have to make sure that you know where you’re putting it,” says Lauren. “But it also blends so easily that you can have a gradual light change.”

She also learned that creating a distinctive and directional light source within the work can generate emotion and reveal something deeper about the subject.

Emily is working on a contemporary monologue and a Shakespearean monologue. Before the program, Shakespeare had seemed impenetrable, but now she has a better understanding of how to analyze and perform the Elizabethan playwright’s work.

Sara Topham also taught her something surprising about acting: one doesn’t need to try so hard.

“She taught us that you don’t always need emotion and that less is more sometimes,” says Emily.

For both girls, their favorite part of the OSAI at Home Academy was connecting with other young artists from around the state.

“You’re with these other artists who are thinking things completely different than what you’re thinking, and seeing their artwork is really interesting,” says Lauren. “It can really help you just to let your imagination go.”

Although they have different goals with their art— Emily intends to study acting in college and pursue it as a career, while Lauren anticipates that her art will remain a hobby—both believe in the importance of art for personal expression.

“I think it’s very important for our society as a whole because it’s a way for people to express themselves and their emotions in their unique way,” says Lauren. “Without it, the world would be pretty bland.”

“I think it’s important for people to have a way to express themselves, and art oftentimes is that outlet,” says Emily.

The sisters feel more prepared for their OSAI auditions in March, and Emily, in particular, is feeling more prepared for her future.

“You don’t always get to have a class like this with Sara Topham, who has done so much Shakespeare and been in so many things,” says Emily. “She really taught us at a college level, and I feel like I’m better prepared for the future if this is what I decide to do.”

The Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain (OAI) is Oklahoma’s Official School of the Arts. A private, nonprofit organization, OAI has partnered with the State of Oklahoma for over 40 years to provide exceptional multidisciplinary arts education experiences that develop individual talent and inspire a lifelong passion for the arts.

In addition to the Summer Arts Institute—the state’s flagship program for talented high school artists— OAI administers a series of continuing education workshops for educators and other adult artists during the annual Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute. For more information, visit oaiquartz.org.