Mission
Dedicated to advancing, celebrating, elevating and amplifying LGBTQ+ artists by showcasing the best independent films, music, performances and all forms of mixed media.
Our Story
Founded in Tulsa, OK, Twisted Arts was created to highlight local, national, and international LGBTQ+ artists through year-round programs which include an annual fall film festival, monthly film screenings & performances, a LGBTQ+ youth filmmaking Summer camp, members-only sneak peeks, access to year-round short films, special events, and private screenings with directors, actors, and other queer media icons.
Core Values
Community: Community is key to the social changes we envision, the arts are the medium through which we communicate.
Education: Providing opportunities for conversations between audiences and artists across disciplines.
Originality: Proudly showcasing the diversity that makes Tulsa a great place to live.
Staff + Board
Kevin Lovelace, Founder & Executive Director
Kevin discovered his love for movies as a teenager while working at the local Cinema 8 in Broken Arrow, OK, where he spent hours absorbing the works of American and foreign indie film directors. Since then, he has had the privilege of working at variety of festivals, including: Chicago International Film Festival, CMJ Music Festival, Block Party, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Reel Q, Film Pittsburgh, AGLIFF and Film Independent.
His proudest achievement is creating the Pittsburgh Underground Film Festival (PUFF), which screens films made by communities typically underrepresented in the film industry and showcases women, transgender and BIPOC film directors.
Benjamin Hanley Brown, Board Member & Artistic Director
Benjamin began his career as Art Director for the LGBTQ2+ lifestyle and entertainment magazine HX Philadelphia, and is now Creative Partner at Masters Group Design—a branding and design firm based in Philadelphia and Tulsa—focusing in the arts & culture space. With MGD, Benjamin has branded the Philadelphia Fringe Festival for over 10 years and has designed for the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival since its inception. Creator of the Twisted Arts branding, he is a Circle Cinema member and supporter of Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq). Benjamin has served as a board member for AIGA Philadelphia, the professional association for design.