Local Norman creatives have joined together as a cooperative to buy downtown Norman music venue Opolis to keep the business from closing.
“We are overjoyed that a group of some of our favorite local musicians and people will be taking ownership of OPOLIS,” stated current owners Marian and Andy Nuñez in a press release.
The Nuñezes have operated Opolis together since 2002, growing it into one of Norman’s most prominent music spots, with live music, drinks, vegan snacks, karaoke, trivia nights and even secret shows by well-known artists.
“We’ve watched downtown Norman blossom," the Nuñezes stated. "We’ve watched local and national bands go from playing in front of small crowds at OPOLIS to playing arenas, we’ve watched our own child grow up and move on, and so, now, it’s time for us to move on."
The cooperative of creatives buying Opolis includes Sarah Reid, M. Bailey Stephenson, Samantha Crain, Laine Bergeron, Felina Rivera, Sasha Welsh, Addy Uhack, Michael Stafford, Ethan Williams and Eli Wimmer.
“A thriving local music scene enriches a town’s culture and creative community,” said Wimmer, a member of local band Helen Kelter Skelter, in an interview with OU Daily. “Opolis has played a huge part in nurturing Norman’s scene for 20 years. Our group wants that to continue.”
Wimmer stated in a press release that Opolis has given him and many other local musicians opportunities to open for high-caliber touring bands and the venue has been crucial for them.
“Its absence would undoubtedly damage our town’s ability to host local, regional, and national acts,” Wimmer stated. “The show must go on.”
The cooperative will hold several fundraisers throughout December and January. The first event will be held Friday at the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. The event will feature a live and silent auction, food, cocktails, and live music from Glitch, Typhoid and Chelsey Cope.
Reid stated the all-ages venue has been a staple in the community and that spending her 20s being a gigging musician and service industry worker in Norman has shown her the importance of worker cooperatives in these industries.
“When I was 16, I borrowed my mom’s minivan and drove to Norman to see my first show at OPOLIS during Norman Music Festival in 2009,” Reid stated in the release. “The opportunity to keep OPOLIS the vital music venue it’s been while converting it to a worker-owned cooperative of musicians and service industry workers makes me very excited for the future growth of OPOLIS, Norman, and our community.”
Opolis on April 23, 2020.
Opolis has hosted several prominent acts throughout it’s time, including Big Thief, Lucy Dacus, Peelander-Z, Protomartyr, Mitski, Albert Hammond Jr., Skating Polly, BRONCHO, Andrew WK, The Polyphonic Spree, Jonathan Richman, Fruit Bats and Car Seat Headrest, according to the release.
When the cooperative reopens the venue, it plans to continue featuring as many musicians as it can, from local to international acts. They also plan to continue hosting trivia, karaoke and movie nights, as well as solidify the venue as a bar and eatery. For more information on the transition, visit the Opolis Facebook or Instagram page.
