Tulsa Athletic Club

The Tulsa Athletic Club, a sister bar to The Tulsan bar, is built around pickleball, with three courts at the center of the space. When Justin (owner of both spots) reached out, the goal was to create artwork that felt playful and iconic while still matching the atmosphere of the bar—sport, social energy, and a little edge. The project started as a series of custom rug pieces inside, inspired by similar work Justin had seen in shops out of state, and for me the excitement was in the challenge of translating my visual language onto a textured surface. Rugs demand a different approach to color, scale, and mark-making, so we began with a Forrest Gump rug to test the process and materials; once the first piece landed the way I envisioned, Justin greenlit three more—sneakers, the Tulsa skyline, and Grogu—created using a combination of spray paint and airbrushing.

Each rug brought a different mood and story to the floor. The sneaker piece reflects Justin’s personal passion as a collector, so I rendered a few iconic silhouettes he selected and treated the laces and sole details with sharp contrast so they read clearly from a distance. The Tulsa skyline rug incorporates the Tulsa flag symbol and oil-like drips as a nod to the city’s history as an oil capital, balancing civic pride with a raw painterly edge, while Grogu adds a playful, pop-culture counterpoint—soft, expressive, and instantly recognizable. After the rugs, I expanded the project with an exterior painting featuring three hands—one holding a pickleball, one holding a paddle, and one holding a cocktail—to set the tone before you even walk in. Working across these themes on rug as a medium let me experiment with texture and durability while staying grounded in strong composition and narrative.

2022