“I really, passionately believe that everybody has a right to participate in the arts,” said Georgia Williams, cultural director for Oklahoma Arts Council.

Williams spoke in Enid Wednesday during a kickoff session of the Ok-lahoma Statewide Arts Conference, sponsored by Oklahoma Arts Council. The conference continues through Friday at Chero-kee Strip Conference Center.

The theme of the conference is “Telling Our Own Story,” and Wed-nesday more than 40 people from around the state attended the “New and Emerging Arts Leaders” pre-conference session.

Williams had one piece of advice she believed to be important for new arts leaders.

“Listen,” she said. “It’s that simple.”

Much can be learned from the veterans in the field, but it also is important to listen to community members and what they need, Williams said.

Williams also encouraged the group not to be “high maintenance,” because people will remember someone who is difficult to work with, which can hurt any arts program.

Robert Matson, academy administrator for Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City, also spoke during the session.

He encouraged attendants to be willing to try new things because new ideas have the ability to be accepted.

“I’ve learned don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take a risk.”

According to Matson, his theater caters to the gay and lesbian community, and he wasn’t sure such a theater would thrive in Oklahoma.

“My first play with a gay character, I was kind of scared,” Matson said. “But I got good things with it.”

Matson said he has been able to overcome the challenge he thought Oklahoma would bring him.

“The challenges have been Oklahoma (itself),” Matson said, “because it’s a conservative state.”

While Matson believes his biggest challenge was a specific world view, Williams believes the biggest challenge to the arts in this state is a social class.

“(Poverty is) the elephant in the room that nobody really wants to talk about,” Williams said.

Williams believes art is a “basic human need,” and while some people are deprived of art, she believes everyone has the right to make, view and engage in art.

Another stumbling block to the promotion of the arts is the school system, Williams said.

“The public education system is systematically doing away with art and music teachers,” Williams said.

Despite the stumbling blocks, leaders at the conference believe there always are ways to overcome.

“It’s about knowing what you have, knowing how to work with it and knowing that you can push yourself just a little bit further,” Williams said. “Don’t think of the negative things, find the positive things.”

The session was led by Julia Kirt, of Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, and Molly O’Conn-or, arts learning in communities director of Oklahoma Arts Council.