Sue Johnson, Council President
Sue Johnson aka "Sue Bear" is an El Reno artist dba Murals by Sue. Sue has several publicly viewable large-scale murals scattered around El Reno and the Shawnee area. With 15 years working as a registered nurse, and the added work-related stressors the pandemic brought to her line of work, she decided to explore career options related to her lifetime love of the arts. She says from as early as she can remember the arts were a therapeutic refuge for her. From ceramics to cross stitch, poetry, to dance, singing, songwriting, drawing, she had a strong passion for anything creative. In 2020 she developed the plan for what is now known as El Reno Walls, which gave her the confidence to pursue the reactivation of the El Reno Arts Council. Through that role she was able to bring her Haunted Trolley idea to life. “I have enjoyed every minute of this experience, and I’m proud to serve as president to our amazing group of dedicated volunteers.” As president Sue has initiated several programs for the community including, Art in the Park, Art Council Fridays at the alternative school, and the Art Mix on 66 music and art festival.

Sarah Scarritt, Vice President
Sarah was instrumental in helping to reestablish the El Reno Arts Council. After 10 years of no activity, putting all the pieces back together in order to move forward as an active council took some leg work, and thanks to Sarah we are now back in action! Sarah is the proud mother of two, a long-time resident of El Reno, having attended El Reno Public Schools and later establishing the very successful local business, Vices Bar and Venue. Vices offers a platform for performing artists of all kinds. Vices has always been a huge supporter of the arts, offering numerous live music events throughout the year, hosting many nationally famous performers, such as Grammy award nominee Afroman. In addition to a professionally equipped inside stage, Vices also offers an outdoor stage in a beautiful garden setting. Sarah was an art major in college before deciding to focus on starting a family and pursuing her dreams of owning her own music venue which is currently in its ninth year of successful growth.

Janet Raines, Treasurer/Secretary and Chairman of Finance Committee
Janet has called El Reno home for ten years. She brings to the table a multitude of experience having retired two years ago after 22 years in the printing industry, 17 years in the motor-coach industry, and 9 years with the American Banjo Museum. She is a natural creative who has always appreciated the arts. She is currently experimenting and teaching herself to work with wool roving doing wet and needle felting projects.

Cody Hassell - Board Member

Cody is a musician, live sound engineer, and community advocate based in El Reno, Oklahoma. Performing both as a solo acoustic artist and as a member of the Canadian River Howlers, Cody’s music blends country, folk, and Americana influences with a deep appreciation for Oklahoma’s heritage and storytelling traditions.

Beyond the stage, Cody is the owner of Hassell Entertainment LLC, providing live sound production and event support for concerts, open mic nights, festivals, and community gatherings across the region. He regularly hosts Open Mic Night at Vices Bar & Venue, where he works to create an encouraging, welcoming space for both seasoned performers and first-time artists.

Cody is passionate about strengthening the local arts scene and believes that accessible creative spaces are essential to a thriving community. Through performance, production, and mentorship, he strives to connect artists with audiences and help build opportunities for creative expression in El Reno and beyond.