The Gilcrease Commitment
Today, we grieve as George Floyd is laid to rest in Houston, two weeks after his murder. In the time following his death, we commemorated the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, which makes even more pronounced the pain we feel watching the senseless killings of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many …
Chelsea Herr appointed new curator of Indigenous art and culture
Gilcrease Museum has appointed Chelsea Herr as the Jack and Maxine Zarrow Curator of Indigenous Art and Culture as Gilcrease embarks on the biggest transformation in its 70-year history. As a result of the upcoming new museum project, Gilcrease is fundamentally changing how it tells the museum’s stories and displays the collection. This new addition …
Mellon Grant to Fund Native Americans Collections Research
Gilcrease Museum has recently been named a recipient of a three-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation totaling $500,000. This award will support curatorial capacity and research of the museum’s broad Native American collections. Founded in 1969, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest funder in arts and culture and humanities in …
The Helmerich Center’s Nahuatl-Language Texts
By Travis Jeffres, Duane H. King Postdoctoral Fellow As a post-doctoral fellow at the Helmerich Center for American Research, I work primarily with the Hispanic Manuscripts — a 25,780-page collection of singular importance for the history and cultures of the Americas. But there is more to this collection than just Spanish-language documents. There are also …
Home Stretch
Image, catalog, repeat. For the past two years, the Gilcrease Museum digital collections and anthropology departments have been cataloging and imaging 1,500 American Indian ethnographic items. This work is a result of the museum’s second consecutive Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)* grant. Awarded in December 2017, the project is more than halfway complete. …
Bank of America Supports Education at Gilcrease
Gilcrease Museum relies on its vital partnership with the corporate community to provide a foundation for operating support for exhibitions and educational programs at the museum and in communities throughout Oklahoma. Recently, in support of Tulsa students, corporate partner Bank of America made a gift of $19,000 to assist with transportation needs to encourage area …
Meet the new assistant director of the Helmerich Center for American Research
Dr. William Smith, who recently joined the Gilcrease Museum team with a rich background in history and a clear vision for furthering the mission of the Helmerich Center. What’s your hometown? I was raised in Marlow, a small town in southwest Oklahoma. I lived in Norman, Oklahoma, and South Bend, Indiana, for several years. More …
Director’s Report
The COVID-19 virus has gripped the nation and the world in recent weeks, but I want to assure you that our bold vision for a new Gilcrease Museum continues to move forward. These uncertain times have not changed our plans to explore boundless opportunities for the museum and the City of Tulsa. The work we …
Making History
Before COVID-19 and eventually after it is gone, one of my favorite activities as mayor of Tulsa is the chance to host student groups in my office for questions and answers. The discussion is usually a reminder of how bright our city’s future is, and it is important to me that young Tulsans view public …
Gilcrease Museum to hold public forums for community input
March 12, 2020 – The health and safety of our community is the top priority at Gilcrease Museum. While the museum remains open and welcomes all visitors, Gilcrease Museum has canceled public programs scheduled for March 12 through April 5, including the series of six community forums. Please be advised that the public survey to …