This summer, Gilcrease launched a partnership with the Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) as part of its 2018 Summer Reading Program to further foster literacy and connect reading to other disciplines — like art. In June, Gilcrease visited seven TCCL libraries to lead a series of one-hour programs tying storytelling, art and history together through interactive projects.

“As a child growing up in Tulsa, visits to the library enriched my summers, opened up new worlds and encouraged exploration of topics that affected my life direction today,” said Alison Rossi, director of learning and community engagement at Gilcrease. “Libraries make a difference in our community, and we wanted to team up to cultivate literacy, including visual literacy, and introduce children to some of the lesser known but fantastic stories associated with our collections. With TCCL sites located across the county, this partnership allowed us to reach new audiences and heighten awareness of the museum’s collection and programs.”

Ranging in topics from the “Art of Conservation: Picturing the Great Outdoors” to “Sombreros and Spurs,” Gilcrease helped introduce children to artists and artworks featured in the collection, their historical context and relevance to current events. In total, three different programs were presented at seven TCCL sites.

“Partnerships with institutions like Gilcrease Museum help the library achieve its goal of contributing to stronger communities by introducing the importance of life-long learning and literacy for all people throughout Tulsa County,” said Marilyn Tullis, assistant manager at Rudisill Regional Library. “This program helped teach children the basic format of storytelling and demonstrated a creative way to tell a story through the creation of story cubes.”

As Gilcrease expands its reach in the community, we are excited about the future and enhancing collaborations with TCCL to make a positive difference in the community.

“Gilcrease belongs to the people,” said Rossi. “When local educational and cultural institutions collaborate, we amplify one another’s efforts to serve the public. We hope to build on the success of this summer and to continue our work with the libraries to meet the needs of our communities and inspire and engage Tulsans in new ways.”