• June 30, 2009 - Gilcrease Museum Expands Introductory Charter Membership Program
• June 22, 2009 - Gilcrease to Feature Work of the Oklahoma State Capitol
• June 18, 2009 - Gilcrease Symposium to Look at British and Cherokee Interactions in 1762
• June 15, 2009 - New Exhibition Looks at 1762 Cherokee and British Societies
• June 1, 2009 - Exhibition to Reveal Rarely Displayed Pieces of Americana
• March 5, 2009 - Art Blast Program Begins at Gilcrease Museum
• February 16, 2009 - Gilcrease Opens Exhibition Featuring Art of Willard Stone
• January 12, 2009 - Gilcrease Museum Hosts American Impressionism Exhibition on loan from Bank of America
• November 22, 2008 - Gilcrease Draws from Its Permanent Collection for New Exhibition
• November 17, 2008 - Gilcrease Museum Celebrates the Holiday Season with the 12 Days of Gilcrease

GILCREASE MUSEUM EXPANDS INTRODUCTORY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

Beginning July 1, 2009, Gilcrease Museum will expand eligibility for its complimentary introductory charter membership program to all Oklahoma residents. Oklahomans who have not previously been a member of the museum are welcome to enroll in this membership program, designed to give Oklahomans the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the museum and become involved in its development.

Through the introductory program, participants receive free admission to the museum, a subscription to the bi-monthly museum e-newsletter, updates on upcoming events at the museum, discounts at the museum store and Restaurant, and the opportunity to purchase guest passes at half price.

“The citizens of Tulsa responded so well to the first year of the introductory charter membership program, we wanted to extend eligibility to all citizens of Oklahoma,” said Duane H. King, vice president for museum affairs for The University of Tulsa and executive director of Gilcrease Museum. “Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum is a treasure for this state to call its own, and one that all Oklahomans should have the chance to experience.”

The complimentary introductory charter membership is valid for 365 days, at which time renewal options will be available.

Those interested can register at the museum, online at gilcrease.utulsa.edu, or by calling (918) 596-2700.

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GILCREASE TO FEATURE WORK OF THE OKLAHOMA STATE CAPITOL

Oklahoma’s historical moments in time, its legends and people who make up the state are represented in the art of the Oklahoma State Capitol collection. Select pieces from the Capitol’s collection will be on display in Art of the Oklahoma State Capitol: The Senate Collection at Gilcrease Museum July 4-October 11, 2009.

The Capitol’s collection brings vibrancy and energy to the State’s buildings and grounds with the bronzes, murals, portraits and landscapes that transcend regional and ethnic diversity. While art was added throughout the years to the Capitol building, a strong surge began in the 1990s by the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund. Art was commissioned by Oklahoma artists to tell Oklahoma’s story.

“The legacy of the Oklahoma State Capitol art collection is one that preserves the character that is Oklahoma,” said Duane King, vice president for museum affairs and executive director of Gilcrease Museum. “Following the state’s centennial in 2007, this is a great way to remind Oklahoma citizens of their state’s rich history.”

The works in the exhibition at Gilcrease range in size from 12” x 8” to monumental 6’ by 8’ canvases and feature a variety of Oklahoma characters like Frank Eaton, best known as Pistol Pete, the Oklahoma landscape and its wildlife, as well as important moments in the state’s history.

Special thanks to The Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund, Inc., including Charles R. Ford, President and Director, Robert L. Rollins, Director, Blake Wade, Director, and Pam Hodges, Executive Assistant, for their assistance in organizing this exhibition.

Included in this exhibition are commissioned pieces created for specific locations within the Capitol building or to occupy historic frames purchased specifically for the legislative chambers and public passages. Funding for the commissions was raised through the private sector, from members of the Senate, governor’s office and other foundation. No public funding has underwritten the project.

For more information on the exhibition, click here.

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GILCREASE SYMPOSIUM TO LOOK AT BRITISH AND CHEROKEE INTERACTIONS IN 1762

Learn about 1762 Cherokee and British interactions during Gilcrease Museum’s inaugural advanced seminar series symposium “Historical and Cultural Contexts for the Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations Exhibition.” This symposium is held in conjunction with the opening of Gilcrease’s exhibition Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations.

The program will be held 8:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 11, 2009 in the Tom Gilcrease, Jr. Auditorium. This event is free with paid museum admission.

“This symposium is a great opportunity for visitors to learn about the story behind the exhibition – each culture’s different views of one another, the history behind the diplomatic visits and their experiences in a foreign land, as well as the political and social ramifications of their interactions,” said Duane H. King, vice president for museum affairs for The University of Tulsa and executive director of Gilcrease Museum. “The museum has brought in internationally recognized experts who can provide scholarly insight into the telling of this story.”

Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, will open the symposium with brief remarks. Speakers participating in the symposium will include:

• Jack D. Baker, president of the Trail of Tears Association and a Cherokee Nation Tribal Council member, will speak on the British view of Cherokee and British societies in 1762.
• Barbara Duncan, Ph.D., Museum of the Cherokee Indian education director, will present on the acculturation and adaptation in Cherokee and British societies in 1762.
• Robert Griffing, historical artist, will give a presentation entitled “Unlocking the Mysteries of the Woodland Indian.”
• Duane H. King, Ph.D., Gilcrease Museum executive director, will discuss the Cherokee view of British society in 1762.
• Jonathan C.H. King, Ph.D., keeper and manager of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas with the Centre for Anthropology at the British Museum, will present “Cheering Cherokees: Performing Diplomacy for 18th Century Visitors.”
• John Martin Robinson, Ph.D., a British architectural historian and officer of arms, will present a talk regarding Wilton House and the surrounding area as seen by the Cherokee delegation in 1762.

An optional lunch buffet will be available in Gilcrease’s Restaurant for $15. Pre-registration is required for lunch.

Seating is limited for the symposium and lunch. Those interested in registering should contact Deborah Burke, associate curator for adult and university programs, at (918) 596-2768 or by e-mail at deborah-burke@utulsa.edu.

Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations opens at Gilcrease July 4, 2009 and continues through January 10, 2010. The exhibition recounts the interactions between British officer Lt. Henry Timberlake and Cherokee leaders Ostenaco and Cunne Shote and their diplomatic missions to each other’s capitals in 1762.

Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations is sponsored by the Cherokee Nation.

For more information on the exhibition, click here.

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NEW EXHIBITION LOOKS AT 1762 CHEROKEE AND BRITISH SOCIETIES

An upcoming Gilcrease Museum exhibition will provide unique insights into how British and Cherokee societies viewed each other by first-time observers during the pre-Revolutionary war era. Sponsored by the Cherokee Nation, Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations opens July 4, 2009 and continues through January 10, 2010.

Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations relies heavily on the memoirs of Lt. Henry Timberlake, a British officer sent to the Cherokee capital of Chota after a peace treaty was concluded in November 1761. His memoirs provide one of the best accounts of Cherokee life and society in the late 18th century and were published about the time of his death in 1765. An original copy, considered to be one of the rarest books in America is part of the Gilcrease Museum archives.

In the exhibition, archaeological materials excavated from 18th century Cherokee sites, historical documents, and British artifacts from the period are matched with artwork and illustrations to tell the story of these two nations and their representatives who made diplomatic missions to each other’s capitals in 1762.

During the mid-18th century, the Cherokee were considered by Great Britain to be strong allies and trading partners. The alliance was broken in 1758 and a destructive three-year war followed. The Cherokee and British peace delegations in 1762 attempted to re-establish the military and economic alliance.

“The exhibit was inspired, in part by two portraits in Gilcrease’s permanent collection. Scyacust Ukah and Cunne Shote were members of the Cherokee delegation who sat for portraits by Joshua Reynolds and Francis Parsons while they were in London in June and July of 1762,” said Duane King, vice president for museum affairs for The University of Tulsa and executive director of Gilcrease Museum. “The upcoming exhibition at Gilcrease marks the first time these portraits will be shown with the cultural context of the subjects of the paintings.”

King is a historian on the Cherokee and is well-known for his research which enabled this story to be told. While first studying this subject, before he was associated with Gilcrease, King visited the Museum to study these two portraits and was able to learn from the intricate detail included in them to find original medals and items represented by those worn by the Cherokee leaders in the portraits dating back to 1762.

Gilcrease has planned educational programming in conjunction with this exhibition, beginning July 11 with an international symposium featuring scholars of 18th century British and Cherokee societies. The symposium, “Historical and Cultural Contexts for the Emissaries of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations Exhibition” will include guest lecturers from England and the United States discussing the British and American views on each other’s societies during the 18th century. More information is available by visiting http://gilcrease.utulsa.edu.

This exhibition was originally produced by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, located in Cherokee, North Carolina, and was seen by more than a million people during a four-month period at the Smithsonian Institution.

For more information on the exhibition, click here.

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EXHIBITION TO REVEAL RARELY DISPLAYED PIECES OF AMERICANA

An upcoming exhibition will provide a rare glimpse into the depths of one of the nation’s largest collections of art and artifacts from the American West and the North American continent. Thomas Gilcrease and the Making of an American Treasure will be on display at Gilcrease Museum June 6, 2009 - January 10, 2010 at Gilcrease Museum.

One of the foremost collectors of Western art and artifacts, Thomas Gilcrease was a man whose vision founded Gilcrease Museum. Located in Tulsa, Okla., the Museum houses more than 410,000 items of priceless art, artifacts and archival materials.

This exhibition will be the largest and most comprehensive display of original Gilcrease holdings ever assembled. It will include more than 300 objects, ranging from premier works of art to priceless artifacts and significant historical documents. The exhibition will represent 25 years of collecting by Gilcrease, who excavated some of these items with his friend, archaeologist Gregory Perino.

Items in the exhibition provide a rarely seen glimpse into the massive assemblage of items in Gilcrease Museum’s permanent collection. Because of space considerations, only a small percentage of permanent collection items are ever on display at a given time.

“These works are impressive on their own, but together in an exhibition of this magnitude, they speak to the foresight Gilcrease saw in creating this national treasure,” said Duane King, Vice President for Museum Affairs for The University of Tulsa and Executive Director of Gilcrease Museum. “Thomas Gilcrease’s passion for collecting the most important works of art and historical items from the American West and this hemisphere is truly apparent throughout the exhibition.”

With Thomas Gilcrease and the Making of an American Treasure, visitors will get the chance to see some of the items Gilcrease himself collected, such as his first art purchase. Gilcrease bought Rural Courtship by Daniel Ridgeway Knight, in a Tulsa hotel in 1912. At that time Gilcrease knew little about art, but was eager to learn.

Also on display will be a true treasure of the Gilcrease collection, a Beaver Effigy Platform Pipe, an item rarely on display.

“Some of the items Gilcrease had in his collection include the best examples of that kind of work,” said Randy Ramer, Gilcrease Museum Collections Manager and Curator of Anthropology. “The Beaver Effigy Platform Pipe excavated by Perino in Pike County, Illinois is an excellent example. There you have one of the finest artifacts of prehistoric North America made by the Hopewell people about 200 A.D. Perino and Gilcrease saved that piece for future generations to enjoy and study. The piece is truly a treasure of the Gilcrease collection.”

Selections from the impressive Cole Collection, a collection of Western art purchased from Dr. Phillip Cole in 1944, can be viewed as well. Regarded as the single greatest acquisition of Western art in history, the Cole purchase netted Gilcrease 636 works of art, books, photographs and archival material. The collection included works from:

• Frederic Remington who became known for capturing the West with his Impressionistic influence and action-packed paintings.
• Charles M. Russell, recognized as one of the great Western artists, who work possessed a narrative quality.
• Charles Schreyvogel, whose works captured the interaction between the government soldiers and the Plains Indians warriors.
• Frank Tenney Johnson, who created works that captured the individual in the great west.

Important documents from Gilcrease Museum’s archival collection also will be displayed, including:

• The only known certified copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, both signed by Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, and sent to Frederick the Great of Prussia;

• The Codex Canadiensis, a catalog created in the 17th century containing some of the earliest drawings relating to Canada; and

• The Cortez Decree of 1521 is a document signed by Cortez, Conqueror of Mexico, and is the earliest official decree following the fall of Mexico. Considered one of the first official orders issued by Cortez following the conquest.

The Man and the Museum
Thomas Gilcrease, born in 1890 in Louisiana, moved to the Creek Nation in Oklahoma that same year with his family. Because of his Creek lineage, Gilcrease was allotted 160 acres of land south of Tulsa. That land would be part of Oklahoma’s first major oil field, the Glenn Pool. Gilcrease’s collecting began in the mid-1920s, and in 25 years he amassed more than 10,000 works of art, 300,000 anthropological artifacts and 100,000 rare books and documents. In 1947, Gilcrease moved his collection from his oil company’s headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, to his modest home just northwest of downtown Tulsa. In 1949, he opened the new facility, the Thomas Gilcrease Museum. In the early 1950s, the citizens of Tulsa approved a bond issue to assume public ownership of the Gilcrease collection and development of the Museum. In 2008, the City of Tulsa partnered with The University of Tulsa to manage the city-owned Museum.

Items in the Gilcrease Museum’s permanent collection range from masterworks by Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington and Albert Bierstadt to engraved Eskimo scrimshaw, Peruvian garments, Mississippian pottery, documents dating to the 15th century, works by Native artists Woody Crumbo, Acee Blue Eagle and Willard Stone, and hundreds of thousands of other notable items.

Only a fraction of the Museum’s impressive holdings are ever on display at one time because of the sheer volume of items. Thomas Gilcrease and the Making of an American Treasure provides the opportunity for visitors to see highlights of the impressive and eclectic holdings Gilcrease is proud to call its own.

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ART BLAST PROGRAM BEGINS AT GILCREASE MUSEUM

Learn how much of a blast art is with Gilcrease Museum’s newest educational program, Art Blast, a program that focuses on bringing highlights of current exhibitions to children and families through educational and hands-on opportunities. The new program will begin in March and is sponsored by Bank of America. Art Blast is meant for families with children. The first Art Blast will be held Saturday, March 7, 2009.

“Art Blast gives families and children the opportunity to learn about artistic themes represented in our exhibitions in a fun and expressionistic manner,” said Duane King, Vice President for Museum Affairs for The University of Tulsa and Executive Director of Gilcrease Museum.

Activities on March 7 are themed to accompany the exhibition Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940, which was organized by Gilcrease Museum in collaboration with Bank of America Corporation.

During this event, families will have the chance to:
• Work with plein air artist Joey Frisillo as she teaches how to observe and capture outdoor light while creating a landscape painting
• Hear stories from the Tulsa City-County Library Children’s Department
• Enjoy lunch while viewing the Impressionable art of a balloon artist
• Watch a live performance of Artful Lives-Mary Cassatt and the Impressionists
• Create an Impressionistic art piece with the Tulsa Children’s Museum using all recycled materials.
• Make an encaustic painting with teaching artist Allison Lackner

Also that day, visitors will have the chance to sign up in Gilcrease’s Introductory Charter Membership Program, a complimentary membership program with benefits including free admission, discounts at the Museum Store and restaurant and priority registration and discounts for studio programs, kid’s classes and camps.

Later Art Blast events will be held in July, September and December and will feature activities relating to the exhibitions Art of the Oklahoma State Capitol: The Senate Collection, Emissaries of Peace, and Thomas Gilcrease and the Making of an American Treasure, respectively. All Art Blast events will have musical, live performances and hands-on components.

For a full schedule of events on March 7, click here.

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GILCREASE OPENS EXHIBITION FEATURING ART OF WILLARD STONE

Known for its rhythmic, flowing beauty, the art of Willard Stone tells a story about the ever-changing world that surrounded him. More than 100 carvings, drawings and photographs will be featured in Willard Stone: Storyteller in Wood at Gilcrease Museum February 21-June 21, 2009.

Stone grew up dreaming of becoming an artist, but a traumatic accident as a teenager steered him from his dream. Shortly after, he realized his love of art would not be dampened, and he began creating figures from clay. Eventually he turned to wood to tell his stories. Gilcrease Museum founder Thomas Gilcrease asked Stone to become an artist-in-residence beginning in 1946. During that three-year period, Stone created more than 50 sculptures that became a part of the Gilcrease collection.

“Willard Stone’s works reflected the turbulent times in society present at that time,” said Duane King, vice president for museum affairs for The University of Tulsa and Gilcrease Museum executive director. “Thomas Gilcrease felt strongly that Stone’s views expressed universal themes that transcended the regional origin of his work. With this exhibition, Gilcrease will have the opportunity to showcase its collection and share it with the community.”

Representing fertility, birth, regeneration and the seasons, Stone’s sculptures show a deep understanding of the delicate balance of nature. His thoughtful process used to create his carvings is evident throughout his work.

This exhibition contains all of Gilcrease’s Stone holdings and is supplemented with loaned pieces from public and private collections across the state. It is the first time an exhibition of this magnitude has been dedicated to solely to Stone’s work at Gilcrease.

Gilcrease has planned a full range of programs to coincide with the exhibition beginning noon on March 6 with From My Point of View: Art Deco and Willard Stone. Herb Fritz, Tulsa architect and cofounder of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, will discuss the ‘art’ of art deco style connecting the movement’s influence on artist Willard Stone as well as American architecture and design. The talk will be held in Gallery 18. This event is free and open to the public with paid Museum admission.

On March 15, the Sunday Matinee Films Series will continue with Willard Stone: Sculptor in Wood and Bronze. Screenings will be at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Tom Gilcrease, Jr. Auditorium. This film includes rare footage of Stone at work in his studio, a conversation with him about his art, and a tour of the Willard Stone Museum in Locust Grove, Oklahoma. This film was produced by Michael Jay Smith in 2002, and is 28 minutes in length. The documentary is not rated. This event is free and open to the public with paid Museum admission.

Willard Stone: Storyteller in Wood is sponsored by the 2008-2009 exhibition season sponsors: Bank of Oklahoma, H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust, Joe and Kathy Craft Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Pete and Nancy Meinig, Nadel & Gussman, L.L.C., Samson, The William K. Warren Foundation, The Williams Companies, Inc., and the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation.

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GILCREASE MUSEUM HOSTS AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM EXHIBITION ON LOAN FROM BANK OF AMERICA

Gilcrease Museum will host a collection of works by noted American Impressionists during Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940. On loan from Bank of America, the exhibition will be on display January 24 – May 3, 2009.

Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940 includes more than 110 works by 75 artists such as Childe Hassam, Arthur Wesley Dow, George Inness, Robert Spencer and others. As a group, these works explore Impressionism’s history in the United States through its French roots and American interpretation.

“This exhibition is one of great importance to the history of art in America and provides our visitors the chance to see these works by such noteworthy artists,” said Dr. Duane King, Vice President for Museum Affairs for The University of Tulsa and Director of Gilcrease Museum. “The subject matter is truly American and resonates with all visitors.”

In the exhibition, visitors will see the American Impressionists interpretations of the American landscape – both rural and urban themes – including specific locations, moments in time and those of the middle class at leisure.

Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940 was organized by Gilcrease Museum in collaboration with Bank of America Corporation.

Through its Art in Our Communities Program, Bank of America has converted its corporate art collection into a unique community resource from which museums and nonprofit galleries may borrow complete or customized exhibitions. By providing these exhibitions and the support required to host them, this program helps sustain community engagement and generate vital revenue for the nonprofits, creating stability in local communities. From 2008-2010, Bank of America will have loaned more than thirty exhibitions to museums nationwide.

Gilcrease has planned a full range of educational programs throughout the length of the exhibition beginning on January 24, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. with a lecture by Mary Edith Alexander, Curator for Bank of America. Alexander will provide an overview of how the exhibition was conceived and particular pieces selected, as well as share anecdotal and historical information on the bank’s American Impressionist collection. For more information on programming, visit gilcrease.utulsa.edu.

Bank of America and the Arts
Bank of America is a major supporter of the arts and heritage of the United States. The program represents a combination of responsible business practices with good corporate citizenship. As a financial institution, Bank of America is accountable for serving its shareholders, customers, associates, and the communities it serves. The bank’s support of the arts and arts-related nonprofit organizations is an effective way to serve stakeholders, in the short term, by driving positive business results through support of local economies. Over the long term, this support helps fuel innovation, drive the nation’s progress and shape its future.

Through its unique program, Bank of America shares exhibits from its corporate collection with the community through museum partners as part of its Art in Our Communities Program. Bank of America also offers customers free access to some of the nation’s finest cultural institutions through the acclaimed Museums on Us® program. In addition, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation provides strategic philanthropic support to museums, theaters and other arts-related nonprofits to benefit underserved populations and increase access to the arts.

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GILCREASE DRAWS FROM ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION FOR NEW EXHIBITION

Between the Lines: Cheyenne and Arapaho Ledger Art from Fort Reno is the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to Gilcrease Museum’s collection of ledger drawings in its permanent collection. Between the Lines: Cheyenne and Arapaho Ledger Art from Fort Reno is now on display through March 22, 2009.

The exhibition includes more than 40 drawings made by Cheyenne and Arapaho scouts serving at Fort Reno, Indian Territory, located near present day El Reno, Okla. The drawings were created in bound accounting ledger books, which were found in excess at the fort, and were colored with pencils and crayons.

The scouts created at least six ledger books. Two of these books are in Gilcrease’s permanent collection. The drawings on display depict courtship and military battle scenes.

“Gilcrease is fortunate to count two of these important historical items in its collection,” said Duane King, vice president for museum affairs for The University of Tulsa and Gilcrease Museum director. “This art is incredibly significant, not only to the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, but also as a record for this period in the history of the American West.”

Ledger art continued in hide paintings’ tradition of being highly stylized and oriented horizontally. People and animals were drawn in profile, and scenes were meant to be scanned from right to left.

“One aspect of ledger art that did depart from earlier styles was the addition of courtship as a reoccurring theme,” said Kimberly Roblin, associate curator at Gilcrease Museum. “Emerging during the Reservation Era, courtship scenes became common and included some of the most colorful and detailed images.”

Gilcrease’s books, as well as others like it, provide an accurate and detailed record of life during both the Pre-Reservation and Reservation Eras. Several artists and subjects are represented in these books.

Gilcrease is offering a number of educational events surrounding this exhibition, beginning with a lecture by Mary Jo Watson, director for the School of Art at the University of Oklahoma at noon on Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.

Gilcrease’s education department also has made available blank ledger books to be in the gallery. Gilcrease encourages children to create their own ledger art in these books, leaving them for others to view throughout the exhibition.

Between the Lines: Cheyenne and Arapaho Ledger Art from Fort Reno is part of the 2008-2009 Exhibition Season sponsored by Bank of Oklahoma, H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust, Joe and Kathy Craft Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Pete and Nancy Meinig, Nadel & Gussman, L.L.C., Samson, The William K. Warren Foundation, The Williams Companies, Inc., and the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation.

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GILCREASE MUSEUM CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE 12 DAYS OF GILCREASE

Celebrate the holiday season at Gilcrease Museum during the 12 Days of Gilcrease. Special events are planned during the holiday season, beginning on Nov. 21 and ending Dec. 20. Activities include educational programming, store discounts and a special 101 Ranch Family Holiday.

Programming includes a lecture by writer, broadcaster, critic and teacher Michael Lasser titled Where God Makes the Scenery. Lasser will discuss the ways in which popular American music uses botanical references to reflect the social and emotional context of its day. Where God Makes the Scenery is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Nov. 22, in the Tom Gilcrease Jr. Auditorium.

On Dec. 5, Mary Jo Watson, director for the School of Art at the University of Oklahoma, will be the guest for From My Point of View at noon. She will discuss Cheyenne and Arapaho ledger art and the contents of the Museum’s 1887 ledger book. The program coincides with the latest exhibition, Between the Lines: Cheyenne and Arapaho Ledger Art from Fort Reno, which features more than 40 works created by scouts stationed at Fort Reno, Indian Territory, near present day El Reno.

A Family Art Workshop will be held 1-3 p.m., Dec. 6, where kids ages 5 to 10 and their caregiver can join teaching artist Allison Lackner as they make Native American Clay Pots. Advance registration is encouraged and the program is free.

Also on Dec. 6, author Joan Stauffer will give a lecture at 1:30 p.m. in the Tom Gilcrease Jr. Auditorium on Nancy Cooper, famous American West artist Charlie Russell’s ‘pardner,’ followed by a book signing of Stauffer’s recent biography Behind Every Man: The Story of Nancy Cooper Russell.

Studio Gilcrease 4 Teens, a visual arts program for high school students, will be held at 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 in the Gilcrease House. Freshmen and sophomores can make pop can sculptures in the morning session, while juniors and senior can make artist chairs in the afternoon session. Advance registration is required. Cost is $7 per student.

The Frontier Photographers, a 90-minute documentary, will be screened at 1:30 p.m., Dec. 14, as a part of the Sunday Film Matinee series. Join photographer William Henry Jackson, Jack Hillers and Timothy O’Sullivan as they explore and capture the American West through photography. The screening will take place in the Tom Gilcrease Jr. Auditorium.

The Museum Store will hold a series of sales throughout the holiday season. The annual Bronze Sale will be held Nov. 21-23, where all bronze sculptures in the Museum Store will be discounted 30 percent. Save 20 percent on all merchandise Nov. 28-30 when you bring in two non-perishable food items for the Community Food Bank of Oklahoma during the Thanks for Giving Sale. The annual Member’s Shopping Spree will be held Dec. 5-7. Members can receive 25 percent off all merchandise in the Museum Store. Also, receive 20 percent off all jewelry Dec. 13-14 during the Museum Store Jewelry Sale.

On Dec. 20, the 12 Days of Gilcrease concludes with a 101 Ranch Family Holiday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Cookies and punch will be provided throughout the day and families that attend will receive a discount coupon to use in the store that day. A Family Art Workshop will be held from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. where kids ages 5 to 10 and their caregivers can make wild west tote bags. From noon-1 p.m. kids who donate one canned food item can participate in terrapin derbies. Western acoustic musicians will also be on hand to fill the Museum with holiday music while children can visit and take their picture with Cowboy Santa.

All activities are free with paid Museum admission unless otherwise noted.

For more information on all the 12 Days of Gilcrease events, please call (918) 596-2700.

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