Gilcrease Magazine – Spring 2018 by The University of Tulsa

GILCREASE MAGAZINE SPRING 2018

Seasons of the Desert: Landscapes of the American Southwest March 16 - June 10, 2018

V OL U ME 2 6 , N U MBER 2

SPRING 2018

In this Issue

4 Seasons of

8 Bank of America Gift

the Desert

Works in this exhibition shatter the notion of the desert as a place of monochromatic desolation.

Bank of America’s continued support draws new audiences to the museum.

9 IMLS Grant A three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services will expand online access to the museum’s collections.

10 The Big Trail

Iconic stills from the 1930s movie that launched John Wayne’s career give a behindthe-scene portrait of early movie-making.

12 Symposia

Two spring symposia will enlighten attendees on the impact of migrations and Native cuisine.

14 Monroe Tsatoke

A recently restored portrait by Kiowa artist Monroe Tsatoke shows how the artist combined European avant garde with traditional to create a unique masterpiece.

Join us for Gilcrease After Hours ON THE COVER William Henderson (American, 1877-1943), Two Riders in the Canyon, c.1919, oil on board, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles. One of many works featured in the exhibition Seasons of the Desert: Landscapes of the American Southwest that runs through June 10.

Explore the museum, grab a drink, network with other young professionals, and support your local art community on the last Friday of the month from 7-9 p.m. Free Admission. March 23* Trivia Night April 27 Seasons of the Desert May 25 Hollywood and the West June 29 Electric Garden * Altered Schedule

Like us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

gilcrease.org Spring / 2018

V OL U ME 2 6 , N U MBER 2

SPRING 2018

In this Issue

4 Seasons of

8 Bank of America Gift

the Desert

Works in this exhibition shatter the notion of the desert as a place of monochromatic desolation.

Bank of America’s continued support draws new audiences to the museum.

9 IMLS Grant A three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services will expand online access to the museum’s collections.

10 The Big Trail

Iconic stills from the 1930s movie that launched John Wayne’s career give a behindthe-scene portrait of early movie-making.

12 Symposia

Two spring symposia will enlighten attendees on the impact of migrations and Native cuisine.

14 Monroe Tsatoke

A recently restored portrait by Kiowa artist Monroe Tsatoke shows how the artist combined European avant garde with traditional to create a unique masterpiece.

Like us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

gilcrease.org Spring / 2018

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Find Yourself at Gilcrease When I was a Tulsa city councilor and then a deputy mayor, people would frequently approach me in almost any environment to discuss city issues from A to Z … asphalt to zoning. I learned great ideas from those conversations in the frozen food section at the grocery, the register at the dry cleaners, the waiting Susan Neal room at the doctor’s office, in those unplanned encounters that led me to research, examine and then act on any number of issues raised by people who cared deeply about Tulsa. Since my appointment as Gilcrease Museum’s executive director nearly five months ago, I find myself in many unplanned encounters and discussions about the museum. Although the issues are different from my city hall days, the conversations feel familiar to me in how deeply people care about Gilcrease and its future. Museums are changing, and the people who shared ideas with me over the holidays were engaged and excited about the changes they see at the museum and in the Tulsa arts scene in general. There is a growing understanding and expectation of what an arts “experience” should be. The notion that museums and other arts offerings have been selective, exclusive and accessible to only those with advanced degrees must be part of the past to ensure a creative and healthy future, certainly for arts institutions, but most of all for society. With any transition or major cultural shift, there are tremors that destabilize not only long-held beliefs, but the believers. But change is not on the horizon, it’s here now. The most important thing to understand about today’s museum visitor is that one size does not fit all. With the “collapse of culture” into a virtual museum on every smart phone and laptop, the museum experience

A Message from the National Advisory Board Chair must offer what people of all ages are hungriest for but cannot find on a hand-held device — connection with one another. Empty nesters, who delight in their grandchildren, but don’t care for the raucous noise of kid-themed eateries, look for entertainment suitable for all ages. Millennials, who have grown up working in teams as students but as screen-agers outside of the classroom, look for connections in social experiences that can be shared in real time as well as on Instagram. And all ages look for those “aha” moments where they find relevance, information and experiences that engage them in seeing the world differently and how they fit into it. No doubt the planned expansion for Gilcrease is an exciting and overdue opportunity that will allow Tulsa to better share its world-class collection with the world. And while we contemplate the configuration of this much-needed wall space to accomplish this goal, we at Gilcrease are equally committed to the important work of removing walls, those invisible barriers that limit access to a certain few. Thomas Gilcrease miraculously brought together under one roof a collection of art and history that is as vast as the American experience itself. As much as we have an obligation to conserve and protect this collection, we must put it to work for Tulsa by engaging our city in a much broader conversation and serve citizens through the attraction of tourism dollars to our local economy. As we chart a new course for Tulsa’s treasure that is Gilcrease Museum, we commit to creating a culture of access, relevance, understanding and the joy found in lifelong learning such that every Tulsan and every visitor can and wants to frequently “find themselves” at Gilcrease. Kindest regards,

Susan Neal Executive Director of Gilcrease Museum and Helmerich Center for American Research Vice President for Public Affairs, The University of Tulsa

Share your ideas for what you want to see at Gilcrease now and in its future expansion. Go to www.gilcrease.org/MyGilcrease and complete the survey, or you can simply share your thoughts with me at Susan-Neal@utulsa.edu. Gilcrease Museum magazine

Nearly a decade into the successful partnership between Gilcrease Museum and The University of Tulsa, these two unique organizations continue to collaborate, foster interest and raise awareness about their unparalleled collections. This year, Gilcrease Jon R. Stuart staff and TU faculty have embarked on a new initiative: Cultures of the Americas (COTA) is a program designed to foster interdisciplinary teaching and research. To kick off this project, COTA has organized a symposium titled Dislocations and Migrations at the Helmerich Center for American Research on March 30-31, 2018. Scholars, students, activists, archivists, curators and librarians from universities, organizations and communities will gather for this first-of-its-kind event.

The conference seeks to engage its audience in research approaches, applications and means of communication that will adequately address aspects of displacement and migration deeply rooted in history around the world. The symposium will draw attention to the artistic and archaeological resources at Gilcrease, TU, the Helmerich Center and other regional repositories. My family has long supported similar endeavors, such as the Helmerich Center’s Visiting Scholar program, which encourages academic pursuits based on the collections of Gilcrease, exhibit development, publications and symposia. The vibrant partnerships underlying the COTA initiative demonstrate the ways in which archival, museum and library resources support inquiry and expand audiences by erasing the artificial boundaries between scholarship and community. I invite you to attend the Dislocations and Migrations symposium and learn more about COTA as we grow the Gilcrease-TU relationship and the many opportunities for expansion that this new initiative brings.

GILCREASE MUSEUM NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Jon R. Stuart, Chair Hans C. Helmerich, Vice Chair Max N. Berry, Chair, Collections & Acquisitions Committee Marcia M. MacLeod, Chair, Exhibitions & Programs Committee George S. Dotson, Chair, Planning & Development Committee Carol M. Adelson • Teresa B. Adwan • James F. Arens II • Joan B. Atkinson • James E. Bertelsmeyer • Robert S. Boswell Douglas A. Campbell • Frederick F. Drummond • Donna M. Dutton • Cynthia Stephenson Field • Randy A. Foutch E. Ann Graves • Gregory Allen Gray • Cheryl Groenendyke • Elizabeth Griot Hagans • William P. Healey • Susan B. Jackson Kristen Kenneally • David M. Leuschen • Marc C. Maun • Marcia V. Mayo • Charles O. Meyers, Jr. • Thomas Minckler Mia Mascarin Oven • Wilson Pipestem • James P. Ronda • J. Terrell Siegfried • Cameron O. Smith • Deacon Turner Christy Vezolles • Gilbert D. Waldman • Randi Stuart Wightman • Maxine Zarrow

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Susan Neal Executive Director of Gilcrease Museum and Helmerich Center for American Research Vice President for Public Affairs, The University of Tulsa

EXHIBITION FEATURE

Seasons of the Desert: Landscapes of the American Southwest

awakens in early spring. Artist Edith Hamlin found inspiration in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona, as new springtime growth emerged from mesquite and cacti. By juxtaposing soft desert shrubs and a family of deer against jagged, barren mountain peaks, she emphasizes the resilience of desert flora and fauna. In contrast to Hamlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calm landscape, B.J.O. Nordfeldt captures the tumult of a spring thunderstorm in the New Mexico mountains. Nordfeldt reduces the landscape to repeated arcs, portraying a mountain ridge that mimics turbulent ocean waves. The rain fractures the scene with strong diagonal lines, showing how a storm can radically alter the view of a landscape. The forces of spring demonstrate that the desert is ever-changing.

By Laura F. Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art, Gilcrease Museum

Edith Hamlin (American, 1902-1992), Sand Wash in Spring, 1949 oil on canvas, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Charles Partridge Adams (American, 1858-1942), Longs Peak & Mt. Meeker, oil on canvas, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

In popular imagination, desert climates are often dusty, barren wastelands of lifeless, parched earth. Over the years, writers, artists and filmmakers have portrayed the desert as a metaphor for emptiness and death. All too often, deserts are defined only by what they lack. But there is another side to the story. For millennia, the dry climates of the American Southwest have been home to flourishing civilizations, unique architecture and sophisticated arts. Far from a place of emptiness, this desert is

Gilcrease Museum magazine

full of life with a rich cultural heritage. Beginning in the early 20th century, after railroads made the Southwest increasingly accessible for travelers, modern American painters began to recognize the distinct beauty of this place. In their work, the brilliant colors of the changing seasons reveal the vibrancy of the desert landscape. At the dawn of a new year, rocky peaks and broad plains are softened with snow, blanketing the landscape with a pearly glow during long winter nights. The glittering crystals reduce

the land to a cool palette of indigo and pale gray. With quick brushstrokes, Colorado painter Charles Partridge Adams portrays a clear winter day in the mountains. The extraordinarily crisp winter sunlight of the high desert is captured in complimentary colors of gold and violet against a pale blue sky. Adams reveals the startling beauty in the coldest, harshest season of the year. Thunderheads loom and the first hints of delicate gold and green shoots begin to emerge from dormant branches and rough dirt, as the desert B.J.O. Nordfeldt (Swedish/American, 1878-1955) New Mexico Landscape, oil on canvas Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Spring / 2018

EXHIBITION FEATURE

Seasons of the Desert: Landscapes of the American Southwest

By Laura F. Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art, Gilcrease Museum

Edith Hamlin (American, 1902-1992), Sand Wash in Spring, 1949 oil on canvas, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Charles Partridge Adams (American, 1858-1942), Longs Peak & Mt. Meeker, oil on canvas, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Spring / 2018

In artworks from the collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles, Seasons of the Desert explores shifting views of the Southwest in the winter, spring, summer and autumn. Created during the past 100 years, these works range from realist scenes to heavily abstracted modern portrayals of the landscape. Each painter in this exhibit depicts the desert as a vibrant place, worthy of an artist’s brush, not a desolate wasteland. By showing the cycle of the seasons in the Southwest, this exhibition explores how artists helped change impressions of American deserts and inspired an appreciation for the unique southwestern landscape. Seasons of the Desert: Landscapes of the American Southwest has been organized by Gilcrease Museum and runs from March 16 to June 10 in the Sherman Smith Family Gallery. Title sponsor the 2018 exhibition season is an anonymous donor in fond memory of Sam Miller. Generous support is also provided by the Maurice DeVinna Charitable Trust, Robin F. Ballenger and Merkel Family Foundation.

This collection has a particular connection to Tulsa and the Gilcrease Museum. Gil Waldman became interested in artwork of the American West after moving to Tulsa in the 1950s with his new bride, Nancy. They enjoyed visiting Gilcrease, and Nancy soon became a Gillie. Summering in New Mexico, they attended seminars on the Taos Society of Artists and began collecting in earnest in the early 1980s. Together, they amassed a collection of historic paintings of the American West and American Indian art. After Nancy’s passing in 2011, Gil and art appraiser Christy Vezolles discovered a shared interest in museums, modernist works and Native American arts. They married in 2014 and have been happily acquiring new work, ranging from historic to contemporary.

Stuart Walker (American, 1904-1940), Near Chama, New Mexico, 1932, oil on panel, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Golden light, vivid blossoms and dusty travelers mark the sweltering summer months. Sage and poppies erupt in bloom. For a brief period, emerald valleys and bright flowers emerge. Painter William Henderson portrayed the lively landscape near Santa Fe, showing the contrast between the vivid greens of summer and the rust-colored rocks of steep canyon walls (see cover image). By reducing the details of the land to bold shapes with strong outlines in a postimpressionist modern style, Henderson focused on the brilliant array of summer colors — scarlet stones, chartreuse hills, green shrubs, a deep purple mountainside and a sparkling blue river leading through the New Mexico landscape. The two riders on horseback are dwarfed by their surroundings and allow viewers to imagine themselves traveling through this scene of summer. As the heat mellows and cool winds return, autumn reveals the Southwest’s most radiant colors. Creek beds become ribbons of yellow, ablaze with cottonwood foliage. Artist Stuart Walker captures an entire season of fall color in his landscape Near Chama, New Mexico — from green to pale gold, from fiery orange to crimson, from maroon to burnt umber. The colors themselves become the primary subject of the scene. Shortly after Walker completed this work, he took the concept a step further and began creating abstract paintings focusing purely on color and form, without reference to the natural world. For artists who found inspiration in the autumn landscapes of the southwestern desert, the bold colors and sparse shapes inspired a wide variety of creative responses including Walker’s explorations in abstract painting.

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Gene Kloss (American, 1903-1996), Arroyo Hondo, Taos, 1937 oil on canvas, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Spring / 2018

Stuart Walker (American, 1904-1940), Near Chama, New Mexico, 1932, oil on panel, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Gene Kloss (American, 1903-1996), Arroyo Hondo, Taos, 1937 oil on canvas, Collection of Gil Waldman and Christy Vezolles

Spring / 2018

Bank of America Amplifies Support of Gilcrease ank of America is a long-time, dedicated supporter of Gilcrease Museum, with a particular commitment to making sure area school children have the opportunity to explore the museum. Through Bank of America’s generosity, tens of thousands of students have had the opportunity to visit Gilcrease with their classmates at little to no cost to their schools. Bank of America continues its generous giving by awarding Gilcrease $15,000 to support additional student visits in 2018, providing new opportunities for them to learn about iconic American artists, our nation’s history, Native cultures and more. Understanding the value of the arts and culture to a community, Bank of America also sponsors the Museums on Us program, which provides Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust credit and debit cardholders free general admission on the first full weekend of every month, so they can experience more than 200 of the country’s most prominent cultural institutions across 123 cities in 35 states. The program brings new audiences to participating organizations. “Our Museums on Us program aims to make a direct impact by rewarding our cardholders with a valuable benefit, while supporting cultural institutions like Gilcrease,” said Bill Lissau, Oklahoma State and Tulsa Market President for Bank of America. “Bank of America is one of the world’s leading corporate supporters of arts organizations, with diverse programming geared toward creating greater access to the arts and helping local economies thrive.” Bank of America has invested in Gilcrease by adding to its collection as well. Gilcrease is fortunate to be the repository of not only amazing art, but in some cases, the artists’ personal effects and studio contents that provide unparalleled insight into artists’ processes, their work, personalities and the evolution of their careers. Recently, Bank of America gifted Gilcrease a painting, The Bronco Rider by Olaf Wieghorst, that had been on loan to the museum since 1995. The painting joins the artist’s studio collection, which contains more than 500 items, including completed paintings, unfinished works, Native American artifacts and personal effects given to Gilcrease Museum by Wieghorst’s widow in 1988. “The arts create the fabric that binds our community together in many different ways,” said Lissau. “While The Bronco Rider was acquired during our merger with Boatman’s

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Bank, we took a holistic look at where it could best serve the community and determined its highest purpose was to be with the Gilcrease’s permanent collection.” Wieghorst’s works are in fine company at Gilcrease, with work by related artists such as Charles Russell, Frederic Remington and George Catlin, also known for depicting horses and idyllic scenes of the American West. The museum is also home to other significant artists’ studio collections that include finished works, artist’s studies and personal effects from correspondence and photographs to clothing to pottery used in compositions. With deep collections representing various facets of an artist’s life, museum staff can better educate visitors of all ages on the importance of individual artists, their inspiration and the details of their lives. “Gilcrease is proud to collaborate with Bank of America and grateful for its long-standing partnership that supports our mutual commitment to education,” said Susan Neal, executive director of Gilcrease Museum. “We look forward to working with Bank of America in increasing accessibility to art and culture in Tulsa for years to come.”

Bill Lissau (center), Bank of America Market President for Oklahoma, and Tony Shinn (right), Oklahoma City Market President, present Olaf Wieghorst’s The Bronco Rider to Gilcrease Museum represented by Senior Director of Development Frank Mulhern (left).

Gilcrease Awarded Second Consecutive IMLS Grant In late 2017, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)* awarded Gilcrease Museum a highly competitive Museums for America grant. The threeyear, $277,566 grant will support the cataloging and imaging of 1,500 American Indian ethnographic items under stewardship of Gilcrease Museum. These collection items will be added to the digital collections database creating educational opportunities through online access of items related to the cultures and life of the indigenous peoples living in Northeast Oklahoma, specifically the Osage, Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) Nations. This award is the second consecutive IMLS grant presented to Gilcrease. In 2014, Gilcrease was awarded $150,000 to digitize the 3,500 pieces of the Harry J. Lemley collection of Mississippian pottery. The larger collection was purchased in 1955 and is now viewable online for the first time with six digital images and a complete catalog record for each vessel. The project also created a Distance Catalog Interface, which allows contemporary tribal members to provide more cultural information on each piece, allowing the museum to learn and share more information with online collection users. IMLS funding at Gilcrease has enabled museum staff to make more of the ethnographic collection accessible than

*The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. The IMLS mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant-making, policy development and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

what the current facility allows. Like the previous award, this IMLS grant will increase accessibility to the museum’s collection through the Gilcrease Online Collections website and the recently updated open-storage experiences in the Kravis Discovery Center, an anthropology-based, interactive, visible storage exhibition gallery. The items selected for this project, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, represent the cultures and history of Oklahoma-based tribes to which many current Oklahoma residents trace all or part of their ancestry. Currently, one quarter of all federally recognized tribal people in the U.S. live in Oklahoma, numbering more than 500,000. The project will expand upon the nearly 4,000 archeological items currently documented and included in the digital collections catalog and will include clothing and regalia, cradle boards, bandolier bags, baskets, pipes, dolls, rattles, drums, bonnets and ballgame sticks. Where known, full catalog information will be added, including identification, measurements, creator, culture, date, period, place, provenance, classification, object type, materials and techniques, iconography and expert commentary. Gilcrease Museum anticipates a variety of audiences from museum visitors to millions of people worldwide will have access through the online collection.

upper left: Osage Woman’s Wedding Coat (backside), GM 84.1783 lower right: Child’s Beaded Leather Moccasins with Geometric Designs, Muscogee (Creek), leather, glass beads, GM 84.2185a-b

Spring / 2018

Gilcrease Museum magazine

upper left: Osage Woman’s Wedding Coat (backside), GM 84.1783 lower right: Child’s Beaded Leather Moccasins with Geometric Designs, Muscogee (Creek), leather, glass beads, GM 84.2185a-b

Spring / 2018

Photographing Cliff Scene, The Big Trail Jackson Hole, Wyoming, July 1930 (detail), TL2016.18.1

the majestic sweep provided by to make the movie as authentic as the experimental Grandeur widepossible. This attention to detail, screen [70 mm] process used seen in the stereoscopic stills, in filming.” Made at the then provides a frozen-in-time sense enormous cost of more than $2 of what audiences of the day million, The Big Trail was filmed experienced as they enjoyed the on 15 far-flung locations in five film nearly 90 years ago. Western states, which proved And then there are the to be a very costly attempt at photographs of a very young John presenting the Oregon Trail Wayne, just 23 at the time. The migration saga as realistically Big Trail was Wayne’s first leading as possible. Ironically, this bigrole and the first film in which he budget epic was a box office flop appeared as John Wayne rather because most theater owners than Duke Morrison. Wayne was refused to invest in the projectors not the first choice to play the role required for the new widescreen of Breck Coleman. Raoul Walsh, format. Timing is everything: The the film’s director, originally Black Elk, Native American Actor, The Big Trail, 1930, (detail)TL2016.18.6 Great Depression preceded the offered the role to Gary Cooper, release of the film by one year. who turned it down. Walsh then Images in Exploring The Big Trail reveal just what $2 asked his friend and fellow director John Ford for suggestions. million in production costs looked like on the big screen Ford recommended the unknown Wayne because he “liked in 1930. Several images show the film crew on locations the looks of this new kid with a funny walk, like he owned the with spectacular backdrops, such as the Grand Tetons and world.” Jackson Hole in Wyoming. Many photographs give a sense Wayne would go on to star in many iconic Westerns, of the film’s enormous cast of nearly 300 principal actors including Stagecoach (1939), Fort Apache (1948), The Searchers and 20,000 extras. And rare for the time, hundreds of Native (1954), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), McLintock! Americans from five tribes, including Cheyenne and Sioux, (1963) and True Grit (1969). But first there was The Big Trail, were part of the cast. In addition to the huge human cast, and the unique behind-the-scenes photographs in the exhibit thousands of cattle and horses and a herd of bison were used Exploring The Big Trail.

THE BIG TRAIL By Mark Dolph, Curator of History, Gilcrease Museum

What to do with a recent donation of one-of-a-kind photographs? How about turning them into an exhibition? That’s exactly what guests will see in Exploring The Big Trail, which opens May 1 at Gilcrease Museum. The exhibition will showcase stereoscopic photographs taken during the filming of the 1930 motion picture The Big Trail, starring John Wayne. Many, if not all of these photographs are unique images never before exhibited. Exploring The Big Trail promises to provide valuable insights into the production of

Gilcrease Museum magazine

the film, an understanding of how the American West has been presented to audiences around the world and the role Westerns played in shaping the mythology of the West. As a film, The Big Trail is significant in several ways. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by The Library of Congress, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2006. The Big Trail was the first big-budget epic of the sound era. It was noted that “the plot of a trek along the Oregon Trail is aided immensely by

Jackson Lake, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 1930, (detail), TL2016.18.4

Ian Keith, Marguerite Churchill and John Wayne in Riverboat Landing Scene, The Big Trail, Sacramento, California, 1930, (detail), TL2016.18.3

There will be a screening of The Big Trail at Circle Cinema at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Spring May 6, 2018, / 2018 11 which will include a discussion of the film and exhibition Exploring The Big Trail.

Photographing Cliff Scene, The Big Trail Jackson Hole, Wyoming, July 1930 (detail), TL2016.18.1

THE BIG TRAIL By Mark Dolph, Curator of History, Gilcrease Museum

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Jackson Lake, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 1930, (detail), TL2016.18.4

Ian Keith, Marguerite Churchill and John Wayne in Riverboat Landing Scene, The Big Trail, Sacramento, California, 1930, (detail), TL2016.18.3

There will be a screening of The Big Trail at Circle Cinema at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Spring May 6, 2018, / 2018 11 which will include a discussion of the film and exhibition Exploring The Big Trail.

SYMPOSIA

Taking Part in Making Art

NATIVE AMERICAN CUISINES April 13 & 14• Gilcrease Museum • humanities.utulsa.edu

What’s the connection between cultural wellness and bodily health? Can a change in what people eat change not only the way they feel, but also the way they understand their history, their heritage and their future? A spring symposium titled Native American Cuisines: Traditions and Contemporary Contexts will draw together native chefs, documentary filmmakers, food historians, policy experts and political activists to explore the cultural and health effects of indigenous cuisines. The event begins on April 13 with a lecture and meal prepared by Ben Jacobs, an Oklahoma native and one of the innovative chefs behind Tocabe restaurant in Denver, Colorado. Registration is required for this dinner; pricing and

Charles Banks Wilson, Dividing the Offering oil on canvas, GM 0127.2477

other information is available at humanities.utulsa.edu. On April 14, panel discussions and film screenings will focus on various aspects of native food culture ranging from the mental and physical effects of indigenous cuisines to the work of the historians, seed keepers and chefs who are both recovering and reinventing traditional dishes. The symposium and admission to Gilcrease is free and open to everyone on Saturday. Special food-themed tours of the collection, a recipe exchange and a small market will be featured. Both the Friday dinner and Saturday symposium are sponsored by the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities at TU.

Dislocations and Migrations March 30 & 31 • Helmerich Center for American Research • gilcrease.org/migrations Displacements and migrations uniquely characterize all human experience. But, migrations are not all alike, nor are their causes and consequences easily described. After all, migration can be voluntary or involuntary; displacement speaks to power differentially deployed and experienced; and movements challenge domestic and international relationships. Even the way we remember migrations replicates political, cultural and social structures. Because migration and displacement are lived experiences and not simply conditions to be described, they involve trauma, reshaping identities and re-creation of communities,

Gilcrease Museum magazine

and thus refocus our notions of belonging, citizenship, community, family and health. At the end of March, university and community scholars and activists, archivists, curators and librarians will gather at The University of Tulsa’s Helmerich Center for American Research to consider these many issues from a variety of perspectives. Dislocations and Migrations is organized through a new TU faculty and Gilcrease staff initiative — Cultures of the Americas (COTA) — that is designed to foster interdisciplinary teaching and research through a hemispheric perspective.

#MyGilcrease

Complete the online survey for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card. Help design the reinvention of Gilcrease Museum – a world-class museum for Tulsa, by Tulsa. With funding through the Vision Tulsa bond package passed by voters in 2016, Gilcrease Museum will undergo a major renovation. But construction changes won’t be the only thing new at Gilcrease. We are gathering community input on programming, exhibitions, events and more to ensure Gilcrease continues to be the museum Tulsans dream it can be. Your responses are anonymous, confidential and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. We value your input and appreciate your willingness to help. Go to

www.gilcrease.org/MyGilcrease.

Museum visitors of all ages and abilities often seek art-making experiences as a way to deepen their understanding of objects in the collections and exhibitions, to connect with their creativity and to experiment with art media. Gilcrease’s new Drop-in Studio program provides opportunities to explore various materials, processes and concepts under the guidance of a teaching artist on three Sundays each month from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Creative Learning Center. Recently, Drop-in Studio participants explored watercolor techniques, innovative collage processes and different pen and ink styles. Future visitors to the Drop-in Studio program can try their hand at additive printmaking processes in April, discover and apply color relationships in May and learn how to carve three-dimensional works in June. Come by with friends or family to develop your skills, find inspiration and create your own work of art. No registration is necessary. The program is free for members and free with museum admission for all others. A list of Drop-in Studio dates may be found on the museum calendar on pages 16-17. We look forward to seeing your masterpiece!

For more information, visit gilcrease.org/migrations.

Spring / 2018

SYMPOSIA

Taking Part in Making Art

NATIVE AMERICAN CUISINES April 13 & 14• Gilcrease Museum • humanities.utulsa.edu

Charles Banks Wilson, Dividing the Offering oil on canvas, GM 0127.2477

Gilcrease Museum magazine

#MyGilcrease

www.gilcrease.org/MyGilcrease.

For more information, visit gilcrease.org/migrations.

Spring / 2018

COLLECTION FEATURE

Monroe Tsatoke: Modern Artist By Laura F. Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art, Gilcrease Museum In his all-too-brief career, Kiowa artist Monroe Tsatoke experimented with a variety of painting styles and helped establish a new trajectory for modern Native American art in the early 20th century. His painting Portrait of an Indian Man, recently repaired by the excellent conservators of the Western Center for the Conservation of Fine Arts, demonstrates how Tsatoke combined Kiowa traditions with European avant garde painting. In 2016, while researching Native American paintings in the Gilcrease collection, I found Portrait of an Indian Man deep in the vaults. Long before entering the Gilcrease collection, the painting had evidently been rolled and then flattened, resulting in several horizontal creases running across the canvas. The creases buckled and distorted the surface, almost like scars running across the portrait’s face. Yet beyond the distracting surface damage, I saw a captivating work of art. The figure’s face is beautifully rendered in bold brushstrokes — with striking pale green highlights. With a quick search for a signature, I discovered the artist was Monroe Tsatoke, one of the “Kiowa Six” artists from Oklahoma. While Tsatoke is best known for helping develop the flat style of Native American painting in the 1920s and ’30s, this portrait’s style and unconventional palette is much more similar to early 20th-century European modernist paintings. In the early 1900s, French artist Henri Matisse experimented with vivid, unorthodox colors, rejecting

photographic realism. Critics referred to Matisse and his fellow artists as “fauves” or “wild beasts” for their use of vivid, jarring colors. Matisse famously painted his wife Amelie with her face contoured in vibrant green in Portrait of Madame Matisse, The Green Line, 1905. Tsatoke’s Portrait of an Indian Man, with its exaggerated shadows, green highlights, and piercing eyes, is reminiscent of works by Matisse and other fauvist painters. When Tsatoke and the other Kiowa Six artists studied with Swedish artist Oscar Jacobson at the University of Oklahoma in the 1920s, Jacobson strongly encouraged them to work with watercolor and tempera on paper and maintain a flat, representational painting style. However, Tsatoke clearly absorbed a wider range of influences and experimented with a variety of painting styles and materials. Tsatoke’s Portrait of an Indian Man portrays a contemporary Kiowa individual from the 1930s. He asserts his identity with an intricate beaded vest and colorful scarf, his long hair bound in braids under a towering 10-gallon hat. His steady gaze confers a calm sense of pride and purpose. Rendered in a modernist European painting style, the portrait demonstrates that this individual can adapt and be fully part of the modern world while retaining his distinct Kiowa heritage. Portrait of an Indian Man is now beautifully conserved and restored to its original appearance. For the first time, we look forward to placing this portrait on view in the Gilcrease galleries in the near future.

While Tsatoke is best known for helping develop the flat style of Native American painting in the 1920s and ’30s, this portrait’s style and unconventional palette is much more similar to early 20th-century European modernist paintings.

Monroe Tsatoke (Kiowa, 1904-1939) Portrait of an Indian Man, c.1930 oil on canvas GM 0127.1929

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Spring / 2018

COLLECTION FEATURE

Monroe Tsatoke (Kiowa, 1904-1939) Portrait of an Indian Man, c.1930 oil on canvas GM 0127.1929

Gilcrease Museum magazine

Spring / 2018

Calendar of Events APRIL 6 First Friday Art Crawl, 6-9 p.m. Zarrow Center. Daniel Coburn photography. Free. 7 Mini Masters, 10:30-11:30 a.m. For ages 3-6, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required. 8 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Printmaking with Recycled Materials. For all ages. Free with museum admission. 10 Mini Masters, 10-11 a.m. and 12 p.m.-1 p.m. For ages 3-6, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required. 10 Art Explorations, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Gallery 18/Study. Free. 12, 13 Museum Babies, 10:3011:30 a.m. For ages birth to not-yet 3, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required. 13 Native American Cuisines Dinner, lecture and meal prepared by chef Ben Jacobs of Tocabe restaurant in Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit humanities.utulsa.edu. 14 Native American Cuisines Symposium, panel discussions and film screenings will focus on different aspects of native food culture. For more information, visit humanities.utulsa.edu. 15 Funday Sunday, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Exploring Sculpture, activities for all ages. Free.

9 Succulents Workshop & Gallery Talk, 1-2 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. Registration required. 22 Earth Day Celebration, 10 a.m.4 p.m. All are welcome for a special April day of conservation-themed activities and a performance by the Tulsa Children’s Chorus. Free. 26 Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera Talk with Tom Daly from the Norman Rockwell Museum, 7-8 p.m. Free.

13 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Color Relationships. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

27 Gilcrease After Hours, 7-9 p.m. Seasons of the Desert. See page 1 for details. Free.

18 Mini Masters, 10-11 a.m. and 12 p.m.-1 p.m. For ages 3-6, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required.

29 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Printmaking with Recycled Materials. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

19 Rockwell drawing workshop, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults and children ages 8 and up are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Learn the stepby-step composition techniques of America’s most beloved illustrator. Registration required.

MAY 4 First Friday Art Crawl, 6-9 p.m. Zarrow Center. Daniel Coburn photography. Free. 5 Mini Masters, 10:30-11:30 a.m. For ages 3-6, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required. 6 Exhibition talk and screening of The Big Trail, 2 p.m. Circle Cinema.

1 First Friday at the Central Library with Gilcrease Museum, 4:30-5:30 p.m. For families with children ages 3-15. Free.

8 Art Explorations, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.. Gallery 18/Study. Free.

1 First Friday Art Crawl, 6-9 p.m. Zarrow Center. Historical Maps of Tulsa. Free.

Gilcrease Museum magazine

JUNE

3 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Subtractive Sculpture. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

Museum Exhibitions Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera February 17, 2018 – June 10, 2018 Seasons of the Desert: Landscapes of the American Southwest March 16, 2018 – June 10, 2018 Exploring the Big Trail May 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018 To Endure in Bronze December 1, 2017 – December 31, 2018 Masterworks from the Gilcrease Collection Ongoing Enduring Spirit: Native American Art August 9, 2017 – Ongoing

27 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Color Relationships. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

8 Mini Masters, 12 p.m.-1 p.m. For ages 3-6, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required.

29 Gilcrease After Hours, 7-9 p.m. Electric Garden. See page 1 for details. Free.

25 Gilcrease After Hours, 7-9 p.m. Hollywood and the West, See page 1 for details. Free.

20 Mini Masters, 10-11 a.m. and 12 p.m.-1:00 p.m. For ages 3-6, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required.

10, 11 Museum Babies, 10:3011:30 a.m. For ages birth to not-yet 3, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required.

13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 Family Workshops, 10:30-11:45 a.m. Creative Learning Center. Studio program for children and caregivers. Registration required.

25-29 Summer Art Camp, 9 a.m.12 p.m. & 1-4 p.m. For ages 7-9. Half-day Class, Monday-Friday: $100 members, $125 not-yet members. All-day Class: $200 members, $250 not-yet members. Registration required.

20 Funday Sunday, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera, activities for all ages. Free.

6 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Color Relationships. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

American Girl Doll Tea Party 2-4 p.m. The featured doll will be Melody Ellison, 1964 historical doll.

24 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Subtractive Sculpture. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

11-15 Summer Art Camp, 9 a.m.12 p.m. & 1-4 p.m. For ages 5-6. Half-day Class, Monday-Friday: $100 members, $125 not-yet members. All day Class: $200 members, $250 not-yet members. Registration required.

17 Funday Sunday 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Arctic Adventures, activities for all ages. Free.

SAVE THE DATE • JULY 14

19 Jazz Night, featuring Matt Magerkurth. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Vista Room. Galleries remain open until 8 p.m. Buffet dinner provided. $8 per person.

10 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Subtractive Sculpture. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

19, 20 Museum Babies, 10:3011:30 a.m. For ages birth to not-yet 3, accompanied by caregiver. Registration required.

22 Drop-in Studio, 1-4 p.m. Creative Learning Center. Printmaking with Recycled Materials. For all ages. Free with museum admission.

18-22 Summer Art Camp, 9 a.m.12 p.m. & 1-4 p.m. For ages 10-12. Half-day Class, Monday-Friday: $100 members, $125 not-yet members. All day Class: $200 members, $250 not-yet members. Registration required.

5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 Summer Tour, 10:30-11:45 a.m. Interactive experience for children and caregivers. Free. Registration required.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Unexpected Views of Gilcrease Museum September 12, 2017 – April 22, 2018 Hidden in Plain Sight – Part II May 1, 2018 – Ongoing

JOIN THE GILLIES For over 50 years the Gillies have served as docents, outreach program speakers, Kravis Discovery Center facilitators, garden tour guides — anywhere volunteers are needed throughout Gilcrease Museum. Become a Gillie and join a new class of volunteers. We are also seeking Spanishspeaking docents. An open house at Gilcrease is set for May 2, 2018, from 10 a.m. to noon for those who want to learn more about becoming a museum volunteer. For more information or to RSVP for the open house, contact Donna Gainey at 918-596-2782, or donna-gainey@utulsa.edu.

FOR DETAILED INFORMATION,

Student Art Exhibitions CREATIVE LEARNING CENTER GALLERY

April 3 – April 29, 2018 Catholic Diocese Middle & High Schools May 1 – May 27, 2018 Metro Christian Academy

Spring / 2018 17 gilcrease.org/events