Gilcrease Magazine – Winter 2020

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MEMORIES & I N S P I R AT I O N S : T H E KERRY AND C. BETTY DAVIS COLLECTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART January 24 - July 26, 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

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M E M O R I E S & I N S P I R AT I O N S : THE KERRY AND C. BETTY DAVIS COLLECTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART Explore nearly 100 years of African American art.

Like us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter and Instagram @GilcreaseMuseum.

Gilcrease Museum’s 2019 exhibition season is sponsored by William S. Smith.

Generous support is also provided by C.W. Titus Foundation, Robin F. Ballenger, Arts Alliance Tulsa and the Gilcrease Council.

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PUTTING HISTORY INTO PERSPECTIVE Learn how one researcher is shedding new light on history for both the scholarly community and TU students.

COLLECTING WITH GILCREASE IN MIND Meet Donors Greg Gray and Sharon Bell.

VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1 WINTER 2020

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LENDING A VOICE TO HISTORY Learn how digitization efforts reveal and humanize history.

DIA DE REYES Celebrate a cherished Latin American tradition on January 4.

A LOOK AHEAD Plan ahead with a look at our 2020 exhibition schedule.

On the cover: Beverly Buchanan, Shack with Chair, 1989, foam board. Photograph by Gregory Staley. © 2018 Jane Bridges.

Claude Clark, Self Determination, 1969, oil on board. Photograph by Reis Birdwhistell.

Gilcrease Museum Magazine / Winter 2020

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DIRECTOR'S REPORT

lifetime resident of Gray Horse, where most of the murders in Grann’s book took place.

With the movie anticipated to attract world-wide interest, the panelists’ presentation brought home the importance of Scorsese’s production to seek input from the survivors and descendants of the Osage murder victims, those closest to this story, to insure an accurate portrayal of their family, their tribe and Native people more broadly. While this discussion tackled difficult issues and wounds that still challenge our community and our nation, the content was even more compelling as presented by Oklahomans who are living proof of the resilience of Native Americans in history and contemporary life.

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he land, the people and how we get along ... the three major themes in the Gilcrease Interpretive Plan are without doubt resonating in Tulsa and “showing up” as evidenced in a community discussion hosted at Gilcrease this fall sponsored by TU’s Oklahoma Center for the Humanities. Since our plan’s inception, the museum’s exhibitions and programs make clear that Gilcrease welcomes everyone, engages its visitors in meaningful and civil discussion and provides those experiences through examining art and history to foster greater empathy and understanding to shape a better future.

This particular program perfectly delivered on those goals. In the Vista Room overlooking the Osage Hills capped by a glorious sunset, 250 people gathered in October to hear a discussion of David Grann’s book, "Killers of the Flower Moon" and the soon to be produced film version directed by Martin Scorsese.

The book is credited as being a fair and accurate representation of the systematic murder of Osage people for financial gain by Whites during the 1920s. The panel discussion, led by Gilcrease National Board member Wilson Pipestem, included research of this era by TU professor, Dr. Gerrick Bailey and national data regarding perceptions of Native peoples in current-day America provided by IllumiNatives’ CEO, Crystal Echo Hawk. Particularly poignant were the personal experiences shared by Cecelia Tallchief, Osage tribal elder and

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The panelists and the discussion that followed evoked a series of emotions including frustration, hopefulness for greater understanding, gratitude for common ground discovered through civil discourse and finally, empathy. As executive director of a museum who aspires to provide space in our community for bridge building through education, this experience was gratifying and inspirational. It served as a reminder that museums are critical to a civil society and an important part of upholding democracy.

When I count my blessings this holiday season, premier among them will be my family and the absolute joy I take in leading an extraordinary team of people at Gilcrease Museum in partnership with The University of Tulsa whose work is making a difference in shaping the future. The important role Gilcrease can play in growing understanding and connecting people through art and history cannot be overstated or realized without your generous support.

Along with all good wishes for the holidays, I send you heartfelt thanks for choosing to make a positive difference through Gilcrease membership.

Sincerely,

Susan Neal

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

GILCREASE VIEWS

From lectures to exhibition activities and beyond, there is always a way to get involved at Gilcrease. Make sure to check our upcoming schedule of events at gilcrease.org/events to plan your next museum visit.

January 24 through July 26, 2020 The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art

By Laura Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art

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Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art was organized and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC

Michael Ellison, Mickey Dees, 1987, woodcut. Photograph by Reis Birdwhistell.

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ow are memories and cultural expressions preserved over time?

Inspired by previous generations of African American art collectors, Kerry and Betty Davis began gathering a wide variety of works by African American artists. Today their collection presents nearly 100 years of art, amassed over 35 years. The exhibition Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art presents 62 selected works from this astonishing collection.

of struggle, courage, and triumph over adversity are central to artists like James C. McMillan and Claude Clark. In his painting Old Jesse’s Legacy, McMillan takes aim at bombastic North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, a longtime ideological obstacle to civil rights and other egalitarian reforms.

Claude Clark’s painting Self Determination features two black hands wielding a mallet and chisel to break the chains from two black wrists, symbolizing a fight for freedom and equality.

Through bold visual statements, the exhibition shows artistic responses to larger societal concerns around civil rights and social justice. Images

The exhibition also contains quieter celebrations of everyday life and labor.

Jacob Lawrence’s graphite drawing Builder Series #8 depicts a group of

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carpenters at work, part of a series celebrating the dignity of everyday labor. Beverly Buchanan’s sculpture Shack with Chair looks back at rural Southern daily life in the early 20th century, celebrating a simpler time with vivid contemporary colors. Collector Kerry Davis, who built this collection on a postman’s salary, was himself the model for Larry Walker’s whimsical assemblage sculpture Postman, a tribute to the fortitude of America’s postal workers.

Beyond representational

Charles White, Lily C., 1973, etching.

Photograph by Gregory Staley. © 2018 The Charles White Archives.

subject matter, Memories & Inspirations explores how African American artists such as Sam Gilliam and Alma Woodsey Thomas contributed boldly to 20th-century abstract art in the

United States. Gilliam’s untitled oil and acrylic painting portrays bright colors bleeding into one another, an abstract image inspired by jazz improvisation.

Thomas’s bold watercolor suggests intense motion with black slashes against a field of cobalt blue, showing her unique expressionist style.

With strikingly diverse media and styles, these artworks respond to historical narratives and make bold creative statements, shaping 20th-century American art as a whole. For Gilcrease Museum, an institute of American history and art, this exhibition shows how African American artists provide critical perspectives on the American experience. 

Yashua Klos, Coby, 2003, graphite. Photograph

by Gregory Staley. © 2018 Yashua Klos.

MEET THE COLLECTORS Longtime residents of Atlanta, Kerry Davis and his wife Betty do not fit the historical stereotype of art collector and connoisseur.

Kerry is a retired mailman, and Betty is a former television news producer. They gladly gave up many ordinary comforts in order to live with extraordinary paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures as their principal luxuries. Their encyclopedic knowledge of African American art and artists draws from a lifetime of private study rather than university coursework, and their collection is housed in their split-level home in downtown Atlanta.

Kerry and Betty did not search exclusively for well-known artists. Rather, they focused on the more meaningful task of gathering and preserving a range of artistic approaches to the black image.

Larry Walker, Postman, 2013, assemblage. Photograph

by Reis Birdwhistell. © 2018 Larry Walker.

They always looked for deeper meanings in the art they acquired, whether social, cultural, historical or personal. Some works appealed because of a childhood memory, a deeply-held conviction, an affinity for the artist or simply an appreciation of beauty.

The result is an eclectic gathering of pieces crossing different mediums, subjects, and styles by a group of artists of the African Diaspora. As their collection has grown, so has the Davises' storehouse of memories of discovering new works of art, building friendships with artists, and conversing with museum professionals and other collectors in their home. Memories & Inspiration brings together an awe-inspiring selection of works, but it is their personal resonance—their connection to the Davises’ hopes, passions, and everyday lives—that gives the collection its unique power.

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I-Witness Culture:

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FRANK BUFFALO HYD

rtist Frank Buffalo Hyde (Onondaga/ Nez Perce) believes it is the artist’s responsibility to represent the times in which they live. Transforming street art techniques into fine art practices, his humorous and biting narrative artworks do exactly that. In I-Witness Culture, Hyde investigates the space where Native Americans exist today: between the ancient and the new; between the accepted truth and actual fact; between

By Laura Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art the known and the unknown.

From its founding in 1949, Gilcrease Museum has collected and supported contemporary Native American artists throughout the museum’s history. In the 1940s and 50s, Thomas Gilcrease invited contemporary artists Willard Stone, Acee Blue Eagle, and Woody Crumbo to work as artists in residence for Gilcrease Museum, bringing modern perspectives to the historical museum collections. As Gilcrease Museum begins planning for a major building renovation and expansion, we are reconsidering a larger context for the art and cultural heritage in the Gilcrease collection. How do contemporary artists today respond to historical imagery of Native peoples?

By connecting historical references to contemporary popular culture, Hyde confronts representations of Native peoples in the 21st century. Hyde writes, “Pre-millennium, if you asked anyone if Native Americans existed, most people would tell you only in the past, in black and white photos. They are almost extinct, they would say, and their lands are gone. If you ever meet one, ask if you can touch their hair, take a picture of them as proof that you actually saw one—like Bigfoot they exist beyond the 8

scope of normal experience.

Post-millennium, Native Americans are part of the digital age, the selfie age, where if something hasn’t been posted to social media, it never happened. Humans are sharing information at a rate that has never been possible before—we no longer just experience reality; we filter reality through our electronic devices.”

Feb. 8 – May 10, 2020

In a nation obsessed with sameness— afraid of difference—popular culture often homogenizes indigenous cultures, “honoring” Native peoples with fashion lines, misogynistic music videos, or offensive mascots and Halloween costumes. Today, these stereotypes and romantic notions are being challenged as a new generation of Native American artists use social media to let the world know who they are. "Today, we are the observers, as well as the observed. We are here, we are educated, and we define Indian art," said Hyde.

Documenting the experience of Native American existence in the digital “selfie” age, I- Witness Culture explores technology as a tool of indigenous

activism, a means to document, and a form of validation. For Hyde, and for a new generation of Native American artists, technology and social media lets the world know who they are.

“If I can get someone’s attention about stereotypes and perceptions of contemporary Native art, I’ll have done my job,” Hyde says.

Born in 1974 in Santa Fe, Frank Buffalo Hyde grew up in central New York on the Onondaga Reservation. His father, sculptor Doug Hyde, also has work in the Gilcrease collection. He returned to New Mexico to study at the Santa Fe Fine Arts Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts from 1993 to 1996. In 2009, Hyde was awarded a solo exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe. In 2012, Hyde was an artist in residence at the Museum of Contemporary Native American Art.

K O DE “When working on a piece, I tap into the universal mind. The collective unconsciousness of the 21st century.

Drawing images from advertisement, movies, televisiton, music and politics.

Expressing observation, as well as knowledge through experience,” Hyde writes. “Overlapping imagery to mimic the way the mind holds information: nonlinear and without separation. I don’t need permission to make what I make. Never have...no artist should.” 

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PUTTING HISTORY INTO PERSPECTIVE Ostracized to the margins of history, minority voices have often been muted. Drowned out by the victors’ version of events, the nuances presented by varied perspectives is missing from history books.

But Helmerich Center for American Research’s inaugural Duane H. King Postdoctoral Fellow, Travis Jeffres, is working to provide a megaphone to indigenous people who migrated from central Mexico to northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest hundreds of years ago.

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For one year, Jeffres will delve into the Hispanic documents, 25,000 pages of manuscripts housed at HCAR, while also teaching history classes at The University of Tulsa. “It’s really a dream position for me,” Jeffres said. “It gives me time to research and write, but I also get to teach and be at the epicenter of this amazing collection that is really helpful and useful to me.”

GAINING A NEW PERSPECTIVE Jeffres is writing a book originating from his doctoral thesis with the working title "The Mexican Indian Diaspora in the Great Southwest." By retracing the steps of the Spaniards and their allies from 1550 to 1680, he discovered compelling narratives that would make any historian’s eyebrows raise in curiosity.

“I started noticing these references to Nahuatl-speaking people, specifically the Tlaxcalans, who were allies of Hernán Cortés who overthrew the Aztec Empire,” he explained. “I am trying to figure out why these Nahuatl-speaking peoples, who were formerly restricted to central Mexico, ended up 1,500 miles away.”

In preparing his research, Jeffres not only mastered Spanish but he also learned to read Nahuatl. His ability to decipher the many texts written in Nahuatl revealed a more refined view of the Tlaxcalans and other Nahuas.

The Tlaxcalans were seen as loyal allies of the Spaniards throughout the 16th century, but that may not be the entire story.

A last will and testament from a Tlaxcalan man, Domingo Morales, sheds light on a native person’s perspective when faced with colonizing the north. “Domingo says explicitly, ‘I have to prepare my soul in case I die where I have been chosen to be sent.’

In truth, he was terrified to go,” Jeffres shared. “For that one document alone, HCAR was incredibly important to my research.”

A G L O B A L LY M I N D E D CLASSROOM Jeffres does not believe in shallow interpretations of history, and in the classroom, he challenges his students to think beyond their own borders. “If we can give people a historical perspective and encourage them to look at other cultures and see the value in them, it doesn’t make sense to study history according to nation states,” he added.

In the spring, Jeffres will bring his personal expertise to the classroom through a course at TU that focuses on diasporas, migration, identities and colonialism. The topic provides a learning opportunity for students

to view the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border through the lens of history.

“People have been going back and forth over this imaginary line at the U.S.Mexico border for thousands of years.

These migrations are foundational to their identity, and we have forgotten that,” he said. “Historical insight encourages people to be more globally minded, which can translate into more inclusive notions of citizenship, nationhood and belonging.”

HISTORIAN ON A MISSION By dusting off and re-examining the stories of the 16th century Spanish conquest, Jeffres revealed a more complex story. “If we limit ourselves to only European sources, we are only going to see one side of the narrative,” he said. “Spanish colonists were not in the business of recording the thoughts, ideas and motivations of people that were subordinate to them under colonialism.”

Jeffres uses archival material as a front row seat to history, and he hopes others will pull up a seat.

Dive deeper into Jeffres's research at gilcrease.org/news/ jeffresresearch

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COLLECTING WITH GILCREASE IN MIND M

ost collectors don’t set out to collect art; rather they discover an interest emerging from a series of life experiences. Museum visits are one such experience. In fact, Mr. Gilcrease himself developed his interest in collecting after visiting European museums on business in the mid-1920s.

Such is the case with Sharon Bell, who with her husband, Greg Gray, recently gifted Gilcrease with several pieces of art from their collection. Bell recalls her first visit to Gilcrease was as a student in elementary school. She began buying art while in college.

“I went to art festivals in Oklahoma City and met gallery owners through my parents,” she recalled. Rennard Strickland, University of Oklahoma law professor and collector, influenced her parents’ collecting and therefore hers as well.

Gray grew up in Muskogee and, consequently, was familiar with the Native artists who worked in the area, such as Jerome Tiger, Willard Stone and Acee Blue Eagle. Gray remembers seeing a mural by Blue Eagle in Muskogee’s Carnegie Library while he was growing up.

“I didn’t start collecting as early as

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Sharon, but developed an interest in Gilcrease after moving to Tulsa because of my exposure to these artists back in Muskogee,” Gray said. “It was natural.”

Together, their collection grew, being influenced by other collectors, their travels and their connection to Gilcrease Museum and Tulsa, where the couple collected work by Rendezvous artists, among others. In fact, it was a trip to Victoria, British Columbia that gave birth to an interest in Northwest Coast art – particularly that of Tony Hunt and family – which made up about half of their recent gift to Gilcrease.

“We started collecting art as mementos of our trips. We visited a gallery in Victoria and the art spoke to me. I really liked the colors. I had a number of hours of anthropology study and these works told stories I thought were significant, stories that were important to the culture,” Bell said.

Gray developed an interest in Regionalism and printmaking after seeing an exhibition of work by the Dallas Nine, a group of painters, printmakers, and sculptors active in

Dallas in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Among the group was Alexandre Hogue, who later became chair of the art department at The University of Tulsa (Hogue remained in Tulsa for nearly 50 years after taking the post).

“I worked with gallery owners in Dallas and Tulsa to acquire pieces,” said Gray, who currently serves as a member of the Gilcrease Museum National Advisory Board, and spent many years on the Thomas Gilcrease Museum Association Board before the City of Tulsa’s partnership with TU commenced. (In total, the couple has spent more than 20 years as board members of Gilcrease and TU.) Bell and Gray have made their affinity for Gilcrease a family affair. Both recall

A CLOSER LOOK

By Laura Fry, Senior Curator and Curator of Art with smiles bringing their son, John, in a stroller to the museum and standing in front of Albert Bierstadt’s Sierra Nevada Morning, where John would point out, “Deer! Deer!” in the painting.

“I don’t know,” Gray wondered. “I think that could be part of the reason why John is fond of the outdoors as an adult.”

John, like his parents, has developed a bit of an interest in collecting. While Northwest Coast material isn’t his preference, he does have an interest in the Oklahoma artists in the collection and while at TU did a research paper on Willard Stone.

Bell concluded, “Gifting art is like letting go of children. It’s hard.”

However, Gray doesn’t find letting go quite as difficult. According to him, a number of pieces they collected were acquired with Gilcrease in mind.

Either way, Bell and Gray are still collecting today, keeping Gilcrease in mind and cementing the family’s life-long ties to the museum. 

As Gilcrease Museum continues to expand its collection with examples of 20th-century and contemporary artworks, the group of artworks donated by Sharon Bell and Greg Grey present new perspectives from the 1930s through today. In 2018, Sharon and Greg generously donated works by artists from near and far. New works on paper by Lois Smoky and Charles Banks Wilson are joined by bold serigraph prints by Indigenous artists of the Pacific Northwest. The donation also contains three-dimensional works, including Cherokee beadwork and formline woodcarving from the Northwest Coast.

The gift includes a Bandolier Bag by Martha Berry, a noted Oklahoma artist who was designated a Cherokee National Living Treasure in 2013. She researches historical beadwork styles of southeastern woodland Native nations, and her beadwork often illustrates stories of her Cherokee ancestors.

Martha has been involved at Gilcrease Museum as a teacher and workshop leader, and this will be the first example of her work to join the museum’s permanent collection.

In addition to Oklahoma artists, Sharon and Greg are drawn to the distinctive art forms of the Northwest Coast. Their gift includes a wood headdress in the form of a surreal green bird, carved by celebrated Kwakwaka’wakw artist Beau Dick. From Alert Bay in British Columbia, Dick began carving at age 15 and introduced Kwakwaka’wakw culture and traditions to a broader audience through his work. As a contemporary work, his headdress makes a significant addition to the historical Northwest Coast material in the Gilcrease Collection.

We look forward to sharing the treasures from Sharon and Greg’s donation to Gilcrease through the online collections and in future exhibitions.

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LENDING A VOICE TO HISTORY “Digitization can save the world!”

Though typically said with a smile and soft laugh, it is impossible to speak with Gilcrease Museum Director of Digital Collections Diana Folsom and her team and not believe her favorite mantra is true. At face value, digitization saves the object, document or painting in perpetuity. However, the mission of the Gilcrease team, comprised of Folsom, Naomi Franklin, Joseph Carriger and Zachary Qualls, goes much further.

Front and center is their recent work surrounding the archive’s numerous Cherokee collections. Three significant accomplishments over the last several years include the digitization of many Cherokee manuscript collections, featuring the John Lowery Brown Journal, the John Ross Papers and the John Drew Papers, for a total of 17 manuscripts.

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E V E RY D AY V O I C E S : 1 7 CHEROKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS

HUMANIZING SOURCES: JOHN LOWERY BROWN JOURNAL

After this past year of tireless work, 17 Cherokee manuscript collections are now available online. Two Cherokee citizens, who are also graduate students, were hired as interns and worked hand-in-hand with the museum team on imaging and cataloguing the hundreds of documents. While the sheer volume is impressive, it is giving a voice to the people in these documents that drives Folsom and her team.

The John Lowery Brown Journal, which chronicles this Cherokee citizen’s trip from Oklahoma to California during the gold rush, is now online and features a new transcription viewer that provides an annotated transcription from the Chronicles of Oklahoma* (Wright, June 1934) courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society to sit alongside images of the journal pages humanizing the material like never before. This unique new software was written to expand the online experience within our digital framework. In Folsom’s view, it is yet another tool for Gilcrease to improve access to the online collections for members and visitors from around the world.

“We are imaging and cataloguing every single document,” said Folsom. “If we strive to have every page digitized, it presents an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the past. These manuscripts contain the stories and voices of famous leaders as well as everyday people. When you read an individual’s letters you begin to really understand the perspective of the people of the time and their experiences.

You can see their handwriting, understand their tone and see the well-worn paper.”

Additionally, with these manuscripts now available online for viewing, Gilcrease is better able to serve Cherokee citizens who are interested in learning if their relatives are mentioned in these papers as they can now search additional names within the online collections database. This project was made possible by the generous support of the Cherokee Nation and family of Sabre Fleming.

“We look at journals and letters today from an historical perspective, but it is important to remember that writing history wasn’t usually the original intent of these personal accounts, they were often written as daily logs to keep track of expenses and activities.” she explained. “These original notes speak volumes about people’s lives.”

U N C O V E R E D H I S T O R Y: J O H N D R E W PA P E R S With funding support from the Cherokee Nation, the highly requested John Drew Papers were digitized, shedding light on early- to mid-nineteenth century Cherokee leaders’ involvement with slavery. While every page

* Wright, Muriel H. "The Journal of John Lowery Brown, of the Cherokee Nation en Route to California in 1850.Transcribed from the Original and annotated" The Chronicles of Oklahoma XII, no. 2 (June 1934): 177-213. « John Lowery Brown's account of his journey from Grand Saline, Indian Territory to California goldfields, 3616.94

digitized and put online moves the scholarly community forward, these highly requested papers by the research community will undoubtedly be a well-used resource in the database.

“We uncovered numerous receipts and financial documents that showed the purchase of people,” explained Naomi Franklin, Collections Cataloging Manager and Associate TMS Database Administrator. “In the imaging process we saw these documents for the first time and were truly able to grasp the gravity and subject matter of the papers. If it weren’t for our process and mission to digitize every single piece of paper, we would lack these insights into the fuller history that is represented in the collection.”

While the Gilcrease collection presents a never-ending supply of work for Folsom and her team, the goal of providing access to the collections keeps them motivated.

“The more we can catalogue, the more people can learn from multiple perspectives and voices about the human experience,” explained Folsom. “The process is not magic, but rather involves a lot of hard work, organization and technology. The payoff, however, is worth it as these primary sources reveal humanity—in Thomas Gilcrease’s words ‘the good and bad, beautiful and ugly’—and allow researchers and readers to draw their own conclusions.”

And that may indeed save the world.  Learn more about our manuscripts and journals: the Archive/Library page on collections.gilcrease.org

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SHOP THE MUSEUM STORE Make the Museum Store your one-stop-shop this holiday season.

From handcrafted jewelry to books, home decor, children's items, and ornaments, we've got something for everyone on your list.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday

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S AV E T H E D AT E

DIA DE REYES Conclude your seasonal celebrations with a cherished Latin American tradition rooted in the spirit of benevolence on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020.

All activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free. Bring the family and enjoy: • Procession of the Kings • Dance performances • Arts and crafts for all ages • And more!

Presented in partnership with:

Sponsored by:

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IN THE KNOW

SUPPORT GILCREASE MUSEUM THROUGH YOUR IRA W

ith recent changes to the federal tax code, more retirees are using retirement accounts to support charitable organizations. Qualified charitable donations (QCDs) allow donors who are at least 70.5 years old to donate funds directly from their IRAs to nonprofits. These QCDs count towards a required minimum distribution and can be as large as $100,000. While the gift does not count as a charitable deduction on federal taxes, the potential tax benefit comes from the gift amount not being taxed as income for the retiree. As a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Gilcrease can benefit from such gifts.

“Samantha” has been a member of Gilcrease Museum for more than 25 years, serving as a Gillie during much of that time. After contributing to an IRA for many years, Samantha spoke with her broker ahead of turning 70 ½ to find out how much her required minimum distribution would be and how the distribution might affect her taxes. She didn’t want the money to be added to her taxable income, but it couldn’t stay in her IRA.

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That’s when she learned about the QCD option.

“My broker told me that I could withdraw more than the minimum amount and donate it directly to a nonprofit organization. It’s a win-win solution.”

Samantha has supported eight charitable organizations regularly for many years and could have had her distribution split between several of them, but she has chosen Gilcrease to receive the full benefit.

“I looked at the organizations that are recipients of my annual contributions and decided that I wanted it all to go to Gilcrease,” she explained. “It’s an exciting time at the museum with planning for the future and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

If you are at least 70½ years or older and have an IRA, please consult your financial advisor about the benefit of making a QCD through your IRA. Gifting your annual minimum distribution or more to Gilcrease could be the perfect way to invest in the future of the museum.

For more information about QCDs or planned giving opportunities, contact Frank Mulhern, Senior Director of Development, at 918-596-2756 or frank-mulhern@ utulsa.edu.

M O R E WAY S TO SUPPORT GILCREASE MUSEUM Gilcrease has been fortunate to receive bequests and estate gifts from donors over the years.

These gifts have come in various forms, but each reminds us of the meaningful relationship individuals share with the museum.

The end of the year is a natural time to reflect on accomplishments.

It also serves as an ideal time to look forward and make plans for the year ahead. If you haven’t considered making Gilcrease a part of your estate plans, December provides an opportune time to speak to an estate planning professional to learn about the various ways you can invest in the future of Gilcrease while realizing certain tax advantages now.

Gifts of insurance, personal property, stocks and retirement assets are but a few ways you can support Gilcrease Museum.

Planned or deferred gifts are perfect opportunities to support the Campaign for Gilcrease as well, by making a significant future impact on the museum, while allowing Gilcrease to celebrate donor commitments during their lifetime.

SUSAN NEAL NAMED TO TULSA HALL OF FAME O

ver the past three decades, the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum has recognized 204 Tulsans who have shown a passion for improving the community throughout their lives. This year, Gilcrease Executive Director Susan Neal joined five other distinguished individuals inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame.

Long before joining the museum, Neal was a positive force for change in the Tulsa community serving as a city councilor, representative on two mayoral administration teams and as a committed advocate for economic development in Tulsa. While her accomplishments and positions held are too many to list, it is her servant mentality, selfless leadership and compassion for others that sets Neal apart.

experience and unwavering work ethic will continue to elevate Gilcrease to new heights and honor its long-standing mission.

“I can think of no one more deserving than Susan,” said Gerard Clancy, The University of Tulsa President. “Outside of her remarkable career achievements, she is a phenomenal person and someone I’m lucky to call my friend.

The city has benefitted immensely from her tireless work, and I know Gilcrease is in good hands under her leadership.”

Please join us in congratulating Neal on this well-deserved award. As Gilcrease looks to the horizon and the opportunities that lie ahead, the museum, its stewards at The University of Tulsa and the City of Tulsa are thankful to have Neal at the helm.

“I am extremely humbled by this honor,” said Neal. “My parents were a great example of hard work and love of community, and I’ve always wanted to follow in their footsteps. Serving our great city has been a lifelong passion, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to do that in a variety of ways.”

Since being named the executive director in 2017, Neal has expertly positioned Gilcrease to grow and better serve the community by working tirelessly with museum staff, The University of Tulsa and the mayor’s office. Additionally, the largest transformation in the museum’s history is underway, and Neal’s

Left to right: Madeline Manning Mims, Joe Moran, Juley Roffers, Jim Langdon, Jeff Stava, Susan Neal

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EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

A LOOK AHEAD LANDSCAPES ON F I R E : PA I N T I N G S

BY MICHAEL SCOTT April 17, 2020 – August 23, 2020

Influenced by Thomas Moran’s interest in conservation and by his large-scale renderings of America’s distinct landscapes, painter Michael Scott has created a series of immense landscape paintings showing elemental forces impacting the land today. Fire, smoke, and water erosion all occur naturally in American ecosystems—but today fires pose a growing threat across America as the changing climate makes extreme weather events increasingly common. Scott’s paintings explore fire as a rejuvenating and destructive force, inviting viewers to question our understanding of the natural world.

Michael Scott, Ghost Owls, Mt. Rainier Campfire, oil on canvas, 58 x 84 in. (horizontal)

WEAVING HISTORY I N T O A R T: T H E E N D U R I N G LEGACY OF SHAN GOSHORN June 25, 2020 – Jan 31, 2021

Shan Goshorn (Eastern Band Cherokee, 1957-2018) and her legacy of influence are carried forward through her work and the works of four contemporary Native American women artists in this exhibition originating from the Gilcrease Collection. Goshorn is internationally recognized for weaving archival documents and photographs into baskets using traditional Cherokee techniques to create historical, political, and cultural commentary on Native American issues that continue to resonate today.

Shan Goshorn, Sealed Fate; Treaty of New Echota Protest Basket, Native American; Cherokee, 2010, GM 71.793a-b

MEN OF CHANGE: POWER. TRIUMPH. TRUTH. Sept 17, 2020 – Jan 17, 2021

Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. is an interrogation of what it means to be black and male in America. This innovative exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution profiles dozens of revolutionary men including W.E.B Du Bois, Duke Ellington, James Baldwin, Muhammad Ali, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Kendrick Lamar, whose accomplishments have altered the history and culture of the country. The achievements of these men are woven within the legacy and traditions of the African American experience; achievements of excellence realized despite societal barriers. Through literary and historic quotes, poetry, original works of art, dramatic photographs, and a dynamic space that encourages self-reflection, Men of Change weaves together both the historical and the contemporary to illuminate the importance of these men within the context of their rich community traditions.

Men of Change: Power: Triumph: Truth. was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.

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THE LAST WORD

with Francisco Treviño

A few years ago, Tulsa started to see many positive changes, first with the resurrection of downtown and everything that came with it: ONEOK Stadium, the BOK Center, Guthrie Green, Woody Guthrie Center, etc.

Lately, the light is shining strong on the Gathering Place. I could go on and on about these new Tulsa jewels, as most do. But no, that’s not me.

I was 11 years old when my parents immigrated from Monterrey, México in 1978. At a very early age I had discovered a propensity to wander, so my new city offered many exciting opportunities to explore. I would wander through Tulsa, close to my new neighborhood in the 11th and Sheridan area, and found so many of the old Tulsa jewels we had at that time.

The Big Driller and Bell’s Amusement Park were among the top. Many years later, when I could explore further, I heard of the Gilcrease Museum and the many artworks that were on display.

I was about 17 when I first visited the museum. I was amazed.

Since then and until this date, every time I get visitors from out of town I make sure I take them to the museum.

I am always certain of its capacity to wonder. Gilcrease amazes and inspires every single time. Gilcrease gives each visitors an opportunity to discover something new, to surround oneself with beauty and to appreciate the human capacity to create.

I’ve had the opportunity to partner or collaborate with the museum in many capacities. In my early 20’s I performed several times for private functions, but on my break, I would just stroll around the museum and take in whatever it had to offer.

In my decade as Executive Director of the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber, I made it a point to collaborate with our local arts community. I defied those that don’t believe in the undeniable link of the arts and business and partnered on many occasions with the museum.

I knew the Hispanic community was largely unaware of its existence, hence it was important to raise awareness and increase the community’s partaking of its beauty.

I continue to do that now in my role as Executive Director of Casa de la Cultura, an organization whose mission is to promote and showcase the Latin arts and artists in our great city of Tulsa. And, as the principal in Vega & Treviño Consultants, a company that unites the professional and community leadership expertise of my wife and I to

help companies reach their community engagement and diversity representation goals, Gilcrease Museum is and will continue to be a forever partner and ally with events like “Día de Reyes Magos,” where we had more than 2,000 people in attendance.

I am grateful for, and proud of the Gilcrease Museum’s leadership’s latest efforts to be more inclusive of the Hispanic community in everything they do, from their programs and exhibitions to their outreach and community partnership with Casa de la Cultura.

Gilcrease Museum will be my number one choice to show off Tulsa’s best for years to come.

Francisco Treviño Executive Director, Casa de la Cultura Principal, Vega & Treviño Consultants

Gilcrease Museum Magazine / Winter 2020

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1400 N. GILCREASE MUSEUM ROAD TULSA, OK 74127-2100

A University of Tulsa/City of Tulsa Partnership The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law in its programs, services, aids, or benefits. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, 918-631-2616. Requests for accommodation of disabilities may be addressed to the University’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, 918-631-2315.

To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accommodations. TU#19566

GIVE THE GIFT OF GILCREASE Order online by December 13, 2019, to ensure delivery to the recipient by Christmas.

A gift membership to Gilcrease Museum is perfect for everyone on your list this holiday season. It includes free admission, access to members-only events, discounts in The Restaurant at Gilcrease and Museum Store, early and discounted program registration, and more!

Gift membership packages include a matted print of Corn Maidens by Bert Geer Phillips, member magazine and membership cards shipped directly to the recipient at no additional charge.

Want us to take care of the gift wrapping? Please contact Rachel Johnson, Manager of Membership & Integrated Systems, at 918-596-2780 to pick up your gift-wrapped package in the Museum Store.

MAIN NUMBER ......................... 918-596-2700

MUSEUM STORE ....................... 918-596-2725

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TOURS....................................... 918-596-2782

MUSEUM RESTAURANT ........... 918-596-2720

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