Culture on the Prairie

This exhibit features 10 Members of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame who helped establish Oklahoma's museums during the twentieth century. Though these patrons come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, they share connections and their stories reveal similarities.

Drawn from several cultural institutions, these stories reveal many contributions made by these patrons-contributions that defined Oklahoma's early cultural community and continue to have an impact today.

The exhibit highlights artists who cultivated successful visual arts careers while helping establish arts institutions that continue to support artists today. Also featured are collectors, whose donations of precious art and artifacts served as the founding collections for museums. Finally, the exhibit explores the impact of philanthropists, many connected to the oil and gas industry, on Oklahoma's early cultural institutions.