The American West

Today's denture with mom took us to the Gilcrease Museum.  The museum is named for Thomas Gilcrease, an oil man and avid art collector, who began the collection. He deeded the collection, as well as the building and property, to the City of Tulsa in 1958. Since July 1, 2008, Gilcrease Museum has been managed by a partnership of the City of Tulsa and the University of Tulsa.

Thomas Gilcrease grew up in the Creek Nation. At the turn of the 20th century the federal government distributed lands held by American Indian tribes to private citizens. His tribal membership entitled him to an allotment of 160 acres. The land became part of one of Oklahoma's major oil fields. In the 1920 Gilcrease's visits to European museums inspired him to create his own collection. Pride in his American Indian heritage and interest in the history of the American West provided a focus for his collecting.

The museum is dedicated to the American West.  Mr. Gilcrease believed that the story of the American West could be told through art and that the history of the native Americans and his own American Indian heritage could be preserved through painting, sculpture, and other forms of art. He was a patron to a number of native American artists of his time and purchased over 500 paintings by 20th century native American artists alone.  However, my favorites will always be the Remington sculptures! 

Has not the Lord Almighty determined

    that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,

    that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord

Habakkuk 2:13-14