The Future of Our Past
The OKPOP Foundation has officially completed the $18 million Heart & Soul Campaign, and the State Treasurer has now approved and certified the pledges, releasing the state’s matching funds. This milestone marks the beginning of OKPOP’s next chapter: exhibit design, fabrication, and the build-out of Oklahoma’s first museum dedicated to the global creative impact of its people.
Hello Friends and Potential Donors,
“You know, this whole campaign wasn’t just about raising $18 million – it was about backing a mission that means something. OKPOP is here to celebrate the crazy amount of creativity that comes out of Oklahoma, to tell the stories of the folks who shaped music, film, and art, and to fire up the next generation to chase their own big dreams. The way people showed up to support this blows me away. Oklahoma should be proud of what’s coming.”
Honorary Campaign Chair
🎉 Happy Birthday to Oklahoma music trailblazer Gail Davies!
Born in Tulsa, Gail Davies helped break barriers in Nashville as one of the first women to build a major career not only as a singer and songwriter, but as a record producer. At a time when few women were given that opportunity, she stepped behind the console and helped shape the sound of country music on her own terms.
Across a career that included acclaimed albums, charting hits, and collaborations with some of country music’s biggest names, Gail proved that creativity, determination, and a willingness to forge your own path can change an industry.
Today we celebrate a pioneering artist whose Oklahoma roots helped fuel a career of innovation and influence.
Happy Birthday, Gail Davies! 🎶
#OKPOP #GailDavies #OklahomaMusic #WomenInMusic #CrossroadsOfCreativity
#TBT to the ’80s — and happy birthday to our friend Sam Harris!
Raised in Sand Springs, Sam Harris became a household name during the premiere season of Star Search in 1983, winning over millions with a show-stopping performance of “Over the Rainbow” and launching a career that has carried him from television to concert halls, recording studios, Broadway stages, books, film, and beyond.
A multi-platinum recording artist with nine studio albums, Sam has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to London’s West End. On Broadway, he earned Tony, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk nominations for The Life, received Drama League and Drama Desk recognition for Grease, and appeared in Mel Brooks’ The Producers.
From Oklahoma roots to national stages, Sam’s career is a reminder of what can happen when remarkable talent meets courage, craft, and opportunity.
Happy birthday, Sam!
#OKPOP #SamHarris #OklahomaCreatives #StarSearch @samharrismusic
Today we celebrate the birthday of Cornel West.
Born in Tulsa and raised in California, Dr. West has become one of America’s most influential public intellectuals. Through his work as an author, educator, philosopher, and speaker, he has encouraged generations to engage deeply with ideas, pursue understanding, and recognize the power of empathy and human connection.
Beyond academia, his influence extends into music, film, and popular culture. He has collaborated with artists including Prince and Mos Def, released spoken-word albums such as Street Knowledge and Sketches of My Culture, and appeared in films including The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
His Tulsa beginnings are part of a larger Oklahoma story: one of creativity, curiosity, and the belief that people from any background can make a lasting impact on the world.
Happy Birthday, Dr. West.
#CornelWest #Tulsa #OKPOP #OklahomaRoots #Storytelling @brothercornelwest
Today we remember Oklahoma music pioneer Vic Willis, born on May 31, 1922.
As a member of the Willis Brothers, Vic helped carry Oklahoma’s musical story across the country through radio, records, and the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Before becoming country music stars in their own right, Vic and his brothers played on some of the very first recordings by Hank Williams in 1946, helping back the future legend during his earliest recording sessions.
From their beginnings as the Oklahoma Wranglers to their decades-long success on the Opry, the Willis Brothers helped shape the sound of country music while carrying a piece of Oklahoma wherever they went.
Happy birthday, Vic Willis. Thank you for helping write one of Oklahoma’s great musical stories.
#OKPOP #OklahomaMusic #CountryMusic #GrandOleOpry #OklahomaCreativity
Tulsa, the Capital of Route 66, is celebrating 100 years of the Mother Road today with the Route 66 Capital Cruise and a Guinness World Records® attempt for the largest classic car parade ever.
At OKPOP, we recognize the old Will Rogers Memorial Highway as more than a road. It’s a cultural artery, a great exporter of talent, dreamers, hard workers, storytellers, musicians, artists, and makers.
Route 66 has long carried Oklahoma’s creative spirit out into the world, connecting small towns to big dreams and local stories to global culture. It helped shape Oklahoma as a true crossroads of creativity, where people, ideas, and stories met, mixed, and moved on.
That spirit continues to inspire everything we do at OKPOP.
Happy 100th, Route 66. Here’s to the stories still ahead.
#OKPOP #Route66 #Route66Centennial #Tulsa #CrossroadsOfCreativity @route66official @oklahomaroute66 @rhysfunk @culturalczarok @marybethbabcock @bucksvintage66 @route66museum @okhistory @visittulsa
We spent the day near Cameron, OK documenting the places, people, and stories connected to gospel music legend Albert E. Brumley alongside his granddaughter Betsy Brumley and her husband Kevin Bernier.
Our journey took us to the small country church Brumley attended as a young man, a building dating back to 1879, and to the fields where he once labored in the cotton rows. It was there, while dreaming of something beyond the hard work before him, that inspiration began to take shape for what would become I’ll Fly Away, one of the most beloved and recorded hymns in American music history.
Written by an Oklahoma songwriter and shaped by the landscapes and experiences of eastern Oklahoma, “I’ll Fly Away” has been sung by generations across churches, concert halls, front porches, and film soundtracks. Nearly a century later, its message of hope, perseverance, and longing continues to resonate around the world.
Stories like Brumley’s remind us that some of the most influential songs ever written can emerge from humble places, ordinary lives, and the creative spirit that thrives here in Oklahoma.
#OKPOP #AlbertBrumley #IllFlyAway #OklahomaMusic #OklahomaHistory @illflyawayofficial
We connected with Colin Stein of @ctrl.n.studios to discuss his creative journey, Oklahoma’s growing creative ecosystem, and the passion that helped turn fandom into official storytelling.
From teaching himself motion graphics and 3D animation to helping create the officially licensed Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art book with IDW and Paramount, Colin shared how curiosity, persistence, and community shaped his path. He spoke about Oklahoma mentorship, filmmaking, VFX, preserving physical media, and why creative success doesn’t always require leaving home.
“You just got to do it… find a niche that nobody else is doing… do not compromise on your quality.”
We’re grateful to Colin for sharing his story and helping preserve the voices of Oklahoma creatives for future generations.
#OKPOP #Oklahoma #TMNT #Animation #CreativeJourney @ctrl.n.studios @thecolinstein
Wishing Cody Canada a very happy birthday today! Here he is with Cross Canadian Ragweed in Stillwater discussing the Oklahoma roots of Red Dirt music, the spirit of the scene that grew there, and how a community of songwriters and storytellers helped shape a sound that continues to influence generations of musicians.
From garages and bars to festival stages and arenas, Red Dirt has always been about honesty, connection, and songs that feel lived in. Oklahoma is proud of you, Cody. 🤘
#CodyCanada #CrossCanadianRagweed #RedDirtMusic #StillwaterOklahoma #OKPOP @crosscanadianragweed25 @departed_music
Donate
Your charitable donation directly contributes to OKPOP’s future, we are grateful for your support! Donations to support the OKPOP Museum may be made to the OKPOP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Donations may be made through the secure online donation form or mailed to:
OKPOP Foundation
422 North Main Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103
If you have questions about additional gifting options, please contact Abby Kurin at akurin@okpopfoundation.org
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