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

okpoptulsa

2,013 9,425

#OKPOP Museum located in #TulsaArtsDistrict will celebrate #OklahomaCreatives who impact pop culture and #inspire the next generation of creatives.

On March 1, we celebrate Ralph Ellison, born in Oklahoma City in 1913. 

Raised in OKC during a time when jazz and modern art were shaping American life, Ellison came up through local schools (including Frederick Douglass School) and developed as a musician, known as a standout trumpet player before leaving Oklahoma to study music at Tuskegee Institute. 

Ellison would go on to write Invisible Man (1952), a landmark American novel exploring identity, power, and belonging. The book won the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction, a breakthrough moment in American letters. 

Beyond the novel, Ellison’s influence expands through his essays and criticism, including Shadow and Act and Going to the Territory, where he wrote with depth about art, culture, and the complicated story of America. 

At OKPOP, we’re proud to honor Oklahoma creators like Ellison whose work continues to challenge us, connect us, and expand what feels possible. 

#OKC #OklahomaHistory #Literature #RalphEllison #OKPOP

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Open post by okpoptulsa with ID 18039369581761768
On March 1, we celebrate Ralph Ellison, born in Oklahoma City in 1913.  Raised in OKC during a time when jazz and modern art were shaping American life, Ellison came up through local schools (including Frederick Douglass School) and developed as a musician, known as a standout trumpet player before leaving Oklahoma to study music at Tuskegee Institute.  Ellison would go on to write Invisible Man (1952), a landmark American novel exploring identity, power, and belonging. The book won the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction, a breakthrough moment in American letters.  Beyond the novel, Ellison’s influence expands through his essays and criticism, including Shadow and Act and Going to the Territory, where he wrote with depth about art, culture, and the complicated story of America.  At OKPOP, we’re proud to honor Oklahoma creators like Ellison whose work continues to challenge us, connect us, and expand what feels possible.  #OKC #OklahomaHistory #Literature #RalphEllison #OKPOP

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Oklahoma has always been DIY. Basements, VFW halls, copy-shop flyers, borrowed gear, four-tracks, cassettes, and a room full of people who showed up anyway. The underground scene here isn’t a footnote. It’s a living community engine.

Recently we had the honor of connecting with five Tulsa-area creators who embody that spirit:

• Aaron Johnson (Mass Movement Community Arts / Flyover Fest) — building a safe, all-ages home for loud music and community care.
• Chad Malone — punk lifer and storyteller, still touring, writing, and keeping DIY honest.
• Jay Hancock — promoter + archivist preserving punk/hardcore history so it doesn’t disappear.
• Natty Gray Watson (Cult Love Sound Tapes) — documenting the underground and treating “junk media” as vital cultural record.
• Trey Livingston (Sunset Club Records) — art + music + community building, lowering barriers for local artists.

Grateful for everyone who books the room, makes the flyer, records the set, opens the door, and keeps the culture moving.

#OKPOP #TulsaMusic #OklahomaMusic #DIYCulture #UndergroundMusic

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Open post by okpoptulsa with ID 18073704473452646
Oklahoma has always been DIY. Basements, VFW halls, copy-shop flyers, borrowed gear, four-tracks, cassettes, and a room full of people who showed up anyway. The underground scene here isn’t a footnote. It’s a living community engine. Recently we had the honor of connecting with five Tulsa-area creators who embody that spirit: • Aaron Johnson (Mass Movement Community Arts / Flyover Fest) — building a safe, all-ages home for loud music and community care. • Chad Malone — punk lifer and storyteller, still touring, writing, and keeping DIY honest. • Jay Hancock — promoter + archivist preserving punk/hardcore history so it doesn’t disappear. • Natty Gray Watson (Cult Love Sound Tapes) — documenting the underground and treating “junk media” as vital cultural record. • Trey Livingston (Sunset Club Records) — art + music + community building, lowering barriers for local artists. Grateful for everyone who books the room, makes the flyer, records the set, opens the door, and keeps the culture moving. #OKPOP #TulsaMusic #OklahomaMusic #DIYCulture #UndergroundMusic

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On this day (February 22), we celebrate the birth of Claude “Fiddler” Williams (1908–2004) — born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and destined to become one of the great swing-era voices on both violin and guitar. 

Williams learned early in Muskogee’s barbershops, hotels, and neighborhood circles, building a sound that carried him into the heart of American jazz and kept him performing for decades. In 1998, he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts — a fitting honor for an artist who helped shape the music and then kept the tradition alive well into his later years. 

Today’s a perfect day to put on some Kansas City swing and remember: world-class artistry can start anywhere, including right here in Oklahoma. 

#OKPOP #OklahomaMusic #Muskogee #JazzHistory #OnThisDay

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Open post by okpoptulsa with ID 18093215207514629
On this day (February 22), we celebrate the birth of Claude “Fiddler” Williams (1908–2004) — born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and destined to become one of the great swing-era voices on both violin and guitar.  Williams learned early in Muskogee’s barbershops, hotels, and neighborhood circles, building a sound that carried him into the heart of American jazz and kept him performing for decades. In 1998, he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts — a fitting honor for an artist who helped shape the music and then kept the tradition alive well into his later years.  Today’s a perfect day to put on some Kansas City swing and remember: world-class artistry can start anywhere, including right here in Oklahoma.  #OKPOP #OklahomaMusic #Muskogee #JazzHistory #OnThisDay

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🎬 From the Vault: Early Oklahoma Cinema

We’re highlighting a fascinating chapter of Oklahoma film history through rare posters, promotional materials, and lobby cards tied to three silent-era “race films” connected to our state: The Bull-Dogger (1922), The Crimson Skull (1922), and Black Gold (1928).

Made for Black audiences during segregation and featuring all-Black casts, these films reflect a vital and often overlooked filmmaking network. Two titles were filmed in Boley, one of Oklahoma’s historic all-Black towns, and they starred legendary cowboy and rodeo innovator Bill Pickett. Black Gold later carried that momentum into Oklahoma’s oil story, with ties to Tatums, another historic all-Black town.

These surviving materials help us trace where the films traveled, how they were marketed, and how Oklahoma landscapes and communities appeared on screen.

We’re excited to preserve and spotlight this history through future OKPOP exhibits.

#OKPOP #OklahomaHistory #BlackFilmHistory #SilentFilm #FromTheVault

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Open post by okpoptulsa with ID 17977461038991863
🎬 From the Vault: Early Oklahoma Cinema We’re highlighting a fascinating chapter of Oklahoma film history through rare posters, promotional materials, and lobby cards tied to three silent-era “race films” connected to our state: The Bull-Dogger (1922), The Crimson Skull (1922), and Black Gold (1928). Made for Black audiences during segregation and featuring all-Black casts, these films reflect a vital and often overlooked filmmaking network. Two titles were filmed in Boley, one of Oklahoma’s historic all-Black towns, and they starred legendary cowboy and rodeo innovator Bill Pickett. Black Gold later carried that momentum into Oklahoma’s oil story, with ties to Tatums, another historic all-Black town. These surviving materials help us trace where the films traveled, how they were marketed, and how Oklahoma landscapes and communities appeared on screen. We’re excited to preserve and spotlight this history through future OKPOP exhibits. #OKPOP #OklahomaHistory #BlackFilmHistory #SilentFilm #FromTheVault

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