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
Every movie stunt tells two stories.
One happens on screen. The other happens behind the scenes, where preparation, precision, and trust make the impossible look effortless.
We recently welcomed Oklahoma stunt performer and stunt coordinator Jon Bielich to OKPOP to record an oral history interview for the Oklahoma state archive. From doubling actors in major productions like Killers of the Flower Moon to helping shape Oklahoma’s growing film industry, Jon shared the craft, discipline, and teamwork behind a career built on keeping others safe while bringing stories to life.
As Jon put it:
“Hope’s not a strategy. You want to be certain about everything, so the more you train, the more you know, the more you work at it, the safer everybody is, including yourself.”
At OKPOP, we’re proud to preserve the stories of the people whose work often happens just outside the spotlight, but whose contributions are essential to the magic of film.
Thank you, Jon, for helping us preserve your story for future generations.
#OKPOP #OklahomaFilm #StuntPerformer #OralHistory #OklahomaCreatives @okcjb
Remembering Jerry Nelson
Today we celebrate the birthday of Oklahoma native Jerry Nelson, one of the most beloved performers in puppetry history.
From bringing Count von Count, Gobo Fraggle, Robin the Frog, and countless other unforgettable characters to life, Jerry helped shape generations of childhoods through warmth, humor, music, and extraordinary imagination. His performances reminded us that behind every memorable character is a storyteller with heart.
At OKPOP, we’re honored to preserve and share part of Jerry’s creative legacy through the Jerry Nelson Archive, helping ensure his remarkable contributions to popular culture continue to inspire future generations of artists, performers, and dreamers.
Happy Birthday, Jerry. Thank you for the joy, wonder, and stories that continue to bring smiles to people around the world.
#JerryNelson #FraggleRock #TheMuppets #OKPOPMuseum #OklahomaCreators
Today we remember Oklahoma music pioneer Joe Liggins, whose infectious blend of jump blues, swing, rhythm & blues, and boogie-woogie helped lay the foundation for the sound of early rock and roll.
Born in Seminole, Oklahoma, Liggins rose to national fame with his band, The Honeydrippers, creating some of the biggest rhythm and blues hits of the 1940s. Their 1945 recording “The Honeydripper” spent an extraordinary 18 weeks at No. 1 on the R&B charts, while “Cadillac Boogie” is considered by many to be one of the first rock and roll songs, helping shape the sound of a new musical era.
From Oklahoma to dance halls and jukeboxes across America, Joe Liggins proved that music rooted in joy, groove, and innovation could change popular culture.
His music opened doors for generations of artists, and his legacy continues to echo through the history of American music.
#JoeLiggins #OklahomaMusic #RhythmAndBlues #OKPOP #OklahomaHistory
🎮 Happy Video Game Day!
From neighborhood arcades and home computers to some of the world’s biggest blockbuster franchises, Oklahoma has helped shape the games we play.
Tulsa-based 2015, Inc. helped develop both Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and the original Call of Duty, with Oklahoman Chance Glasco serving as one of the studio’s key developers and later a co-founder of Infinity Ward. Writer and producer Jeff “Lazlow” Jones helped create the unforgettable worlds of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Long before today’s gaming industry, Tulsa’s Greg Zumwalt was helping pioneer the home computer era through his work with Tandy, developing and producing games for the TRS-80 and later contributing to titles including Tetris, RoboCop, Predator, Michael Jordan in Flight, and many more.
That creative legacy continues today through Oklahoma-connected studios and companies like GoldFire Studios, Megalithic Mainframe, and Boddle Learning, building new worlds through indie games, interactive storytelling, and educational gaming.
Video games are one of the world’s most collaborative art forms, blending storytelling, music, illustration, animation, filmmaking, acting, programming, design, and imagination into experiences that connect millions of people around the globe.
At OKPOP, we’re proud to celebrate the Oklahomans who have helped shape this creative legacy and inspire the next generation of game designers, artists, writers, composers, programmers, and storytellers.
What’s your favorite video game of all time?
#OKPOP #VideoGameDay #OklahomaCreators #GamingHistory #CreateAnyway
From Tulsa to the global stage. 🌎✨
We had so much fun connecting with artist AleXa to talk about the journey that took her from Tulsa to becoming a K-pop star with fans around the world.
During our conversation, AleXa reflected on her Oklahoma roots, sharing how her time in Jenks High School’s show choir and pom program helped lay the foundation for her career. She spoke about the work ethic, perseverance, and determination she developed growing up in Oklahoma, and how those lessons continue to guide her today.
She also shared how much her fans mean to her, emphasizing the importance of genuine connection and the support they’ve given her throughout her career.
In 2022, AleXa proudly represented Oklahoma on NBC’s American Song Contest with her original song “Wonderland,” ultimately winning the competition and introducing millions of viewers to an artist whose journey began right here at home.
We’re grateful to help preserve and share stories like AleXa’s—stories that remind us Oklahoma’s creative influence reaches every corner of the world.
#OKPOP #Oklahoma #AleXa #KPop #Storytelling @seriinade_
Have you heard the story behind Woody Guthrie`s This Land is Your Land? Here is a clip from the Voices of Oklahoma project, with John Erling interviewing Dr. Guy Logsdon on February 16, 2010. Logsdon was the director of libraries at the University of Tulsa and an academic authority on Woody Guthrie`s life and music, along with other subjects like Oklahoma folk music, western swing, western folklore, and much more.
To hear more from Dr. Logsdon`s oral history, and hundreds of others like it, you can visit the Voices of Oklahoma website.
Today we’re remembering Comanche artist, flute maker, musician and cultural bearer Doc Tate Nevaquaya on his birthday.
Born in Apache, Oklahoma, Nevaquaya became one of the most important voices in the revival of the Southern Plains courting flute, while also building a remarkable career as a self-taught painter, dancer, composer, educator and 1986 National Heritage Fellow.
We’re also grateful to have recently connected with his son, Tim Nevaquaya (pictured), an accomplished artist, flute maker and musician carrying forward his family’s creative legacy.
In his OKPOP interview, Tim reflected on his father’s journey, including performances around the world, a performance before the Queen, and the lessons he learned from growing up in a family where art, music, culture and creativity were part of everyday life.
Tim also spoke about his own creative journey, the life-changing moment when he found his own artistic voice, and the belief that everyone carries a flame of creativity within them. The work, he reminded us, is learning how to listen, tune in and keep that flame alive.
#OKPOP #DocTateNevaquaya #TimNevaquaya #OklahomaArtists #ComancheArtists @timothynevaquaya
We recently had the honor of connecting with actor Iqbal Theba for an OKPOP video interview.
Best known to many audiences as Principal Figgins on Glee, Iqbal’s creative journey began far from Hollywood. Born in Pakistan, he came to Oklahoma as a young student with his father’s life savings, choosing the University of Oklahoma because it was the most affordable path toward a new future.
Within two weeks of arriving in Norman, he was working in the Cate Center cafeteria. Not long after, a friend invited him to see his first play at OU’s Rupel Jones Theatre. Something shifted.
“I had not seen a play in my life,” he told us. “I saw the play…and something happened. That experience stayed with me. It was kind of a mystical thing.”
That moment eventually led him from architecture to acting, from Oklahoma to New York, from waiting tables and missing meals to building a long career in television, film, and commercials. His breakthrough role on Glee brought him wider recognition, but his story is rooted in persistence, gratitude, craft, and the Oklahoma friendships that helped carry him forward.
Throughout our conversation, Iqbal spoke with honesty about the kindness he found in Oklahoma, the racism he also experienced, the mentors who helped him at OU, and the importance of staying open, curious, and committed to the work.
His advice for young actors and creators is simple but hard-earned: keep going.
He also spoke movingly about why OKPOP matters.
“Imagine a kid…5, 10, 12 years old…if they come to a museum that offers works by people from Oklahoma…it would be very inspiring. It tells them it’s doable: you can do it, you should do it, give it a try.”
That’s the heart of OKPOP.
Thank you, Iqbal, for sharing your story with us and for reminding future Oklahoma creatives that their beginning does not limit their possibility.
#OKPOP #IqbalTheba #Glee #OklahomaCreatives #OklahomaHistory @theiqbaltheba
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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