The Crossroads
of Creativity.
The Crossroads
of Creativity.
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
From Tulsa’s music scene to the art of typography, creativity takes many forms. 🎸✏️
We recently connected with Tulsa type designer and musician Chris Skillern, whose creative journey is a powerful reminder of what can happen when curiosity becomes a lifelong pursuit.
Chris’s story began with a love of drawing cartoons, including a childhood dream realized when his comic strip appeared in the Tulsa World. That creative spark eventually led him into Tulsa’s vibrant independent music scene, where influences ranging from alternative rock and punk to ska helped shape his musical identity. As a member of bands like At All Cost and Scales of Motion, Chris embraced a DIY approach that extended beyond music into album artwork, posters, merchandise, and design.
Today, Chris is making his mark in the world of typography through his type foundry, Tulsey Type, with work that reaches international audiences.
Perhaps most meaningful is his dedication to Cherokee typography—exploring the intersection of language, design, cultural preservation, and contemporary creativity. Through his work, Chris is helping expand the visual possibilities of the Cherokee language while reconnecting with his own family heritage.
His journey reminds us that creativity rarely follows a straight line. Sometimes a childhood cartoon, a rock band, and a fascination with letterforms are all chapters of the same story.
We’re grateful to Chris for sharing his story with OKPOP and helping us preserve another remarkable example of Oklahoma creativity.
From Tulsa to the world, the stories we tell—and even the letters we use to tell them—matter.
#OKPOP #ChrisSkillern #TulsaType #OklahomaCreativity #Cherokee @tulseytype
🎉 Happy Birthday, Will Rogers!
Born on November 4, 1879, in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, Will Rogers rose from the Oklahoma plains to become one of America’s first true mass-media pop culture icons—and one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world.
A proud Cherokee citizen, cowboy, humorist, actor, writer, and commentator, Rogers helped define modern celebrity long before television or social media. His remarkable career spanned vaudeville, Broadway, Hollywood, radio, and newspapers. He appeared in 71 films, wrote more than 4,000 syndicated newspaper columns, and traveled the globe three times.
With his quick wit, humility, and remarkable ability to connect with people from all walks of life, Rogers became more than an entertainer. He became a trusted voice for a generation—and an enduring example of Oklahoma’s extraordinary influence on popular culture.
Today, we celebrate his life, legacy, and global impact.
🎂 To honor his birthday, we encourage you to visit our sister Oklahoma Historical Society site just up the road in Claremore: the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, where his remarkable story continues to inspire new generations.
Learn more and plan your visit: www.willrogers.com
#WillRogers #HappyBirthdayWillRogers #OKPOP #OklahomaHistory #CherokeeNation @will_rogers_memorial_museum @okhistory
🎶 Happy GAP Band Day from Tulsa, Oklahoma! 🎶
From North Tulsa to the world, The GAP Band helped redefine the sound of funk, soul, and R&B, leaving an extraordinary mark on popular music.
Formed in Tulsa in 1967 and led by brothers Ronnie, Charlie, and Robert Wilson, the group took its name from Greenwood, Archer, and Pine—the historic streets of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. Their journey from Oklahoma roots to international stardom remains one of the great stories in our state’s musical history.
With unforgettable hits like “Outstanding,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “Early in the Morning,” and “Party Train,” The GAP Band created a distinctive sound that continues to influence generations of musicians, producers, and hip-hop artists.
More than hitmakers, they were musical innovators whose creativity, musicianship, and unmistakable groove helped put Tulsa on the global music map.
Today, we celebrate their remarkable legacy, remember Ronnie and Robert Wilson, and honor Charlie Wilson’s continued contributions to music.
From Greenwood to the world—thank you for the funk! 🎶🧡
#GAPBandDay #TheGAPBand #TulsaMusic #OklahomaMusic
📚✨ The power of stories, imagination, and believing in yourself!
We had a wonderful time connecting with Oklahoma author and educator Brenda Maier for an OKPOP interview about her creative journey, the magic of children’s literature, and the people who inspire us along the way.
From growing up with few books to becoming the author of The Little Red Fort, The Little Blue Bridge, The Little Green Swing, and The Adventures of Penguin and Panda, Brenda’s story is a testament to curiosity, perseverance, and the power of encouragement.
We explored how a teacher’s belief in her changed the course of her life, the importance of collaboration between writers and illustrators, finding inspiration in everyday experiences, and why children need the freedom to play, imagine, and create.
As Brenda beautifully reminded us:
“The ideas are all around us all the time, everywhere. And if you’re paying attention and tuned in to that station, you will catch them.”
Her advice to aspiring creators? Start now. Stay curious. Try new things. And don’t let rejection stop you from pursuing what you love.
Thank you, Brenda, for sharing your story and reminding us that sometimes all it takes is someone believing in us to discover what we’re capable of!
#OKPOP #OklahomaCreatives #BrendaMaier #OklahomaAuthors #ChildrensLiterature @brendadmaier
🎃🔪 HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM OKPOP! 👻
Meet THE SOONER SLASHER! Our resident horror fanatic and cinematographer, Tyler Mann, has created a frightfully fun mashup celebrating Oklahoma’s connections to horror movie history!
There’s more Oklahoma hiding in this costume than you might think! 🩸
🔪 Jason Voorhees: Oklahoma-born actor and stuntman Ted White portrayed the legendary masked killer in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984). Tyler even handcrafted his own Jason-inspired hockey mask!
🧤 Freddy Krueger: That infamous razor-fingered glove pays tribute to A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), starring Tulsa-born Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson. Tyler is also holding I Am Nancy, a documentary exploring the character’s enduring legacy in horror cinema.
💀 World of Death: Tyler isn’t just a horror fan—he’s a horror filmmaker himself! He wrote and directed the short film The Seamstress, featured in the World of Death horror anthology DVD he’s holding. The film can also be found on Bloody Bites!
From iconic Hollywood slashers to independent horror filmmaking, Oklahoma has left its fingerprints all over the genre. And we’re proud to have a filmmaker helping carry that creative legacy forward right here at OKPOP!
Have a frightfully fun Halloween! 🎃👻
#OKPOP #HappyHalloween #OklahomaHorror #HorrorMovies #OklahomaPopCulture @ishootokpoptulsa
🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND! 👻
From the OKPOP collections vault, we’re digging up a little Halloween history! This early, hand-painted “Big Halloween Dance” poster from Tulsa’s legendary Cain’s Ballroom reminds us that the spirit of Halloween has been bringing people together for generations.
From costumes and spooky stories to monster movies, music, art, and elaborate performances, Halloween has become one of pop culture’s most creative celebrations. It’s a holiday built on imagination, transformation, and the joy of becoming someone—or something—else for a night!
And long before digital graphics and social media, artists were bringing that same spirit to life with a little paint, a lot of imagination, and a dance floor waiting to be filled.
Here’s to the artists, musicians, storytellers, and wonderfully weird creative minds who keep Halloween alive!
Stay spooky, Oklahoma! 🦇
#OKPOP #Halloweен #CainsBallroom #OklahomaHistory #PopCulture
We had so much fun connecting with Oklahoma artist, filmmaker, writer, and creative force Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa and Choctaw)!
From his early days in independent filmmaking and collaborations with fellow Oklahoma storytellers like Wes Studi and Sterlin Harjo, to writing for Marvel Studios’ Echo, featuring the first Choctaw superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and writing and directing episodes of AMC’s Dark Winds, based on the literary world created by Tony Hillerman and continued by Anne Hillerman, Steven’s creative journey is a remarkable example of imagination, perseverance, and the power of telling your own stories.
Our conversation explored his passion for DIY art, Indigenous futurism, the importance of humor and representation, a documentary project celebrating legendary Oklahoma guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, and his latest collaboration with Nike on the new N7 collection, bringing Indigenous art and storytelling into contemporary footwear and fashion.
But beyond the impressive credits and collaborations, what resonated most was Steven’s creative philosophy: the courage to make things, embrace your own perspective, keep going when doors close, and find humor and humanity along the way.
His work challenges stereotypes, celebrates Indigenous identity, and reminds us that popular culture is a powerful place to reclaim narratives, inspire imagination, and create something entirely new.
Thank you, Steven, for sharing your stories, your humor, and your creative journey with OKPOP! We’re honored to help preserve and share your story with future generations of Oklahoma creators.
#OKPOP #StevenPaulJudd #IndigenousArt #OklahomaCreatives #IndigenousFuturism @stevenpauljudd
Greetings from the Mother Road! 🛣️
The Oklahoma Historical Society Board gathered at our sister site, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, as we celebrate 100 years of Route 66!
This iconic highway has shaped Oklahoma’s history, culture, and creativity for a century, and its stories continue to inspire new generations.
Next time you’re traveling Route 66, be sure to stop by the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton and experience the history of the Mother Road firsthand!
Here’s to the next 100 years! 🚗
#OKPOP #Route66Centennial #OklahomaRoute66Museum #OklahomaHistory #MotherRoad @route66museum
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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