Thanks to a new law passed during the just-finished 2025 session of the Oklahoma Legislature, supporters of the highly anticipated museum also known as OKPOP have less than $3 million to go to reach their fundraising goal of $18 million. To unlock a matching amount from the state, the fundraising efforts have a Nov. 15 deadline.

“From our legislative partners to our community partners, our donors, the creative community, there’s a lot of people behind this cheering us on, wanting this to get done and get this open,” OKPOP Director Jake Krumwiede told The Oklahoman.

“I think this legislation shows that commitment from the state, and it just underscores everything that they’ve said and done up to this point: That OKPOP matters. That OKPOP is important. This is going to be a worthwhile project. It’s going to be worthwhile museum.”

Both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature in May passed House Bill 2673, which expanded the eligible donations supporters of the Oklahoma Historical Society project could count toward the $18 million needed to obtain the same amount in state matching funds.

Most notably, multiyear pledges, as well as binding pledges that predate the $18 million legislative appropriation for the project in 2023, can now be counted toward the OKPOP fundraising total, state Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson told The Oklahoman.

Once the bill became law May 18, it brought the fundraising total to $14.83 million, or 82% of the $18 million goal, leaving $3.17 million left to be raised by Nov. 15.

“Just since the bill has passed, we’ve had about half a million dollars come in in pledges. So, that certainly gives us hope and some encouragement that we were on the right track with this legislation,” Thompson said.

What is the concept behind the OKPOP Museum in Tulsa?
Initially announced in 2009, the OKPOP Museum is “dedicated to the creative spirit of Oklahoma’s people and the influence of Oklahoma artists on popular culture around the world.”

Situated in the burgeoning Tulsa Arts District across the street from the legendary Cain’s Ballroom, the museum is intended to spotlight an array of Sooner State celebrities, from musicians like Gill, The Flaming Lips, the Gap Band and Reba McEntire, to stage and screen stars like Alfre Woodard, Brad Pitt, Kristin Chenoweth and Olivia Munn.

“Building these relationships and maintaining these relationships with our Oklahoma creatives is an essential part of how we are building this museum. We couldn’t do it without our creative partners. Because of them and those efforts to work together, it’s why we are where we are with our collection, and it’s how we’ll continue to build this museum,” Krumwiede said.

“As the Oklahoma Historical Society, it’s our job to collect and preserve Oklahoma’s history and culture. … We are here to collect those stories and to make sure that not just Oklahoma’s history — but, more specifically, Oklahoma’s creativity — is being documented and preserved and shared for all these future generations.”

The Oklahoma Historical Society broke ground on the 60,000-square-foot museum in fall 2019, after receiving $25 million in bond funds from the state to build it. Construction on the three-story building’s exterior was completed in 2021 — the same year the museum was initially projected to open before it was significantly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

OKPOP staffers took occupancy of the building in December 2021 and have been working toward completing the design, construction and installation of the exhibits that will put the heart and soul into what’s, for now, largely an empty shell.

In March 2023, the nonprofit OKPOP Foundation, the museum’s longtime fundraising arm, and the Oklahoma Historical Society announced a new fundraising campaign with country music superstar Blake Shelton as honorary chairman. Also in 2023, the historical society was appropriated $18 million for completion of OKPOP during the first special session of the state Legislature.

The half-finished museum reached a major milestone as the 2024 Oklahoma legislative session wound down, when Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1155, which established a revolving fund to hold the $18 million set aside by lawmakers for OKPOP and setting the November 2025 deadline to raise the matching funds.

What’s next for the under-construction OKPOP Museum in Tulsa?
Provided the fundraising campaign reaches the $18 million goal to unlock the $18 million in state funds, the Oklahoma Historical Society will have $36 million to finish the museum.

“The OKPOP Foundation has done an incredible job in getting this project up to this point, and we’re going to make the final push this summer to try to get this done sooner rather than later,” Krumwiede said.