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Culture on the Prairie: Celebrating Oklahoma’s Art Museums and Their Contributors in the Twentieth Century By Bradley Fritch A Thesis Project submitted to the faculty of the University of Central Oklahoma in partial fulfillment for the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Museum Studies in the Department of History & Geography December 2020 CULTURE ON THE PRAIRIE Culture on the Prairie: Celebrating Oklahoma’s Art Museums and Their Contributors in the Twentieth Century Bradley Fritch 23 November 2020 Jackson College of Graduate Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma A THESIS APPROVED FOR PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN MUSEUM STUDIES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY By ___________________________________________________ Committee Chairperson ___________________________________________ _____________ CCiommittee Member ________________________________ Committeete Member _______________________________________________________ Committeete Member 2 DECEMBER 2020 Dedication To my grandparents – Grandma Betty and Pop-Pop, and Grandma Lorraine and Grandad. 3 CULTURE ON THE PRAIRIE Acknowledgments It took every second of my twenty-six years to come to the conclusion that accepting help from others is a good thing from time to time. As Zach Galifianakis’ character says in The Hangover, “I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack.” But as the ultimate one-man wolf pack learned throughout the course of the film, surrounding yourself with quality friends is incredibly important to be successful; whether that success comes personally, professionally, or through another avenue, shared success is better than individual success. Now that I have stepped down from my soapbox, there are a number of people that I need to thank for their belief in me through the years. First and foremost, I want to thank my professors at the University of Central Oklahoma. Each professor I have been privileged to have in class has challenged me as a historian and as an emerging museum professional. Although he is no longer with the program, Dr. Mark Janzen provided me with a strong understanding as to what it means to be a museum professional. He encouraged me to gain experience in as many areas of the museum as possible, and as a result, this project is a reflection of my experiences as a historian and in museums throughout the years. I also want to mention Dr. Lindsey Churchill, Dr. Katrina Lacher, Dr. Patricia Loughlin, and Professor Heidi Vaughn. Dr. Churchill pushed me to be more inclusive with my historical analysis, which has translated to how I interpret collections for museums. Dr. Lacher encouraged every research interest I had, and I think it is worth noting that my first academic conference and publication was strongly based on a paper that I wrote for her class. Lastly, although I did not have a class with either Dr. Loughlin or Professor Vaughn, they were largely influential in my schooling while pursuing my degree at UCO. Whether it was professional questions or simply 4 DECEMBER 2020 proofreading an abstract for a conference CFP, I am thankful to both these professors for their guidance. In addition to the staff at UCO, I also want to take the time to thank the professors at the Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies at the University of Oklahoma. There is not enough space to express my gratitude to the countless individuals in this department that initially shaped my historical education. From me personally to Dr. Alan Levenson, Dr. Carsten Schapkow, Dr. Ronnie Grinberg, Dr. Janet Ward, and Dr. Gershon Lewental (who is now at Shalem College in Jerusalem): Thank you for your assistance during my time at OU. Although the topic of this project does not reflect my strong background in Jewish history, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the influence my past education has had on my career. Next, thank you to the staff of the Gaylord-Pickens Museum, home of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Their help and guidance provided valuable insider knowledge on Oklahoma museums. To Emma Leach, Donna Merkt, Whittney Allen, Mattie Barlow, and countless others, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to curate my first museum exhibit. Saving the best for last, I want to thank my incredible family for their support and guidance through the years. To my fiancée Jackie, thank you for understanding my strange work habits; and for taking care of the best bulldog, Rooney. None of this would be possible without the opportunities provided to me by my parents, Ann and Joe. Thank you for setting a good example for me each and every day. 5 CULTURE ON THE PRAIRIE Table of Contents 1. Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………..4 2. Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….6 3. Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………7 4. Chapter 1: Review of Literature and Timeline..………..…………………………………9 5. Chapter 2: Biographical Information on Hall of Fame Inductees………………………..36 a. Anna Lee Brosius Korn………………………………………………………….39 b. Laura Clubb……………………………………………………………………...42 c. Fr. Gregory Gerrer……………………………………………………………….48 d. Waite Phillips…………………………………………………………………….54 e. Oscar Brousse Jacobson………………………………………………………….59 f. Thomas Gilcrease………………………………………………………………..69 g. Nan Sheets……………………………………………………………………….75 h. John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick……………………………………………………87 i. Woody Crumbo…………………………………………………………………..91 6. Chapter 3: Exhibiting the Hall of Fame Inductees………...……………………………106 a. Virtual Exhibit Theory and Configuration……………………………………...113 7. Chapter 4: Proposal for Future Development for Other Institutions…………..……….116 8. Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………….120 6 DECEMBER 2020 Abstract of Thesis Project University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma Name: Bradley C. Fritch Title of Thesis Project: Culture on the Prairie: Celebrating Oklahoma’s Art Museums and Their Contributors in the Twentieth Century Chair of Thesis Committee: Professor Heidi Vaughn Pages: 117 Abstract: The purpose of this project is to compile a brief history of Oklahoma art museums, while specifically honoring individual contributors that have made the existence of these museums possible. The emphasis on individual contributors is a result of my employment at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum. With an institutional mission of “[preserving] Oklahoma’s unique history while promoting pride in our great state…by telling Oklahoma’s story through its people,” it was necessary to highlight individuals that helped create Oklahoma’s extensive museum network. In addition to the institutional constraints highlighted by the mission statement above, there were several factors that contributed to the selection process for inclusion in the project. The most restrictive of these factors was using Hall of Fame inductees whose portraits were already on hand at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. When a portrait was not on hand, a loan agreements were met with a number of other institutions to borrow objects. Following the historical and institutional lens described above, this project follows the guidelines typically used in academic historical works. As such, this project is a combination of primary and secondary sources. The secondary sources are heavily utilized in the first chapter to provide a historiographical background of Oklahoma history. The state’s history is important 7 CULTURE ON THE PRAIRIE because it provides context to the state’s art museum history. Additionally, secondary sources are utilized to help fill in gaps in the historical information. Throughout the rest of the work, primary sources including journals, letters, notes, newspapers or legislation are utilized to demonstrate one of ten individuals’ contributions to an Oklahoma museum. Although this project focuses on the individual, this project argues that these persons are responsible for the art museum community that exists today. The third chapter employs the archival information presented in the second chapter to craft two different configurations of a museum exhibit. One configuration is an exhibit physically in the museum, while the other one is a virtual exhibit developed for the post-Covid world. Although there are several publications that focus their attention on the history of museums in general, there is very little work celebrating the history of museums with a commemorative exhibit. With that in mind, the aim of this project is to establish a model other states can follow to honor their state’s own museum tradition. At the very least, the aim of this project is to establish a written discourse on the unique history of Oklahoma art museums so more work can be done on the unique history of the state’s museums in general. 8 DECEMBER 2020 Chapter 1: Review of Literature and Timeline In a little over one-hundred years since statehood, Oklahoma transformed from an unsettled grassland into a state with a thriving museum culture. In that time since 1907, Oklahoma was settled, cultivated. And, by the 1930s, Oklahoma City and Tulsa were evolving into cultural centers for the state with the establishment of their own artistic communities. Today, after one national tragedy in 1995 and several natural disasters, Oklahoma boasts a huge number of museums. Some of these museums are dedicated to art, while a great many others focus on topics well outside of art. Interestingly, a state with poor education statistics prides itself on the number of museums it has in its state’s borders. 1 Poor education results certainly cannot be attributed to one issue, but