Another Day, Another Museum

Gilcrease Museum – Tulsa, Oklahoma

No Irish jig, Celtic music or corned beef for us this St. Patrick’s Day. Instead, we spent the day submerged in Western art at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa. Another day when we thought we would take in two museums but by 1pm we knew we needed the rest of the afternoon to finish at the Gilcrease.

Permanent Exhibits include:

• Enduring Spirit: Native American Artistic Traditions
• The American West
• Ancient Americans: Treasures from the Hispanic Heritage Collection
• The Southwest
• Kravis Discovery Center
• Olaf Wieghorst
• KS Ranch – Hands-on Kids Stuff

Featured Limited Time Exhibits include:

• The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture – through May 2, 2010
• The West of Olaf Seltzer – through August 29, 2010
• Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family  – through March 21, 2010

We took a break from the exhibits for a pleasant lunch at The Restaurant at Gilcrease overlooking sculptures in the garden and wooded rolling hills. White table linens, sparkling stemware, initialed charger plates and a professional, well-trained staff create an elegant yet comfortable ambiance. The menu offered interesting options from a bison burger, vegetarian quiche or Santa Fe chicken salad to lobster yellow corn soup.

As the volunteer at the information desk said, “It’s good for people to find out we’re not a cultural desert in Oklahoma.”