Today's DAR
I am immensely proud and deeply touched to share that Bacone College last week dedicated the VanBuren Sunshine Student Art Gallery on its Muskogee, Okla., campus in a moving ceremony that featured rich Native American song and symbolism. Our National Society has supported Bacone for more than 75 years – and now our administration will be memorialized through the naming of this exhibition space in recognition of our work to support Native American students at the four-year college. What a marvelous honor!
Yeeow! Ayipioeeay! Dedicating the VanBuren Sunshine Art Gallery with the Oklahoma Daughters!
It is especially meaningful due to the school’s rich history and impressive art tradition. Oklahoma's first college, Indian University (now Bacone College) began classes on February 9, 1880, with three students in Indian Territory. Chartered by the Muscogee-Creek Nation in 1881, the purpose of the school was to provide Christian education for American Indians. By 1893 there were 703 students in a system of one college and six preparatory schools in the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Seminole, Wichita and Kiowa nations. In 1910 the institution was renamed Bacone College in honor of Almon C. Bacone, founder and first president. The American Baptist Home Mission Society governed the school until the late 1950s.
In order to attract students, B. D. Weeks, president from 1918 to 1941, advertised Bacone as the only college exclusively for American Indians. He recruited Indian faculty and staff and supported their suggestions of creating classes in Indian culture. As a result, a style of "traditional" Indian painting developed and became recognized by art historians as "the Bacone School." The Bacone School or Bacone Style of painting, drawing and printmaking is a Native American inter-tribal "Flatstyle" art movement, primarily from the mid-20th century in Eastern Oklahoma. This art movement “bridges historical, tribally specific pictorial painting and carving practices toward an intertribal Modernist style of easel painting.” We are proud to support this rich historical tradition.
In fact, while on campus, we were delighted to present a $25,000 donation that will be used to provide five $5,000 scholarships for students here. Support like this is made by possible by our members’ generous contributions to the Friends of American Indian Fund. We also enjoyed a campus tour and a delicious Native American lunch (including my first bison stew!) in the student cafeteria, where we had the chance to get to know some of the young people who matriculate here.
Following the ceremony, we traveled to Tulsa, to celebrate a wonderful evening together at the historic and beautiful Mayo Hotel in the heart of the city’s downtown Art Deco district. Built in 1925, its notable guests have included President John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Lucille Ball, Charlie Chaplin and even Elvis Presley. And it is also a wonderful historic preservation success story. Although the hotel earned a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it closed its doors one year later. Over the next 30 years, the property fell into disrepair and sat completely vacant. After countless failed attempts to renovate the long-abandoned building, the local Snyder family rescued it, and have since completely remodeled it. The accommodations are superb – put it on your bucket list if you enjoy staying at historic hotels!
That evening, nearly 200 Oklahoma Daughters and their supporters enjoyed a wonderful evening in the penthouse restaurant high atop the hotel. We even had the chance to learn some roping tricks before enjoying a presentation from the Will Rogers Museum and a spectacular musical performance by four Tulsa musical talents.
The next day, we had a private tour of the Greenwood Rising Museum, a brand new institution dedicated to better telling the history of a section of Tulsa once known as the Black Wall Street that was also the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The museum is incredibly moving and should also be added to your travel list! Learn more about it here.
I have had the honor of visiting with this outstanding group of women four times in recent years – I must admit I felt as though I left a little bit of my heart there when departing for my return flight. The Oklahoma Daughters’ dedication, graciousness and thoughtfulness are genuine and good for the soul – I am deeply grateful for their many kindnesses.
