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
Highlights from Bob Wills Day at the Capitol! Live music, western swing dancing, and a whole lot of Oklahoma joy. We loved celebrating the enduring legacy of Bob Wills and the sound that still brings people together across generations.
#BobWillsDay #WesternSwing #OklahomaMusic #OklahomaHistory #LiveMusic
@okpoptulsa @okhistory @oklahomaartscouncil @okfilmmusic @neaarts
We’re having a grand time at the Capitol for Bob Wills Day, enjoying live music, Western swing dancing, and celebrating the enduring legacy of Bob Wills and Oklahoma’s rich musical spirit. Swing on by and join us.
#BobWillsDay #WesternSwing #OklahomaMusic #CapitolMusic #SwingOnBy
@okhistory @okpoptulsa @okarts @okfilmmusic @neaarts
Before Oklahoma’s story was told on screens and stages, Annette Ross Hume was helping preserve it through the camera lens. Born on this day, Hume created more than 700 photographs beginning in 1891, documenting Oklahoma Territory and the people who lived here during a time of major transition. During Women’s History Month, we’re honoring her as an early Oklahoma photographer, visual storyteller, and documentarian whose images remain part of how we remember this place.
#AnnetteRossHume #WomensHistoryMonth #OklahomaHistory #OklahomaPhotographer @okhistory
We learned a lot and laughed a lot connecting with Max Comer, also known as @airplanefactswithmax as we talked about his creative journey, the art of building an audience, his creative process, and his work as a talented singer-songwriter, airplane mechanic, and Tolkien scholar.
At OKPOP, we love celebrating the many ways creativity takes shape, and Max’s story is a great reminder that passion, curiosity, and deep knowledge can take many forms.
Thanks, Max, for spending time with us and sharing your story.
#OKPOP #OklahomaCreativity #CreativeJourney #Storytelling #SingerSongwriter
It was an honor to connect with Allan Heinberg for a video interview about his Tulsa roots and creative journey.
A screenwriter, television writer, comic book writer, showrunner, and producer, Allan has helped shape stories that have resonated around the world. From Tulsa theater stages to Wonder Woman, Young Avengers, and The Sandman, his journey is a powerful reminder that Oklahoma talent continues to leave a lasting mark on popular culture.
At OKPOP, those are the stories we care deeply about preserving and sharing: stories that inspire the next generation to imagine what’s possible. Our mission is to inspire and empower new generations of creators by showcasing the legacy of Oklahomans and their influence on popular culture. 
#OKPOP #AllanHeinberg #Tulsa #OklahomaCreatives #Storytelling PopCulture
It’s that time of year again. 🤠🎻
On Monday, March 9, join us at the Oklahoma State Capitol for our annual Bob Wills Day at the Capitol! Enjoy a full day of western swing bands playing Bob Wills classics in the Capitol rotunda.
🕙 Music starts at 10:00 a.m.
🕓 Plays through 4:15 p.m.
So you might as well “swing” on by. 💃🕺
Hosted by the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Arts Council, OKPOP Museum, and the Oklahoma Film + Music Office. Big thanks to our partners for keeping this tradition alive! 
#BobWillsDay #WesternSwing #OKHistory #OKMusic #OKPOP
We’re remembering Bob Wootton, longtime guitarist for Johnny Cash and a member of The Tennessee Three for nearly 30 years.
Bob’s story has strong Oklahoma roots. His family moved to Tulsa when he was a teenager, and he later settled in Oklahoma City, where he played local gigs and studied the distinctive “boom-chicka-boom” guitar style that defined Cash’s music.
In 1968, at a concert in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a chance moment changed his life. Members of Cash’s band were delayed, and when the call went out for someone who knew the songs, Bob stepped forward from the crowd. Having memorized the entire set, he played the show that night and soon became the guitarist who stepped into the band following the passing of original Tennessee Three guitarist Luther Perkins.
From Oklahoma stages to decades of touring and recording with Johnny Cash, Bob Wootton helped carry one of the most recognizable sounds in American music.
#OKPOP #OklahomaMusic #JohnnyCash #TennesseeThree #OklahomaCreatives
It was an honor to connect with Julie O’Keefe, a citizen of the Osage Nation and an Indigenous cultural consultant for film and TV. Julie shared insights from her work on Killers of the Flower Moon and other productions, and spoke to the importance of involving Indigenous communities in the stories that reflect them, on screen and behind the scenes. Her work is helping move the industry toward storytelling that is more respectful, accurate, and human. 
#OKPOP #OsageNation #IndigenousConsultant #FilmAndTV #StoryFirst
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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