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

okpoptulsa

2,006 9,339

#OKPOP Museum located in #TulsaArtsDistrict will celebrate #OklahomaCreatives who impact pop culture and #inspire the next generation of creatives.

🎬 From the Vault: Early Oklahoma Cinema

We’re highlighting a fascinating chapter of Oklahoma film history through rare posters, promotional materials, and lobby cards tied to three silent-era “race films” connected to our state: The Bull-Dogger (1922), The Crimson Skull (1922), and Black Gold (1928).

Made for Black audiences during segregation and featuring all-Black casts, these films reflect a vital and often overlooked filmmaking network. Two titles were filmed in Boley, one of Oklahoma’s historic all-Black towns, and they starred legendary cowboy and rodeo innovator Bill Pickett. Black Gold later carried that momentum into Oklahoma’s oil story, with ties to Tatums, another historic all-Black town.

These surviving materials help us trace where the films traveled, how they were marketed, and how Oklahoma landscapes and communities appeared on screen.

We’re excited to preserve and spotlight this history through future OKPOP exhibits.

#OKPOP #OklahomaHistory #BlackFilmHistory #SilentFilm #FromTheVault

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Open post by okpoptulsa with ID 17977461038991863
🎬 From the Vault: Early Oklahoma Cinema We’re highlighting a fascinating chapter of Oklahoma film history through rare posters, promotional materials, and lobby cards tied to three silent-era “race films” connected to our state: The Bull-Dogger (1922), The Crimson Skull (1922), and Black Gold (1928). Made for Black audiences during segregation and featuring all-Black casts, these films reflect a vital and often overlooked filmmaking network. Two titles were filmed in Boley, one of Oklahoma’s historic all-Black towns, and they starred legendary cowboy and rodeo innovator Bill Pickett. Black Gold later carried that momentum into Oklahoma’s oil story, with ties to Tatums, another historic all-Black town. These surviving materials help us trace where the films traveled, how they were marketed, and how Oklahoma landscapes and communities appeared on screen. We’re excited to preserve and spotlight this history through future OKPOP exhibits. #OKPOP #OklahomaHistory #BlackFilmHistory #SilentFilm #FromTheVault

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Today we’re remembering Gus Hardin — Tulsa-born country singer Carolyn Ann Blankenship — whose voice carried Oklahoma grit and heart straight into ‘80s country radio.

Signed to RCA Records in the early 1980s, Gus broke through with singles like “After The Last Goodbye,” “Fallen Angel,” “I Pass,” “Lovin’ You Hurts,” and “If I Didn’t Love You,” and teamed up with Earl Thomas Conley on the duet “All Tangled Up in Love.”

From Tulsa to Nashville, Gus Hardin brought a rare mix of power and vulnerability to every song — and her voice still echoes through Oklahoma country music.

#OKPOP #GusHardin #TulsaMusic #OklahomaCountry #FromTheVault

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Today we’re remembering Gus Hardin — Tulsa-born country singer Carolyn Ann Blankenship — whose voice carried Oklahoma grit and heart straight into ‘80s country radio. Signed to RCA Records in the early 1980s, Gus broke through with singles like “After The Last Goodbye,” “Fallen Angel,” “I Pass,” “Lovin’ You Hurts,” and “If I Didn’t Love You,” and teamed up with Earl Thomas Conley on the duet “All Tangled Up in Love.” From Tulsa to Nashville, Gus Hardin brought a rare mix of power and vulnerability to every song — and her voice still echoes through Oklahoma country music. #OKPOP #GusHardin #TulsaMusic #OklahomaCountry #FromTheVault

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Today we remember Oklahoma-born Lon Chaney Jr. on his birthday — a performer whose face and presence helped define classic Hollywood genre storytelling.

Born in Oklahoma City, Chaney carried forward his father’s legacy of transformation and became a star in his own right, most famously as Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man. But his career stretched far beyond horror — into westerns, dramas, and television — including a memorable turn in High Noon as the weary former marshal Martin Howe.

From monsters to frontier towns, he brought heart, grit, and humanity to every role.

We’re proud to celebrate the Oklahomans whose stories helped shape film history.

#OKPOP #OklahomaBorn #FilmHistory #ClassicHollywood #LonChaneyJr

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Today we remember Oklahoma-born Lon Chaney Jr. on his birthday — a performer whose face and presence helped define classic Hollywood genre storytelling. Born in Oklahoma City, Chaney carried forward his father’s legacy of transformation and became a star in his own right, most famously as Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man. But his career stretched far beyond horror — into westerns, dramas, and television — including a memorable turn in High Noon as the weary former marshal Martin Howe. From monsters to frontier towns, he brought heart, grit, and humanity to every role. We’re proud to celebrate the Oklahomans whose stories helped shape film history. #OKPOP #OklahomaBorn #FilmHistory #ClassicHollywood #LonChaneyJr

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