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City of Tulsa, TU Celebrate Gilcrease Museum Partnership
TULSA, Okla.-(Business Wire)-July 2, 2008 - Gilcrease Museum, which houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West, opened today under the management of The University of Tulsa in an unprecedented agreement with the City of Tulsa.
"Gilcrease Museum is a world-class facility," Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor said. "And this partnership provides it with the unified management structure necessary for it to reach its full potential. The University of Tulsa, one of the nation's most notable institutions for the study of American history, art and culture, is the ideal partner to advance this venue for the benefit of all visitors."
Under the agreement, TU will steward the museum and manage operations while the City of Tulsa retains ownership of the museum, collection and property. This streamlining of management will allow TU to advance and preserve the collection while providing opportunities for academic research of the museum's extensive holdings, said TU's president, Steadman Upham.
In a major demonstration of community support for the public/private venture, TU has secured nearly $13 million in gift commitments since the agreement was announced. Leadership gifts were made by the following individuals and organizations: The Mervin Bovaird Foundation, H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust, J.A. Chapman and Leta M. Chapman Charitable Trust, Mr. and Mrs. Walter H. Helmerich III, Burt B. Holmes, George Kaiser Family Foundation, The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, and The Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation.
These gifts will add more than $2 million annually during the next five years to the museum's operating budget, which will allow it to move forward with strategic improvements including hiring additional curatorial staff, expanding educational outreach and restarting its conservation lab.
Duane King, director of the Gilcrease Museum and TU's vice president for museum affairs, said Gilcrease's new partnership with TU is being watched by others in the museum community who are looking to revitalize their institutions.
Gilcrease Museum is one of the country's best facilities for the preservation and study of American art and history. It offers an unparalleled collection of Native American art and artifacts, as well as historical manuscripts, documents and maps. Tulsa oilman Thomas Gilcrease founded the museum as a private museum in 1949.
Visit www.gilcrease.org or call (888) 655-2278.
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