PEA RIDGE — A contingent of Pea Ridge elementary school artists made the trek to Tulsa recently to be honored in a reception at the Gilcrease Museum of American Art.
Fifty young Pea Ridge artists have had their art work on display in a special exhibition that has been showing since late May. With featured schools usually limited to monthlong shows in the venerated museum, Pea Ridge has the honor of having their art displayed nearly all summer with the exhibition not closing until late in July.
Pea Ridge was the only individual elementary school to put on an exhibition as all but one other exhibition involved high school students. The only other elementary level display was a collaboration of several elementary schools in Tulsa who put on a common display together earlier in the year.
Museum curator Deborah Burke remarked that “the art on display is really well done art. We have fielded inquiries as to whether the Pea Ridge artcould be purchased, so the work has impressed a lot of our visitors. The students with art on display here can be proud of what they have accomplished.”
Pea Ridge Intermediate School principal Sarah Stokes made the trip to Tulsa to attend the reception and spoke at the gathering. She praised the hard work and dedication of the students. She also thanked the museum for affording Pea Ridge School the opportunity to participate in the event.
This year marked the fourth time that Pea Ridge elementary students have held an exhibition at the Gilcrease, a Tulsa landmark that is a nationally and world renowned museum. More than 50 students and supporters were present at the reception to rank as one of the largest groups to come this year.
The Gilcrease is the result of the life work offounder Thomas Gilcrease. Gilcrease was a Creek Indian who was given a farm and acreage right on top of what would become one of the biggest oil discoveries in the country. A millionaire at age 18, Gilcrease decided to use his wealth to begin collecting American art, something that was not being done at the time he started to do it. Eventually amassing a priceless collection of American art from ancient times upthrough colonial times and later, Gilcrease later willed the collection to the City of Tulsa which has placed the artifacts under the supervision of the University of Tulsa.
The museum underwent a massive renovation last year, including adding anew wing to the institution. This year, the Gilcrease had begun showing the tools of the old West.
Tools, weapons, clothing, and other similar artifacts associated with life on the frontier can now be seen alongside the art of the west.
News, Pages 9 on 07/04/2012