Thomas Gilcrease sought to tell the story of America through art with an emphasis on Native American cultures. The museum founder’s fundamental interest in Native cultures was due in part to his own Muscogee ancestry. Evidence of his interest is illustrated by the amount of Native art and cultural items he gathered. He was also patron to numerous artists of his time and purchased over 500 paintings by 20th-century Native artists. As a result, the museum not only tells the story of Native Americans through exhibition of objects thousands of years old, but also through modern paintings and sculptures.

Browse: The Kiowa Six: Painting Oral Histories
Browse: Indigenous Artists