Gilcrease Museum Highlights Tulsa Photographers In New Exhibit

A new exhibit at the Gilcrease Museum is highlighting Tulsa photographers.

The exhibit is called Assignment Tulsa, and the photographs featured were chosen from a competition held right in the middle of the pandemic.

The exhibit features 26 photographers from the community who were given one task: show what makes Tulsa so special.

"It's a love letter to Tulsa for people that live here, they love this place, they love what makes Tulsa special," said Gilcrease Museum Curator of History Mark Dolph.

Dolph says the exhibit is a partnership between the museum and the Photographers of Tulsa Group. People competed in categories ranging from buildings to parks, and he says the timing of the competition is giving people a view of Tulsa during a historic year.  

"I think what makes this even more special is that you see Tulsa captured during this very, hopefully unique, period in our history," Dolph said.

A photo of the Tulsa Theater taken by Bill Ramsay gives a snapshot of a summer filled with protests for racial justice. 

"What makes a good photograph? Well it needs to be simple, it needs to have a strong subject matter, and have a connection with the audience," said Ramsay.

Photographer Anitra Lavanhar had a photo of a food truck owner selected in the Tulsa People category.

"I decided I wanted to photograph someone who wouldn't normally be in the limelight," said Lavanhar.

She says she hopes her photography brings people out of their bubbles to experience new things in Tulsa.

"Also just how hard she works and stuff, that was a big piece of how I wanted to her to shine a little bit," Lavanhar said.

The museum says the exhibit is part of an effort to feature talented artists from the community at the museum.

The exhibit will be up through July 4th and prints of the photographs can be purchased.