Press Release
March 17, 2022
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nharvey@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/grants
Seminole Nation Museum Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Seminole Nation Museum has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“I am proud that my district received two grants from the Oklahoma Historical Society, one for the McLoud Historical Society showcasing the history of the school system and the importance of education, and the other for the Seminole Nation Museum in Wewoka highlighting the history of the town and its impact on Oklahoma history,” said Rep. Danny Williams, Seminole. “Both of these worthy groups are deserving of these funds and I look forward to seeing them continue to preserve our history for future generations.”
The Seminole Nation Museum has been awarded $20,000 for a project titled “‘Wewoka’ Exhibition Redesign and Implementation,” which will help fund the redesign of a 2,000-square-foot exhibit space that was first developed in 1992 celebrating the story of Wewoka and its impact on the Oklahoma oil boom and the state's rich railroad history. This will be in conjunction with the upcoming 100th anniversary of Wewoka in 2023.
“The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is an investment in Oklahoma’s future through its past,” said Richard Ellwanger, Seminole Nation Museum executive director. “The OHS is empowering rural communities like Wewoka to draw on their rich histories and diverse cultures to build capacity, foster pride of place and enhance quality of life for their citizens. The Seminole Nation Museum is honored to be a recipient of this award.”
The total amount of funds that will be distributed this year is just over $558,000, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming. “Entering our third year of the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program, the OHS is thrilled with the program’s success,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS. “To date, the program has funded over 120 projects that are aiding with collecting, preserving and sharing Oklahoma history for local communities across the state.”
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society with a goal of encouraging the collection, preservation and sharing of Oklahoma history at the grassroots level in all parts of the state. Open to tribal and municipal governments and not-for-profit historical organizations located in Oklahoma and registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state, this grants program offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for projects focused on collections, exhibits and programming. Applications for this annual program open in the fall and award announcements are made in January. For more information visit www.okhistory.org/grants.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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