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
Claremore Museum of History and Rogers County Historical Society Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grants
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Claremore Museum of History and Rogers County Historical Society have been awarded grants though the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“I am thrilled that these two important cultural organizations in our community are receiving funds from the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program,” said Sen. Marty Quinn, Claremore. “Our local and shared history is so important to preserve and these two organizations are providing an amazing service to the community through their work.”
“The Rogers County Historical Society and the Claremore Museum of History both play a vital role in preserving the rich history that our region has to offer,” said Rep. Mark Lepak, Claremore. “Congratulations to both organizations on receiving funding that allows them to continue this important work of collecting, preserving and sharing our local history.”
The Claremore Museum of History has been awarded $20,000 for a project titled “Lynn Riggs Art Gallery,” which will fund the creation of an exhibit space for a newly acquired collection from the personal estates of both Lynn Riggs's great niece and great nephew. This collection includes several paintings that were owned and on display in Riggs’s home and were painted by his partner, Ramon Naya, as well as works from well-known painters of the time period who were Riggs's personal friends. The exhibit will take these new items and combine them with Riggs’s personal effects to tell the story of this prolific playwright.
“The Claremore Museum is so excited to receive this Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant award for 2022,” said Steve Robinson, president of the Claremore Museum of History Board of Directors. “We recently acquired a collection of paintings that were in Lynn Riggs’s personal collection and hung in his own home, including a self portrait that he painted of himself. This grant will afford us the opportunity to convert our existing theater room into the Lynn Riggs Art Gallery, which will provide our guests the opportunity to get a better glimpse into the personal life of Lynn Riggs living in both Santa Fe as well as in New York City during the late 1930s and 1940s.”
The Rogers County Historical Society has been awarded $9,237 for a project titled “Preserving RCHS Documents and Photos,” which will fund the scanning of items from the organization’s collection including newspaper articles, photographs, pamphlets, videos (on VHS tapes) and other pieces of historical information that have been saved in folders, files, boxes and cabinets. In addition to scanning items, the historical society will also purchase supplies such as acid-free paper, sheet protectors, file folders, file tabs, labels and storage boxes.
“Rogers County Historical Society recently celebrated our 50th anniversary,” said Bobbie Cary, treasurer. “During these 50 years, many documents, photos and videos have been saved and stored in various boxes and file cabinets. Because of this grant from the Oklahoma Historical Society, we will be able to scan and digitize documents we've acquired and make them available on our website. Then our photos and documents can be accessed by researchers or anyone who is curious about people and events in Rogers County, and our history will join the amazing amount of information currently available on the internet.”
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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