Press Release
March 28, 2023
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nicole.harvey@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/grants
Rogers County Historical Society, Inc. Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Rogers County Historical Society, Inc. has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
Rogers County Historical Society, Inc. received $20,000 for a project titled “The Totem as Monument and Archive,” which will help fund a workshop series in partnership with Social Practice City University of New York. The workshops and lectures will address the Totem Pole Park thematically, giving historical and contemporary context to the grassroots art environment that Ed Galloway created from the 1930s to the 1950s. Participants can learn restoration techniques through hands-on work and propose complementary projects that contribute to the park’s long-term goals.
“With the upcoming centennial celebrations for Route 66, it is wonderful to see funding come into our community that will allow for highlighting one of the popular landmarks of this historic road,” said Sen. Ally Seifried, Claremore.
“Congratulations to Rogers County Historical Society for receiving these grant funds,” said Rep. Mark Lepak, Claremore. “These workshops at the Totem Pole Park will provide understanding and context to a unique Route 66 landmark.”
“We are very excited to share this workshop series with art and history enthusiasts from all backgrounds and disciplines,” said Erin Turner, project coordinator for Rogers County Historical Society, Inc. “The totems at the Ed Galloway Totem Pole Park are beautiful art treasures, and we look forward to highlighting these structures and their cultural context during these workshops. We’re so grateful to the Oklahoma Historical Society for this Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant.”
The OHS will distribute over $575,000 in grant funds, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming.
“These grant funds continue to empower local communities to collect, preserve and share their history for future generations of Oklahomans with over 150 projects funded to date,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS.
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society to encourage 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 okhistory.org.
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