Southern Plains Indian Museum, Anadarko, Oklahoma

Rosemary Ellison Gallery

On December 15, 2001, 51 years after the founding of the Southern Plains Museum, a new gallery was inaugurated. The Southern Plains Indian Museum celebrated the completion of the first comprehensive expansion in the museum’s history. The $1-millon expansion increases the museum size from 4,351 to 5,951 square feet. It creates a new gallery to feature artwork by contemporary Indian artists and artisans including Marcus Amerman (Choctaw), Eva Wolfe (Cherokee), and John T. Shopteese (Potawatomi), as well as to exhibit pieces from the permanent collection including works by Blackbear Bosin (Comanche/Kiowa), T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo), Mildred Imach Cleghorn (Apache), Amanda Crow (Cherokee), Allan Houser (Apache), Mary Tiger (Seminole), and Solomon McCombs (Creek).

Attendees at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony included Congressman and Mrs. Frank D. Lucas; Beverly Willhoite, Mayor of Anadarko; Keith Tillis, Chief of Police; Alan Riffel, Anadarko City Manager; Frank Tartsah, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Joan Hill, former Co-Chairman of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Meridith Stanton, Director of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board.

Tribal Leaders, Museum Association Board Members, and key Bureau of Indian Affairs Officials instrumental in making the idea become a reality also attended the ceremony.

The public gala featured a patriotic cultural and musical program by the KitiKiti’sh Little Sisters, a group of Indian girls representing 16 different Tribes, ranging in age from 21 months to 12 years.

The outside stone masonry of the gallery came from the Old Fort Still buildings.

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