Special Exhibit Gallery
In the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation Gallery, we host a variety of special exhibits throughout the year! From art shows, to traveling exhibits, you won’t want to miss any of these special exhibits. See our calendar of events for our special exhibit schedule.
Upcoming Special Exhibits
2024 Special Exhibit Schedule
February 6 – April 20
Discover Greatness: An Illustrated History of Negro Leagues Baseball
This 90-photo exhibit from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum explores the history of Black baseball through chronological chapters. From the beginning, the leagues had their roots in racism with the so-called “gentleman’s agreement” that effectively shut Black ballplayers out of big-league competition for the first half of the 20th century.
Despite their eventual demise, the Negro Leagues defined a critical chapter of baseball’s full story, shining a bright light on scores of African American ballplayers whose greatness might have otherwise, tragically, gone undiscovered.
The cost of this exhibit is included with purchase of regular museum admission and will be on display in the Mabee Foundation Gallery from February 6 – April 20.
May 6 – July 6
From Our Hands
This exhibit showcases works of art by local Oklahoma Native American artists. Pieces created by Paladine and Burgess Roye (Ponca), Penny Coates (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) and Amber Duboise-Shepherd (Navajo-Prairie Band Potawatomi/Sac and Fox) tell unique stories through vibrant color and detail.
A select number of artworks will be for sale while the exhibit is on display.
The cost of this exhibit is included with purchase of regular museum admission and will be on display in the Mabee Foundation Gallery from May 6 – July 6.
August 13 – November 2
A Broader View: The 1893 Land Run in an Era of American Change
Travel back in time through this immersive exhibit that offers a broader perspective surrounding the 1893 Land Run and other events taking place across the country.
Beginning with the Treaty of New Echota in 1835, the urge to expand westward culminated in the creation of territorial governments and the opening of land runs, and in 1893, the territory experienced its largest land run amid an economic panic and massive wave of immigration. In the same year, the Columbian Exposition in Chicago saw thousands of visitors witness agricultural, architectural, and technological advantages that helped propel the United States on to the same stage as the rest of world. Industrialization and mass production saw deteriorating work conditions and the rise of labor organizations, resulting in a search for new beginnings out west. Men and women would assume new roles during the creation of homesteads and businesses which promoted political causes.
The cost of this exhibit is included with purchase of regular museum admission and will be on display in the Mabee Foundation Gallery from August 13 – November 2.
Permanent Exhibit Gallery
Our permanent exhibit gallery explores the history of northwestern Oklahoma, from the settlement of the historical region known as the Cherokee Strip to modern day. The exhibits explore the historical origins of the Cherokee Outlet, the Cherokee Outlet land opening in 1893, the settlement of the region, and the culture and society that developed.