Tulsa International Airport gets an Indigenous ‘glow up’ with new exhibit featuring Muscogee art and culture
Artist Carly Treece of Tvlse Studios reminds visitors passing through and returning to their hometown of its Indigenous roots.
Written By: Trista Vaughn
(TVLSE, Okla.) If you’re rushing towards your gate or fast walking towards your Lyft at the Tulsa International Airport, you may want to slow down to spend some time learning about the city’s history.
In between the tables of people catching up on work while waiting to catch their flights and the shops and restaurants are four medium display cases featuring Muscogee Nation history and contemporary artists that remind visitors - this is Muscogee Nation land and Muscogee people are still here.
The exhibit was curated by Carly Treece of Tvlse Studios as part of the Tulsa International Airport’s arts and culture program.
Carly Treece, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and of Cherokee ancestry, is a multidisciplinary artist and curator based on the Muscogee Reservation in Tulsa.
Her work, which often combines oil and cold wax mediums, reflects her emotional and spiritual connection to the land. Treece also advocates for land and body sovereignty, themes she intertwines throughout her art and curatorial projects.
She has curated numerous exhibits in Tulsa and Santa Fe, amplifying Indigenous voices and showcasing both established and emerging Native artists.
Treece said she saw an ad for the arts and culture program at the airport-that they were looking for artists to curate a show there.
Treece wanted to include four themes in the exhibit: Culture, Connection, Continuous, and Contemporary.
“I kind of wanted to do something all about Muscogee culture since Tulsa is on such a large portion of Muscogee land,” said Treece.
“I wanted that to be something that people saw whenever they first came into Tulsa,” she said.
She worked with Mitch Dellinger, an oral historian for the Muscogee Nation’s Historic and Cultural Department, on the display. Treece said she wrote a piece about Muscogee Nation history and sent it to Dellinger for verification so as to not inadvertently misinform people.
“It's just an amazing department and we are so lucky to have them,” Treece said.
Treece used photos of Hastains Township Plats in the exhibit, maps that show individual allotments given to Muscogee Nation citizens during the allotment process. The maps were published in 1910 and show the names and enrollment numbers of Muscogee people.
Treece hopes the long-term impact of this exhibit is that people coming into Tulsa will see the history of the Muscogee people and hope that they will recognize that they're coming into Native land.
“We're still here and we still exist and this is our history, this is our land,” she said.
The plat maps are viewed in Treece’s opinion as being a symbol of destruction to Muscogee culture.
Stephanie Chester, Director of Marketing and Community Relations at Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust, said the committee chose Treece’s display because it celebrates the history and artistic expression of the Muscogee People
The Cultural Advisory Group at Tulsa International Airport was formed in 2006 and includes members from the local arts community and airport staff. Since its establishment, the group has developed a strategic plan to incorporate art and cultural exhibits throughout different areas of the terminal, showcasing local artists, galleries, and museums.
“We started the art program because we wanted to create a better experience for our customers and deepen the connection with the community,” said Chester. “Having an art presence at the airport enhances the passenger experience, creates a sense of place by reflecting the identity and culture of Tulsa, supports local artists, and promotes Tulsa pride.”
Throughout the years, they have collaborated with a variety of artists, such as Shane Darwent, Taylor Painter-Wolfe, Karl Hollis-Jones, Cindy Alvarez, Jillian Selene, Carmen Taylor, Alexander Tamahn, Liz Ingersoll, John Hammer, and Megan Torres, among others.
Continuous is another theme of the exhibit and features a textile display case with clothing from the Fife Collection.
“I came up with that because of the continuous thread weaved in all of Muscogee people,” said Treece.
The Fife Collection is a company that started bringing back Muscogee Nation designs into clothing.
“I met with Phyllis Fife and her daughters, Shelly Patrick and Stacy Pratt,” said Treece. “We went through their amazing collection from the '70s when they started up to now, all of their designs and we sat over coffee and talked and figured out what we wanted to go into that case.”
Jamie Bennett from Muscogee Threads, who's a designer today, also has a piece in the display.
“I feel like the thread of the textiles is symbolic of that thread that connects us all in that continuous circle,” Treece said.
Treece said she wanted to feature contemporary artists in the display cases-painters, poets, musicians and filmmakers. She wanted to travelers to see that Muscogee artists are still here and still creating.
“I just wanted to show contemporary art forms in the different forms of art, the different types of artists that we are,” she said.
Treece also featured a print from Dana Tiger in the art exhibit.
Dana Tiger is a well-known artist who has received many awards. She is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has Seminole and Cherokee heritage. At the young age of five, Tiger lost her father, Jerome Tiger. To continue the presence of her late father, she started creating art like his. She gives credit to her uncle, Johnny Tiger Jr., who also taught her about her culture and their family’s artistic background.
Tiger is known for her watercolor and acrylic artwork that portrays the resilience and strength of Native American women. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001 for her achievements.
Treece also featured a signed poster from filmmaker and Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo and a Joy Harjo poetry book on the exhibit.
Treece included some of her own artwork, some items from artist Amanda Rutland, and musician Kalyn Fay, who is a Cherokee citizen, but also of Muscogee descent.
“I have one of Kalyn Fay CDs, and I wanted to share our different types of art.”
Treece will be in the Muscogee Art Market April 26-27th at the River Spirit Casino in Tulsa. She’ll also be participating in Mayfest in downtown Tulsa May 9th-11th.
Four Mothers Collective will have a space in April and will be doing monthly workshops. Follow their Instagram, Facebook, and website for more dates and locations.