A renowned artist known for his focus on sensitive historical subjects has come to Tulsa to research Oklahoma’s complex and often tragic past.
The Gilcrease Museum announced this month that Stephen Towns would be the first person selected in a reboot of its artist-in-resident program.
Originally from South Carolina, Towns has crafted paintings and quilt works focused on the stories of Black Americans around the time of the Civil War.
Towns said he wants to focus on Tulsa’s indigenous history during his residency in Green Country.
“I want to spend some time researching the Trail of Tears and the movement of Black and Native people to that area from the South,” he said.
Towns said attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as well as the arts has made him question how safe his work is.
“Wondering, like, is the work I make illegal now? It’s something that I’m questioning even now and it’s a big fear that I have working on this project.”
Towns’ work has been the subject of debate before. In 2017, he removed his Nat Turner-inspired portraits from Goucher College’s Rosenberg Gallery in Baltimore after some backlash. Towns said he’s had many discussions about the way his work makes some critics feel.
“I’ve figured out a way to work through it. We have these open discussions and dialogues about the work, why it sort of makes a person feel this way,” he said.
Towns has not faced criticism for his planned work in Tulsa.
Towns’ tenure as the “Gillies Artist-in-Residence” began Monday and lasts through April 12th.
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We must note, the University of Tulsa helps operate the Gilcrease Museum. TU holds the broadcast license for KWGS, but does not have any say in the station’s editorial process.
