The overarching goal of Oklahoma Visionaries is to raise awareness among Oklahomans about the importance of preserving site-specific and other artwork created by Oklahoma Visionary Artists. The latest statewide effort to locate this artwork was in the late 1970s, culminating in the 1981 Oklahoma Museum Association exhibit, Folk Art in Oklahoma. Regrettably, some artwork from that exhibit has since disappeared.
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Oklahoma Visionaries, also known as Outsider, Self-Taught, or Contemporary Folk Artists, may not self-identify as artists but embody a dictionary definition of a visionary: “…someone given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for reality.”
These artists frequently employ a combination of art mediums, found objects, and unconventional techniques alongside traditional mediums. For the purpose of this project, Oklahoma Visionaries are defined as individuals residing in Oklahoma, lacking formal art training, deviating from the mainstream art scene, and being guided by a uniquely personal vision.
Inspired by the pressing need to safeguard Oklahoma Visionary artwork and encouraged by the success of the 2023-24 Oklahoma Visionaries: The Beginning, (please see the 2023-2024 Exhibit Guide), the curators decided to continue the pursuit for Oklahoma Visionary Artists by creating a Directory of Artists and facilitating the 2025-2026 Biennial Exhibit. The Biennial Exhibit will showcase the work of approximately 20 new Oklahoma Visionaries, selected from the Directory of Artists not presented in the 2023-24 exhibit; artwork from the 1981 Folk Art in Oklahoma exhibit and photographs of newly discovered, existing and previously recognized site-specific work.
The Oklahoma Visionaries 2025-26 Biennial will open at Liggett Studio Gallery, Tulsa,
OK on October 10 th and run through October 30, 2025. It will then travel to:
• Modella Gallery, Stillwater, OK from November 6 – December 6, 2025
•Art Wrecker, Chickasha, OK from February 13 – March 13, 2026
•Museum of the Red River, Idabel, OK from March 24 – May 17, 2026
(No gallery charges entrance fees and all are ADA compliant)
Curators:
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Steve Liggett (He, Him)
Steve is a practicing artist, art advocate and educator who holds a MA in ceramics from the University of Tulsa. His artwork has been in numerous juried group and solo exhibits. In addition to being the Owner and Director of Liggett Studios, he maintains pottery and papermaking studios where he creates artwork and instructs others. In 2024, Steve published Sketchbook Diaries: Finding a Place for Uncensored Art in Conservative Oklahoma and began to author Tulsa World’s Sunday Art Column.
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Steve is also known for his leadership in the arts. While he was Living Arts of Tulsa’s Executive Director (1992 to 2017), the organization grew from a grassroots supporter of contemporary arts to national recognition. Steve continues to support contemporary artists through Liggett Studio, providing them with a gallery to present and sell their artwork and affordable space to work and instruct classes. Although for-profit, Liggett Studio is based on a community center model.
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Steve’s interest in Visionary Arts originated from his admiration and advocacy for his fourth cousin and widely known Kansas Visionary Artist sculptor, M.T. Liggett. Steve was a 2023 OVAC Thrive recipient for co-curating the Oklahoma Visionaries Exhibit.
Pamela Hodges, PhD (She, Her)
In 2019, Pam retired from her role as director of learning at Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Atlanta, Georgia and returned to Tulsa. Currently, she serves as a CASA volunteer advocate and practices urban sketching, painting and paper making. While she doesn’t consider herself an accomplished artist, she holds a BA in studio art and art history. Pam has accumulated extensive experience in the arts education and administration sectors, having worked at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, and the Philbrook Museum of Arts. Additionally, Pam has held leadership roles in the arts, including serving as the former president of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, a member of the Living Arts of Tulsa board, and chair of the New Genre Festivals.
Pam’s passion for creativity has been a lifelong. Her PhD dissertation from Oklahoma State University delved into the everyday creativity of people who self-identified as artists and those who did not. She discovered that visionary artists often bridge this gap by seamlessly interweaving art-making into their daily lives. This passion, coupled with aesthetics, inspired Pam to co-curate the 2023-24 Oklahoma Visionaries Exhibit and continue the Outsider Artists Inside Oklahoma Project.
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OK Visionaries: The Beginning was funded this assistance from the following:
