Culture & Museums

Founded in 1919, the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur, is located on the campus of the former St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, which is now the Oklahoma Baptist University Green Campus.

The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art is one of the oldest museums in the state.

Father Gregory Gerrer, for whom the museum is named, was a Benedictine monk of artistic talent. During his travels to Europe, Africa and South America, he collected objects of artistic and ethnological value.

The museum is home to an encyclopedic collection of over 6,000 artworks and artifacts, spanning 8,000 years of human history and a diverse array of world cultures.

The museum’s permanent collections include Egyptian, Greek and Roman objects; art from the Renaissance through the early 20th century; and large holdings of Native American African/Oceanic and Eastern cultural artifacts.

In addition, the museum offers special exhibitions throughout the year.

Mabee-Gerrer Museum offers various programs and special exhibits for children and adults alike throughout the year.

According to Director of Mabee-Gerrer Museum Dane Pollei, there haven’t been many physical changes to the museum in the last few years, but he encourages visitors to come back to the museum as there are various pieces, programs and temporary exhibitions constantly changing.

“Many people don’t realize that what’s on display in our permanent collection gallery is about six per- cent of our (overall) collection,” he said. “About 94 percent of it is in storage so we can use it to create special exhibits.”

Programs at the museum also reach thousands of students each year with various educational and art programs.

Visit www.mgmoa.org for more information.

The Cultural Heritage Center reopened in January 2018 withs new interactive displays providing hands-on learning in a fun, modern format. The galleries feature new items that explain the history of the Potawatomi as well as present traditions.

The CHC also continually expands the Veterans Wall of Honor.

For more information go to www.potawatomiheritage.com.