Les Gilliam, designated the official "Oklahoma Balladeer" by the state Legislature in 1998, is an award-winning singer/songwriter and recording artist from Gene Autry, Oklahoma. Gilliam's concerts include cowboy, western swing, country and gospel music along with fascinating stories about the songs and artists who performed them. Among Gilliam's many awards are his 2010 induction into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, his prestigious 2005 Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and a 2006 Oklahoma Governor's Arts Award. In 2010, his composition and recording of the song Oklahoma 1955 was selected as the Western Swing Song of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. During his distinguished career, Gilliam has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; the International Country Music Festival in Vienna, Austria; the Gene Autry Film and Music Festival in Gene Autry, Oklahoma; Rex Allen Days in Wilcox, Arizona; and the Gene Autry Museum of the American West in California.  Mr. Gilliam will be performing at the finale event.

Learn about the peace keeping men of the American west. Explore the history of the major events of the U.S. Marshals Service in the late 19^th century in Indian Territory and Fort Smith. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Marshals Museum.ASL interpreter will be present.

Leslie S. Higgins is the Director of Education for the U.S. Marshals Museum, a museum-in-planning to be built in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She has been with the USMM since March 2011. Prior to joining the USMM, she worked as a tour guide at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.  Ms. Higgins holds a Master of Arts in History from Arkansas Tech University (2006) and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Museum Education from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. (2008).

Dr. Clarance Benes earned a PhD. in Education with experience as a high school teacher and higher education instructor.  He has both acting and directing experience and has developed and hosted numerous “murder mystery party” skits including a U.S. Marshal skit. Dr. Benes will provide an impersonation of Rooster Cogburn at the kick-off event.

Dr. Julie Pearson-Little Thunder is a Visiting Assistant Professor with the Oral History Research Program at the Oklahoma State University Library, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Her primary work with OOHRP involves interviewing Oklahoma Native artists for the Oklahoma Native Artist Project (ONA). Little Thunder has a Ph.D. in Theatre Studies from the University of Kansas and several of her plays have been developed by Native Voices at the Autry a national Native playwriting initiative. Her playwriting/directing work at OSU includes “Can’t Turn Me Around,” a play drawing upon oral histories of women in the Oklahoma Legislature from OOHRP’s digital collections. Dr. Pearson Little-Thunder will be developing reader’s theatre presentation on “Oklahoma Women with True Grit.”

Come out for an afternoon of rootin’ tootin’ fun while you experience the life skills needed to survive in  the wild west! 

Activities & demonstrations include: Dutch oven cooking, spinning, candle making, and blacksmithing. Participants will eat a Dutch oven meal and take home candles.

Registration and a $25 fee is required.

To sign-up, call 405-747-8084 or email multiartscenter1@gmail.com.

March 16 - Dreamcatchers
March 17 - Cornhusk Dolls
March 18 - Sling Shots
March 19 - Basket Weaving
March 20 - Quilt Squares

Dr. William M. Hagen has recently retired after 38 years of teaching at Oklahoma Baptist University in the English Department. He has served as a participating scholar for several Red Dirt Book Festivals held in Shawnee, OK, and served as a scholar in several Big Read programs. Most recently he has presented True Grit in several library programs and written an essay on the two filmed versions of the novel. Dr. Hagen regularly reviews fiction for World Literature Today. Dr. Hagen will be providing commentary for film screenings.

David Kennedy is the Curator of Collections of the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid, Oklahoma. His responsibilities have included care of collections, exhibit design and fabrication, and technology management - for both exhibits and infrastructure. Prior to his move to Oklahoma, Kennedy was the Curator of the Cody Firearms Museum of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (2003-2009). Having received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1998, Kennedy received his Master of Arts in History from Montana State University (MSU) in 2000. He is the author of Guns of the Wild West: A Photographic Tour of the Guns that Shaped our Country’s History and the content adviser for Katherine Brevard's The Story of Guns: How They Changed the World, a book on firearms for a middle school audience. He has been active with the Mountain-Plains Museums Association (MPMA) as a Board Member or committee chair for a decade and has served as the MPMA representative to AAM CurCom for much of this time. Mr. Kennedy will be presenting “The Gun That Won the West” program at Sheerar Museum in conjunction with exhibit.

Marty Tipton, also known as The Oklahoma Kid, is a trick roper and professional cowboy having been trained at the 101 Ranch and roping in one form or another for over 30 years.  He also teaches trick roping and history at schools and libraries.  He has developed a program in conjunction with the statewide initiative “Oklahoma Reads True Grit.”  Tipton is working on a second book telling in depth the hidden stories about the Wild West and why it was called wild.  Mr. Tipton will perform as the “Oklahoma Kid’ incorporating “True Grit” and science into his program for children. Visit www.theoklahomakid.com.

Jim Howard has been calling square dances since 1989 when he assisted at the National Square Dance Convention held in Oklahoma City, OK.  Jim has called many dances in and around Oklahoma City, calling fulltime for two local square dance clubs.  Jim had the opportunity to call all over in the western region of the U.S. and became one of the most sought after callers in that area.  Jim enjoys teaching, whether it is a new caller or a new square dancer, the joy comes when you get to see “the light bulb go on” as they truly start to understand. Jim is a member of American Caller’s Association, the Oklahoma State Caller and Teachers Association.  Mr. Howard will be leading square dance instruction for program for adults with developmental disabilities.

David Peters has been employed at the Edmon Low Library for 28 years in the General Reference Department, Map Room, and Special Collections and University Archives, where he is currently Acting Head and Coordinator of Special Collections.  Peters was a co-author for The Campus book of the OSU Centennial History Series.  In 2007 he authored a coffee table book titled The Campus of OAMC 1891-1957 and he is currently working on another OSU pictorial volume.  Peters co-authored the book Tabor College: a Century of Transformation, 1908-2008 and for the past twelve years he has written history articles for OSU’s STATE Magazine. His involvements include OSU Staff Advisory Council, OSU Flexible Compensation Committee, Life Member of the OSU Alumni Association, Payne County Historical Society Board, and Stillwater Rotary Club.  He has been named an OSU Library Outstanding Employee, received the OSU Distinguished Service Award, and a multiple recipient of the Greenberg/Howland Personnel Development Award.  Mr. Peters will present a program in conjunction with tour of Frank Eaton home in nearby Perkins, OK.

Ryan Spring is the GIS/GPS Specialist for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Historic Preservation Department. His job duties include using GIS (Geographic Information System) and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to aid in protecting sites important to Choctaw people, creating cultural maps for education, and conducting Choctaw cultural presentations, research, and advisement. Ryan also enjoys playing Choctaw stickball for the Choctaw Nation’s Stickball Team as well as helping coach stickball to youth and adults in his community. Mr. Spring will provide a program a historical program on the Choctaw Light Horsemen.