The Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery at OCU(25)
- Jonathan Elmore
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 10
OKLAHOMA CITY
I don't spend much time on college campuses anymore. Since I don't seem very professorial and my slang dictionary is quite outdated, I just don't go. That may change since Rose State and OCCC are offering classes I think are interesting. But, for the most part, I'm not hip to the jive, hep cat. See? What'd I tell you about my slang?
I had to use GPS to get to the location because I was unfamiliar with the area in and around Oklahoma City University. Once I got there, I parked in a visitor space and checked my surroundings. I was parked in front of the Norick Art Center. I hopefully assumed that the Nona Jean Hulsey Art Gallery was inside. And it was. Woohoo! I took my first picture of the statute out front and made my way inside. Down the halls leading to the gallery, there was an exhibit of works by artist Benjamin Murphy. According to his bio, he's accomplished a lot in the art world. Interesting work for sure.
On to the gallery! I wasn't sure what to expect. I've seen university galleries that can be either cavernous or closet sized. To me, this was the baby bear of galleries, just right. Enough space to be able to fill it with a great collection like what I saw. It was the How We Rebuild exhibit and it was incredible.
The premise of this photography exhibit was to show how people recover after tragedy. Issues like war, death and dying, weather, and acts of hatred come together to show us how people cope and continue on with their lives after bad things happen to them. Without seeing the photos, you may thing that these seem like sad, soul crushing photos. Some are, but some show the love, joy, and sheer determination that also comes after tragedy. The idea that "I'm different now. I survived and it changed me."
I'm not sure how long the exhibit it up for. There was no one in the building when I was there. So you might go see it pretty quickly before the next exhibit gets hung. But, if you miss it, I'm sure this gallery will have something else that's worth seeing. The gallery is closed on the weekends and on Friday's during the summer so plan accordingly.
1608 NW 26th St. Oklahoma City
Jonathan Elmore ©2025
