Under a federal cooperative program begun in 1947 between the Government of Oklahoma and the United States Department of the Interior, plans were made to create a museum in Anadarko, Oklahoma, to present works by the tribal members of the Southern Plains who lived in Oklahoma.[1] Costing $50,000, the museum officially opened on December 2, 1948.[2] The museum houses a large permanent collection of both contemporary and historic cultural works of the Southern Plains tribes of Western Oklahoma including clothing, dance regalia, cultural items, jewelry, household objects, and weaponry.[1][3] Also featured are artworks from Indigenous artists affiliated with the Great Plains region, including tribal people of the Caddo, Chiricahua Apache, Comanche, Delaware Nation, Kiowa, Plains Apache, Southern Arapaho, Southern Cheyenne, and Wichita.[3] The museum notably showcases dioramas painted by Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache, 1914–1994) and has many original paintings by T. C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo, 1946–1978) in its permanent collection.
Congdon, Kristin G.; Hallmark, Kara Kelley (2012). "Georgeann Robinson". American Folk Art: A Regional Reference. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 533–534. ISBN978-0-313-34937-9.
Coppernoll, Carrie (January 6, 2006). "Seeking local support (pt 1)". Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: The Daily Oklahoman. p. A13. Retrieved August 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. and Coppernoll, Carrie (January 6, 2006). "Museum (pt 2)". Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: The Daily Oklahoman. p. A18. Retrieved August 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
"Rosemary Ellison Gallery". U.S. Department of the Interior. Washington, D. C.: Indian Arts and Crafts Board. 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2018.