Rising high above the Tulsa skyline, the Golden Driller remains one of Oklahoma’s most iconic landmarks and one of the tallest statues in the United States. Standing 76 feet tall at Expo Square, it immediately captures the attention of passersby while representing the resilience and determination that shaped a city built on the oil industry. With one hand gripping an oil…
I had been hearing about this place downtown that was sort of a food court of up-and-coming restaurants in Tulsa. It had a catchy name, The Mother Road Market. When given this assignment, I realized it was positioned on Route 66. Also known as the Mother Road and as a market is (by definition) a gathering of people for the purchase…
On Oct. 1, 1960, Nigeria declared its independence, joining the sovereign states of the world. This day stands as a testament to Nigeria’s resistance and the unyielding spirit of a people determined to shape their own destiny. Decades later, for Nigerians both in Nigeria and in the diaspora, Oct. 1 every year remains a day to hold dear to their hearts and cherish because of what it represents. Nigeria is home…
Before Route 66 became America’s most iconic highway, it began as nothing more than an idea – one that required vision, determination, and someone willing to bring it to life. That person was Cyrus Stevens Avery, a Tulsa businessman and public servant whose efforts helped shape not just a roadway, but a lasting piece of American identity. Known today as…
In March 2026, the TCC Center for Creativity event hall, situated directly on historic Route 66, hosted the Faculty Showcase of the TCC School of Visual and Performing Arts. TCC hired several young art teachers within the last several years after a marvelous group of very experienced professors retired. I think it was a wonderful idea to…
Don’t forget to register next time! Throughout all of January and even a little March, Tulsans learned to feel the rhythm of music, took dance classes, created interesting handmade crafts, drew, and even explored acting, and it was all together with the “I Can’t” workshops for FREE. “I Can’t” workshops are an already long-standing project that burst into life in Tulsa, offering all city residents an opportunity to learn something new, challenge themselves, explore their creative abilities, meet new and…
The Theatre Department at Tulsa Community College Southeast Campus will present “Brandy and Cecelia, Vampire Hunters,” April 16-19. The dates and times are April 16-18 at 8 p.m., and on April 19 at 2 p.m. in the VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education (PACE) Studio Theatre, 10300 E. 81st St. The play is a fun, fast-moving…
Route 66, otherwise known as U. S. Highway 66, is something more than a strip of asphalt. It is a cultural icon ingrained in the American narrative. Conceived in the early years of the 20th century, this fabled road connected Chicago to Santa Monica and symbolized movement, the American Dream, and the vast extent of…
Behind the scenes, the former Tulsa Community College Board of Regents member Sam Combs III likes the kind of work most students never notice. “If we’re doing our job right,” he said during a recent interview with the TCC Connection, “you feel our impact, but you don’t necessarily see us.” Over nine years as a…
The audience clapped and cheered, and Wes Studi smiled as he watched from his seat. He watched as Tulsa Community College students and faculty unveiled a six-by-five-foot portrait of his face. The artwork depicted his 2019 Academy Award win. It was the moment he became the first Native American actor to receive an Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award. This unveiling was the climax of a multi-semester project. The project’s goal…
