JENKS – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation just accomplished another historic first: the first Mvskoke-owned and Mvskoke-operated art gallery in the Greater Tulsa area, as the Mvskoke Waters Gallery opened in Jenks on Dec. 13.
Tucked away on the 500 block of Jenks’s Riverwalk Crossing, the art gallery opened with its first art installation, “Mvskokvlke: Road of Strength,” which strives to show the resilience, strength, and courage of the Mvskoke people, and features almost two dozen artists from all over the country.
The artists include George Alexander, Dan Beaver, Dianna Beaver, Harry Beaver, Gary Colbert, Leslie Deer, Johnnie Diacon, Phyllis Fife, Jimmie Carole Fife Stewart, Starr Hardridge, Kristi Holland, Kenneth Johnson, Robin Jenkins, Randy Kemp, Bobby C. Martin, Scott Roberts, John Tiger, Dana Tiger, and Sandy Fife Wilson. In addition, there were pieces by poet Joy Harjo and filmmaker Sterlin Harjo. There was also an art piece featuring a tribute to Mary Edward Smith, an artist and Mvskoke citizen who passed away in April of 2025.
Curated by Mvskoke artists Bobby C. Martin and Carly Treece, the installation is, as the placard inside describes, a celebration of the Mvskoke people’s ability to survive and endure.
“As the inaugural event of the new Muscogee (Creek) Nation fine art gallery, this exhibition marks a significant moment for the Muscogee Nation and Muscogee artists,” the placard reads.
“It provides a platform to share our stories through art, honoring our past while shaping our future. This gathering of artists is not just an exhibition — it is a statement of presence, creativity, and strength that will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Carly Treece, one of the co-curators of the exhibit, is very proud of the work that they have done for the gallery’s first exhibition, and is hopeful that it will potentially inspire more artists in the future.
“The exhibit is all legacy artists, which means that these artists have been doing this work for decades, and they have, kind of, paved the way for younger artists, and so, I feel like the exhibit is essentially showing their work and showing what they’ve done, and honoring how far they and their tribes have come,” Treece said.
The Mvskoke Waters Gallery is located at 500 Riverwalk Terrace, Suite 115 in Jenks, OK. Its normal operating hours will begin on Jan. 6, 2026, where it will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m from Tuesday through Saturday.
Its holiday hours are as follows:
December 16 & 17: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December 19: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December 20: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
December 26: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
January 2, 2026: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Those interested in contacting the Mvskoke Waters Gallery can do so by email at mvskokewaters@gmail.com
For those interested in the work of the curators, their work can be found at their websites, located at https://www.tvlsestudios.com/ and https://www.bobbycmartin.com/
