Press Release
October 18, 2016
Contact: Steve Hawkins
Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-0754
shawkins@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/historycenter
Mason Williams to speak to Mountain-Plains Museums Association in Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma History Center, a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, and other cultural organizations in Oklahoma City will host the Mountain-Plains Museums Association (MPMA) conference the week of October 24. The theme of the 2016 MPMA conference is “Crossroads of Culture: Many Voices, Many Stories.”
The keynote speaker for the conference will be Mason Williams. Williams is an American guitarist and composer known for his instrumental “Classical Gas.” He also was the head writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The keynote address is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25, at 10 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Oklahoma City. The public is welcome to attend this general session.
The 2016 MPMA conference will be one of the largest museum conferences ever held in Oklahoma City. With more than 400 museum professionals expected to attend the conference from MPMA’s 10 states, there will not only be a positive economic impact estimated at $350,000, but also an opportunity to introduce people to Oklahoma. According to Monta Lee Dakin, MPMA executive director, “A lot of people have never been to Oklahoma. The museum community welcomed us with open arms and urged us to make the town the site of our 2016 conference. We are excited to be able to show off Oklahoma City’s cultural assets and those of the surrounding towns. MPMA members have already told me they are coming early to spend a few days exploring the city and the state.”
Kathy Dickson and Dan Provo of the Oklahoma Historical Society are the conference cochairs. “Hosting the MPMA conference in Oklahoma City is a wonderful opportunity to work collaboratively with cultural organizations across the area and to showcase the exciting cultural and economic development of Oklahoma City and the state,” said Dan Provo. “Members of the museum community will share some of the many innovative and creative contributions that cultural and business enterprises are making to the state while also generating substantial new revenue for the state and the community.”
For more information visit the Mountain-Plains Museums Association website at ww.mpma.net.
The Oklahoma History Center, located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in the Capitol Complex, is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
