Press Release
February 26, 2026
Contact: CJ Budy
Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-237-1907
[email protected]
csrhc.org
Creators of “Art of the Wish” Exhibit to Speak at Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid
ENID, Okla. — On Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m., co-creators of the exhibit “Art of the Wish” will have an informal discussion at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in the J. E. & L. E. Mabee Foundation Gallery.
This talk with the co-creators, Marn Jensen and Andy Newcom, along with their teammate, Julie McFarland, will be a great opportunity for the public to ask questions and learn more about the inspiration for “Art of the Wish” and the ideas that shaped its content. The informal gathering is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
The exhibit highlights a national project launched in 2017 when Jensen and Newcom spent six months traveling the country. They asked adults ages 80 to 100-plus a single question: “If you had a wish for the world, what would it be?”
The artists visited senior communities, hospice care facilities and caregivers to get a diverse range of backgrounds, beliefs and life experiences. Each participant’s response became the inspiration for an original artwork paired with a brief narrative that captures the story behind the wish.
“Art of the Wish” includes photography, sculpture, textiles, encaustic pieces, mixed media and paintings. Jensen and Newcom hope the exhibit inspires visitors to start simple, meaningful conversations with older adults.
“Art of the Wish” is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance in Kansas City. It will remain open at the CSRHC through Saturday, May 23.
For more information about the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, please visit csrhc.org or call 580-237-1907.
The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. 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 okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center are available upon request.
