March 8, 2009 — Artist Lance Hunter has exhibited work in galleries across Europe. This highly recognized, award winning artist also has exhibits and murals in major cities across the United States including New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Houston and ... Catoosa, Okla.

Last October, the Catoosa City Council commissioned Hunter to paint a larger-than-life mural for the D.W. Correll Museum.

The mural covers an entire side of the museum and is designed to honor D.W. Correll, the museum’s benefactor, as well as to draw attention to this hidden jewel along Historic Route 66.

Hunter has completed more than 22 large scale murals. His series of murals in Lufkin, Texas received the President’s Award for Best Public Improvement Project from the Texas Downtown Association in 2001.

“The mural is a montage of images featuring the founder of the museum and highlights from the collection,” said Hunter. “The bold colors and scale of the images are intended to help focus attention on this facility and the fascinating collection of antique automobiles and collectibles inside the museum. I admire the vision and persistence of Mayor Lamkin and the museum board for making the project a reality. I also appreciate the work of my NSU students that did an excellent job with their part in painting the mural.”

The full-color attention-getting painting isn’t the only difference at Catoosa’s largest museum, however. Last year, the Catoosa Sertoma Club adopted the museum, the Museum Board was re-established, and the City Council made a financial commitment to upgrade and improve the facility.

“The new mural is the most visible piece of the addition to the museum,” said Sertoma President Tony Wolters. “The part that is the most important to me is to keep regular hours of operation for the public and to promote and market the museum for the city of Catoosa.”

The city hired curator Danya Haddock and currently an inventory is under way. Haddock said her assistant, Chuck Tapley, have been busy. The job is a huge one as the museum’s contents have never been inventoried and catalogued before.

“I think we have one of everything at least, and we find something new every day,” said Haddock. “There’s something for everybody.”

That something ranges from antique farm tools, buggies, horse drawn carriages, and antique cars to rocks, minerals, bottles, glass, and more.

The city purchased special software, Past Perfect, to record and catalogue the inventory.

“It’s absolutely incredible,” said Haddock of the program. She said Gilcrease and Philbrook museums in Tulsa use Past Perfect as does the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Haddock hopes eventually to be able to rotate displays on a regular basis to reduce overcrowding, allow everything to be seen at some point in time, and to keep exhibits fresh for return visitors.

The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Entry is free.

“We do accept donations,” said Haddock.

Located on the southwest corner of Pine and Cherokee streets, it lies on Historic Route 66.

“We’re in the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and the Oklahoma Museum Association,” said Haddock.

“I want it to be a tourist attraction,” said Catoosa Mayor Rita Lamkin.

Catoosa is already known by Route 66 enthusiasts as the home of the Blue Whale. The Historical Society Museum is just down the street on Cherokee.

In addition to doing inventory, it was important to protect the extensive collection housed at the museum.

“We needed a full security system installed in all the buildings and we have that completed now,” said Wolters. “That was a very critical piece that had to be done. You can’t do an aggressive job of marketing a museum if you don’t have the means to protect it. We’re now painting and cleaning the buildings that we house the artifacts to create an attractive, clean appeal.”

The museum’s significant collection is housed in three buildings.

“New cabinets and shelves are being built,” said Haddock.

“We knew it was going to be a huge project,” said Lamkin. “You just have to say, ‘OK’ and start at one end or another.”

Haddock said Tapley was able to identify farm tools.

“That was so helpful,” she said.

The rocks and minerals are another matter. Haddock said she is working with Dr. Patrick Seward from Rogers State University and hopes students can help identify and label rock and mineral specimens for class credit.

Haddock said a professor and students visited one day from Kansas.

“It just blew their minds,” she said. “They went crazy over one large specimen. D.W. was a rock hound and jeweler. His tombstone actually says ‘old rock hounds never die, they petrify.’”

Sertoma will help with projects such as putting up new wallpaper in the bathroom.

“You’ll see a significant difference, already,” said Wolters. “But it is still a work in progress.”

Wolters and Lamkin say Haddock and Tapley have made significant contributions to the museum’s improvement.

“We really like Danya’s enthusiasm and her commitment,” said Wolters. “She’s working on taking a couple of courses on curatorship and on how to write grants.”

Haddock says much of what’s been accomplished is due to the labors of Tapley, her assistant.

“I absolutely adore him,” she said. “He’s the biggest help.”

Haddock said with such a wide selection of attractions everyone has favorites with some preferring the automobiles, others the rocks and minerals.

The mayor’s favorite?

A 1902 Oldsmobile.

“There’s only two of them made,” said Lamkin. “The other one’s in Australia. Paula O’Dell traced that down when she was here.”

Haddock said there was a factory fire that destroyed all but those two vehicles that year. More were made later, but only those two originals survived.

Haddock pointed to hats in the seats of some of the cars and buggies. Each hat is a time-period match to the vehicle. She said D.W. used to take the vehicles to car shows.

“He really liked to dress the part,” she said.