GROWN FROM THIS THREADBARE GROUND
An exhibition and community weaving project by Sally C Garner

CHAPMAN COMMONS GALLERY and CHAPEL
at Phillips Theological Seminary
901 N Mingo Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74116

January 12 - April 3, 2026

Exhibition Hours: Mon–Fri, 9am-5pm
Closed on holidays
Please see the front desk on arrival.
The gallery is to the left beyond the front entrance. The chapel is to the right.
The exhibition spans these two spaces. Please be mindful that the chapel is an active space for worship, especially on Tuesdays/Fridays before noon. (Bonus: While you’re visiting the exhibition at PTS, check out the library, located right next to the gallery!)

Closing Reception:
Thurs 4/2 → 5-8p

Artist Talk + Community Weaving Workshop
Thursday, February 5 → 5:30–7:30pm

Free event ⏐ Supplies provided ⏐ All skill levels are welcome
Join us for an event celebrating the beginning of a community collaboration. Attendees will learn more about the exhibition, the artist’s motivations and interests, and of course, how to weave! Participants will then be invited to weave on the communal loom created by the artist for this project with materials specifically curated to the themes of the exhibition. The fabrics woven throughout this exhibition will be combined into a sculptural textile that will be displayed (in progress) at the closing reception on Thursday, April 2, 2026. Everyone who contributes to this project is encouraged to visit the finished, community-collaborated artwork and continue weaving on the communal loom in the second installment of this ongoing project at 108|Contemporary in June/July 2027. The exhibition at 108|Contemporary will also include all new sculptural fiber works by Sally C. Garner, as well as a living, growing art installation.


The community loom is available to weave on anytime the gallery is open.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate, no matter your skill level.

If you would like to join others in weaving together, Sally will also be on-site to host more casually structured community weaving opportunities during these times:

Tues 2/10 → 3-5p
Sat 2/21 → 10a-1p
Fri 3/6 → 3-5p
Thurs 3/19 → 3-5p
Sat 3/28 → 10a-1p


Making it Matter: Eco-Justice and Creative Action

Thurs 3/19 → 6:30p
Phillips Theological Seminary
901 N Mingo Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74116

Find inspiration, purpose and a shared love for our natural world in a dynamic roundtable talk focusing on the intersections of environmental science, justice, art and activism. A brief Q&A will follow the talk.

Meet the Panelists:

Headshot for Rev. Dr. Kathleen (Kathy) McCallie

Rev. Dr. Kathleen (Kathy) McCallie

Dr. Kathy McCallie is the Associate Professor of Ministerial Leadership and Ethics at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK.

Before joining the faculty at Phillips Theological Seminary, Dr. McCallie served 26 years in pastoral ministry ordained in the United Church of Christ. She was the founding pastor of a new church start, Church of the Open Arms, UCC beginning in 1997 in Oklahoma City. In addition to her experience serving in various congregational settings and denominational leadership positions, Dr. McCallie taught government and ethics at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and Oklahoma City Community College.

She brings to the study of ethics and ministerial leadership a passion for social activism. Studies in political science and philosophy enhance her public service. She is the currently completing a book project reflecting on ethical issues in church governance and administration. Research areas of interest include ethics of international trade, globalization, and public policy.  In recent years Dr. McCallie has developed a growing interest in faith-based community organizing, particularly the Industrial Areas Foundation work. She is a member of the American Academy of Religion, Society for Biblical Literature, and Spiritual Directors International.

Headshot for Colleen Thurston, 2025

Colleen Thurston

Colleen Thurston is a filmmaker, educator and film curator from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has created film and video work for the Smithsonian Channel, Vox, and museums, public television, and federal and tribal organizations. Grounding her filmmaking practice in place-based narratives and Indigenous world views, her work has screened at international film festivals and broadcast nationwide.

Colleen has been supported by Firelight Media, the Sundance Institute, Patagonia, the Ford Foundation, the Redford Center, and Creative Capital.

Colleen’s first feature documentary DROWNED LAND (2025) examines the cycle of displacement as it is related to resource extraction in her tribe, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Drowned Land is slated for PBS broadcast in 2026.

Colleen is the project producer for the Indigenous video series, Native Lens, and is a senior programmer for Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and an Associate Programmer for MountainFilm. Colleen has curated film programs for institutions such as the Momentary (Bentonville, AR), the Smithsonian’s Native Cinema Showcase (Santa Fe, NM), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), UCLA Film and Television Archives and Vidiots (Los Angeles, CA) and numerous film festivals. She is the founder of the upcoming Indigenous Moving Image Archive and Home Movie Project and a current Tulsa Artist Fellow.

Headshot for Kathryn (Bartee) Perdue

Kathryn (Bartee) Perdue

Kathryn is a Tulsa-native and alum of the University of Tulsa, where she studied Environmental Policy and minored in Biology and Art. Her academic work focused on hazardous waste cleanup, water resource policy, and industrial impacts on environmental health; subjects that continue to inform both her professional and artistic practice.

Working primarily in oil paint, Kathryn’s art explores Oklahoma’s environmental history and landscapes. Her recent series examines Tar Creek, the state’s most prominent Superfund site, depicting the altered terrain of Picher, Oklahoma after decades of Lead mining: from towering chat piles to discolored waters and remnants of daily life marked by contamination. Her work depicts moments of beauty within environmental devastation.

Kathryn currently serves as an Environmental Planner at Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG), where she facilitates water-related planning efforts, including stormwater, floodplain, and water quality planning projects across the Tulsa Metropolitan Area. In her free time, she volunteers with the Blue Thumb water quality monitoring program and enjoys spending time at home with her husband and two cats.

Headshot for Anita Mills

Anita Mills

Anita’s passion is to feed people and teach people how to achieve self-reliance by growing their own food at minimal cost.  She especially enjoys using and showing how to upcycle "trash" to start seeds and gardens, as well as kitchen-based garden pest control and soil tests. 

Anita is a lifelong gardener, and an organic gardener since the late 1960s. She is passionate about teaching how to grow nutrient dense foods with natural soil building, natural pest control (by interplanting vegetables, herbs, and flowers) and how to attract pollinators, who are so essential to the production of the crops. In addition, she has experimented through the years with different growing methods such as planting in straw bales, companion planting, and raised garden beds, as well as container gardening.

Anita Mills has been Garden Ministry Coordinator for Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma since mid-2021.  In that position, she mentors and supervises volunteers of all ages to grow fresh produce using regenerative agricultural methods in 2200 sq ft of raised beds for the on-site kitchen and food pantry. 

She is certified in Permaculture (2015), and completed coursework in Market Farming (2021) to expand her knowledge of growing food on a large scale.

Anita is currently working on a Master of Arts in Ministry and Culture at Phillips Theological Seminary

 

This event and project was generously supported by the Artists Creative Fund, a program of the George Kaiser Family Foundation that uplifts local visual and performance artists, writers, directors, etc. developing a project based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each year, 20 artists receive grants of $10k each, and participate in ongoing professional development with Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE), Tulsa Community Foundation, and local artist mentorships.

For more information about this grant, visit www.artistscreativefund.art.


 

Phillips Theological Seminary values hospitality and inclusivity in every art exhibition hosted within their gallery. In Sally’s experience, the Chapman Commons Gallery thoughtfully curates exhibits that showcase unique artistic interpretations of pressing social issues and provides support and space for artists to share their work with audiences who are driven to live a life guided by compassion and justice. These exhibits invite visitors to explore diverse perspectives, reflect on their own identities and spirituality, and consider how they can help to build a more equitable world. PTS welcomes everyone to participate in these conversations.

For more information about the art exhibitions at PTS, visit www.ptstulsa.edu/art.