Neon Moon: Always Room Here

Neon Moon, a famous 1990s country ballad by Brooks & Dunn, has become a cross-cultural anthem for the lovelorn and the lonely. But the song describes more than that, as many country songs do – comfort in familiar places, romanticization of a past gone, working-class experiences, and finding community in the present.

The notion of “country” has become widely idealized as a rural, simple, place of the past, full of people disconnected from an urban reality. However, contemporary country life was born of many different people groups innovating together. Their intermingled relationships to one another created a shared culture where people from all walks of life are dynamically bound.

Neon Moon: Always Room Here includes paintings, photography, and works on paper from Philbrook’s permanent collection, as well as loans from local and national artists. Come explore the beautifully nuanced and complex history embedded in the culture of the country – a place for everyone. In the words of Brooks & Dunn, there is always room here.

IMAGES:
Susan Felter (American, b. 1945). Roger – Bull Rider, 1979, printed 1990. Ektacolor print, 28 x 36″. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Museum purchase, 1991.4. Susan Felter

Mark Workman (American, b. 1960). Growing Gold, 2002. Acrylic on paper, 31 1/8 x 31 1/2″. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Museum purchase, 2002.13. Mark Workman

Jim Denomie (Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), b. 1955). Indian Country Night Spirits, 2000. Oil on board, 11 1/2 x 13 1/2″. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Collection of Jauvanta M. and Albert L. Walker, gift of Helen and Richard Hernstadt, 2009.6.97. Jim Denomie