Our beloved Marjorie Tallchief statue was stolen at the end of April 2022. Updates will be posted to this page as we work to reunite the Five Moons.
December 12, 2022
The Marjorie Tallchief statue is back from the foundry and in the grinding and chasing process. The original sculptor, Gary Henson, has been hard at work these past few months bringing Marjorie back to life. He was here recently to remove the marble base. We are looking forward to reuniting the Five Moons in 2023!
The perpetrator has been identified and a bench warrant issued in Rogers County. The theft itself couldn’t be proven, only the recycling center drop-off of stolen goods, so the charges are minor and we expect no compensation.
May 10, 2022
“It’s in my mind. That’s part of what you learn as a sculptor, to hold shapes in your mind.” – Sculptor Gary Henson on recreating the Marjorie Tallchief statue.
We are on our way to reuniting the 5 Moons! Gary Henson, the original sculptor, has taken custody of all found pieces of the statue. There are still some missing, but he believes he can use the existing pieces and recreate the missing ones to bring Marjorie back in all her glory.
The project will likely take 12-18 months and we will keep this page up to date on any progress.
May 4, 2022
Check out this beautiful design! Mythic Press graciously reached out and offered to design a Marjorie Tallchief t-shirt with all proceeds benefiting THSM. We are so grateful! Here’s the link to order, they will ship in late May: https://shop.mythic.press/…/marjorie-tallchief-t-shirt…
May 3, 2022
“I can bring her back to life” – Gary Henson, sculptor
We are overflowing with gratitude this morning as our GoFundMe is officially 50% funded! This community has risen to surround us. Tulsa, you are amazing.
Our inboxes are full of offers to help, from donations to security experts, to artists, historians, and media, THANK YOU ALL.
An update on our plans: We have spoken with the artist, Gary Henson, and after hearing the extent of the damage and missing pieces, his immediate response was “I can do this!” Restoration may be possible with the missing pieces and existing molds, however, Henson is willing to create a replica in case the pieces cannot be restored.
Please continue to share, and send any information on the missing pieces directly to the Tulsa Police.
We are optimistic that, with your help, the ballerinas will soon be reunited!
May 2, 2022
PARTIALLY FOUND: Here are heartbreaking photos of our Marjorie Tallchief statue – dropped in pieces at a recycling center.
The Tulsa Police Department are working diligently to apprehend the thief. There are promising leads due to the recycling center’s due diligence.
We have set up a GoFundMe here in the hopes of replacing her: https://gofund.me/60dbdfd1
From Executive Director Michelle Place: “I, on behalf of our board of directors, staff and volunteers, want to thank all of those who so quickly spread the news that one of our beloved Five Moons statues had been stolen. We are hoping that additional information regarding the missing pieces will be located so that we can then do our best to restore this Native American symbol through art.”
May 2nd, 2022
MAJOR UPDATE: The statue has been partially found, cut into pieces, at a recycling center. We are devastated but hopeful for apprehension and more answers to come.
A big THANK YOU to the Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa community and media for continuing to share our story over the weekend. Please continue to send any tips directly to TPD.
We hope to eventually replace the statue and make the 5 Moons whole again. To that end, here is a link to a GoFundMe page, this will be an expensive project and every dollar helps! https://gofund.me/60dbdfd1