Tulsa artist brings city's history to life at airport with Time Travel Tulsa Exhibit

Travelers at Tulsa International Airport can now get a unique glimpse into the city’s past thanks to a new exhibit by local artist and Tulsa history enthusiast Patrick McNicholas. Known for his historical photography project Time Travel Tulsa, McNicholas blends modern techniques with archival images to showcase the evolution of the city.

Local artist's exhibit bridges Tulsa’s past and present with creative photography in airport tunnels

Q: How did this photography project come together?

Patrick McNicholas: The airport has a long history, both the old airport and the newest airport. And so I really just started to begin working on some of the airport photos. But the photos that are on display now are actually ones that I've created over the last decade—six years now. In fact, when I was still here at Channel 6, and I'm wearing the same hat in that photo. But those are some examples of the 24 by 30 images that are on display, and there's 20 of them. It's really two exhibits in one, because you see both the historical images and the time lapse and the other stuff. So it's kind of a retrospect of my work in reality.

Q: What’s the exhibit called and what’s the focus?

McNicholas: Two exhibits in one. Basically it's Time Travel Tulsa, which is also my historical project. But this also incorporates the time travel project work that encompasses kind of the time lapse and the time slice, which some of these terms may not be familiar with everyone, but basically types of photography that I kind of specialize in.

Q: How long does it take to create one of these time lapse photos?

McNicholas: For the time lapse, just editing alone could be a few hours. But shooting the time lapse on location could be about 500 photos, which could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour—sometimes a little bit longer if it's a sunset or something like that, and depending on the time of year. But yeah, I mean, I would say in total a few hours per post or per image.

Q: How did the airport exhibit opportunity happen?

McNicholas: Tulsa International Airport had a post and they said, you know, we're calling all artists to kind of submit. And I thought, you know, yeah, I was thought this would be my time because it would encompass all kind of travel and tourism about Tulsa from all the work that I've already pretty much made. And so once I could kind of use that and put it up there, they were kind of all about it. So I was actually kind of surprised that I was chosen. I know that there were some other great artists that submitted as well.

Q: Where can people find your work inside the airport?

McNicholas: This is going to be a year-long exhibit for both me and Carly Treece, who's the other artist who's post-security. Mine's pre-security, and these are in the pedestrian tunnels from the airport's parking garage to kind of the concourse A and B. And so it's hard to miss if you're in the right spot, but, you know, the airport's a big place. So if you have some extra time, maybe show up early and go and check those out.

Q: What’s going on with your work at the Outsiders House Museum?

McNicholas: Always. School tours are really at their peak right now, and we're doing virtual tours for all over across the country. It's really, like I tell people, it was like pushing a boulder uphill. Now it's all downhill, so it's a lot just making noise everywhere.