The Tulsa Center Bob Dylan Fans Won’t Want to Miss

I confess – I wasn’t always a big Bob Dylan fan but that changed during a chance encounter at the Tulsa Center Bob Dylan selected for his archives. I was there after my sister and I drove across the country to research family roots in Oklahoma. Tulsa was also on the map for Greenwood, the site of the 1921 massacre of Black citizens who had built a thriving community, then called, Black Wall Street. We booked an Airbnb in the neighborhood and walked it, but the museum, Greenwood Rising was still under construction. It’s now open. I checked other museums in the area and found the Bob Dylan Center. It shares a wall with the massive Woody Guthrie Center. We spent a busy, delightful day experiencing the artistry and worlds of these two musical icons and now they’re more closely aligned than ever.

Banner for the Dylan Center event about the making of A Complete Unknown

‘A Complete Unknown’ at Tulsa Center Bob Dylan Chose for His Archive

The exhibit opens in late February 2025. It will be the first time the two, Center Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie will run an exhibit concurrently. I’ve seen the film twice and love the bonds between the two artists, both monumentally influential singer-songwriters and cultural heroes. The creativity of the space drew me in as I listened to Dylan’s words and songs while observing pictures, letters, and articles about his life. The recent wave of interest in Dylan, and tangentially, Woodie Guthrie, has been exciting to witness.

Both Centers are operated by the American Song Archive. The ‘Complete Unknown’ exhibit features props from the movie such as:

• Dylan’s letter to Guthrie
• Guthrie’s harmonica and guitar case
• Johnny Cash’s letters to Dylan
• Fabricated album covers
• “Blowin in the Wind” lyrics on a cocktail napkin

Moments inside Center Dylan Archive

Tulsa, Oklahoma seemed an unlikely choice for the museum but if you dive into Dylan’s roots, it makes sense. When journalist Doug Brinkley asked about choosing Tulsa for a Vanity Fair article, Dylan replied, “‘There’s more vibrations on the coasts, for sure, but I’m from Minnesota and I like the casual hum of the heartland.’

I connected with the midwest hum on a road trip through Minnesota a few years after visiting Tulsa and discovering the massive Bob Dylan Center.

Dylan photo behind the 16 foot entry gate designed and built by Dylan. Lester Cohen/Getty Images Courtesy of the Bob Dylan Center

In the entryway, there was even a giant iron gate and several of his sculptures – more ties to his connections to the iron mines of northern Minnesota. It’s also where my mother grew up. The synchronicities I discovered kept lining up and eventually culminated in my essay about Dylan’s energy in an article for Open Secrets Magazine. Considering the breadth of Dylan’s output (fifty albums!) and awards (Poet Laureate!) there’s no counting the lives his work has touched. Even Hollywood’s heartthrob, Timothee Chalamet has been swept into reverence.

Exterior view of the Bob Dylan Center featuring a mural by Erik Burke inspired by a Jerry Schatzberg photograph, “Bob Dylan, Edenic Innocence.” Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images. Courtesy of Bob Dylan Center.

Timothee Chalamet Draws from Hibbing for Bob Dylan Biopic

An ever-evolving curated display of elements that illuminate the depth and breadth of the Bob Dylan Archive® collection. Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images. Courtesy of Bob Dylan Center.

The Minnesota City Center Bob Dylan Fled

It seems that Dylan has reconciled with the ‘hum of the heartland.’ He was barely out of high school when he fled Hibbing, Minnesota for Minneapolis. I found remnants of his life throughout the state. His family home still sits opposite the High School. The library had an exhibit commemorating his birthday. Later, in Duluth, I cruised past the home Dylan was born in and found a copy of his memoir in a used book store.

Times a Changin mural is the center Dylan illustration in Minnesota

However, Minneapolis has the most vibrant memorial to the State’s favorite son. A massive triptych mural showing three ages of the artist looms over a downtown parking lot. It’s not far from the apartment Dylan shared before he hitched a ride to New York City. The rest is history.