OUR INITIATIVES
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund supports community partners working to achieve goals that are closely aligned with our priorities. Our initiatives in Oklahoma and Colorado reflect the visionary role Kirkpatrick continues to have in art and art education, health, and animal well-being.
Though the Kirkpatrick family calls central Oklahoma home, they also spent time in the Green Mountains Falls, CO area beginning in the late 19th century. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund honors this family legacy through a limited number of invitation-only grants to organizations and enhances the cultural offerings in Green Mountain Falls and the Pikes Peak region of Colorado.
Oklahoma
Mollie Spencer Farm
The original 33-acre Spencer Homestead, today known as the Mollie Spencer Farm, was purchased on December 21, 1894, by Mollie Spencer and her husband, L. M. Spencer, who, along with his brother, A. N. Spencer founded the town of Yukon in 1891. She was also the grandmother of John Kirkpatrick and great-great grandmother to his grandson Christian Keesee, who owned the farm for 40 years before donating it to the Kirkpatrick Family Fund in 2016.
The Mollie Spencer Farm’s mission is to provide educational opportunities that promote animal well-being, support regional history, and celebrate community pride in Yukon, Oklahoma.
In addition to hosting annual community events like Easter on the Prairie and the Chisholm Trail Festival, the Mollie Spencer Farm provides educational programming that highlights conservation practices related to gardening, biodiversity, and environmental preservation, including Coffee & Conversations, Open Houses, and Bird Walks.
Oklahoma Contemporary
In 1989, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund made its first grant to establish City Arts Center, now known as Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. Since then, Oklahoma Contemporary has encouraged artistic expression through education, exhibitions, and performances, instilling a lifetime appreciation of the arts and an enthusiasm for creative practice.
In 2012, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund acquired 4.5 acres of land in downtown Oklahoma City that was developed by Oklahoma Contemporary allowing the organization to build a new facility to highlight the work of contemporary artists and bring attention to the importance of arts education for all ages. The new Oklahoma Contemporary facility opened to the public in the spring of 2020, the early days of the pandemic.
With the public’s health and wellbeing in mind, the exhibition and classroom spaces opened gradually in the summer of 2020 to enthusiastic visitors and individuals interested in its offerings of exhibitions and art classes. Varied educational experiences promote learning through a cycle of creating, inquiring, appreciating, and celebrating the art and artists of our time. Now a regional contemporary art destination, Oklahoma Contemporary and its outdoor exhibition space Campbell Art Park are emblematic of Oklahoma City’s cultural aspirations.
Oklahoma Contemporary
In 1989, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund made its first grant to establish the City Arts Center, now known as the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. Since then, Oklahoma Contemporary has encouraged artistic expression through education, exhibitions, and performances, instilling a lifetime appreciation of the arts and an enthusiasm for creative practice.
In 2012, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund acquired 4.5 acres of land in downtown Oklahoma City that was developed by Oklahoma Contemporary, allowing the organization to build a new facility to highlight the work of contemporary artists and bring attention to the importance of arts education for all ages.
The new Oklahoma Contemporary facility opened to the public in the spring of 2020, in the early days of the pandemic.
With the public’s health and wellbeing in mind, the exhibition and classroom spaces opened gradually in the summer of 2020 to enthusiastic visitors and individuals interested in its offerings of exhibitions and art classes. Varied educational experiences promote learning through a cycle of creating, inquiring, appreciating, and celebrating the art and artists of our time. Now a regional contemporary art destination, Oklahoma Contemporary and its outdoor exhibition space, Campbell Art Park, are emblematic of Oklahoma City’s cultural aspirations.
OK Let's Dance
OK Let’s Dance, founded in 2023, is an initiative of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund with the mission to increase the quality, accessibility, appreciation, and awareness of dance in central Oklahoma. Grantees of OK Let’s Dance inspire and educate new dance audiences and celebrate dance as an art form, as well as a pathway for healthy, thriving communities.
Since it’s inception, OK Let’s Dance has seen growth through new programs and partnerships and anticipates further expansion in the coming years. OK Let’s Dance has helped fuel the efforts of local dance nonprofits in their vital work to engage more Oklahomans in dance and support a vibrant, dynamic dance landscape.
Red Ridge Nature Preserve
In late 2021, the Kirkpatrick philanthropies, including the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, Kirkpatrick Foundation, and the Christian Keesee Charitable Trust, envisioned initiatives that would set a different course for Oklahoma City that would represent our priorities and values and would have a lasting impact on the city and the state.
Through a grantee, the Kirkpatrick Foundation learned about a unique property with an interesting history that was untouched by development except for a historic home that eventually would provide the name for this new endeavor – Red Ridge.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund recognizes teen pregnancy as a critical social, health, and economic issue. Children born to teen parents are at higher risk for persistent poverty, abuse, neglect, well-being and mental health issues, and problems in school. Oklahoma has the 4th highest teen birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds in the U.S., and one out of every five teen births in the state is in Oklahoma County.
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund, along with Honestly, has provided significant leadership and financial support to reduce Oklahoma County’s teen birth rate.
Colorado
Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation
The Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation, a subsidiary of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, is committed to enhancing and preserving the unique qualities of Green Mountain Falls and Chipita Park, Colorado. The Foundation focuses on historic preservation, open space, parks, trails, and projects that are integral to this distinctive setting at the base of Pikes Peak.
Formed in 2006 and advised by a Board of Governors appointed by the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, the Board desires that the work of the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation will inspire others to participate in efforts to preserve and enhance Green Mountain Falls and the surrounding area.
Visit the Mollie Spencer Farm’s website for more information about their programming and upcoming events.