True Tulsa

Elliot Nelson

In 2004, Elliot Nelson must have been slightly nervous about the business he was opening. That business was James E. McNellie's Public House (or simply "McNellie's" to most Tulsans), and he was opening it to a fairly desolate downtown. Remember, these were the days before El Guapo's Cantina, Joe Momma's Pizza, and the Dilly Deli. At one end of the Blue Dome District sat another Irish pub, Arnie's, and there was not much else. McNellie's sat at the other end of the street, and it seems to me like the first days were a little dry.

Hitting the bar for happy hour now makes it seem like it's been down there for years, though. The community has embraced it as a downtown Tulsa staple, and it has helped breathe life into the Blue Dome District that it calls home. On the morning I met up with Nelson for this portrait, he had quite a busy schedule. He was getting ready to leave for Norman to launch the third spin-off of McNellie's, a bar called Abner's Ale House.

Megan McKown-Miller

by Michael Cooper

Megan McKown-Miller, former Tulsa Ballet dancer and artistic director/choreographer for Song of the Swimming Sun, an upcoming one-night contemporary dance performance exploring the concepts of clandestine love and parallel universes. When I caught up with McKown-Miller at the Bai Lans dance studio in Midtown, she and her dancers were taking their rehearsal time seriously, but with a sense of fun and enjoyment of their craft.

Marshall Bell

by Michael Cooper

Tulsans covet hometown celebrities like Hanson, David Cook, Gary Busey and Kristin Chenoweth. But we often overlook some of the more hidden personalities that call our city home. Notable character actor (in the truest sense) Marshall Bell, who flew under many a Tulsan's radar, recently drew quite a bit of attention.