NORMAN, OKLAHOMA—Four Armstrong International Cultural Foundation representatives accepted the Outstanding Temporary Exhibit RedBud Award on June 24 on behalf of the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology during the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association’s 2025 banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman. The annual state-wide RedBud Awards Ceremony recognizes Oklahoma tourism attractions and destination marketing organizations for their outstanding efforts to serve and promote Oklahoma’s tourism industry.

Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell and James Leewright, chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association, emceed the event and presented 37 awards in 17 categories, including Outstanding Attraction, Best Website, Best Social Media Campaign, Best Brochure or Publication, and Best Media Coverage. The Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered exhibit won the RedBud Award in the Outstanding Temporary Exhibit category for the 2024 calendar year.

Armstrong Auditorium and its cultural and musical exhibits and events have previously won the 2013 “Outstanding New Attraction” RedBud Award, the 2021 “Best Social Media Campaign” RedBud Award, a 2021 RedBud merit award for “Best Overall Marketing Campaign (Small Budget),” a 2019 Central Oklahoma Frontier Country “Outstanding New Exhibit Award,” and recognitions from TripAdvisor, TripSavvy and other tourism outlets.

“We are honored to receive our state’s highest recognition for excellence,” Armstrong International Cultural Foundation marketing director Shane Granger said. “This is the third RedBud that Armstrong has been presented, and it demonstrates how the foundation and our exhibits continue to positively impact our community.”

Before the ceremony, Granger and foundation representative Nichole Macdonald, along with exhibit tour guides Sherry Beezley and Sam McKoy, visited with Lt. Gov. Pinnell and recently retired Edmond Mayor Derrell Davis. Pinnell said the exhibit was “well advertised” and that he was aware of its cultural significance.

“Tourism is the front door to economic development in Oklahoma,” said Lieutenant Governor Pinnell, who also served as Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism and Branding from 2019-2024. “We are proud to showcase all the creative ways destinations are attracting visitors. It is obvious why hospitality is the third-largest industry in our state.”

Visit Edmond won the “Best Website” RedBud Award. Jennifer Thornton, tourism director at Visit Edmond, told Granger the exhibit drew an unprecedented number of phone calls and visitors to VisitEdmondOK.com. A week prior to the Redbud Awards, Thornton invited Granger and exhibit co-curator Brent Nagtegaal to present the visitor report to the Visit Edmond board of directors. Granger reported the free exhibit was open from February 25, 2024, through May 15, 2025, a period of 63 weeks, and hosted a total of 14,177 visitors—79 percent (11,113) of whom came from outside of Edmond, and 34 percent (4,516) of whom came from outside of Oklahoma, from 48 other U.S. states and 14 other countries.

Granger said the Visit Edmond officials continue to be “tremendous” ambassadors for Armstrong Auditorium. “They have personally experienced the positive fruits God’s Work is having on our community,” he said.

The exhibit website and virtual tour are available at ArmstrongInstitute.org.