Featured Stories
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust: Precision Treatment Helps High Risk Blood Cancer Patients Live Longer, Research Shows
LONDON, England, Sept. 9 (TNSjou) -- The Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust issued the following news:
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Precision treatment helps high risk blood cancer patients live longer, research shows
Patients with the most aggressive forms of the blood cancer multiple myeloma can live significantly longer when their treatment is tailored to their disease, according to new long term results from a major UK led clinical trial.
Long-term results show clear survival benefit
The findings come from extended follow-up of the OPTIMUM (MUKnine) trial, led by scientists at The Institute
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LONDON, England, Sept. 9 (TNSjou) -- The Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust issued the following news:
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Precision treatment helps high risk blood cancer patients live longer, research shows
Patients with the most aggressive forms of the blood cancer multiple myeloma can live significantly longer when their treatment is tailored to their disease, according to new long term results from a major UK led clinical trial.
Long-term results show clear survival benefit
The findings come from extended follow-up of the OPTIMUM (MUKnine) trial, led by scientists at The Instituteof Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and The University of Leeds.
Results of the study, published today in Lancet Oncology, show that a personalised, risk-adapted treatment strategy improves survival for patients with high-risk myeloma -- a group historically associated with rapid relapse and poor outcomes.
At around six years, about seven out of 10 patients (69.1 per cent) on the OPTIMUM trial were still alive, compared with around 40 per cent on standard therapy, showing a clear survival benefit.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells, with around 5,900 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK. Although modern treatments mean more than half of patients now survive at least five years, around 20-25 per cent have aggressive disease that responds poorly to conventional treatment
Earlier analyses from OPTIMUM trial, which was funded by Myeloma UK and The David Forbes Nixon Foundation, with support from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and National Institute for Health and Care Research, showed promising early outcomes for this group of high-risk patients. The new long-term data confirms that these benefits are durable.
More than half of patients (53.8 per cent) on the trial remained progression-free at six years, compared with fewer than one in five (17.6 per cent) patients in a matched external control group from the Myeloma XI trial.
By the end of the follow-up period, median survival had not been reached for OPTIMUM, meaning more than half of patients were still alive. In contrast, the median survival for the patients on standard therapy was about 57 months (just under five years).
Identifying patients at high risk
The researchers also examined outcomes within specific high-risk subgroups to understand which patients benefited most from the personalised approach.
One subgroup comprised patients who had been identified as high-risk by gene expression profiling using the MMProfiler SKY92 test, who would not otherwise have been identified as high risk.
The results showed that 62.3 per cent of these patients who were given personalised risk-adapted treatment were still alive and progression free at six years compared with 20.3 per cent of patients who had received conventional treatment.
Gene expression profiling is not routinely available in the NHS, meaning that many of these patients are currently diagnosed as having "standard-risk" myeloma and may not receive optimal treatment from the outset.
The findings highlight the importance of modern molecular diagnostics to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate therapy when they are diagnosed.
An unmet need for patients with complex genetic risk
The study also identified a smaller subgroup of patients with extremely complex genetic risk, defined by three or more high-risk genetic abnormalities, whose outcomes remained poor despite intensive treatment. The authors say there is a clear unmet clinical need for this group and should be prioritised for trials of new treatment approaches.
Moving towards precision medicine in myeloma
The OPTIMUM trial used five medicines that were already licensed and widely used in the NHS (daratumumab, cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone) but applied them in a different way -- intensifying treatment upfront and continuing combination therapy for as long as the disease remained controlled.
The results support a growing shift towards precision medicine in myeloma and underline the importance of molecular testing to guide treatment decisions, aligning with ambitions set out in the NHS 10-year cancer plan.
The MMProfiler SKY92 test is currently being evaluated through NICE's diagnostic technology assessment programme.
Professor Martin Kaiser, Professor of Molecular Haematology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant Haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said:
"High risk myeloma has traditionally been one of the toughest challenges we face, with patients often relapsing early despite the best available treatments. These long term results show that when we adapt treatment to the biology of the disease, we can significantly extend survival for many patients who previously had very limited options."
"Just as importantly, this study shows that some patients with aggressive disease are currently being missed because the necessary molecular tests are not routinely available. Identifying these patients earlier could allow us to tailor treatment from the start and change the course of their disease."
Ken Theobold, 76, was diagnosed with high-risk myeloma in 2018 after a routine blood test showed something unexpected. After initial treatment elsewhere, he was referred to The Royal Marsden and has been treated on the MUK Nine trial for the last eight years.
"After my diagnosis I was told that I might only have two years to live, which was incredibly difficult to hear. Joining the trial was an absolute no-brainer. If there was a chance it could help me and help future patients, I wanted to be part of it.
"When I first joined the trial, I was taking five different drugs, which was quite intense but I have since moved to the maintenance part of the trial which only involves two drugs.
"Today, I'm able to enjoy life with my wife, Brenda. We love travelling in our motorhome, and spending time with our five grandchildren is what matters most."
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Original text here: https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/precision-treatment-helps-high-risk-blood-cancer-patients-live-longer-research
Health Foundation Responds to NAO Report on Managing the Flow of Patients Through Hospitals
LONDON, England, Sept. 9 -- The Health Foundation issued the following news release:
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The Health Foundation responds to NAO report on managing the flow of patients through hospitals
Responding to the National Audit Office's report, Managing the flow of patients through hospital from A&E, Tim Gardner, Deputy Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said:
'The NAO's report shines an important light on the considerable strain facing the NHS. Despite incremental improvements, the health service is still struggling to turn additional funding and staffing into shorter waits for patients
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LONDON, England, Sept. 9 -- The Health Foundation issued the following news release:
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The Health Foundation responds to NAO report on managing the flow of patients through hospitals
Responding to the National Audit Office's report, Managing the flow of patients through hospital from A&E, Tim Gardner, Deputy Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said:
'The NAO's report shines an important light on the considerable strain facing the NHS. Despite incremental improvements, the health service is still struggling to turn additional funding and staffing into shorter waits for patientswho need urgent and emergency care.
'Delays in patient flow through hospitals reflect deep-rooted pressures across the health and social care system, including increasingly complex patient needs and rising demand. But it also reflects constrained capacity within health and care services - insufficient bed capacity, difficulties in discharging patients who are medically fit to leave, and a lack of support outside hospital. Patients are bearing the consequences through long waits, overcrowded emergency departments and unacceptable experiences of corridor care.
'Our latest polling shows that improving urgent and emergency care is the public's top priority for the NHS [1]. Today's report is a timely reminder that achieving that depends on action beyond hospitals - including better access to primary care, stronger community services, social care reform and a greater focus on prevention.
'There are no quick fixes. Sustainable improvement will depend on tackling the underlying drivers of poor performance - including strengthening operational management and capital investment, addressing workforce pressures and boosting the capacity of community-based services outside of hospitals. It will also require stability and sustained long-term focus, at a time when the NHS is facing yet another disruptive structural reorganisation.'
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Notes to editors
* We need to talk: Public attitudes to social care and the NHS (https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/briefings/we-need-to-talk-public-attitudes-to-social-care-and-the-NHS)
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/media-office/press-releases/the-health-foundation-responds-to-nao-report-on-managing-the-flow-of-patients-through-hospitals
FFRF Welcomes Positive Ruling in Hometown Case Against Religious Tax Exemption
MADISON, Wisconsin, Sept. 9 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on Sept. 8, 2026:
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FFRF welcomes positive ruling in hometown case against religious tax exemption
The Freedom From Religion Foundation hailed a ruling today that allows its hometown case against unconstitutional church property tax exemptions to move forward.
This is the second time a Dane County judge has ruled that FFRF and its three Madison residents may proceed in the lawsuit challenging an unconstitutional state property tax exemption unduly benefiting commercial rental properties
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MADISON, Wisconsin, Sept. 9 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release on Sept. 8, 2026:
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FFRF welcomes positive ruling in hometown case against religious tax exemption
The Freedom From Religion Foundation hailed a ruling today that allows its hometown case against unconstitutional church property tax exemptions to move forward.
This is the second time a Dane County judge has ruled that FFRF and its three Madison residents may proceed in the lawsuit challenging an unconstitutional state property tax exemption unduly benefiting commercial rental propertiesowned by two local religious organizations.
The property tax exemption was created and later amended to benefit specific church-owned rental properties to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The Pres House and Lumen House Apartments, both serving primarily student renters and owned by two of the defendants, are explicitly exempted from paying their share of taxes. Removing these large, extremely profitable rental properties from the tax rolls forces other property taxpayers to make up the difference.
A judge in February denied an earlier round of motions asking the court to toss out the case. The defendants filed a second round of motions seeking dismissal, which the court has once again denied.
"Plaintiffs' action is not time-barred," Judge Stephen Ehlke said in his order.
"We are pleased to finally move forward with this case," says FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. "This suit serves all taxpayers in Madison and ensures that the Wisconsin Legislature is not allowed to favor specific churches for special tax benefits."
FFRF and its three local plaintiff property owners contend that the tax exemption is unconstitutional under the Wisconsin Constitution for several reasons. The exemption undeniably harms all property taxpayers in Madison, including plaintiffs Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker (who serve as FFRF co-presidents) and local resident David Peterson, by forcing them and all other Madison property taxpayers to pay higher property taxes to make up for the unlawful omission of these properties from the tax rolls. The exemption also harms plaintiff FFRF by favoring rental properties owned by two religious organizations to the exclusion of all other nonprofits that may desire to run commercial student apartments in the future.
The Pres House Apartments' current market value likely exceeds $25 million, with estimated property taxes owed in excess of $300,000 annually. The current market value of Lumen House Apartments likely exceeds $7.6 million, with estimated property taxes exceeding $94,000 annually.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in Madison working as an umbrella for those who are free from religion and are committed to the cherished principle of separation of state and church. It currently has nearly 41,000 members nationwide, including 1,600 members in Wisconsin.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-welcomes-positive-ruling-in-hometown-case-against-religious-tax-exemption/
[Category: Religion]
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Awards $4.8 Million to Clinical Cancer Researchers
NEW YORK, Sept. 9 -- The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation issued the following news release:
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Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards $4.8 million to clinical cancer researchers
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named six new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators, exceptional early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation's leading scientists and clinicians. The Clinical Investigator Award program was designed to increase the number of physicians capable of translating scientific
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Sept. 9 -- The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation issued the following news release:
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Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards $4.8 million to clinical cancer researchers
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named six new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators, exceptional early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation's leading scientists and clinicians. The Clinical Investigator Award program was designed to increase the number of physicians capable of translating scientificdiscoveries into new treatments for cancer patients by addressing the financial deterrents that often prevent MDs from conducting research. Each awardee will receive $600,000 over three years, and Damon Runyon will retire up to $100,000 of medical school debt.
"It's hard starting out, when you are called to do clinical activities while maintaining a lab and funding on par with senior researchers," said former Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Valia Karantza, MD, PhD, in a past interview. "That's where an organization like Damon Runyon plays a huge role."
The Foundation also awarded Continuation Grants to three Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators for an additional two years of funding, totaling $400,000 each. The Continuation Grants are designed to support Clinical Investigators who are approaching the end of their original award and need more time to work on a promising avenue of research or a clinical trial.
This program is possible through the support of the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation. Through partnerships with generous donors, industry sponsors, and its Accelerating Cancer Cures initiative, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has committed over $92 million to support the careers of 142 physician-scientists across the United States since 2000.
2026 Clinical Investigators
Francesca Ferraro, MD, PhD, with mentor John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, at Washington University, St. Louis
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a deadly blood cancer that kills most patients within two years of diagnosis. Chemotherapy can put patients into remission, but the majority relapse because residual leukemia cells survive treatment. The immune system has the potential to eliminate these residual cells, but AML actively suppresses immune responses, preventing the body from finishing what chemotherapy started. Dr. Ferraro aims to understand how AML disables immune defenses and to develop strategies that restore them, so that the immune system and chemotherapy can work together to prevent relapse and improve survival. This work is directly relevant to AML and may ultimately inform treatment approaches for other blood cancers as well.
Gregory Goldgof, MD, PhD, with mentors Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, and Nikolaus Schultz, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are blood cancers that begin in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Over time, MDS can progress to acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive and often life-threatening cancer. Diagnosing MDS and predicting how it will behave can be challenging because doctors must look for subtle abnormalities in blood and bone marrow cells under a microscope. Dr. Goldgof is developing artificial intelligence that can analyze these cells automatically and combine what it sees with a patient's genetic and clinical information. The goal is to help doctors detect disease earlier, better predict outcomes, and select the most effective treatment for each patient.
Sydney X. Lu, MD, PhD [Richard Lumsden Foundation Clinical Investigator], with mentors Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD, and Tait Shanafelt, MD, at Stanford University, Stanford
Dr. Lu studies mutations in a gene called SF3B1 that are commonly found in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of adult leukemia. Patients whose leukemia carries SF3B1 mutations often have worse outcomes, but scientists do not fully understand why. This project aims to determine how mutations in SF3B1 change the behavior of leukemia cells to drive cancer growth and identify treatments that may selectively destroy leukemia cells carrying these mutations while minimizing harm to healthy cells. By improving understanding of how SF3B1 mutations contribute to CLL, this work may help guide the development of more effective and more precise therapies for patients.
Lauren E. Merz, MD [Breast Cancer Research Foundation Clinical Investigator], with mentor Moshe Talpaz, MD, at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
There are persistent racial disparities in cancer outcomes. One cause may be a common variant predominantly found in people identifying as Black or African American called the Duffy null phenotype, which results in lower absolute neutrophil counts (ANC), a measure of white blood cells known as neutrophils. The Duffy null phenotype does not increase risk for infection but is linked to higher risk of triple-negative breast cancer. Many cancer treatments are stopped or reduced if ANC falls below certain levels, resulting in worse outcomes. Dr. Merz's work focuses on optimizing cancer screening, risk assessment, treatment selection, and treatment delivery by Duffy status. Dr. Merz uses data from clinical trials and observational cohorts to understand the relationship between ANC, infectious complications, treatment administration, and outcomes by Duffy status. She also plans to complete a clinical trial to assess the safety of lowering ANC thresholds for cancer therapy for people with the Duffy null phenotype. Dr. Merz hopes that this work reduces racial disparities in outcomes and personalizes cancer care.
Juan C. Osorio, MD, with mentors Jonathan Rosenberg, MD and Andy Minn, MD, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York
Dr. Osorio seeks to improve our understanding of how a newer class of cancer therapies, known as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), can more effectively eliminate tumors while activating the body's immune system to recognize and attack cancer. Specifically, he is studying enfortumab vedotin (EV), an FDA-approved ADC that targets Nectin-4, a protein commonly expressed in several cancer types. The work aims to uncover how these therapies stimulate anti-tumor immune responses and why some patients respond better than others. By identifying the mechanisms that drive effective anti-tumor immune responses, this research could help guide the design and development of safer, more effective treatments and personalized immunotherapy combinations. While his primary focus is on urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer), where EV is already used clinically, the findings may also have broader relevance for other Nectin-4-expressing cancers, including breast, lung, ovarian, and head and neck cancers.
Sneha Ramakrishna, MD, with mentor Crystal L. Mackall, MD, at Stanford University, Stanford
Dr. Ramakrishna aims to improve a promising cancer treatment called CAR T cell therapy for children with an aggressive and deadly brain tumor called diffuse midline glioma (DMG). CAR T cell therapy engineers a patient's own immune system, specifically their T cells, to find and kill cancer cells. While early trials show these CAR T cells can initially shrink tumor cells, the cancer can return, often in the setting of suppressive immune cells, called myeloid cells, which could stop CAR T cells from working. This project will identify how suppressive myeloid cells interfere with treatment and develop new strategies to help CAR T cells fight cancer cells longer, with a goal of turning temporary responses into durable cures for children with this fatal disease.
2026 Continuation Grantees
Sylvan C. Baca, MD, PhD, with mentor Toni K. Choueiri, MD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Many promising cancer treatments work by homing in on specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells. The effectiveness of these treatments depends on how much of the targeted protein is present, which varies between cancers and can change over time.
Currently, matching the right treatment to the right patient is challenging because doctors lack reliable ways to tell what protein targets are present in a given patient's cancer. Dr. Baca aims to develop a blood test that can read signals of gene activity from DNA shed by tumor cells into the bloodstream. It will use machine learning to infer which proteins are present on a patient's cancer cells at a given moment. This information will let doctors match each patient to the drug most likely to work for them right now, and to spot when the cancer has changed and a different drug should be tried. If successful, it should allow patients with advanced cancers to live longer by helping doctors find the best treatment for each patient.
Pavan Bachireddy, MD, with mentor Jeffrey J. Molldrem, MD, at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
The incomplete elimination of cancer cells leaves a residue of cancer cells called "measurable residual disease" or MRD. MRD is known to lead to cancer regrowth, but the molecular pathways that sustain and enable it to expand remain unknown. Dr. Bachireddy's lab has developed tools precisely to reveal these MRD pathways and applied them to blood cancers known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). They have found that all MDS cells do not merely expand from MRD but must adapt to signals from immune cells; only these "adapted" MDS cells become selected to drive regrowth. Now, Dr. Bachireddy seeks to understand the mechanism of these adaptations and whether they occur in other blood cancers (such as leukemia). Such knowledge would highlight new targets for designing treatments to prevent cancer regrowth.
Benjamin A. Nacev, MD, PhD, with mentors Jeremy N. Rich, MD (UNC School of Medicine), and Ronald J. Buckanovich, MD, PhD, at University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
Sarcomas are a family of tumors for which there are few targeted treatments and outcomes are poor once the cancer has metastasized. Many sarcomas harbor recurrent mutations in proteins, known as epigenetic regulators, that control which genes are expressed and when. Among the regulators most frequently impacted is ATRX, which condenses regions of DNA into tightly packaged chromatin that cannot be accessed for transcription, effectively "silencing" these genes. The effect of ATRX loss in sarcomas is poorly understood, however, and treatments that leverage ATRX deficiency are lacking. Using patient-derived sarcoma cell lines and tumor samples, Dr. Nacev aims to understand epigenetic dysregulation in ATRX-deficient sarcomas, to determine how this affects antitumor immunity, and to identify new therapies for patients with ATRX-deficient sarcomas.
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Original text here: https://www.damonrunyon.org/news/damon-runyon-cancer-research-foundation-awards-48-million-clinical-cancer-researchers
WLF Urges Sixth Circuit to Vindicate the Congressional Review Act
WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Urges Sixth Circuit to Vindicate the Congressional Review Act
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"The CRA is a vital oversight tool that gives Congress the last word on Executive Branch rulemaking."
-Zac Morgan, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel
Click HERE to read WLF's brief.
(Washington, DC)-Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to hold that, thanks to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a Biden-era Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule is
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Urges Sixth Circuit to Vindicate the Congressional Review Act
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"The CRA is a vital oversight tool that gives Congress the last word on Executive Branch rulemaking."
-Zac Morgan, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel
Click HERE to read WLF's brief.
(Washington, DC)-Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to hold that, thanks to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a Biden-era Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule isillegal. The National Federation for Independent Business Small Business Legal Center and The Buckeye Institute joined WLF on the brief.
The CRA allows Congress to override an administrative agency's rulemaking and void it-leaving it with "no force or effect." In 2017, Congress invoked the CRA to undo a recent FCC data-breach reporting mandate. Yet in 2024, the FCC reissued the same reporting requirement, insisting that since Congress vacated the entire rule, the CRA did not prohibit it from reissuing parts of the ousted whole. A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit, over a vigorous dissent by Judge Richard Griffin, sided with the FCC. In a rare move, the Sixth Circuit will reconsider the panel's decision "en banc." That means the entire court-16 active judges rather than three-will decide the case.
As WLF's amicus brief explains, the CRA is a useful tool for Congress to review the work of executive agencies, but the FCC's legal theory would render the Act a nullity. As the brief argues, just as a "parent's instruction to a ten-year-old not to eat a pie isn't license to have 'just' two or three slices... Congress's announcement that an overarching rule lacks 'force or effect' precludes the agency from taking it piecemeal back into the Code of Federal Regulations."
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2026/09/08/communicating/wlf-urges-sixth-circuit-to-vindicate-the-congressional-review-act/
Oklahoma Hall of Fame publishes book chronicling OMRF's history
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Sept. 8 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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Oklahoma Hall of Fame publishes book chronicling OMRF's history
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On Aug. 28, 1946, Oklahoma's Secretary of State granted the corporate charter of a new nonprofit medical research institute. The name of that institute, the first paragraph of its articles of incorporation read, "will be the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation."
In honor of OMRF's 80th birthday, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame has published a new book: "Eureka! The Story of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation."
Written
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Sept. 8 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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Oklahoma Hall of Fame publishes book chronicling OMRF's history
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On Aug. 28, 1946, Oklahoma's Secretary of State granted the corporate charter of a new nonprofit medical research institute. The name of that institute, the first paragraph of its articles of incorporation read, "will be the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation."
In honor of OMRF's 80th birthday, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame has published a new book: "Eureka! The Story of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation."
Writtenby Adam Buckley Cohen, the book chronicles how OMRF grew from a post-World War II dream into an internationally recognized research center.
"Today, we know OMRF as one of the nation's leading independent research institutes," said Cohen, OMRF's senior vice president and general counsel. "But it took the generosity of an entire state to make that happen."
OMRF opened its door following a statewide fund drive that saw donations from 7,500 Oklahomans. The gifts ranged from 30 cents to $100,000.
Hollywood even pitched in. World War II hero and movie star Audie Murphy premiered his film "Bad Boy" in Oklahoma City, and portion of the box office proceeds went to OMRF.
"It's a remarkable origin story," Cohen said. "We had a lot of fun uncovering the many layers of the foundation's past, and it's exciting to be able to share that rich history with readers."
Cohen worked with editor Lindsay Thomas and creative director Jenny Lee on the book, which mined materials from a variety of sources, including the archives of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
"OMRF's story is an important chapter in Oklahoma's history, and we're excited to partner with OMRF to tell it," said Oklahoma Hall of Fame Vice President Gini Moore Campbell.
The book will be available in public libraries across Oklahoma and can be purchased from the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at scissortailgifts.com.
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Original text here: https://omrf.org/oklahoma-hall-of-fame-publishes-book-chronicling-omrfs-history/
Artist Reggie Burrows Hodges on Display at Three Los Angeles Arts Institutions
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 8 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust posted the following news release:
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Artist Reggie Burrows Hodges on Display at Three Los Angeles Arts Institutions
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The J. Paul Getty Museum, California African American Museum (CAAM) and Art + Practice (A+P) announced today three exhibitions featuring new works by contemporary painter Reggie Burrows Hodges, largely inspired by artworks from Getty's collection.
Reggie Burrows Hodges (b. 1965, Compton, California) creates paintings that engage with themes of memory, labor and power. Working in both intuitive and process-based
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 8 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust posted the following news release:
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Artist Reggie Burrows Hodges on Display at Three Los Angeles Arts Institutions
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The J. Paul Getty Museum, California African American Museum (CAAM) and Art + Practice (A+P) announced today three exhibitions featuring new works by contemporary painter Reggie Burrows Hodges, largely inspired by artworks from Getty's collection.
Reggie Burrows Hodges (b. 1965, Compton, California) creates paintings that engage with themes of memory, labor and power. Working in both intuitive and process-basedmodes, Hodges focuses on intimate, everyday moments that often evade representation. His scenes convey impressions of experience through soft, gestural marks that evoke the hazy quality of recollection. Hodges complicates the association of negative space with emptiness by building out his compositions from black grounds. This first layer gives form and substance to his figures, their contours implied through lushly rendered environments. The artist's descriptive focus on his subjects' surroundings emphasizes the historical and social conditions that shape subjectivity.
"Reggie Burrows Hodges is an exceptional artist recognized internationally for his ingenuity and deeply passionate visual storytelling," said Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the Getty Museum. "We are delighted to be partnering with CAAM and Art + Practice to display his newest work and first solo museum presentations in the city where he was born and raised. Each exhibition will offer their own unique perspective of his work."
The three displays are inspired by Hodges' deep appreciation for Old Master paintings and desire to develop a new body of work that engages with paintings from Getty's collection. Often beginning each painting with the same compositions as the Getty artworks, Hodges expands upon the original painting's formal and thematic attributes with references to his own personal, poetic style.
On view in the Getty Museum's East Pavilion from Oct. 20, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2027, "Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Passions" features five paintings by Hodges. In this series, he investigated the underlying dynamics of violence and theatricality embedded in the dramatic narratives of three 17th-century Italian works from Getty's collection: Orazio Gentileschi's "Lot and His Daughters" and "Danae and the Shower of Gold," and "Lucretia" by Orazio's daughter, Artemisia Gentileschi. The paintings exemplify Hodges' distinctive painterly language, characterized by a formal rigor and evocative imagery.
"Hodges' paintings illustrate his distinct artistic style," said Davide Gasparotto, senior curator of paintings at the Getty Museum. "Shifting emphasis away from descriptive naturalism, he instead privileges atmosphere, ambiguity and psychological presence, revealing not only a profound sensitivity to the formal and emotional complexity of his sources but also a natural affinity for the compositional strategies and richly textured surfaces that define 17th-century painting."
At CAAM, "Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Miracles" is on view from Oct. 20, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2027 and presents additional works that reflect the influence that Old Master paintings have had on Hodges' practice. Several of the paintings are inspired by works in the Getty's collection, including the 16th-century Italian painting "The Miracle of the Quail" by Jacopo Bassano, which joins the presentation at CAAM. Hodges' modern takes bring attention to everyday gestures while maintaining the sense of drama in the historical works.
"We are thrilled to join the Getty in presenting the work of Reggie Burrows Hodges at CAAM in Exposition Park and at Art + Practice in Leimert Park. This is the final co-presentation in CAAM's five-year partnership with A+P, so it is fitting we celebrate one of South LA's own," said Cameron Shaw, Executive Director at CAAM. "The meaning of artwork shifts depending on how and where it is shown, and each venue in the collaboration offers a distinct entry point to Hodges' practice. Through references to painting, music, theater, travel, literature and the artist's own upbringing, this constellation of exhibitions reveals his point of view and invites viewers into his world."
At A+P, "Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Dreams" will be on view Oct. 20, 2026 to Feb. 27, 2027. Expanding viewers' understanding of Hodges' sources of inspiration, it features new paintings influenced by his memories of childhood in Compton, the legacy of Leimert Park, and his experiences traveling through Europe.
"These concurrent exhibitions mark Hodges' first solo museum exhibitions in Southern California, and it is especially meaningful to see his work presented across Los Angeles, including South Los Angeles, where he was born and raised." said Bridget R. Cooks, curator of the exhibitions at CAAM and A+P. "Together, these presentations offer visitors an opportunity to gain insight into the processes and inspirations behind Hodges' paintings while encountering some of his most ambitious work."
Hodges has presented solo exhibitions at the Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) (2026), the Parrish Art Museum (2025), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2023), the Addison Gallery of American Art (2023) and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (2022).
"Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Passions" was curated by Davide Gasparotto, senior curator of paintings at the J. Paul Getty Museum. "Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Miracles" (at CAAM) and "Reggie Burrows Hodges: A Theater of Dreams" (at A+P) were curated by Bridget R. Cooks, independent curator, scholar and professor of African American studies and art history at the University of California, Irvine. "A Theater of Dreams" is co-presented as part of CAAM at A+P, a five-year collaboration.
On Oct. 27, the Getty Center will host a free public lecture featuring Reggie Burrows Hodges in conversation with curators Gasparotto and Cooks. The event will be followed by a reception and a special opportunity to view the Getty installation.
A catalogue featuring essays by Gasparotto and Cooks will be published In conjunction with the exhibitions, available in Spring 2027.
Hodges is represented by Karma, New York and Los Angeles.
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Original text here: https://www.getty.edu/news/reggie-burrows-hodges-three-los-angeles-arts-institutions
