Entry No. 6 — the Oklahoma City file — filed under: art
Mycelium Gallery
“a room-sized papier-mache mushroom you can actually step inside”
An unassuming storefront near NW 23rd & Penn opens into a deliberately strange immersive world: black walls, color-shifting paper clouds, fake-grass floors, branches running through the ceiling, and a room-sized papier-mache mushroom you can actually step inside to view art. It's an outsider-art collective built as a home for creators who don't fit conventional galleries.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but if you're looking for art in Oklahoma City that hasn't been scrubbed clean for corporate lobbies, drive up North Pennsylvania Avenue until the commercial storefronts start blurring together. Behind a non-descript door in Gatewood lies an underground ecosystem built by local creators—including co-owner and sculptor Barclay Howarth—who needed a refuge for outsider art that standard white-cube galleries wouldn't touch.
Step through the entrance and the sterile city vanishes into black-painted walls, fake-grass flooring underfoot, and actual tree branches running across the ceiling rafters. Overhead, sculpted paper clouds shift through soft colors. The center of the room is dominated by a giant, hollow papier-mâché mushroom—large enough that you can step completely inside to examine artwork mounted on its inner curved walls.
It is called Mycelium for a reason: the gallery operates like a fungal root network, quietly feeding off beat, unrepresented local talent and connecting them under one roof. Rather than quiet, stiff art sales, the collective anchors itself on community events like themed group exhibitions ("Mythics and Cryptids") and collaborative creative nights.
What it's like
Keep your eyes peeled driving down North Penn, because the building is easy to miss if you aren't looking for the single surreal window display. Inside, the vibe feels less like a traditional commercial gallery and more like stepping into a handmade theater set. Time your visit for a 'Mycelium Sessions' night, when people drop in with sketchbooks to make art side by side while live ambient music hums through the room. It is casual and open, but respect the labor—treat the fragile papier-mâché and overhead branch installations gently.
The move: Go on a 'Mycelium Sessions' night, when the space hosts open art-making and live ambient music. Climb into the giant mushroom together, then make something side by side.
📍 Before you go The storefront is genuinely easy to miss on a plain stretch of N Pennsylvania: look for the single strange window display and the gallery's name posted above the doors. Street parking along the avenue is the norm. This is an event-driven, artist-run collective rather than a reliable drop-in, so build a visit around the monthly "Mycelium Sessions" or a posted opening rather than chancing it, and check what's on first. Treat the handmade installations gently. Afterward, Uptown 23rd's restaurants and bars sit just a few blocks south, with the Plaza District a short drive down Penn.
- 📍 Gatewood
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2816 N Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Hours: Hours vary; best experienced during monthly 'Mycelium Sessions' or scheduled events. Check ahead.
Pair it with
- Craig's Curious Emporium — Pair the gallery's surreal atmosphere with a trip to OKC's long-running haven for crystals, tarot, and oddities just down 23rd.
- Dig It — Head straight down Penn into the Plaza District afterward to browse zines, vintage vinyl, and local maker goods at Dig It.
- Good for a Few — Cap off an ambient art session with a quiet cocktail hidden behind a bookshelf in the Plaza District.
- Miss America Statues at Oklahoma City University — Stop by three life-sized bronze beauty queens just half a mile away before stepping into Mycelium's handmade fungal underworld.
Good to know
When is Mycelium Gallery open?
It operates on an event-driven schedule rather than standard daily retail hours. Plan your trip around posted exhibition openings or their monthly 'Mycelium Sessions' gathering.
Can you actually go inside the giant mushroom?
Yes. The papier-mâché mushroom is built full-scale so visitors can walk inside its stalk and cap to view art displayed along the interior.
Where do I park?
Street parking along North Pennsylvania Avenue is standard and typically easy to find near the building.
What kind of art is featured here?
The collective focuses on outsider art, sculpture, surreal installations, and work by local creators who operate outside conventional art market channels.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: freepressokc.com · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-06