Willard Stone (February 29, 1916 – March 5, 1985)[1] was an American artist best known for his wood sculptures carved in a flowing Art Deco style.

[1] Stone's early interest in drawing and painting was thwarted when, at the age of 13, he picked up a blasting cap he found while walking home from school, and it exploded.

After 1961, Stone was able to devote himself entirely to art, and he opened a permanent studio in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, from which he continued to work until his death in 1985.

[6] The Cherokee Nation, during Chief Wilma Mankiller's administration, designated Stone as a tribal artisan in 1991, which allowed him to present his artwork as being American Indian-made under the 1990 Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

[16] In 2019 the museum’s board of directors authorized build-out of the new facility, and in September 2020 launched a fundraising campaign to finance the needed renovations.