A Tulsa artist is asking for help tracking down a photo of an old elementary school, so he can finish a painting for a client. The painting is for a 70-year-old man who tells us he has wonderful memories at the school and finding this photograph would mean the world. 

A photograph can bring back a million memories, memories of happier times or easier times. When someone comes along who can take your photograph, take your memory, and bring it to life again - that is where some magic can happen.

Tulsa artist Matt Moffett would know, he has made a career out of it.

"My job now is kind of like delivering flowers- people are always happy to see me they usually cry. It is really a cool thing," said Moffett. 

Dale Merrell is Moffett’s accountant. Just talking about these schools brings an immense amount of nostalgia and joy to Merrell.

"I like his paintings! He started painting pictures of my dog, Sugar. He asked me what else I would like to have painted and I told him I would like a picture of my high school, my junior high and my grade school," said Dale Merrell. 

Moffett has finished two of the paintings. 

"But this last one, Osage Elementary, it has stumped me. I cannot find a picture of the entrance," said Moffett. "The school I believe was built in 1913 and it was razed in 1969."

Moffett has reached out to historical societies, libraries, school districts, community members but hasn't had any luck yet.

"I used to work for the janitor. I started in the 4th grade. After school I would help him clean the school. I would get a coke, a nickel coke back then and he paid me 50 cents a day," said Merrell.

Moffett has been trying to track this photo down for years. He has gathered some aerial photos or photos of the hallways, but he can't use those for the painting. He needs a photo of the front entrance of the school.

"I am excited. The possibility that someone has this in their basement or in a box or something that they totally forgot about and maybe this story will prompt it and the mystery will be solved," said Moffett. 

If you have a picture of the front entrance of the school, you can email it directly to Moffett at M2studio918@gmail.com.