Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Open since 2002, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art features a three-story, 110,000 square foot facility with 15 collection and exhibit galleries, three education rooms, a library, a store, a cafe, and the 252-seat Noble Theatre. With a commitment to enriching the community through the visual arts, the museum collections include pieces from a variety of mediums and subject matter from European and American art of the nineteenth and twentieth century. There are also more than 50 works of contemporary art from the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection. Other noteworthy collections include works by Alfonso Ossorio and prints by Théodore Géricault. The museum also offers a variety of educational programs for children, adults and families including drawing, painting, photography, ceramics and more. Visit the museum on family days for hands-on art making projects, live performances, face painting and fun for free!

The museum’s signature sculpture—The Tower—stands at 55 feet tall and 7’6’ wide. It serves as a memorial to the late Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick, one of the museum founders. The Tower was created by world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly and is comprised of 2,100 individually blown glass pieces and weighs 20,000 pounds—the largest Chihuly sculpture in the world. On the third floor you’ll find an entire gallery of work by Dale Chihuly which includes a range of abstract glass sculptures like the neodymium spears, Jerusalem cylinders, Macchia forest, orange basket forest and much more. Chihuly’s focus on glass, color and interesting shapes is exhilarating and beautiful to see, a truly legendary artists.

Then, head over to a very special exhibit entitled, The Sketch to Screen: The Art of Hollywood Costume Design. This is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s first exhibition of garments featuring more than 85 original costumes worn by some of your favorite movie stars—Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis, John Wayne, Kate Winslet, Robert DeNiro and many more. This exhibition highlights some of the best costume fashion designers in the American motion picture industry—on display through August 15, 2010.

The Museum Café is located on the ground floor where you can dine for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch—offering a metropolitan ambiance and flavors from Chicago, San Francisco and London mixed with the flare of Oklahoma City. There are patio tables for enjoying the fresh air and a classic high tea takes place from 3-5 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday. On the dinner menu you’ll find entrées like shrimp linguini, honey cardamom chicken, pork tenderloin and New York strip.

HelloOklahomaCity Tip: Looking for a great date idea? Visit the Museum for dinner and a movie ($28 per person), or enjoy a cocktail on the Skyline every Thursday and get $5 admission to the museum after 5 p.m.  Reservations are required for the dinner and a movie night—check the museum website for current movies and show times.

- by Jennifer Pruett, Oklahoma City Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jennifer Pruett

A self proclaimed “queen of everything," Jennifer is a writer, planner and passionate lover of making exciting events extra special. As a creative mother of two she loves art, music, family, friends, exotic cuisine and exploring new areas of self improvement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of Oklahoma and has been writing restaurant and attraction reviews in the Phoenix Metro area since January, 2009.