The Outstanding Oklahoma City Museum of Art!
Did you know that the Oklahoma City Museum of Art Has a wonderful collection of Dale Chihuly glasswork? I did not know this until I started planning my eclipse road trip. When I saw that the art museum was having a special exhibit on Dale Chihuly this year I knew where I wanted to start my trip. I am a big Chihuly fan and love to see both his newer and older installations. The OKC Art Museum is featuring a special exhibit, entitled Dale Chihuly: Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty. How perfect is that?!? 💕
In the special exhibit I saw Chihuly pieces and art forms I had never seen before, which tickled me pink. The exhibit first presented some of his older works and worked forward, explaining each art form as they appeared. I know I say this a bunch, but it was FABULOUS! I went on a week day so it wasn’t super busy and it was so fun to explore the exhibit from different angles and not feel rushed for time. And, of course, I took about a thousand photos and I didn’t count, but I don’t think I’m exaggerating too much when I say that. 🙄 What can I say? I’m passionate about art and glasswork.
The Chihuly special exhibit is showing at the OKC Museum of Art until January 2025. Both this exhibit and Oklahoma City in general are worth a special trip. Here is the website and a few photos below. I will try to restrain myself because I really want YOU to go see it in person! 😉
Another featured exhibition at the museum was Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight. I had heard the artist’s name before - likely at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. This exhibit was also a glass exhibit and told a Native American story as you progressed through the exhibit. I absolutely adored it! It was such an immersive experience. I now have another favorite artist! If you want to see it, do it soon. The exhibit closes on April 28, 2024. Just one more week left! If you are anywhere in the area, be sure to check it out! A “few” photos below, as long as the webpage.
The museum had other quality works as well, including a large room of addition glass artworks, a collection of European and American artworks, and a small exhibit on Georgia O’Keefe and Imogene Cunningham about flowers.
Me - when my phone freezes and I just lost half my blog post I just spent the last hour+ on…no reason to mention this, of course. 🥴🤬😏
In addition, the museum has a large, fun, and eclectic gift shop with lots of fun things to buy (and look at). In the gift shop is a fun cafe area called Ganache that serves great food. It was so good, in fact, I ate there twice. Besides, how often can you say you had lunch next to a very expensive Jonathan Adler snail’s backside?!? Here are a few photos and web links about that as well.
The Adler snail’s backside… 😉
Did I ever tell you about the time in 2005 when my little family went to the Tacoma, Washington (Chihuly’s hometown) and we went to the gift shop there? They had several skinny pillars with Chihuly glass pieces atop each of them. I immediately sent my husband elsewhere with my preschool-age son and proceeded to bend over and look at a row of Chihuly books on a low shelf. Yep, you guessed it! My backside slightly bumped into one of the skinny pillars and I stood up and noticed to my extreme horror that a $2500 Chihuly glass basket was teetering precariously on its pillar and about to fall crashing to the grounded. I may have uttered a slight scream - I don’t remember for sure. I sweated bullets, held my breath and did my best to steady both the glasswork and the pillar. A sales cashier immediately came marching my way and gave me “the look.” I don’t think I bought any books. I do know I exited as fast as humanly possible. I’m sure they are better secured now. I wouldn’t know, as I won’t get closer than 6 feet to his work in any gift shop. True story… 🙄🥴🤷♀️🤪😂
Just GO ALREADY!!! The WHOLE place is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👏👏👏