Explore Oklahoma's Best Art Museums Worth Seeing
Oklahoma is home to a diverse range of art museums that cater to various tastes and interests. From Western art and cowboy heritage to contemporary and classical collections, these museums offer a rich and varied cultural experience.
The Philbrook Museum of Art (Tulsa)
The Philbrook Museum of Art, known for its stunning gardens, blends art with nature, providing visitors with an immersive experience that includes both indoor galleries and beautiful outdoor spaces. This museum features a broad collection that spans centuries and continents, with highlights including Renaissance paintings, Native American artifacts, and modern American works.
Education and community involvement are core to the Philbrook's mission. The museum offers a wide array of educational programs, workshops, and community events aimed at engaging visitors of all ages. Its gardens, designed in the style of an Italian villa garden, feature terraced landscapes, flowing fountains, and winding pathways, providing a serene and picturesque setting for artistic exploration.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (Oklahoma City)
This museum specializes in Western art and history, housing amazing paintings and monumental sculptures related to the American West. It is especially notable for celebrating cowboy culture and southwestern heritage through its extensive art collections.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
This museum is recognized for its well-rounded collection encompassing various visual art mediums such as photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture. It offers artistic styles that appeal to a wide variety of tastes, making it a versatile art museum in Oklahoma City. The museum is well known for its extensive collection of glass sculptures by renowned artist Dale Chihuly, including a breathtaking three-story-tall glass tower.
Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve
Located on a wildlife preserve, Woolaroc combines nature with a world-class Western art museum. It is unique for its integration of wildlife preservation and art, and it houses personal collections including some of the world's largest collections of Western art.
Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa)
Set on a large estate with extensive thematic gardens, Gilcrease focuses on the art and history of the American West and Native American cultures. Its collection includes art, historical manuscripts, and anthropological artifacts, making it a comprehensive center for Western heritage and culture. The museum is currently undergoing renovations, which may affect visits.
Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center
The Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center is a vibrant hub for creativity, innovation, and community engagement. It does not maintain a permanent collection, allowing it to focus on rotating exhibitions that highlight contemporary artists. The center opened in its striking new facility in 2020, featuring state-of-the-art galleries, studios, and performance spaces.
The Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center emphasizes interdisciplinary programming, featuring dance performances, theater productions, film screenings, and musical events. Its Studio School provides a hands-on environment for participants to explore various artistic mediums. The center's commitment to inclusivity is evident in its free general admission policy.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Located on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is a leading art museum offering a rich blend of world-class collections, innovative exhibitions, and educational programming. The museum's strengths include American art, Native American art, French Impressionism, and photography, with highlights such as the Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism.
In addition to these museums, each with its unique focus and offerings, Oklahoma residents and visitors can enjoy a rich and varied cultural experience that spans Western art and history, contemporary art, and everything in between. These museums collectively offer a vibrant and engaging art scene that is sure to inspire and delight.
- In addition to Western art and heritage museums, one can find a museum in Oklahoma City that caters to various visual art mediums, such as fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and travel, through its extensive collection of glass sculptures by renowned artist Dale Chihuly.
- The Philbrook Museum of Art, known for its stunning gardens, not only offers an immersive experience that includes both indoor galleries and beautiful outdoor spaces, but also features a broad collection that spans centuries and continents, incorporating artistic styles that appeal to diverse tastes and interests, from lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty to food-and-drink and home-and-garden themes.
