Shimmering Oklahoma art

The brand-new Oklahoma City Museum of Art sparkles with high-glass style.

Three tons of glass twist and coil in ordered chaos 55 feet toward the heavens. Goosenecks, horns, spirals, and other abstract shapes colored cobalt blue, teal, orange, yellow, amber, and citron make up the 2,100 handmade parts of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art's signature sculpture. The Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial Tower, by renowned artist Dale Chihuly, beckons visitors to the museum's new downtown location.

The piece honors Kirkpatrick, who, with husband John, was one of the founders of the museum. In 1958, they donated a 23,000-square-foot building to house the collection at the state fairgrounds. The tower, lit 24 hours a day, now fills the atrium of the 110,000square-foot museum that opened in March. Longtime residents recognize the museum's downtown space as the site of the Old Centre Theatre. Architects and designers on the project took special care to preserve certain elements of the existing structure, such as the handrails and staircases. Pay attention to the Art Deco grills on the exterior windows, and pay admission at the original ticket booth at the front door.

As you tour the building's spacious galleries, you'll notice a distinct difference from one floor to the next. The first holds temporary exhibits (check out the museum's Web site for what's currently running), and the next two levels feature works from the permanent collection. Find classical European, Asian, and American art created before 1950 in the second-floor galleries. In contrast, the third floor displays the more modern, abstract, and conceptual pieces made between 1950 and the present.

The remarkably strong modern art collection also includes a thriving film program. "Film is a significant 20thcentury art form," says museum director Carolyn Hill. "The idea of taking an old movie theater and converting it into a state-of-the-art facility for film screening was very important to us." Independent, foreign, classic, and documentary films show for $5 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night throughout the year in the 252-seat Noble Theater.

Be sure to stop by the Museum Store, where you will find a nice variety of art games along with children's educational and activity books. There are also a few Chihuly sculptures for sale. At $2,500 to $6,000 per piece, though, you may not be quite ready for a sparkling beacon in your own home.

TANNER C. LATHAM

Oklahoma City Museum of Art: 415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102; (405) 236-3100, 1-800-5799278, or www.okcmoa.com. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Open until 9 p.m. Thursday. Admission: $7 adults, $5 seniors and students. Note: For more information on artist Dale Chihuly, visit www.chihuly.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Dec 2002
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