Philbrook Museum of Art

Philbrook Museum of Art
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Name	Philbrook Museum of Art
Location	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Type	Art museum
Founder	Waite Phillips

Philbrook Museum of Art is a premier cultural institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded by Waite Phillips, a renowned oil industry pioneer and philanthropist. The museum is situated in a beautiful Villa Philbrook, a stunning example of Italian Renaissance architecture, surrounded by Philbrook Gardens, which features a variety of botanical gardens and a children's garden. The museum's collection includes over 12,000 works of art, featuring pieces by famous artists such as Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Georgia O'Keeffe, as well as a diverse range of African art, Asian art, and Native American art. The museum is also affiliated with the University of Tulsa and the Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council.

● History

The history of the museum dates back to the 1920s, when Waite Phillips and his wife, Genevieve Phillips, built Villa Philbrook as their private residence, inspired by the Villa Medici in Rome, Italy. The villa was designed by Edward Buehler Delk, a prominent architect of the time, and featured a mix of Tuscan and Italian Renaissance styles. In 1939, the Phillips family donated the villa and its surrounding gardens to the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the intention of creating a public art museum, similar to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The museum officially opened its doors in 1940, with an inaugural exhibition featuring works by American artists such as Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry. Over the years, the museum has hosted numerous exhibitions, including works by European artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne, as well as contemporary artists like Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns.

● Collections

The museum's collections include a diverse range of art from around the world, featuring works by famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Johannes Vermeer. The museum's European art collection includes works from the Renaissance to the 20th century, with pieces by French artists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, as well as Spanish artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. The museum also has an extensive collection of African art, featuring works from Egyptian art to Contemporary African art, with pieces by artists like Kerry James Marshall and Kehinde Wiley. Additionally, the museum's Asian art collection includes works from Chinese art to Japanese art, with pieces by artists like Qi Baishi and Hokusai. The museum's collections also include a range of Native American art, featuring works by artists like Fred Kabotie and Maria Martinez.

● Architecture

The museum's architecture is a notable feature of the institution, with Villa Philbrook serving as a prime example of Italian Renaissance architecture in the United States. The villa was designed by Edward Buehler Delk, who drew inspiration from the Villa Medici in Rome, Italy, and features a mix of Tuscan and Italian Renaissance styles. The museum's gardens, designed by Hare & Hare, a prominent landscape architecture firm, feature a variety of botanical gardens and a children's garden, with plants and flowers from around the world, including Tulsa Botanic Garden and Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum. The museum's architecture has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and has been compared to other notable buildings like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

● Exhibitions

The museum hosts a range of exhibitions throughout the year, featuring works by local, national, and international artists, including Tulsa Artists' Coalition and Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. Recent exhibitions have included works by contemporary artists like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama, as well as historical exhibitions featuring works by European artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. The museum has also hosted exhibitions in collaboration with other institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.. The museum's exhibitions have been recognized by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors, and have been compared to other notable exhibitions at the Louvre in Paris, France and the British Museum in London, United Kingdom.

● Education

The museum offers a range of educational programs and activities for visitors of all ages, including art classes and workshops taught by local artists and art educators. The museum also offers guided tours and lectures on various topics, including art history and art appreciation, led by experts from the University of Tulsa and the Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council. The museum's education programs have been recognized by the National Art Education Association and the American Alliance of Museums, and have been compared to other notable programs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum also partners with local schools and organizations, such as the Tulsa Public Schools and the Oklahoma Arts Council, to provide arts education and outreach programs to the community, including Youth Arts Oklahoma and Oklahoma Arts Institute.