IN WITH THE NEW

On this, the last day of 2009, let's not dwell on the past but take a look at the exhibitions coming in 2010. These three shows couldn't be more different and we couldn't be more excited to bring them to Tulsa. Have a look...

Hans Hoffman: Circa 1950
February 21-May 9, 2010



To Love Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum
June 6-September 12, 2010



Adaptation: Video Installations by Guy Ben-Ner, Arturo Herrera, Catherine Sullivan, and Eve Sussman & The Rufus Corporation
October 17, 2010-January 9, 2011

Eve Sussman's The Rape of the Sabine Women Trailer from creativetime on Vimeo.

THE ULTIMATE STAYCATION

Now until the end of January, you can take a trip to the Southwest without leaving the Tulsa city limits. You can escape the cold and wind for a warmer climate. How? Come by and see our new exhibition, A Passion for the West: Paintings from the Eugene B. Adkins Collection.

Here is a little tour...

SELECTION FROM OUR SKETCHBOOKS

It's been a while since we shared any of the doodles and drawings collected in our gallery sketchbooks.

So here you go...

PEOPLE'S CHOICE

Over the course of 2009, we were able to bring in some wonderful and very different exhibitions. There was certainly no shortage of variety. Today, over on our Facebook page, we asked a question;

"What was your favorite exhibition at Philbrook this year?"

It seems from early polling data that the crowd favorite was Seeing Ourselves: Masterpieces of American Photography from George Eastman House Collection. The show, with over 150 iconic images, featured work by Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon and others.



One of the favorite things about this show was the presence of a photo booth for visitors to use. To say that it was popular would be an understatement.

To see more about this show, watch this great video provided by George Eastman House.

INSPIRED BY GINGERBREAD

One of our favorite things to do is share what other bloggers have to say about us.
This one comes from Matt and Angela Baugher who visited us on the last day of the Festival of Trees and were so inspired by the gingerbread houses that they decided to make their own.

To see more photos and read the blog click HERE.

GOING, GOING, ALMOST GONE

Today and tomorrow are your last chances to enter the raffle to win these amazing pieces of jewelry designed by Sherry Weber, none other than the daughter of legendary Tulsan, Bruce G. Weber.



Valued at $6,500, you can buy a raffle ticket for a mere $10. Or you can by 5 or 10 or however many you want. Boost your chances! Proceeds go back to the operation budget for the museum. Thank you and GOOD LUCK!



Tickets can be purchased in our gift shop. For questions email philbrookshop@philbrook.org or call 748-5304.

Recently, over on our Facebook page, we asked our fans if they own any chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames. Why did we ask this question?

On Jan. 21st, as part of our popular 3rd Thursday series, we will be hosting at talk with Eames Demetrios, grandson of the designers and director of Eames Office.

One of the most enthusiastic responses came from Sonia Davis Guttierez, founder and president of the New Design School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Sonia wanted to emphasize that not only does she own many Eames pieces, she actually uses them in an office setting.

Here is an example of one of the chairs she uses...

OH, WHAT A NIGHT

Take a look at what went down at last night's Print Action: Y2K to Today event.
It was the last 3rd Thursday of 2009 and certainly one of the best.

A GIFT FOR US, A GIFT FOR YOU

This holiday season, one of the greatest gifts we've ever received will become a gift for the entire community. On Sunday (Dec. 20) we will open the new exhibition, A Passion for the West: Paintings from the Eugene B. Adkins Collection. This short exhibition highlights selections from the over 500 paintings in the collection, which is shared by Philbrook and the University of Oklahoma. Featuring artists such as Maynard Dixon and Leon Gaspard, this show gives a taste of one of the greatest collections of Southwestern art ever assembled.

The show runs through Jan. 31st, so don't miss your chance to see it.

Meet the Printers

Tomorrow is 3rd Thursday and it's all about screen printing. These 4 artists/printers will be showing you how. Take a moment and get to know them a bit.

Kelly Foshee is a Tulsa-born Teaching Artist who graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1998 with a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking. In 2002, she received an M.F.A. in printmaking from T.U., and has studied abroad in Italy with the university. Her work has been showcased in exhibitions around the country and in London, and she is a member of the Southern Graphics Council. Since 2002, she has taught at the Philbrook Museum of Art, where she has taught students of all ages. Kelly is currently teaching studio art and art history at the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, a charter high school, where she has been proud to teach since 2006.

Michelle Martin is an Associate Professor of Printmaking at The University of Tulsa, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she teaches all printmaking media at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She received her BFA in 1993 from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and she went on to earn her M.F.A. in Printmaking at The Ohio State University in 1996. An active artist working in all print media and drawing, her work has been shown in over 90 national and international exhibitions since 1995, including venues in Iceland, Italy and England. She has won numerous awards, including an Oklahoma Artist Fellowship in 2008 and the 2007 Print Prize in the Bradley Print and Drawing Exhibition.

Darshan Phillips is the co-founder of Live4This, a multidisciplinary design and art studio. Live4This operates as a collaborative multidisciplinary design studio. As artists, art directors, advertisers, designers, photographers, and programmers. Aside from showing at many galleries, Darshan has recently returned from a trip to Panama where he began large-scale collaboration with Go International.

Denny Schmickle is an artist and graphic designer who specializes in hand-printed silkscreen concert posters, gallery installations, and artwork that investigates how the two practices interact. He is Assistant Professor of Art at Rogers State University in Northeastern Oklahoma. He received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2006, and a bachelor’s degree from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.

FRESH PRINTS

The Print Action is back this Thursday!

Celebrate the end of the year and the end of the decade by creating your own silk-screen prints at this wildly popular event. Printmakers Kelly Foshee, Michelle Martin, Darshan Phillips and Denny Schmickle will be on site with silk-screens of their own original designs celebrating the highs and lows of the last year …and the last decade. Select the ones you like, layer them, and add your own touches – all while a DJ spins. Bring along a tote or t-shirt too!

5:30-8:00pm

Check out this cool little video that takes you through the entire process of how screen printing is done from the ground up. If you like what you see, come down on Thursday night and give it a shot.

GOODBYE 25

You really only get one shot at your 25th anniversary, and we wanted to get it right.
Yesterday was the final day in the 3-week run of our annual Festival of Trees. And with Free Family Day on Saturday, the last weekend was a wild one.

The events that have taken place over the past few weeks have been wonderful and memorable in every way. But the reason they were so great, so special, is that you made a point to come out and join us. You made the effort, despite the cold weather. You made the effort, despite the news about the economy. You made the effort because this place and everything that goes on inside it, means something to you. Well, to put it lightly, that means everything to us.

Those of you who were unable to make it out for the festival this year, you missed a great one. We could try to describe it in words, but words just wouldn't do it justice. It's an experience.
To quote the great poet Joyce Kilmer...

"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree"

"LIKE AN OLD MOVIE"

At our recent Member Dinner, the museum was full of music, dancing, dining and good times were being had by all. Men in tuxedos and women in gowns gave the evening the feeling of a time gone by. One guest said "It feels like an old movie." In honor of that notion, take a look at these images, presented in a Casablanca-like black and white.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES (C'mon)

The dictionary describes the word "festival" as a day or period of celebration.
And that is exactly what this is.

The 25th annual Festival of Trees will be wrapping up in just a few days. If you haven't made it out yet, come check it out. If you have, come again. Saturday (12/12)is FREE for everyone, so there is no excuse to miss this great happening.

Our friends at OETA were kind enough to do this lovely piece on the festival...

PRINCE OF PRINTS

Though screen printing has been around for well over 1,000 years, it wasn't until 1907 that it was actually patented by a man in England named Samuel Simon. Mostly used at that time for things like wallpaper and other "industrial" items, the trend didn't really latch on to the public until Andy Warhol began doing his thing in the early 1960's.

On Dec. 17th, as part of our monthly 3rd Thursday series, we'll host the event,
PRINT ACTION: Y2K to Today.


Check out this odd (big surprise) video with Mr. Warhol talking about printing, art and much more.

1939-2009

2009 is the 70th anniversary of the opening of Philbrook as a museum.
The world has gone through an awful lot of changes in that time and so have we.

Let's take a look at some other people, things and happenings that are celebrating their 70th.

• Glamour magazine debuts (founded 1939)
• The theatrical release of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind
• The death of Sigmund Freud (Sept. 23rd)
• Grapes of Wrath is published
• Lou Gehrig considers himself "the luckiest man on the face of the Earth"
• The birth of Francis Ford Coppola (April 7)
  
• The Hewlett-Packard Company is founded (Jan.)
  
• Batman makes his first appearance
  

BLOGS AROUND TOWN

One of the things we like to do every so often is highlight another blog that has been gracious enough to talk about us and their experiences here.

This one, with photos, a slide show and even a video, really captures the joy of a family coming to Festival of Trees.

To see the blog click HERE.

EAMES LIKES OLD TIMES

Just a little Friday teaser. Our guest for the January 3rd Thursday event will be none other than Eames Demetrios, grandson of the legendary designers Charles and Ray Eames. For all of you design aficionados out there, this will be one event you don't want to miss.

Aside from his own great work, Eames Demetrios is dedicated to preserving the legacy created by his grandparents all those years ago. He champions their work and make what is old new again.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 21st. And take a look at this cool video...

DRAWN FROM LIFE

Every Thursday from 6:30-9pm we host our Life Drawing classes.

If you've ever been interested in drawing the human figure, this is the place you need to be. Maybe you used to draw all the time but haven't for years. Now is the time to reignite that fire.

The cost for one session is $10 and $55 for six.
With the new year approaching, forget about those usual resolutions (losing weight, etc). Try something completely different. Hang out with a group of interesting people and give this a try.

You'll be glad you did.

18 and older
For more information call 918-748-5379

"TRUE MEANING"

This year we have our own "Charlie Brown" tree.
It's titled "True Meaning".
As you can see, it is a puny little thing, but we love it.

IT'S ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE

A lot of people come into the museum, most museums actually, with something already in mind. Perhaps they are seeing a traveling exhibition. Maybe they need to get something from the shop. But usually, there is some guiding purpose. However, sometimes that mission can distract the visitor from taking a moment to look at things they might not have been interested in when they walked through the door.

On our upper level we have a small "works on paper" gallery. And although it doesn't get the fanfare of a large traveling show, there is always something fascinating to be found.

The current show, Northern Renaissance Prints, might not be something that you think you're into. And "think" is the operative word. Forget the fact that many of these pieces are over 500 years old. The coolest thing about these pieces is that they are interactive.

We have provided magnifying glasses for you to really get into the details of these little pieces. And we do mean little. Some are not much larger than a postage stamp. But each one seems to tell a story. And if you take a few moments to really look, you'll be hooked.

This show runs through Jan. 10th.