Our Library

The Library @Philbrook from Philbrook Museum on Vimeo.

PHIL MEETS CATS

It's been coming for quite some time. Phil is loved. Our garden cats are adored. What will happen when those two worlds collide?
Stay tuned to find out!

CAT CAM: ACER HUNTS A RABBIT

THIS FRIDAY: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Join us Friday as we kick off our 2011 Summer Films on the Lawn. We are headed back to the swinging 60's for a little 007. Gates open at 7:30, the film begins at dusk. Prices are $5 for members and $7 for not-yet members. Bring your friends, family, a picnic and have a great night!

AN INTERN'S PERSPECTIVE: SUMMER CAMP!

Right now at the museum there are tons of kids running around looking at the galleries, playing in the gardens and creating their own masterpieces. Today I got a chance to peek into one of the day camp sessions and snap some photos of the kids painting and having such a good time that I started feeling pretty nostalgic for my time at day camp. And maybe a little jealous too...

There are still two more camp sessions at Philbrook this summer, so hurry up and check out this webpage to learn more and sign up!

Blue Star Museums @Philbrook

We are proud to offer FREE ADMISSION for all active duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

A LOOK INSIDE: PHILBROOK MUSEUM GIFT SHOP

Take a tour of our wonderful museum shop...

Rauschenberg/Studio Tulsa

Our friends at Public Radio Tulsa (89.5 FM) just did a great interview about our current exhibition, RAUSCHENBERG AT GEMINI.
To listen to this episode of STUDIO TULSA, click HERE.

LEAVING SOON: PORTRAIT MINIATURES

If you haven't yet made time to stop by and see PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS: The Art of the Portrait Miniature, don't wait much longer. This great little show ends July 3rd and is not to be missed!

AN INTERN'S PERSPECTIVE: EXHIBITION OPENINGS

One thing that never occurred to me as a museum guest was the amount and variety of work it takes to put together an exhibition. As an intern at the museum, I got to see every little component that went into preparing for the Robert Rauschenberg exhibition that opened this past week.

Everything from the vinyl on the walls (seen above) to the actual walls inside the exhibition has to be carefully designed and implemented by the staff at Philbrook. The information you read, from the pamphlet you pick up at the door to the timeline on the wall, is all carefully written and revised.

However, it's not just the exhibition itself that requires work. We've also set up interactive programs that relate to the art, such as this week's 3rd Thursday, where people created their own prints inspired by the work of Rauschenberg.

One of the coolest tie-ins I think Philbrook came up with was commissioning three local artists to design their own screen prints which reflect the spirit of Rauschenberg's work. They're currently on sale in the musuem shop, and they're only $15 a piece. I honestly couldn't decide which print I liked better, so I ended up with all three (oops). If you want one don't put it off though, because this is a limited run, with only 30 of each print available.

BEHIND THE SCENES

All week long we've had guests in town from the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at OU. They are taking over 1,000 pieces from the Eugene B. Adkins Collection. This entails tons of work including organizing, shipping and more. Here's a glimpse of what all that work looks like...

PRINTS ON SALE TOMORROW!

Our limited edition Rauschenberg-inspired screen prints go on sale tomorrow night on 3rd Thursday. Don't wait. Each print is just $15 and measure 18"x24".

PROGRESS AS PROMISED

NOW OPEN: RAUSCHENBERG AT GEMINI

Our big summer exhibition, RAUSCHENBERG AT GEMINI, featuring more than 50 works by Robert Rauschenberg, opened yesterday. We hope you will take the time to visit this exceptional show of a great American artist.

AN INTERN'S PERSPECTIVE: BEHIND THE SCENES AT PHILBROOK

I’ve lived practically down the street from Philbrook for my entire life, and yet there’s so much more going on behind the scenes than I ever would have guessed. On my first day as an intern I was given an extensive tour of the museum and the grounds. I saw the attic where Elliot Phillips (Waite's son) once mentioned rollerskating in when it was too rainy to play outside, the "kitchen garden" outside whose herbs the restaurant uses in their dishes, the shop where all of the frames, glass display cases and pedestals for the artwork are built in-house, and even the ventilation duct that some lucky employee gets to crawl through to replace the bulbs in the light-up dance floor that was the highlight of every school trip when I was in elementary school.

A Philbrook security guard plays along with a Shakespearean actor causing a "disturbance" before the performance of

The Taming of the Shrew

But Philbrook is more than just the sprawling building, the grounds, and the art held within its walls. I've only been here a few weeks and it's already obvious to me that the most essential thing to keep the museum running is its dedicated employees, and their collaboration with one another. In every event, exhibit and feature at Philbrook there is some sort of brainstorming session happening between all of the different departments of the museum to figure out how best to plan, market and execute these programs in a unique, exciting way. It might not always be an easy process, but in the end it's absolutely worth the effort.

However, there is one employee I encountered that refuses to collaborate, or to even interact with the guests! His name is Acer, and I managed to sneak a picture of him sleeping on the job.

FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS...

Have you ever wondered how our curators lay out the galleries? Sometimes they use a miniature model (with mini paintings) like this...

CAT CAMS!

Our Cat Cam project officially started today. Watch tonight's 6pm news on KOTV Channel 6 for the world premiere.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

In Woody Allen's latest film, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, Owen Wilson plays a character who is magically transported back to Paris in the 1920's while taking late night walks. Along the way, he encounters artists including Matisse, Man Ray, Salvador Dali, and even Pablo Picasso (whose work can be seen at Philbrook). Take a look...

INSPIRED BY RAUSCHENBERG: PART TWO

May Yang is a Tulsa-based artist and designer. She works primarily with printmaking techniques to produce work that explores her cultural background as well as the environment around her. In 2008, May graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is currently designing a new body of work. For more visit www.electrofervor.net

INSPIRED BY RAUSCHENBERG: PART ONE

There is no denying the significant influence Robert Rauschenberg had on future generations of artists. His creations, courage and vision continue to inspire contemporary artists and designers. To highlight this legacy, we commissioned a select group of local artists/printers to create a screen-printed poster inspired by this great American artist. Each print is signed and numbered in an edition of 30. Here is 1 of 3, created by Darshan Phillips and Aaron Whisner:
Live4This is the collaboration between Aaron Whisner and Darshan Phillips. We operate as a multidisciplinary design and art collaborative. Working as artists, art directors, designers and photographers, they work within the overlap of fine art and commercial design. Darshan and Aaron have a true passion that shows in their attitude and outlook on the job. It’s what they live for. For more visit www.live4this.com

Shakespeare on the Lawn: 2 Shows Left!

We have just two performances left for Shakespeare on the Lawn this year. You can still enjoy "The Taming of the Shrew" tomorrow night and Saturday night. Gates open at 6:30pm, show starts at 8pm. Brings lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, etc...

Tickets can be purchased at the gate.

Tomorrow: Meet "Saint Matthew"

Tomorrow we are installing "Saint Matthew" by Jusepe de Ribera. This stunning piece (seen here) is on loan to us from the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Stop by and take a look. It's a powerful painting to say the least.