Community Calendar

On July 16th, join OKC's top business and community leaders for a look at the city's progress. Centered around Mayor David Holt's annual State of the City address, this luncheon is a great way for those looking to network and learn more about ways to get involved with the city.

Alumni of the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, Jim and Charmain Pensoneau Baker, will be giving a presentation on the history of one of the largest boarding schools for Native American youth in the United States. Charmain is the current President of the Chilocco National Alumni Association and Jim is the Vice President. Jim is also the only Chilocco graduate to become Superintendent of the school.

Experience an unforgettable night of storytelling and world-class musicianship as Lyle Lovett and his Large Band bring their signature blend of country, jazz, and swing to The Criterion on Wednesday, July 16th.

Door time is subject to change.

Join us this summer at the Sam Noble Museum and experience science first-hand through a variety of discovery-based programs. Each week-long, two-hour Summer Explorers program (children ages 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12) features a different natural or cultural history theme.

REGISTRATION
Don’t miss out! Space is limited and advance registration is required. Visit the Sam Noble Museum website to register. For questions or accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact Visitor Services at (405) 325-7977. Cost: $80 (Member youth); $100 (Non-member youth).

Required program forms will be sent via confirmation email.

ROBERTA PAILES FUND FOR CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
A limited number of program fees can be funded for families who demonstrate financial need. Click Here for more information and to apply.

T-SHIRT
Each Summer Explorers youth program participant will receive a T-shirt. Please indicate the size when you register.

OFF-SITE PROGRAMS indicated with ☀️
These programs will take place in the best classroom of all: the great outdoors! We will start at the museum and then travel in museum or university vans to local parks. Booster seats are provided for children 9 and under and are available for children over the age of 9 upon request of parents/guardians. Participants should be dressed to get wet and dirty and must bring a water bottle.

Step into a world of vibrant imagination with A Colorful Dream, an interactive exhibition by contemporary fine art photographer Adrien Broom. This family-friendly experience follows a young girl’s journey through a series of monochromatic fantasy worlds, each meticulously crafted to explore the emotions and symbolism of the full spectrum of the rainbow. Broom’s large-scale photographs, created without digital manipulation, capture the magic of these handmade sets, bringing fairy-tale-like landscapes to life.

Exclusive to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the exhibition features a site-specific installation that reimagines black not as an absence, but as the presence of all colors. This striking addition invites viewers to contemplate color in a new way, blending fantasy and reality in stunning detail.

"Discovering Ansel Adams" features over 100 photographs that share Adams’s most celebrated works while revealing aspects of his development that are frequently overlooked. Together with original archival materials from the Center of Creative Photography’s Ansel Adams Archive, these photographs demonstrate how Adams transformed from a fourteen-year-old tourist with a camera into a renowned photographer between 1916 and the 1940s. Along the way, photographic prints from his early visits to the American Southwest, his mountaineering experiences as a young man, and his quest to photograph America’s national parks will enchant visitors.

Oklahoma Contemporary presents the first major retrospective of Oklahoma City-based artist Edgar Heap of Birds, who is known internationally for conceptual artwork that addresses Indigenous rights, sovereignty and relationships to place. Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: HONOR SONG is a landmark for American art, for the region and for the city: the artist’s first institutional survey in his home-state of the last forty years. The exhibition spans over four decades of art production, tracing Heap of Birds’ trajectory from the 1970s to the present through colorful prints, abstract paintings, drawings, glassworks, sculptures and public works.

For more information: 405-951-0000, okcontemp.org/honorsong

Image: Edgar Heap of Birds, Neuf, 1995. The John and Susan Horseman Collection, Courtesy of the Horseman Foundation. © Edgar Heap of Birds. Image courtesy of the artist.

Led by Teaching Artist Jackie Nelson
Designed for ages 18+

$25 Members | $45 Non-Members
Not a member? Join today at okcmoa.com/membership

Inspired by the iconic photography of Ansel Adams, this watercolor class invites artists to capture the essence of the natural world using a limited palette and expressive brushwork. Focusing on tonal value, atmospheric perspective, and strong composition, participants will learn to create striking black-and-white or muted-tone landscapes that emphasize mood over detail. Through guided exercises and individual exploration, artists will discover how watercolor can evoke the same emotional depth and contrast found in Adams’s masterful photographs, one wash at a time.

This class is designed for adults ages 18+.  All supplies will be provided.
For questions regarding the class or registration, please email Programs Manager Neely Simms at nsimms@okcmoa.com.

Bonus! Stop by the OKCMOA Bar before class—registrants are welcome to bring a drink to enjoy a relaxed, paint-and-sip experience.

Every Third Thursday | 6-8 pm
Museum Patio

In collaboration with The SoundBar OKC and Latin Fusion Oklahoma, OKCMOA brings rhythm to the Museum Patio with Salsa Nights— an upbeat evening of music and dance happening every third Thursday.

Join professional salsa dancers for an evening of fun, movement, and community. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or stepping onto the floor for the first time, this beginner-friendly event welcomes everyone. This program is free and open to the public.

Don’t forget to fuel your footwork with $5 mimosas from the Store Bar!

The Norman Community Band is going to celebrate Christmas in July! Music lovers of all ages are invited to attend and enjoy a celebration of community spirit through live music.

Founded in the summer of 2018, the Norman Community Band brings together wind and percussion musicians from across the region. With more than 120 musicians participating this year, NCB is proudly intergenerational, welcoming players of all experience levels and backgrounds—no auditions or fees required.

To learn more, follow the band on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanCommunityBand.
Musicians interested in participating can still register by contacting Johnnie-Margaret McConnell at johnniemargaret@ou.edu.