Renewing the American Spirit: The Art of the Great Depression explores the physical and social landscape of the United States during the Great Depression through paintings, prints, photographs, and other media. The original exhibition includes a selection of works from the Museum’s excellent collection of WPA art, a recently acquired monumental mural by Gardner Hale, which has not been exhibited publicly since the First President’s bicentennial exhibition in 1932, and several loans from regional institutions.
The exhibition examines the diverse responses of artists to the social upheaval and economic distress that characterized American life in the 1930s. Together, the aesthetically and politically varied works produced in the 1930s paint a revealing portrait of the nation’s evolving psyche as it sought to move ahead through one of the country’s most challenging periods.
Exhibition Programming:
Public Exhibition Tours
These in-gallery guided tours will provide conversation-based insights and close-looking experiences.
Pre-registration recommended. Purchase tickets by clicking on the links below. $15 for members; $25 for non-members.
Group Exhibition Tours
Discounted admission offered for groups of 10 or more. Tour guides are available with a notice three weeks in advance. Click here for more details.
Call (405) 278-8213 or email tours@okcmoa.com for more information.
Drop-In Art
Drop-In Art focuses on a specific theme or media each month, all inspired by the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection. Stop by and stay for as long as you want! These come-and-go activities are suitable for all visitors of all ages and abilities, and do not require pre-registration.
- February ǀ Lines & Shapes
Saturday, February 1
Saturday, February 15
- March ǀ Sculptures
Saturday, March 7
Saturday, March 21
- April ǀ Spring Flowers
Saturday, April 4
Saturday, April 18
SONIC Free Family Day
SONIC Free Family Days feature free admission, art-making activities, gallery experiences, and special guests. Free admission and all activities for the day are made possible by SONIC, America’s Drive-In.
Babies at the Museum & Museum Playdate
These programs—designed for our littlest visitors and their adults—include coffee, social and playtime, and interactive gallery experiences inspired by Renewing the American Spirit: The Art of the Great Depression.
Sessions held on select Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am-12 pm. Space is limited. Pre-registration required. E-mail learn@okcmoa.com for more details.
- March| Spring Trees
Babies at the Museum | Friday, March 6
Babies at the Museum | Saturday, March 7
Museum Playdate | Saturday, March 14
Thank you to our generous exhibition sponsors!
Bank of America
Frank and Bette Jo Hill
Past Exhibition Programming:
Members’ Day
Friday, November 1 | 10 am-8 pm
Drop-In Art
- November | Land and Home
Saturday, November 2, 2019 ǀ 1-4 pm - November | Land and Home
Saturday, November 16, 2019 ǀ 1-4 pm - December | Winter Printing
Saturday, December 7 | 1-4 pm
Saturday, December 21 | 1-4 pm
Credit: Gardner Hale (American, 1894–1931). Triumph of Washington, 1931. Oil on canvas. Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Gift of D. Wigmore Fine Art, 2017.070
