Paintings and photography will be on view through July 7
OKLAHOMA CITY (March 7, 2024) – A single-gallery exhibition highlighting two women artists, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) and Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976), will open at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) on Saturday, March 9. Magnificent Beauty: Georgia O’Keeffe and the Art of the Flower, organized by OKCMOA, puts one of art’s most iconic subjects, the flower, in a new context.
“This is a can’t-miss exhibition for anyone who is familiar with Georgia O’Keeffe’s work,” said President and CEO Michael Anderson, PhD. “What’s special about Magnificent Beauty is that it pairs O’Keeffe’s work with that of photographer Imogen Cunningham and explores how each of them depicted the flower, particularly the lily, with a modernist approach.”
Though the flower is a traditional still-life subject in art, both O’Keeffe, who began exploring it in New York in the 1920s, and her contemporary, West Coast photographer Imogen Cunningham, transformed it in uniquely modern, and at times abstracted, ways. Visitors can expect Magnificent Beauty to showcase O’Keeffe’s airy pastel-colored forms and Cunningham’s sharp-focus black-and-white photography.
In a continuation of OKCMOA’s accessibility initiatives, QR codes will be available within the exhibition so that visitors can scan and listen to visual descriptions of the works and the label text. Additionally, all exhibition text that appears on the gallery walls will be provided in both English and Spanish.
“While Spanish translations have previously been provided in the form of spiral bound books that visitors could pick up at the beginning of the exhibition, we’re excited to make this move toward greater inclusivity,” said Bryon Chambers, head of education.
Museum members are invited to preview the exhibition and enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries in the Store from 9-10 a.m. on Saturday before the Museum opens to the public. Floral bouquets by Okie Floral Co. will be available for purchase in the Museum Lobby from 9 a.m.-noon, and the first 25 members will receive a free small bouquet.
The opening of Magnificent Beauty marks the beginning of an eventful spring at OKCMOA. The following day, March 10, is OKCMOA’s monthly free admission day, thanks to generous support provided by the Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program; tickets for the summer exhibition, Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer, go on sale April 2, and another flower-focused favorite, Art in Bloom, will take place the weekend of April 12-14.
Magnificent Beauty: Georgia O’Keeffe and the Art of the Flower will be on view through July 7 on the Museum’s second floor.
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Image Credit: Georgia O’Keeffe. Calla Lily for Alfred, 1927. Oil on canvas board, 12 x 6 inches. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. [1997.1.1] Photo: Tim Nighswander/IMAGING4ART
