Rex and Elizabeth Richard & Baby Vernette
Fellow Members
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART?
We recently had our first child, and we wanted to take advantage of some of the great children’s programs the Museum offers, like Babies at the Museum. We figured we would be enjoying the Museum as a family often enough that the member discounts just made good economic sense.
WHAT MEMBER BENEFIT DO YOU APPRECIATE THE MOST, AND WHY?
Free regular admission is our favorite benefit. Because we aren’t paying admission each time we come to the Museum, visiting feels more casual and less like an event. We don’t pressure ourselves to stay for hours in order to “get our money’s worth.” Many times, we come in for 20 or 30 minutes just to get a quick fix. This is especially great for us as new parents, because if our daughter gets cranky, it’s no big deal to our pocketbooks to just leave and come back another day.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL VISIT TO THE MUSEUM?
We like to come for a structured activity like Babies at the Museum or Third Thursday, and then stay to explore the exhibitions on our own.
HOW HAS THE OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART IMPACTED YOU?
Babies at the Museum has provided engaging activities and socializing opportunities for our daughter, as well as a warm atmosphere for us to meet other like-minded parents. We’ve also enjoyed the tours we’ve taken, which have given us a much greater depth of appreciation for the works at OKCMOA.
DO YOU HAVE A STORY OR MEMORY TO SHARE ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART?
Rex: Elizabeth is from Richmond, Virginia, and we have noticed that many of the traveling exhibitions come from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. This has often made visiting OKCMOA feel like a glimpse of home.
ARE THERE PARTICULAR WORKS OF ART IN THE COLLECTION OR CURRENT/PAST EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE SPECIAL TO YOU? WHICH ONES, AND WHY?
We first brought our daughter to the Museum when she was 8 weeks old, and we walked straight into The New Art exhibition. At that age, her eyes were drawn to patterns, shapes, and light, which was exactly what the works in The New Art were all about! It was amazing to see her engage with the art in her own way. Her favorite, and ours, was Cool Staccato by Gene Davis. We snapped one of our most treasured pictures of Elizabeth and Vernette in front of this painting. We went back on the last day of the exhibit in November when she was 10 months old to say goodbye.
WHY DO YOU FEEL THE OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART IS IMPORTANT – TO YOU, YOUR FAMILY, OUR COMMUNITY?
The Museum is a place we can come to see beautiful things, and to appreciate the fruits of hard work, artistry, passion, and dedication. It feels like a respite from the busy world around us.
WHAT IS THE MUSEUM’S BEST-KEPT SECRET?
The theater. The Museum brings in films you can’t see anywhere else in Oklahoma City.
