Events
Faime Walking
- When December 2020 - May 2021
- Cost Free
- Location Sculpture Garden
- Age Requirements All ages
Faime Walking by Julian Opie is the first artwork to land in the Sculpture Garden. Installed adjacent to the walkway leading to the building’s main entrance, this larger-than-life LED monolith display reflects the movement of our visitors as they arrive and depart from the new arts center.
Ed Ruscha: OKLA
- When Feb. 18 - July 5, 2021
- Cost Free
- Location Main Building | Eleanor Kirkpatrick Main Gallery
- Age Requirements All ages
Ed Ruscha: OKLA is the first exhibition to focus on the artist’s Oklahoma roots — his family, his upbringing and his discovery of his calling as an artist. It is also, remarkably, his first solo museum exhibition in his home state.
Shop Contemporary
- When Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays
- Location Lobby
- Age Requirements All ages
Shop Contemporary, our retail space, is dedicated to art-forward items unique to Oklahoma Contemporary. It's your source for thoughtfully crafted gifts that inspire through art, home goods, stimulating products for kids, fun branded items and all points in between.
Café Contemporary
- When 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays
- Location Lobby
- Age Requirements All ages
Café Contemporary -- featuring a gourmet menu of contemporary comfort food -- is now open for takeout, curbside pickup and limited on-site seating. Visit us in person or call 405-768-2845 to place your order.
We Believed in the Sun
- When May 6 - Aug. 9, 2021
- Cost Free
- Location Main Building | Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery
- Age Requirements All Ages
Honoring the significant legacies of the Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma City, We Believed in the Sun pairs Ron Tarver, a nationally recognized artist born in Oklahoma, with Ebony Iman Dallas, an emerging Oklahoma artist.
Guided Tours | 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
- When 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
- Cost Free (tickets required)
- Location Main Building | Herman and LaDonna Meinders Main Lobby
- Instructor / Presenter Gallery Guides
- Age Requirements All ages
Join us for a free guided tour on weekends! Guided tours for individual visitors and groups of up to six people will meet in the lobby of our new location at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Guided Tours | 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
- When 3-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
- Cost Free (tickets required)
- Location Main Building | Eleanor Kirkpatrick Main Gallery
- Instructor / Presenter Gallery Guides
- Age Requirements All ages
Join us for a free guided tour on weekends! Guided tours for individual visitors and groups of up to six people will meet in the lobby of our new location at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
As One by Painted Sky Opera | Saturday Performance
- When bar opens at 6 p.m. | pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m. | performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15, 2021
- Cost $38
- Location Main Building | Te Ata Theater
- Instructor / Presenter Painted Sky Opera
- Age Requirements All ages
As One tells the coming-of-age story of a transgender woman whose journey is depicted with humor and empathy by two singers — Hannah before and Hannah after. This powerful work comes to Oklahoma City in a new production after dozens of performances across the United States over the last five years.
As One by Painted Sky Opera | Sunday Performance
- When bar opens at 12:30 p.m. | pre-show talk at 1 p.m. | performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 16, 2021
- Cost $38
- Location Main Building | Te Ata Theater
- Instructor / Presenter Painted Sky Opera
- Age Requirements All ages
As One tells the coming-of-age story of a transgender woman whose journey is depicted with humor and empathy by two singers — Hannah before and Hannah after. This powerful work comes to Oklahoma City in a new production after dozens of performances across the United States over the last five years.
Four-Week Class | Natural Fiber Dyeing
- When 6-8 p.m. Mondays, May 17 - June 21, 2021 (no class on May 31)
- Cost $105
- Location Studios Building | Flex Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Rachel Denbow
- Age Requirements 18+
Whether you’re interested in dyeing your own yarn for knitting and weaving or just love the science of extracting color from wildflowers, this course is for you! Students will learn to tend a dye pot, prep fibers, keep a dye journal and explore color shifts using pH levels and modifiers.
Online Four-Week Class | Oklahoma Native Art History
- When 6-8 p.m. Mondays, May 17 - June 14, 2021 (no class on May 31)
- Cost $65
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter America Meredith
- Age Requirements 18+
Beginning with the oldest-known painted object in North America, the Cooper Bison skull, this class will explore the rich and complex history of Oklahoma Native American art.
Online Four-Week Class | Black History in Black Horror Films
- When 7-9 p.m. Mondays, May 17 - June 14, 2021 (no class May 31)
- Cost $65
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter Autumn Brown
- Age Requirements 18+
Black horror films and TV - such as Us, Get Out and Lovecraft Country -- have a lot of powerful, distinct intersections with Black history. This course will unpack the Black experience in the United States using various mediums within the horror genre. Registration closes Sunday, May 9 at 11:59 p.m.
Online 10-Week Class | Creative Foundations for Veterans
- When 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, April 17 - June 19, 2021
- Cost Free
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter Jenny Elton
- Age Requirements 18+
In this online course for military veterans, participants will explore the fundamentals of looking at, discussing and creating works of art. Course projects include ceramics, fiber arts and drawing and painting, plus a digital gallery visit to Ed Ruscha: OKLA.
Online Four-Week Class | Not Even Past: Making History Come Alive
- When 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays, May 19 - June 9, 2021
- Cost $65
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter Dr. Russell Cobb
- Age Requirements 18+
Writing about the past can be daunting. The path to a good work of history is full of road bumps and blockades. Dr. Russell Cobb, will teach you how to navigate archives, distinguish fact from fiction and organize all your breadcrumbs into a cohesive story.
Artist Talk | Ron Tarver and Ebony Iman Dallas
- When 7-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20
- Cost free
- Location online
- Instructor / Presenter Ron Tarver and Ebony Iman Dallas moderated by Pablo Barrera
- Age Requirements all ages
Artists Ron Tarver and Ebony Iman Dallas explore community legacies in We Believed in the Sun, on view in our Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery May 6 - Aug. 9, 2021.
Outdoor Friday Night Workshop | Clay Snack Set
- When 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 21, 2021
- Cost $65 (all supplies included)
- Location Studios Building | Leigh Ann and Paul Albers Outdoor Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Liv Egan
- Age Requirements 21+
Are you curious about clay? Join us for a low-key workshop addressing basic hand building techniques to create a one-of-a-kind cup and plate. Students will pick up their glazed and fired work a few weeks after the workshop. This course will take place outdoors.
Four-Week Class | Hand Lettering Basics
- When 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, May 22 - June 12, 2021
- Cost $105
- Location Studios Building | Flex Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Aditi Panchal
- Age Requirements 18+
Explore the basics of typography and the art of hand lettering! We will study different techniques, letterforms and applications, plus reference works found in the Ed Ruscha: OKLA exhibition. This is a four-week and in-person course.
Four-Week Class | Expressive Drawing
- When 4-6 p.m. Saturdays, May 22 - June 12, 2021
- Cost $105
- Location Studios Building | Flex Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Andrea Duran-Cason
- Age Requirements 18+
In this four-week course, students will explore mark-making techniques to broaden their drawing skills outside of the box. Working in Oklahoma Contemporary’s outdoor studio, you'll take inspiration from your surroundings and senses to create expressive drawings in a variety of drawing media.
Teen Night
- When 6-9 p.m. Saturday, May 22, 2021
- Cost free tickets required
- Location Main Building
- Instructor / Presenter Oklahoma Contemporary Teen Arts Council
- Age Requirements high school students
Teen Night is a free event created by teens, for teens! Join us for an evening outdoors around our campus to hang out with other high school students, listen to music, enjoy food, make art and check out a performance.
Online Four-Week Class | Progressive Rock
- When 6-8 p.m. Sundays, May 23 - June 13, 2021
- Cost $65
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter Jacob Frost
- Age Requirements 18+
Prog rock: it’s more than capes, costumes and 20-minute guitar solos (as awesome as those things may be)! In this course, we'll go beneath the surface of progressive rock’s larger-than-life image to explore the ideas the music has to offer.
Crystal Z. Campbell: Flight
- When May 27 - Aug. 31, 2021
- Cost Free
- Location Main Building | Artist-in-Residence Studio and Gallery
- Age Requirements All ages
Using light, sound and digital film projection, Flight explores the physical, architectural and cultural residue of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre into the present.
Camp | Experimental Painting - WK1
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, June 1-4, 2021
- Cost $180
- Location Main Building | Howard Family Charitable Foundation Studio Three
- Instructor / Presenter Katelynn Noel Knick
- Age Requirements ages 7-9
Explore new and exciting ways to paint! Create tools, methods and processes that break the rules of traditional painting. Experiment with fabrics, wax and other interesting materials to create unique works of art that will amaze family and friends.
Camp | Lights, Neon, Abstraction! - WK1
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, June 1-4, 2021
- Cost $180
- Location The Studios Building | Flex Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Virginia Sitzes
- Age Requirements ages 7-9
Florescent colors, organic shapes and experimentation will be the focus of this camp! Inspired by the instructors’ own art work and processes, you’ll experience a new printmaking technique each day —enhanced with neon lights. You’ll go home with vibrant art pieces sure to brighten up any space.
Camp | Masking-Tape Mural - WK1
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, June 1-4, 2021
- Cost $180
- Location Main Building | In Honor of Bryan and Kendall Hall Studio Two
- Instructor / Presenter Jessica Petrus
- Age Requirements ages 10-12
Take the art of line to the next level in this collaborative camp. Taking inspiration from artists Peter Kogler and Gianni Sarcone, explore how to turn small ideas into massive projects by designing and installing a giant mural that will be created and displayed in the Education Wing Gallery.
Camp | Color Explosion - WK1
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, June 1-4, 2021
- Cost $180
- Location Main Building | Clements Family Studio One
- Instructor / Presenter Jenny Elton
- Age Requirements ages 5-6
Inspired by Oklahoma-born contemporary artist Yatika Fields, create playful and colorful 2-D and 3-D pieces using paint, mixed media and more. You’ll take home finished pieces that are full of energy and that scream color explosion!
Performance | Dead Languages by Jonathan Wei
- When 7-8 p.m. Thursday, June 3
- Cost Free tickets required. Reservations available May 20.
- Location Main Building | Arnall Family Terrace
- Instructor / Presenter Jonathan Wei
- Age Requirements free
Writer, performer and director Jonathan Wei joins us for a reading of Dead Languages, a powerful telling of his own coming-of-age story.
Online Workshop | Composition Crash Course
- When 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 5, 2021
- Cost $45
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter Chris Brizzard
- Age Requirements 16+
Learn to simplify drawing compositions using notans, a Japanese term meaning “light and dark.” You'll practice reducing images to two and three values in order to create strong compositional ideas to apply to larger works, as well as using standard types of rectangles to compose images.
Workshop | Aqueous Paint Making
- When 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 6, 2021
- Cost $65
- Location Studios Building | Flex Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Karis Jones
- Age Requirements 18+
Learn how to make your own water-based paints, including acrylic, watercolor, gouache and egg tempera. This workshop will address classic and underrepresented ways of paint-making that can be cost effective and produce highly pigmented, quality paints.
Camp | Art + Text Expression - WK2
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, June 7-11, 2021
- Cost $225
- Location Main Building | In Honor of Bryan and Kendall Hall Studio Two
- Instructor / Presenter Eric Lyons
- Age Requirements ages 7-9
Inspired by the current exhibition, Ed Ruscha: OKLA, use text as a tool to create mixed-media pieces that emphasize the power of words. You’ll also have the opportunity to read contemporary poetry and create your play-on-words sayings.
Camp | Playing with Paint! - WK2
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, June 7-11, 2021
- Cost $225
- Location Main Building | Clements Family Studio One
- Instructor / Presenter Natalie Biggs
- Age Requirements ages 5-6
Get ready to PLAY! Learn about color mixing, patterns and interesting shapes while looking at works by contemporary artists like Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami and Shelia Hicks. Create 2-D and 3-D artworks full of life, vibrancy and color — all while in a playful environment!
Camp | Skateboard Design and Creation - WK2
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, June 7-11, 2021
- Cost $225
- Location The Studios Building | Flex Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Gabriel Friedman
- Age Requirements ages 10-12
This camp will focus on the creative side of skateboarding culture. Design your own custom skateboard shape, sketch and paint a unique graphic design, create skating zines, then learn how it all comes together by assembling and adding hardware and wheels.
Camp | Art All Around - WK2
- When 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, June 7-11, 2021
- Cost $225
- Location Main Building | Howard Family Charitable Foundation Studio Three
- Instructor / Presenter Leslie Hensley
- Age Requirements ages 5-6
Taking inspiration from Oklahoma City’s Factory Obscura, create a fantastic, immersive world full of original creatures and interactive artworks. Work together to build large-scale installations out of everyday items that will astonish family and friends.
Digital Camp | Cartoon Frenzy powered by Google - WK2
- When 10-11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday, June 7-11, 2021
- Cost $90 (art kit shipping $20)
- Location online
- Instructor / Presenter Danny Gordon
- Age Requirements ages 7-9
During this week of digital instruction, you’ll draw yourself, pets and family as fun and silly CARTOONS! You will learn and practice the four-step process used by illustration professionals. To celebrate your new skills, your original cartoon design will be printed on a souvenir keepsake.
Outdoor Friday Night Workshop | Splatterpaint
- When 7-9 p.m. Friday, June 11, 2021
- Cost $35 (all supplies included)
- Location Studios Building | Leigh Ann and Paul Albers Outdoor Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Jenny Elton
- Age Requirements 21+
Get messy, explore basic principles of watercolor and leave with some completed creations of your own. This course will take place in a well-ventilated area with masks required and social distancing enforced.
Second Saturday | Nature Craze
- When 12-3 p.m. Saturday, June 12, 2021
- Cost Free tickets required
- Location North Lawn
- Age Requirements all ages
Look at what’s growing in Oklahoma Contemporary’s new Art Garden! Join us for an afternoon of activities designed with nature in mind. Create sun prints, learn natural paper dip dyeing and watch demoing artists dye fabrics with materials such as beets, flowers and Oklahoma’s famous red dirt.
Online Workshop | Ribbon Skirt Making
- When 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, June 13, 2021
- Cost $55
- Location Online
- Instructor / Presenter Monica Raphael
- Age Requirements 16+
Explore the art and history of the Indigenous ribbon skirt as it relates to the Anishinaabek. Today ribbon skirts have become a significant item in the Indigenous fashion world. Basic sewing skills are recommended, and students must furnish their own sewing machine and materials for the workshop.
Workshop | Coffee + Paint
- When 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 13, 2021
- Cost $45
- Location Studios Building | Leigh Ann and Paul Albers Outdoor Studio
- Instructor / Presenter Talitha Clemons and Jenny Elton
- Age Requirements 16+
Love coffee? Join us for an educational (and delicious) cupping with Talitha Clemons of Bright Vibe Coffee and a coffee painting lesson with artist Jenny Elton. You’ll leave this casual workshop with new knowledge and appreciation for coffee, watercolor skills and a completed coffee painting.
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