Information
Landmark: Fred Jones Jr. Museum of ArtCity: Norman
Country: USA Oklahoma
Continent: North America
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Norman, USA Oklahoma, North America
Overview
On the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus, the Fred Jones Jr.Museum of Art stands as one of the nation’s top university art museums, its galleries bright with sunlight and color.Founded in 1936 by art professor Oscar Jacobson, the museum has expanded to hold more than 20,000 works, from ancient pottery to modern paintings, representing a rich mix of periods, styles, and cultures.The museum began with Oscar Jacobson’s vision-a place where students and visitors could stand inches from original works of art.In its early days, the collection grew with Asian art and pieces from local artists-a painted silk fan here, a carved wooden bowl there.In 1971, Fred and Mary Jones gave a gift in their son’s memory, making it possible to build the Fred Jones Jr.Memorial Art Center, where sunlight now spills across the front steps.The museum expanded again in 2005 and 2011, boosting its exhibition space to about 40,000 square feet-enough room for entire walls of bright canvases.Designed by Hugh Newell Jacobsen, the museum blends a chain of low, interlocking pavilions, each joined by bright glass corridors that catch the daylight.The design blends Vermont slate with Texas limestone and floods the rooms with natural light, letting each artwork glow as if under a soft morning sun.The layout guides visitors smoothly from one collection to the next, opening into airy galleries where sunlight spills across wide, inviting spaces.The museum’s permanent collection is broad and full of surprises, from the Weitzenhoffer Collection’s French Impressionist treasures-glimpses of Monet’s soft light, Renoir’s warm figures, and Van Gogh’s swirling skies.Eugene B. The Adkins Collection showcases Native American and Southwestern art, from vibrant paintings to hand-shaped pottery and silver jewelry that catches the light.James T. brushed past me, his jacket smelling faintly of rain.The Bialac Native American Art Collection holds thousands of pieces-paintings, delicate works on paper, carved kachinas, smooth ceramics, and intricate jewelry-each reflecting the richness of Native American cultures.The Fleischaker Collection holds more than 350 pieces of Native American and Southwestern art, from vivid Navajo weavings to paintings by Russian Taos masters Leon Gaspard and Nicolai Fechin.The McGhee Collection features Eastern Orthodox icons, some painted as far back as the 15th century, their gold leaf still faintly catching the light.Thams Collection features paintings created by members of the Taos Society of Artists, from sunlit desert scenes to quiet adobe streets.State Department Collection: art gathered to showcase America’s cultural diversity, from bold abstract paintings to delicate hand-carved sculptures.You’ll find us at 555 Elm Avenue in Norman, OK 73019, with doors open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 5 in the afternoon; we’re closed Mondays and on university holidays.Adults pay an admission fee, though on some days you can walk in free, no ticket needed.The facilities feature Cup of Jones, a cozy café and shop where you can grab a hot latte or pick up some merchandise, with payment handled entirely cash-free.The museum fills its calendar with rotating exhibitions, hands-on workshops, lively lectures, educational programs, and special events-one month you might find a photography show, the next a pottery class.These programs draw in students and the wider community alike, offering chances to learn, share cultures, and stand face-to-face with original works of art.Visitor tip: You can park in the nearby garage, where the meters click steadily as time runs down.Accessibility: The museum welcomes visitors with disabilities, offering ramps, wide doorways, and smooth paths throughout.You can book a guided tour at the information desk-just ask, and they’ll set it up for you.Photography rules change from one exhibition to the next, so ask a staff member before snapping a shot-especially near the glass cases.At the Fred Jones Jr.Museum of Art, you can wander past luminous canvases, admire the graceful curves of its architecture, and take part in programs that make art feel alive for everyone.
