Oklahomans whose artistic passion embraces great works of art from the Roman Empire will not have to travel to Paris to see some of the world’s finest treasures.
Through an agreement with the American Federation of Arts and the Musee du Louvre, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art will be one of three U.S. venues in 2008 to offer the special exhibit “Roman Art from the Louvre.”

“Hosting a monumental exhibit drawn from the collection of one of the world’s pre-eminent art museums is an unprecedented opportunity,” Mayor Mick Cornett said at Wednesday’s announcement.

“Not only does it carry out the (Oklahoma City) museum’s goal of bringing great works of art to our city, which our citizens may otherwise not see, but it also showcases Oklahoma City as a destination of world-class stature.”

Drawn from the Louvre’s vast Roman art collection, this traveling exhibit will include figural sculptures, sarcophagi, marble busts, terra cotta statuettes, jewelry, silver pieces from Pompeii, mosaics and frescoes.

“The Louvre, thanks to Napoleon’s megalomaniac interest in the glories of Ancient Rome, has one of the finest collections of Roman Art outside of Italy,” said Hardy George, chief curator at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. “The (works) will be scrupulously arranged in a thematic manner that will certainly be visually and aesthetically pleasing as well as historically informative.”

“Roman Art from The Louvre” will be on view for 14 weeks beginning June 26, 2008. The collection will be displayed in the museum’s ground floor exhibition gallery, as well as the eight second-floor galleries.

Representatives from the Louvre will travel to Oklahoma City in late May to meet with museum staff in preparation for the exhibit. “Roman Art from the Louvre” also will travel to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Seattle Art Museum.

For more information, call 236-3100.

Wow, that's pretty impressive. I'll have to make a point to go see this exhibit.

That will be incredible.. I will definitely go see that exhibit.

Kudos to the OKCMOA!

If things keep going as well as they are now, they might have to buy out BoA and expand the museum across Kerr!

VERY cool!

OCMA just amazes me. One blockbuster exhibition after another. It follows what promises to be an awesome collection of Egyptian treasures from the British Museum later this year. From the George Washington to the Mexican Masters to these two...guys, to have such caliber exhibitions is rare. Appreciate them while we can. The Louvre and the British Museum in Oklahoma City...just amazing.

OCMA just makes me so proud. We're getting to experience things not everybody in America can. Even this and last week, OCMA's Noble Theater has been hosting the Global Film Initiative series, in which only 20 art museums, film centers or festivals in the country can host. These include the MoMA in NYC and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Just amazing!

Absolutely!! I caught this article in the daily disappointment today. For once an article that didn't disappoint me. The caliber of this exhibit landing in Oklahoma City is phenomenal. Especially being one of only 3 US host sites. Hopefully we will draw a lot of out of state tourists to this one.

Excellent!

What OKCMOA may not have as far as resident art goes, it more than makes up for it with the travelling exhibits it gets. There's always new world class stuff to see every few months. I'm definately upgrading my membership when it's time for renewal. This is great.

Take that, Tulsa! ;)

what are the 2 other cities?

Seattle and Indianapolis

Seattle and Indianapolis


saw that after i read the rest of the article.:doh:

I'm not really into Roman art (I prefer Impressionism and Modern) but this is good for OKC.