The rich abundance of arts and cultural offerings throughout Oklahoma includes everything from Tulsa’s knockout architecture and Oklahoma City’s take on the West to a duo of museums offering very different experiences in Norman and Shawnee.
The top attractions throughout the Sooner State, where groups will learn about its history, art, music and more, all double as off-site venues with wonderful built-in decor for group events.
Art Deco Architecture, Tulsa
www.tulsaarchitecture.com
Artistry in Tulsa lines its streets, as the city boasts roughly 60 preserved Art Deco landmarks.
“In addition to the architectural beauty of the Deco buildings, there are terrific stories behind many of them, which enhances their value as Tulsa treasures,” says Matt Stockman, spokesman for the Tulsa CVB. “Guides will all have information to enhance the tour experience.”
Visiting groups have several options available if they’d like to take to the streets via a tour to explore Tulsa’s Art Deco gems.
Bandana Tours offers “custom to order” tours that could include a scavenger hunt; Tulsa Foundation for Architecture offers a tour one Saturday per month; Karen’s Tours works with groups; and the Tulsa Historical Society offers a self-guided tour.
Standouts along the way are the Philtower, Philcade, Warehouse Market and Pythian buildings, as well as Boston Avenue United Methodist Church and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, which Stockman points out as the most accessible of the Art Deco buildings for group events.
Spaces here include the Great Performance Hall, gallery space, a conference room and a VIP suite.PageBreak
Greenwood Cultural Center, Tulsa
www.greenwoodculturalcenter.com
The Greenwood Cultural Center is situated in Tulsa’s 35-block Greenwood District, which was dubbed by Booker T. Washington as America’s “Black Wall Street” when it was a prosperous place for African-American commerce in the early 1900s, and was also once a music hot spot where Count Basie first encountered big-band jazz.
“Greenwood Cultural Center is the perfect place to hold meetings, conferences, banquets or other special events,” says Frances Jordan-Rakestraw, executive director of the center.
The entire hall, which stands as a pillar in the community, is available for rental, as are its various spaces, including the Opal L. Dargan Renaissance Hall, which accommodates both theater-style and banquet-style settings.
On-site catering is available and attendees enjoy browsing the on-site gift shop.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City
www.okcmoa.com
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is home to permanent collections covering a period of five centuries with highlights in European and American art from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as one of the most comprehensive collections of Chihuly glass in the world.
According to Ralph Cornelius, spokesman for the museum, it also boasts the region’s premiere repertory cinema, which screens international, independent and classic films, and is home to the Museum School, which offers a variety of classes for students of all ages.
Amenities include docent-guided and self-guided tours, a museum store and cafe, a full-service restaurant offering lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, afternoon tea, a full bar and catering services, and several event spaces for group gatherings.
Among them are the roof terrace, with great views of the Oklahoma City skyline, where anything from corporate dinners to cocktail parties are held; the museum lobby, another spot well-suited for cocktail receptions; a private dining room; a theater; and a boardroom.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City
www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
One visit to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and guests will see why it is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture, says Catherine Page-Creppon, director of museum events.
“Groups can learn about our Western Heritage and the significance of the cowboy, view the best in Western art, both contemporary and historic, and visit a replica of an Old West town,” she says, adding that there is an ever-evolving calendar of hands-on classes and events that group attendees can participate in.
The on-site 16,500-square-foot, audiovisual-ready Sam Noble Special Events Center is a terrific option for group soirees, including banquets, receptions and more, she adds.
The decor here is memorable, including five 18-foot by 46-foot triptychs depicting Western landscapes by artist Wilson Hurley.
Among the paintings, dubbed Windows to the West, are a view of the Grand Canyon from an unusual lower level looking upward and a view of the lower falls of the Yellowstone River.PageBreak
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman
www.snomnh.ou.edu
“Whether it’s viewing Black Mesa, Oklahoma’s highest and driest point, or capturing a picture of the fierce Saurophaganax locked in battle with the mighty Apatosaurus, the Sam Noble Museum is the perfect place to spend a day exploring Oklahoma’s incredible wonders,” says Jen Tregarthen, the attraction’s spokeswoman.
The Orientation Gallery, where visitors can experience how field work is conducted and why preservation is so important, is a good place to start a visit before encountering Oklahoma’s wide range of eco regions, including a limestone cave, mixed grass prairie and Ozark forests in the Hall of Natural Wonders.
“The museum offers unique, guided tours catered to the group’s needs,” Tregarthen says. “The beautiful, contemporary architecture of the Sam Noble Museum lends itself to events on a grand scale or in an intimate setting.”
Spaces for group gatherings include a Great Hall, ideal for receptions, banquets and conferences; the W. R. Howell Pleistocene Plaza, which is well-suited for smaller banquets, dancing or cocktail receptions; and the Robert S. Kerr Auditorium, which features state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment for general sessions, award ceremonies, product launches and other events.
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Shawnee
www.mgmoa.org
Situated on the campus of St. Gregory’s University, the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art is one of the oldest museums in Oklahoma.
According to Dane F. Pollei, director and chief curator of the museum, experts have called its ancient Egyptian collection the finest of any located between Chicago and L.A.
The museum also has the only medieval art in Oklahoma, as well as fine examples of American, European and Native American art.
“Groups will see an encyclopedic collection,” Pollei says, adding that tours and hands-on activities, including art workshops, can be arranged for visiting groups.
The entire museum can be rented for corporate events, and there are also dedicated spaces for private group gatherings, including a multipurpose area and the Antun Gallery.
