Philbrook Museum of Art

The Philbrook Museum of Art, located in Tulsa Oklahoma, is an art museum that has extensive formal gardens. The museum opened in 1939 and is housed in the former Villa Philbrook, a 1920s villa that was home to Waite Phillips, an Oklahoma oil pioneer, and his wife Genevieve. The cornerstone collection features nine collections of art representing different artistic media and styles. It focuses on Native American art, including basketry, pottery and paintings, as well as jewelry. Eugene Kingman was its first director. The Philbrook Art Museum opened its doors to the public in October 1939. It had a permanent collection of art from Villa Philbrook and the Tulsa Art Association. Studio art classes were established in 1940. The following year, a program was created for schoolchildren that included a tour. This led to the creation of a Children’s Museum. In 1969, a new museum wing was constructed in response to increased demand for studio arts classes. However, the use of this space has changed over time. After a difficult financial period in the 1980s, the museum experienced a renaissance during the 1990s. The Philbrook Art Center was renamed to The Philbrook Museum of Art when it was first accredited in 1987. [2] Philbrook was reaccredited in 2009 by the American Alliance of Museums after a two year process. It is now one of 286 museums and 775 museums nationwide, out of an estimated 17,500 museums across the United States.