Flight Lines: The Art of Natural History at OU
July 15 – November 26, 2023
This exhibit featuring the scientific illustration of birds as depicted by students and professionals was created in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma School of Visual Arts. Flight Lines: The Art of Natural History at OU pairs work by students with that of renowned bird artists George Miksch Sutton, Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Francis Lee Jaques.
Visitors had the opportunity to view drawings, paintings and animations that capture the beauty of birds and flight. Students in OU’s School of Visual Arts (SoVA) created much of the artwork on display during their courses, “Drawing the Natural World” and “Computer Animation,” which were included as part of an exciting new scientific visualization track within SoVA that teaches students the art of translating scientific knowledge into visual representations.
The exhibit also showcased pieces by three of the most respected scientific illustrators of the 20th Century, most notably George Miksch Sutton, former OU Professor and Curator of Ornithology at the Sam Noble Museum. Works from the artists ranged from preliminary sketches to polished watercolors, including many pieces that were on display for the first time.
Guatemalan Textiles: Heart of the Maya World
September 14 – December 6, 2021
This exhibit, on display in the second-floor Higginbotham gallery, presented a spectacular selection of traditional clothing (traje, atz’yeqb’al) from the varied regions of Guatemala. In addition to the embroidered and brocaded traditional blouse (huipil) and skirt ensemble, textiles such as waist sashes, shawls and headwraps were also on display. These textiles are handwoven using different types of artisanal looms. The exhibit was trilingual in English, Spanish and K’iche’, a native language of Guatemala.
All of the outfits selected to be on display are a part of the Sam Noble Museum’s ethnology collection. Many of the outfits were originally donated from Texas A&M University and John C. Pitzer. This exhibition was produced in partnership with the Office of the Guatemalan Consulate General in Oklahoma City.
