"KEHINDE WILEY:
A NEW REPUBLIC"
AT OKCMOA 
THROUGH SEPT. 10

Almost 470,000 visitors nationwide have seen blockbuster exhibition 

Tickets are on sale for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art's summer blockbuster, "Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic." The exhibition opens June 17, and Oklahoma City is the last stop on the national tour. "A New Republic" presents over 50 paintings and sculptures spanning the celebrated artist's 14-year career. Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, "A New Republic" has travelled to Texas, Washington, Virginia, Arizona and Ohio.

Courtesy of OCKMOA

                                                                

"I hope visitors to this exhibition will enjoy not only the beauty, color and scale of Mr. Wiley's work but also the discussions that these artworks provoke," said Eugenie Tsai, curator of "A New Republic" and the John and Barbara Vogelstein Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum. "This is an exhibition that needs to be experienced in person and preferably with friends or family members. The artwork opens up a dialogue with the viewer and I think summer visitors to OKCMOA will enjoy the many conversations that arise from this exhibition."

                                                                     

Photo (c) Tony Powell

"Kehinde Wiley bridges the gap between contemporary and historical art," added Michael Anderson, Ph.D., OKCMOA director of curatorial affairs. "His paintings and sculptures reference historical artworks while including modern dress, bright colors and 21st-century subjects. By replacing historical subjects with contemporary African-American men and women, Wiley encourages us to think deeper about representation, gender roles and power in the context of art history. We are honored to host his work here in Oklahoma City."

Beginning June 17, visitors can enjoy "A New Republic" on the Museum's first and third floors. "A New Republic" will begin in the first floor galleries with Wiley's earliest work, created around 2001 during his residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem. It was around this time that Wiley began his process of "street casting," pulling subjects off the street to pose for photos that he later referenced in his works.

                                                                   

Courtesy of OKCMOA

The exhibition continues with Wiley's experimentation in referencing specific paintings by renowned masters such as Titian, Van Dyke, Ingres and Manet. Works such as "Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps," "Portrait of a Venetian Ambassador, Aged 59, II," "Colonel Platoff on his Charger" and "Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II (Michael Jackson)" directly reference paintings of a similar name.

The exhibition resumes in the Museum's third floor galleries with Wiley's "World Stage" series. Beginning in 2006, Wiley opened a satellite studio in Beijing and began street casting international subjects. The "World Stage" series includes subjects from Brazil, China, Israel, France, Haiti, Jamaica, Lagos and Dakar and Sri Lanka.

The final sections of the exhibition include "An Economy of Grace," which features the only female portraiture in the exhibition, as well as Wiley's recent stained glass work.

Adult tickets to the exhibition are $12 and include admission to the Museum, including OKCMOA's permanent collection. Discounted tickets are available for seniors, students, groups and children. Members of the Museum, children under 5 and active military members and their families receive free admission to the exhibition.

"Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic" is organized by the Brooklyn Museum and made possible by the Henry Luce Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Programming and Events EXHIBITION LECTURE Wednesday, July 26, 6 p.m. "Reframing Beauty: Intimate Visions," Deborah Willis, Ph.D. Free for members; $5 for non-members. Visit okcmoa.com for details. ONE WORK, MANY VOICES Join an in-depth conversation inspired by a single work of art in the exhibition. Museum facilitators and community guests will kick off the dialogue. A new work of art will be discussed at each program. Thursday, June 29, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 20, 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m. Pre-registration is required. $5 for non-members, free for members. Reserve tickets at okcmoa.com. PUBLIC EXHIBITION TOURS These in-gallery guided tours will provide conversation-based insights and information about the exhibition. Pre-registration is recommended. Free for members, price varies for non-members. For details and to register, visit okcmoa.com. Thursday, June 22, 6 p.m. Sunday, July 2, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 27, 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13, 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, 2 p.m. GROUP EXHIBITION TOURS Reservations are required. Group rate and tour guides are available. Call (405) 278-8213 for more information. GALLERY + STUDIO TOURS Guided tour inside the exhibition followed by a related art-making experience. All ages. Pre-registration is required, as programs are booked on an individual basis. Call (405) 278-8213 for more information. MAKING MEMORIES Select Mondays, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Designed for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or dementia and their caregivers or loved ones. Free; registration is required. Call (405) 278-8221 for more information or to sign up. FAMILY WORKSHOPS "People and Patterns," Saturday, July 1, 10 a.m.-Noon (6-10 years + adult) "Fascinating Faces," Saturday, Aug. 26, 10-11 a.m. (15- 36 months + adult) "See It, Stamp It," Saturday, Aug. 26, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (3-5 years + adult) "People and Patterns," Saturday, Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-Noon (6-10 years + adult) Pre-registration is required. Details at okcmoa.com/learn. ADULT CLASSES "Spontaneous Abstract Creations in Stained Glass with Artist Shawn Patterson," Saturday, June 24, Noon-4 p.m., Medium: Stained Glass, Locations: OKCMOA and Prairie Arts Collective in the Paseo Arts District "Hidden Figures" with Artist Mandy Messina, Sundays, July 9 and 16, 1-4 p.m., Medium: Embroidery/Textiles "Iconoclasm" with Artist Mandy Messina, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2-4 p.m., Medium: Faux Stained Glass Pre-registration is required. Details at okcmoa.com/learn. BABIES AT THE MUSEUM "Head to Toe," Sept. 1, 9:30-11 a.m. Offered on the first Friday of each month, Babies at the Museum begins with complimentary coffee and social time in the Museum's classroom. After visitors settle in, the group will head to "Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic" for a fun-filled 30 minutes looking for heads, shoulders, knees and toes. The morning wraps up with playtime in the classroom where babies can enjoy age-appropriate activities and adults can sip coffee and plan their next Museum visit. Free for members; $5 for non-members. Pre-registration is required. Details at okcmoa.com/learn. DROP-IN ART (All ages) "Luxurious Patterns," Saturday, June 17, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. (Exhibition Opening Day) "Scratch Art Stained Glass Windows," Saturday, July 1, 1- 4 p.m. "Floral Collages," Saturday, July 8, 1-4 p.m. "Fashionable Footwear," Saturday, July 15, 1-4 p.m. "Watercolor Block Prints," Saturday, July 22, 1-4 p.m. "Fabric Stamping," Saturday, July 29, 1-4 p.m. Free with admission. Visit okcmoa.com for details. METRO LIBRARY/OKCMOA PARTNER PROGRAM Art making and conversation inspired by "Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic." Offered for families and teens at local Metropolitan Library branches. Free. Visit metrolibrary.org for dates and details. Courtesy of OKC Museum of Art