About the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Its Programs

An attorney and oil and gas executive, Duke Ligon works in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The manager and owner of Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC, Duke Ligon is a member of the board of directors of several organizations, including the Oklahoma City (OKC) Museum of Art.

Formally established in 1989, the OKC Museum of Art has roots going back to 1945, before the WPA Experimental Gallery and the Oklahoma Art Center were combined into a single institution. Visited by more than 125,000 people each year, the museum houses artwork from five centuries, with a special focus on American and European art from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, as well as the world’s most comprehensive collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures. Housed in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center, the OKC Museum of Art offers its members and the public at large a variety of workshops, lectures, and programs.

One example is museum classes, which are divided by age and skill level, such as the Making Memories program. Held for free on select Mondays when the OKC Museum of Art is closed to the public, Making Memories is open to people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease and the people who care for them. During the program, attendees receive a short tour of a selected gallery and then refreshments, followed by a guided art experience. Some other programs, like drop-in art classes and hands-on gallery learning, are free with the purchase of general admission.