A Contemporary Spin

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Major gift from Kravis II collection puts OSU Museum of Art on the modern art map

The Oklahoma State University Museum of Art is a new repository of modern and contemporary art after receiving more than 600 works of fine art and design from the George R. Kravis II collection.

The collection ranges from video art to pop art, and 1930s to 21st-century design with an international representation of artists. It includes works from Roy Lichtenstein, Brian Bress, Henry Moore, Charles and Ray Eames, Philippe Starck and Oklahoman Otto Duecker.

The OSU Museum of Art exhibition Oklahoma and Beyond, held in 2017, featured a selection from the Kravis fine art and design collection. His estate selected the OSU Museum of Art to receive a majority of his fine arts collection, as well as some design objects.

“This gift is a game-changer for OSU,” said Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis. “Thanks to the generosity of George Kravis, we are now home to fine art and design objects more commonly found in prominent, metropolitan museums. It is an honor to be selected from among several institutions considered for this unique and diverse collection.”

Selections from the Kravis collection are on view in the OSU Museum of Art lobby. In January, the museum will debut the George R. Kravis II Gallery that will display an ongoing series of exhibitions featuring the collection.

“The Kravis collection will greatly enrich the museum’s exhibitions and programs in modern and contemporary art,” said Arlette Klaric, OSU Museum of Art associate chief curator and curator of collections. “This extraordinary gift will support his aspirations of advancing public art education, and help continue his remarkable legacy.”

Kravis, a lifetime resident of Tulsa, supported many local initiatives through the Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation. Kravis contributed to several Oklahoma cultural institutions and was honored with the Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award in 2010 as a leader and significant contributor to the arts.