The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a non-profit organization in downtown Orlando, Fla. This art gallery participates in the North American Reciprocal Museums program and has received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
A group of art lovers created the museum in 1924. The museum’s goal is to foster people’s intellectual curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm by exposing them to new works of art. The director and CEO at the moment are Aaron De Groft, who was appointed on February 10, 2021.
The Orlando Museum of Art is open daily except for Mondays and holidays. Regular entry is $15 for adults and $5 for kids. Discounts are offered for large parties, students, older people, and veterans.
The museum is located approximately ten minutes drive north of downtown Orlando. On-site parking is free, and adjacent bus stops serve the downtown area.
The Orlando Science Center is also situated in Loch Haven Park. Both locations are accessible with a Loch Haven Cultural Pass.
Attractions and Activities
OMA offers a revolving schedule of temporary exhibits created by the institution, along with touring performances, permanent collection displays, and activities for lifelong learning. The museum takes pleasure in possessing a variety of almost 2400 works of art, both modern and old.
The museum sometimes bustles with events, including workshops, seminars, and class sessions. People of different ages, including children, adults, and families, participate in these activities. Kids will like the wide variety of artwork that spans various styles of American and foreign artists, as well as the several eye-catching displays.
The museum provides both private and public visits. It offers workshops, lessons in art appreciation, talks, seminars, movies, and guided tours for adults and children all year long. The temporary displays in the museum are open to both locals and guests. These are frequently linked with off-site instructional courses and continue for roughly a month.
The collection of art from the Ancient Americas provides an interesting look into the past. Classic American paintings from the 18th century are part of the permanent collections, together with modern pop art and a vibrant selection of African fabrics, masks, and beading. View exquisite pre-colonial Aztec masks, magnificent Mayan sculptures, and gold, silver, and jade items. Click here
At the museum’s spring and summer art camps, kids may become more interested in and active in the arts. All ages may participate in various activities, such as painting landscapes, creating puppets, ceramics, cartoon sketching, and interior design.
History
The Orlando Museum of Art’s history is one of expansion directed by civic leadership in Orlando, Fla. OMA was founded in 1924 to showcase art that enhances people’s lives. Then, it was established as the Orlando Art Association. In 1960, it was renamed the Loch Haven Art Center, and then in 1986, it was renamed the Orlando Museum of Art.
Early in the 1920s, a small group of artists convened informally to discuss and exhibit their work in the organization’s first location. A new facility designed by James Gamble Rogers III was built by the community in the late 1950s and finished in 1960.
OMA kept on growing. When significant American paintings were donated to OMA in 1960, the organization started to amass works of art. The museum had three studio classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, additional galleries, a library, a vault, and offices by 1969.
A sizable collection of Ancient American Art, numerous pieces of African art, and the foundation of OMA’s renowned Contemporary American Graphics Collection were donated to the museum in the 1970s. The State of Florida identified OMA as a “major cultural institution” in 1985.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation looked into pieces of art allegedly created by Jean-Michel Basquiat at a museum show in 2022. The FBI removed the exhibition, including 25 Basquiat paintings, on June 24, 2022. On June 30, the exhibition was scheduled to end.
Exhibitions
Look up the website’s list of forthcoming temporary exhibits before visiting the museum. The gallery often features established and emerging American artists from various fields. The following are examples of previous and current exhibitions:
- Everyday People: Works by James Ransome
- Cathedrals of Florida: Masterworks by Clyde Butcher
- Louis Dewis: An Artist’s Life in France
- Radical: Abstract Works from the Orlando Museum of Art Collection
- Jimm Roberts: Southernmost Art and Literary Portraits
- Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2022
The museum’s specialized “Art Getaway” itineraries might help you advance your educational experience. To experience Orlando’s cultural landscape, museum personnel will arrange excursions to nearby theaters, festivals, art schools, and historic sites. Check out this beautiful park next.