TULSA, OK.- Works of art by two contemporary artists are the latest acquisitions announced by the Philbrook Museum of Art: Arturo Herrera’s Door (2009) and Leonardo Drew’s Number 148 (2010), both purchases made possible by Philbrook’s Contemporary Consortium Fund. Lauren Ross, the museum’s first, and recently hired, Nancy E. Meinig Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, states that “these acquisitions provide further evidence of Philbrook’s growing commitment to modern and contemporary art.”

Ross, who comes to Philbrook after a successful tenure as Curator & Director of Arts Programs at the High Line in New York City continues: “These works, acquired through the efforts of the Contemporary Consortium, underscore our efforts to make contemporary art a center of excellence within our collection.” Each work is uniquely substantial in size, scope and impact. Of Drew’s sculpture Ross says, “With its stacked layers above and its tangle of branches below, Number 148 simultaneously evokes the controlled order of construction and the uninhibited life force of nature.” Herrera’s style of work, known for its fusion of elements that refer to graphic traditions is on full display in Door. Ross describes the work as a “dynamic mix of these elements, seamlessly merged together; passages of painterly abstraction swirl with moments of recognizable, albeit fragmented, images.”

Both works will ultimately be shown in Philbrook’s forthcoming downtown satellite. Two transformational gifts—the Eugene B. Adkins Collection of Native American and Southwestern Art and the George R. Kravis II Industrial Design Collection have spurred the development of a new facility in Tulsa’s historic Brady Arts District. With approximately 30,000 square feet within the former Mathews Warehouse, the facility will house two distinct but interrelated initiatives. The first level will be dedicated to presenting modern and contemporary art and design. The second level will house the Adkins Collection & Study Center. “These works provide focused momentum to the Museum’s effort to collect with purpose in advance of our downtown presence,” said Philbrook Director Randall Suffolk. “They are outstanding additions to the collection and a harbinger of great things to come.”

Today, Philbrook¹s outstanding architecture and 23 acres of beautiful gardens make us unique. Philbrook is Oklahoma¹s only art museum with collections offering an overview of major art movements in Western Civilization as well as excellent examples of non-Western artistic expression, including those of Asia and Africa. In addition, the permanent collection boasts particular strength in Renaissance and Baroque painting, art of the Southwest, modern and contemporary industrial design, and one of the preeminent surveys of twentieth-century Native American art anywhere. The museum serves nearly 150,000 guests annually.