Encountering a piece of art is a thoroughly individualized experience; what speaks profoundly to one person may barely move another, and two people have the ability to interpret the same work in entirely unique ways. But therein lies the power. Art has the ability to strike discord and discourse, to unite, to provoke a lasting response and, ultimately, to inspire.

Visitors to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art can sense it as soon as they walk through the glass doors into the entryway to stare up at a 55-foot, multi-colored glass tower in the museum’s atrium. OKCMOA is home to one of the world’s largest permanent exhibitions by Washington-based glass sculptor Dale Chihuly and incorporates a unique, three-dimensional approach to viewing some of the objects in the collection. The large Float Boat and Ikebana Boat installations can be seen from all sides, Reeds features viewing slots and there’s even a hallway where visitors can walk under a colorful, sparkling sea of glass.

The museum also houses an extensive collection of European and American art, a growing collection of contemporary art and a first floor dedicated to traveling exhibits featuring the likes of Chuck Close, Andy Warhol, Fabergé, Ansel Adams and more. The on-site, 250-seat Samuel Roberts Noble Theater regularly screens foreign, independent and classic cinema Thursday through Sunday each week and is annually involved in the deadCENTER Film Festival.

Community outreach and education is a major aspect of the museum’s mission. Classes, camps and workshops are regularly offered for both youth and adults, ranging from landscape drawing and photography to printmaking and glassblowing. Anyone and everyone is invited on Saturdays for free Drop-In Art and Drop-In Yoga on various dates throughout the year.

Plus, the culinary arts make an appearance on the ground floor of the museum. Centre Bistro specializes in lunch, light bites, coffees, wine, beer and cocktails. Counter service and open seating are available, or you can take to the outdoor patio to enjoy a drink al fresco. Centre Bistro is temporarily closed until further notice.