Tulsa World: Philbrook gets industrial design collection

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Philbrook gets industrial design collection

An Eames chair (above right) is among the gifts by George Kravis II to Philbrook. Courtesy

By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Published: 12/11/2008 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 12/11/2008 3:44 AM

One hundred of the most iconic and influential works of 20th and 21st century industrial design will become a part of the permanent collection of the Philbrook Museum of Art, thanks to a proposed gift by Tulsa businessman and philanthropist George Kravis II.

The announcement of Kravis' gift was made during a meeting of the museum's board of trustees Wednesday.

"Many of the works that make up this collection are those that can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum, all of the major museums devoted to design," said Rand Suffolk, Philbrook's executive director.

Among the designers represented in the collection are such iconic artists as Norman Bel Geddes, Henry Dreyfuss, Isamu Noguchi, Charles and Ray Eames and Ettore Sottsass.

"It's the sort of core group of works that any museum wanting to establish a program in modern and contemporary design would want to have," Suffolk said.

The Kravis collection ranges from American Art Deco and Streamline to mid-century modern and contemporary, with objects that reflect the evolution and breadth of modern industrial design.

"This collection has been a personal joy for me to acquire and build, as well as a privilege to live with," Kravis said. "I'm delighted that through this gift it will be shared for the benefit, enjoyment and education of all those that visit the museum. Philbrook has been an important part of my life and I'm pleased that this collection will find a permanent home there."

Suffolk said the museum plans to put a selection of the Kravis collection on display some time during 2009.

"Philbrook already has a strong commitment to collection to modern and contemporary art," he said, "and we see the works in the new collection has a kind of bridge material. We'll will likely take about 50 of the objects and work them into the displays of our permanent collections, where they will be on display for about two years."

Kravis and his family have a long history of patronage and philanthropy with Philbrook. In addition to ongoing program support in numerous areas from the Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation, George Kravis has made several donations of contemporary art to the museum.

The Kravis collection is the second major acquisition announcement in as many years for Philbrook. In 2007, the museum received some 1,700 objects of the Eugene B. Adkins Collection of Native American and Southwestern Art (the University of Oklahoma's Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art also received a portion of the Adkins collections), which will be housed in the 15,000-square-foot Eugene B. Adkins Collection & Study Center, to be constructed in downtown Tulsa.

James D. Watts Jr. 581-8478
james.watts@tulsaworld.com By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer

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