Bryon Chambers and Maury Ford named Co-Interim Directors of Oklahoma City Museum of Art
OKLAHOMA CITY (October 12, 2026) — The Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) today announced its interim leadership. Bryon Chambers, Director of Education & Visitor Experience, and Maury Ford, Director of Collections & Exhibitions, have been named Co-Interim Directors by the Board of Trustees. The two will lead the Museum until a new President & CEO is named.
Chambers has been with OKCMOA since 2006, holding roles across education, donor stewardship, visitor experience, and other departments. As Director of Education & Visitor Experience, Chambers leads the Museum’s educational and engagement initiatives for audiences of all ages and its visitor experience operations. During his tenure he has developed programs and partnerships that extend the Museum’s educational mission, with work in accessibility, health and well-being, school and teacher engagement, adult learning, and community partnerships. He has authored and produced exhibition and collection interpretation used at OKCMOA and other museums and has presented on museum accessibility and art education at national conferences. His arts and civic service includes 13 years on the Oklahoma City Arts Commission, including service as Chair from 2018 to 2021, as well as leadership service with the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Oklahoma Art Education Association, and Oklahoma Music Educators Association. Chambers holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Sacred Music from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He is completing a Master of Arts in Museum Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Ford joined OKCMOA as Registrar in 2013 and managed the preservation, logistics, risk management, and documentary control of all objects and exhibitions in the Museum’s care. Since 2021, Ford has served as Director of Collections & Exhibitions, where he manages the budgeting, planning, and execution of all Museum exhibition projects and collection activity. He has increased access to the Museum’s permanent collection through large-scale digitization projects and overseen numerous exhibitions, including The Painters of Pompeii: Roman Frescoes from the National Archaeological Museum, Naples; Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer; and Paul Reed: A Retrospective along with its accompanying catalogue. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Arts in Museum Science from Texas Tech University. Prior to joining the Museum, Ford managed the operations for a large private research collection in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
“Bryon and Maury bring over 30 years of combined service to the Museum to their interim roles,” said Lawrence Davis, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Our Museum is in good hands with their guidance and dedication.”
Michael Anderson, PhD., who led the Museum beginning in late 2019, announced his departure in mid-August to become the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Director of the Portland Art Museum (PAM) in Portland, Oregon. A task force, led by past Board Chair Meg Salyer, has been formed for the nationwide search for OKCMOA’s new President & CEO.
