Exhibition will feature over 100 photographs as well as archival materials
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 21, 2025) – The Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) today announced that tickets for its summer exhibition, Discovering Ansel Adams, are now available. Organized by the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, with the support of The Museum Box and presented by Kirsten and David Griffin, this exhibition will demonstrate how Adams transformed from a fourteen-year-old tourist with a camera into a renowned photographer between 1916 and the 1940s.
“Discovering Ansel Adams gives tremendous insight into the early career of one of America’s most iconic photographers,” said OKCMOA President and CEO Michael Anderson, PhD. “Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about not only Adams’s photography but his skills as a mountaineer, his experience with the Sierra Club, and his endeavors in his beloved Yosemite National Park.”
Photographs in the exhibition span Adams’s entire career, from small, one-of-a-kind prints from his teenage years to a set of mural-sized prints showcasing some of his most famous views. Rare, original archival documents only available from the Center of Creative Photography, including correspondence, unpublished manuscripts, snapshots, personal possessions, book drafts, and photographic working materials, illuminate Adams’s rich life and fascinating experiences.
Curated by Ansel Adams scholar and Center for Creative Photography Chief Curator Dr. Rebecca Senf, Discovering Ansel Adams comes during the CCP’s 50th anniversary. Adams himself co-founded the institution in 1975.
As with all exhibitions, Museum members receive free entry to Discovering Ansel Adams, early access, invitations to exclusive events, and discounts on films and programming. For more information, please visit okcmoa.com/membership.
Tickets are available online at okcmoa.com, in person, or by calling the Museum’s main number at 405.236.3100. During regular Museum hours, the following prices, plus tax, will apply for Discovering Ansel Adams exhibition tickets, which includes access to all of the Museum’s galleries:
Adult 18 + $19.95
Senior 62 + $17.95
College w/ ID $17.95
Military w/ ID $14.95
Children 17 and under are always admitted free. The Museum will once again participate in the Blue Star Museums program, allowing active-duty military and their families to visit the Museum at no cost. This program will begin on Armed Services Day, May 17, and conclude on Labor Day, September 1.
PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS
OKCMOA will celebrate the opening of Discovering Ansel Adams with exclusive preview events for Museum members.
SUSTAINERS’ PREVIEW
Wednesday, June 4, 5-8 p.m.
5 p.m. | Reception in the Museum Lobby
6 p.m. | My Five Favorite Ansel Adams Archive Items in the Noble Theater
8 p.m. | Galleries close
ABOUT THE LECTURE | My Five Favorite Ansel Adams Archive Items
Dr. Rebecca Senf, Ansel Adams scholar and curator of Discovering Ansel Adams, reveals the archival objects that had the biggest impact on her understanding of the artist and his career. She will share the behind-the-scenes process for learning about Adams and provide unique insight into Adams’s life.
MODERNS’ PREVIEW
Thursday, June 5, 5:30-8 p.m.
Moderns members can take advantage of early access to Discovering Ansel Adams and enjoy live entertainment during this casual black-and-white-themed celebration of the exhibition’s opening.
MEMBERS’ PREVIEW
Friday, June 6, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Members’ Preview Day
5 p.m.-8 p.m. | Members’ Preview Celebration
5 p.m. | Reception in the Museum Lobby
6 p.m. | A Journey of Discovery: My Life with Ansel Adams in the Noble Theater
8 p.m. | Galleries close
ABOUT THE LECTURE | A Journey of Discovery: My Life with Ansel Adams
Curator of Discovering Ansel Adams, Dr. Rebecca Senf will share her decades of experience working with the Ansel Adams Archive at the Center for Creative Photography and how that intimate knowledge of the photographer has led to this distinctive exhibition. She will provide insights about his childhood and career, offer context, and reveal stories about Adams to enrich visitors’ exhibition experience.
OKCMOA is seeking additional sponsors to underwrite the exhibition costs of Discovering Ansel Adams. Sponsors receive exclusive sponsor benefits, an invitation to the Sustainers’ Preview event and marketing recognition on the Museum’s website, printed exhibition materials and more. If you are interested in learning more about available sponsorship opportunities, email Kimberley Worrell, CFRM at kworrell@okcmoa.com or call 405.278.8227.
Discovering Ansel Adams will run through September 28.
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Image Credit:
Geraldine Sharpe, Portrait of Ansel Adams (Profile), ca. 1960, Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona: Gift of Ansel and Virginia Adams, 76.502.1
