In the weeks leading up to last week’s Giving Tuesday on December 3rd, we asked friends of the museum to choose us as their non-profit of choice. Many of you answered the call! Thank you to all of our donors who helped us to reach over $1100 in donations. Your contributions will fund scholarships for children of low-income families to be a part of our Mud Daubers Summer Camp. The amount donated will help us sponsor six of our 6 to 9-year-old campers or four of our 10 to 14-year-old campers. Again, a heartfelt thanks to all of our Giving Tuesday Supporters.

Our Mud Daubers Summer Camp schedule this year starts on June 8th and runs for four weeks:

Week 1: June 8 – 12, Ages 6 – 9, $175 per camper

Week 2: June 15 – 19, Ages 10 – 14, $250 per camper

Week 3: June 22 – 26, Ages 6 – 9, $175 per camper

Week 4: July 6 – 10, Ages 10 – 14, $250 per camper

More info on this year’s summer camp theme coming soon so stay tuned to our web blog here, our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for updates.

Did you miss the chance to give on Giving Tuesday? Don’t worry because we’ve just kicked off our Year-end Giving Campaign! This campaign goes to our annual fund, which helps support everything from day-to-day museum operations, exhibition planning, educational programs for kids and adults, and much more. You can make a donation below or click here for more information.


The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is celebrating our members this holiday season. Members receive a 20% discount on all transactions in our museum store on December 12th from 5 pm to 7:30 pm during our annual member holiday party. Members are encouraged to bring a friend and enjoy art, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and music. Non-members are welcome with a $10 donation to the museum. Get a membership now and skip the donation!

OOMA’s museum store represents artists from all over the Southeastern US with a focus on ceramicists in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. This holiday season, give the gift of art and enrich the lives of your family, friends, and neighbors all while supporting local artists. Happy Holidays from the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art family!

Giving Tuesday starts now! We’ve started our donor campaign on Facebook and all donations there will be matched by Facebook starting at 7 am today until they reach a $7M cap. You can also call us at 228-374-5547 or come visit us from 10 am to 5 pm today or click here to donate via our website.

Whether you give $5 or $500, every dollar you give will help fund need-based scholarships for young artists who will attend OOMA’s Summer Art Camp. Mud Dauber’s Summer Art Camp has been a Mississippi Gulf Coast institution for over 20 years and with your help, a few students may qualify for assistance to be a part of a wonderfully creative camp experience. Our art camp provides an opportunity for kids to think creatively, develop new skills, create narratives and experience new challenges. Campers will have adventurous experiences looking at, talking about, and making art. Activities include ceramics, painting, ecology, mixed media projects, and movement.

Summer campers discuss the art of John Barnes in the galleries at OOMA Summer campers discuss art in the galleries at OOMA  Summer campers enjoy an ice cream break A Mud Daubers Summer Camper shows off their artwork  A Mud Daubers Summer Camper shows off their artwork with Education Director Pamela Cevallos A Mud Daubers Summer Camper shows off their artwork A Mud Daubers Summer Camper shows off their artwork

OOMA Education Director Pamela Cevallos and Assistant Director accept the museum's 2019 PRISM Award for Excellence in Art Education.

OOMA Education Director Pamela Cevallos and Assistant Director Heather Rumfelt accepting the 2019 PRISM Award for Excellence in Art Education by the Mississippi Art Education Association on Friday, November 8th.

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR GIVING:

  • CREATE your own fundraiser in support of OOMA. See below for a suggested narrative for your fundraiser.
  • SHARE our Facebook fundraiser with your friends.
  • TAG friends in the Facebook comment section that you think would be interested in supporting the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.
  • POST a note or picture on your social media page and tag our Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter accounts telling friends why you support us.
  • FORWARD this page to those that may be interested in supporting our educational mission.
If you’d like to start your own fundraiser but don’t know what to say, copy and paste from below:
Hey friends! I’ve chosen to support The Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art for my #GivingTuesday fundraiser this year. OOMA has supported art education on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for years and I’d love it if you would choose to support them with me. Any amount helps and donations made after 7 am CST on December 3rd will be matched by Facebook! Thank you for anything you can give!

You’re invited to share in the holiday spirit with the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art! Enjoy drinks, music, dancing, decor, and dine on cuisine from Chef Monti with us. This event is free to members and a plus-one with a suggested $10 donation for non-members. Give us a call to RSVP or for more info at 228-374-5547, or head on over to our Facebook page to let us know that you’re in for a fun holiday gathering.

If you’re not already a member, you can click here to view our membership page for full information and to purchase an annual membership. It’s the giving season, and what better gift than that of a connection to the world of architecture, art, culture, and community? Member benefits differ by level and apply to both individuals and businesses. With your membership, you will become a part of the legacy of George Ohr, the Mad Potter of Biloxi, as well as being among the first to find out about new and special exhibits,  entertaining events, interesting and enriching classes in our ceramics studio, and other art museum news!

The party is on December 12th, 2019, from 5 pm – 7:30 pm at the Mississippi Sound Welcome Center on the campus of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art at 386 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS.

Giving Tuesday falls on December 3rd this year. We’ve started our donor campaign on Facebook. You can also call us at 228-374-5547, come visit us or click here to donate now. OOMA was awarded the 2019 PRISM Award for Excellence in Art Education by the Mississippi Art Education Association on Friday, November 8th. Being named as an award-winning educational institution inspires us to continue our goals to strengthen the programs that we offer. Your donation can create an amazing impact on one creative child! Whether you give 5.00 or 500.00 every dollar you give will help fund need-based scholarships for young artists who will attend OOMA’s Summer Art Camp.

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR GIVING:

  • Starting at 7am CST on December 3rd, Facebook will be matching donations until they’ve given $7M, so get up and donate on #GivingTuesday!
  • CREATE your own fundraiser in support of OOMA (donations to your fundraiser in the above time period will also be matched!). See below for a suggested narrative for your fundraiser.
  • SHARE our Facebook fundraiser with your friends.
  • TAG friends in the Facebook comment section that you think would be interested in supporting the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.
  • FORWARD this email to those that may be interested in supporting our educational mission.
If you’d like to start your own fundraiser but don’t know what to say, copy and paste from below:Hey friends! I’ve chosen to support The Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art for my #GivingTuesday fundraiser this year. OOMA has supported art education on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for years and I’d love it if you would choose to support them with me. Any amount helps and donations made after 7 am CST on December 3rd will be matched by Facebook! Thank you for anything you can give!

Thank you for supporting OOMA!

THE FIVE SENSES OF OHR: A PARTY FOR YOUR SENSES

Friday, November 15, 2019, from 6 – 9 pm.

Come experience all of the senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—through the lens of local artists and artisans. Guests are encouraged to dress in the style of their favorite artist, think Andy Warhol, artwork, etc. from the Pop art movement.

The IP Casino Resort Spa will be an explosion of color and light on Friday, November 15th from 6 – 9 pm. Artists are in focus and your senses are a blur! The Pop art-themed party will feature eleven local artists, each working within decor and lighting that will be drenched in the color of their choosing. The artist’s work will be auctioned off at the end of the night, with part of the auction amount going to the artist directly and part going to support OOMA’s educational programs! Our entertainment for the night will be local jazz masters Sicily Swing!

Reserve your tickets today and let’s get those senses poppin’!

 

Purple Edition: Sandra Halat

Sandra Halat Portrait  Sandra Halat Painting "Girl on a Couch"

“My work is derived from a variety of subject matter through the use of mixed media, drawing, and printmaking. The use of color and mark-making in my work comes from life experience, symbolism, short stories, and mythology. My favorite subject matter is the human figure. In the words of Degas, ‘Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.'”

Sandra Halat earned her MFA and BFA in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking from the University of North Carolina. She also studied at the Vermont Studio Center, Arrowmont Arts & Craft, and the University of Tennessee. She taught at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College,  and served as Adjunct Professor at both High Point University NC and The University of North Carolina Greensboro.

She has been awarded 2013 Instructor of the Year at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the Phi Theta Kappa Regional Hallmark Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, a National Endowment for the Humanities Scholarship, Visiting Artist Scholarship Vermont Studio Center, and numerous awards over the years in various art competitions. You can find her work at the Pink Rooster Fine Art Gallery and The Art House in Ocean Springs, MS, The Attic Gallery in Vicksburg, MS, and Negrotto’s Gallery in Gulfport, MS. Her work can be found in collections at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and she painted the mural in the performing arts room at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center.

Find Sandra in purple along with ten other artists at The Five Senses of Ohr fall fundraiser for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. She’ll be creating a piece to be auctioned off at the end of the night with proceeds going to benefit both the artist and the museum!

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is hosting a free information session about Art in Mind, a program that uses art creation and appreciation of art to encourage social connections between members of the aging community, early-stage Alzheimer’s patients, and their caregivers.

The Art in Mind program started in 2014, inspired by the Meet Me at MoMA program, and it is getting a fresh start in 2020. This program uses the museum space to hold social interactions between people in the aging community.

Studies have shown that cognitive engagement in creative exercises boosts well-being and improves health. Art in Mind’s goal is to contribute to the health of the South Mississippi community and to establish an ongoing vital program to maximize the access and the use to the Museum space and services.

Join us in the effort of improving the lives of South Mississippians who live with Alzheimer’s disease, learn about the benefits of art in mental health, make connections with mental health organizations and the Gulf Coast community, and find out how you can benefit from the Art in Mind program.

A panel discussion entitled Aging Creatively: the Benefits of Art in Well-being and Community Shaping will also take place during the event. In this panel, we will discuss the benefits of art in creating well-being for senior citizens, with a special focus on individuals living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Panel Participants:
  • Anne Marie Collins is an Art Therapist based in Pensacola, FL. Anne is an artist and the owner of Madewell Art Studio.
  • Rene Serpe was married to Rich, and they were two of our first and most passionate participants in the program as well as docents at the museum since its opening. Before becoming affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and passing about a year ago, Rich was the Master Coffee Roaster at Roaster Bean for many years. Rene was present with Rich for every Art in Mind class that they could attend since the program’s inception in 2014.
  • Angel Fox – Memory Care Program Director at Bay Cove – Angel is a certified professional who leads the Dementia Capable Care program at Bay Cove. Her work is characterized by her compassion and dedication to Biloxi’s senior community.
  • Cathy Sando – Activities Director, Bay Cove Assisted Living – Cathy has worked as an LPN for 22 years in numerous healthcare settings before becoming an Activities Director in 2002. Cathy works diligently to provide activities that fit each resident’s unique physical and social needs.
  • Kathy Bristol – Kathy is an Art Educator and life-long volunteer at the Ohr O’Keefe Museum. Kathy has been involved with the Art in Mind program since 2017 and has first-hand experience of the benefits it has on senior citizens.
Thanks to The Blake Senior Living, Brookdale Senior Living, Walmart, and the Alzheimer Association for partnering with us to bring you this event.

THE FIVE SENSES OF OHR: A PARTY FOR YOUR SENSES

Friday, November 15, 2019, from 6 – 9 pm.

Come experience all of the senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—through the lens of local artists and artisans. Guests are encouraged to dress in the style of their favorite artist, think Andy Warhol, artwork, etc. from the Pop art movement.

The IP Casino Resort Spa will be an explosion of color and light on Friday, November 15th from 6 – 9 pm. Artists are in focus and your senses are a blur! The Pop art-themed party will feature twelve local artists, each working within decor and lighting that will be drenched in the color of their choosing. The artist’s work will be auctioned off at the end of the night, with part of the auction amount going to the artist directly and part going to support OOMA’s educational programs!  Entertainment by Sicily Swing.

Reserve your tickets today and let’s get those senses poppin’!

Hearing Edition: Rolling Stones Signed Guitar and Sicily Swing

Close shot of all 5 Rolling Stones signatures on Squier Bullet

OOMA recently received a Squier Bullet Stratocaster signed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones! This will be just one of the items that will be auctioned off in our silent auction at the Five Senses of Ohr: A Party for Your Senses at the IP Casino on November 15th from 6-9 pm.

The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them fourth on the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list, and their estimated album sales are above 250 million.

This guitar has undergone a detailed forensic examination and has been authenticated by an independent law enforcement authentication firm. It comes with a certificate of authenticity and matching numbered counterfeit-proof authentication holograms.

Get your tickets today and don’t miss your chance to bid on this awesome item!

The Five Senses of Ohr: A Party for Your Senses promises to be one of the year’s biggest fundraisers for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art and we’re happy to have Sicily Swing coming to entertain us yet again! If you’re a frequent visitor to OOMA’s events, then you know how good this will be. They have been our entertainment for many other events, most recently joining the lineup for Ohr Fest 2019 back at the beginning of October. Sicily Swing will be bringing out feel-good oldies with a New Orleans flare of jazz, swing & R&B that you don’t want to miss!

 

THE FIVE SENSES OF OHR: A PARTY FOR YOUR SENSES

Friday, November 15, 2019, from 6 – 9 pm.

Come experience all of the senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—through the lens of local artists and artisans. Guests are encouraged to dress in the style of their favorite artist, think Andy Warhol, artwork, etc. from the Pop art movement.

The IP Casino Resort Spa will be an explosion of color and light on Friday, November 15th from 6 – 9 pm. Artists are in focus and your senses are a blur! The Pop art-themed party will feature twelve local artists, each working within decor and lighting that will be drenched in the color of their choosing. The artist’s work will be auctioned off at the end of the night, with part of the auction amount going to the artist directly and part going to support OOMA’s educational programs!  Entertainment by Sicily Swing.

Reserve your tickets today and let’s get those senses poppin’!

 

Yellow Edition: Paulette Dove

“…Pattern and texture found in my work is meant to evoke images and thought of untold stories. I paint, literally and figuratively, from past experiences using symbols as central figures to create a common language.”

Paulette Dove is a native Biloxian and has been painting and exhibiting on the gulf coast for many years. She is a member of the Ocean Springs Art Association, the Singing River Art Association, President of the South Mississippi Art League, and board member of Mississippi Art Colony. Her work has been displayed throughout the South.

Paulette received her B.F.A. and M.Ed. from Miss. University for Women and William Carey College. Her education included “Water Media Encounter at Louisiana Tech University, Savannah School of Art and Design, Mary Todd Beam workshop at the Bascom Museum in Highland, N.C. She has taught many years in Biloxi, West Virginia, and Mississippi Gulf Coast College. Paulette has also served as an educator at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art and the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in the past.

Paulette prefers to work mostly in acrylic, mixed media, and pottery. She currently works from her “Side Door Studio” in Biloxi, MS.

Find Paulette in yellow along with ten other artists at The Five Senses of Ohr fall fundraiser for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. She’ll be creating a piece to be auctioned off at the end of the night with proceeds going to benefit both the artist and the museum!

THE FIVE SENSES OF OHR: A PARTY FOR YOUR SENSES

Come experience all of the senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—through the lens of local artists and artisans. Guests are encouraged to dress in the style of their favorite artist, think Andy Warhol, artwork, etc. from the Pop art movement.

The IP Casino Resort Spa will be an explosion of color and light on Friday, November 15th from 6 – 9 pm. Artists are in focus and your senses are a blur! The Pop art-themed party will feature twelve local artists, each working within decor and lighting that will be drenched in the color of their choosing. The artist’s work will be auctioned off at the end of the night, with part of the auction amount going to the artist directly and part going to support OOMA’s educational programs!  Entertainment by Sicily Swing.

Reserve your tickets today and let’s get those senses poppin’!

RED EDITION: CARMEN LUGO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carmen Lugo is a visual artist who works in mixed media, acrylic, and encaustic. A “mark maker” by nature, Carmen’s work often contains bold lines, scratched and obscured words, and a stream-of-consciousness style of painting. An appreciation of all things fleeting and discarded and her gravitation towards evocative color and imagery results in work that often contains themes on impermanence, nature, human nature, and emotion. She equates her process to an “emotional sieve,” sifting through impressions and imagery in the world around her, translating them to canvas.

Carmen currently teaches art classes to teens and children at the Mary C O’Keefe Cultural Center for Arts and Education and is a member of the South Mississippi Art League, Mississippi Art Colony, and Local Creatives. When not painting, Carmen enjoys collecting insects, rearing silk moths, hiking, and being alone in nature. She currently lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her husband, Vincent, and her two cats, Lola and Penny Lane.