New Philbrook Acquisitions Expand Museum’s Story of Global Connectivity
Spanning over 150 years, works by Édouard Vuillard, Jeffrey Gibson, and Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn headline a roster of nearly two dozen significant additions
(TULSA, OK. March 26, 2025) —Philbrook Museum of Art today announced recent acquisitions of works by an interdisciplinary and intergenerational group of artists, allowing the Museum to tell an ever-deepening story of art’s past, present, and future. Spanning over 150 years of artistic production, the acquisitions include a significant painting by French artist, Édouard Vuillard, a soul-stirring work of video art by Jeffrey Gibson ((Mississippi Band Choctaw/Cherokee), and a powerful sculptural statement by Vietnamese-American artist, Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn, a recent recipient of the heralded MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant.”
“I am excited to bring these works into our collection, the core of how we connect with the community,” said Philbrook President and CEO Megan Nesbit. “We want our guests to visit often, spend time with favorite works, and be constantly surprised and inspired by new artists, perspectives, and ideas.”
Additionally, a selection of contemporary acquisitions introduces new and emerging voices to the Philbrook painting, sculpture, textile, design, and works on paper collections, with works by artists such as Louisiana Pettway Bendolph, Daisy Patton, and Lorrie Garcia, joining the Museum’s collection for the first time.
Acquisition Highlights:
Édouard Vuillard (French, 1868-1940). Yvonne Printemps on the Sofa (Yvonne Printemps dans le canapé), 1919-21. Distemper on board, 47 1/4 x 31 5/8 inches. Acquisition candidate, Taber Art Fund. 2025.18
“I don’t paint portraits,” Vuillard said. “I paint people in their homes.” Such is clearly the case here, as Vuillard has depicted Yvonne Printemps, a famous singer and actress in early 20th-century France. Vuillard was close friends with her husband and painted her at least three times around 1919, in each case focusing great attention on the interior around her.
Women in interiors like this one and in gardens were Vuillard’s favorite subjects and are now his most sought-after work. In both interiors and garden settings, he found rich inspiration in the mix of colors and textures. While from a late period, the work is characteristic of his earlier work, with its riotous colors, highly visible brushstrokes, and focus on pattern over naturalism. Former director of the Musée d’Orsay Guy Cogeval called this work “A stunning masterpiece.
Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Band Choctaw / Cherokee, b. 1972), She Never Dances Alone, 2019. Variable-channel video installation with color and sound, 2:50 min. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.9
https://www.smjny.com/jeffrey-gibson
The multi-channel video She Never Dances Alone is Jeffrey Gibson’s homage to the strength and resiliency of Indigenous matriarchs. Centering the jingle dress dance, which originated from the Ojibwe tribes and is performed by women at pow wows and ceremonies, the colorful regalia is ornamented with rows of jingles. These were traditionally made from rolled metal lids and produce a unique sound when danced, as they flutter and ring out against each other. The jingle dress dance is used as an opportunity to call for healing and spiritual power.
Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn (Vietnamese-American, b. 1976), Blast, 2024. 155mm artillery shells, brass from artillery shells, pounded brass from artillery shells, powder coat, and concrete, 72 x 94 ½”. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.1 a-cc
https://www.tuanandrewnguyen.com/
This striking sculptural form, Blast, is comprised of remnants of unexploded weapons remaining in Việt Nam more than 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War. The center section is comprised of unexploded 155mm shells that have been deactivated, cleaned, and transformed into an object that supports, the hazard removed. Reclaimed brass from additional cleaned shells are cut, shaped, and pounded to create elements that extend out from the center piece. A larger, solid leaf shape extends down and serves as a balance for the extended wing, which flies out from the dark, rough center. Here, the shining and brightly colored brass explodes out of the dead artillery shell with grace, light, and joy.
“Our goal is for the Philbrook collection to reflect the beauty and complexity of the human experience through a range of voices,” said Philbrook Trustee and Collections Committee Chair Stephen J. Heyman. “The works we’ve acquired over the past year mark significant progress toward that aim and continue to raise the overall excellence of the permanent collection.”
As Philbrook prepares for its centennial celebration in 2027, the curators and Collections Committee are working diligently to secure even more significant works over the coming year to further broaden the Museum’s offerings.
NEW ACQUISITIONS:
Lorrie Garcia (American, b. 1965), Our Lady of Guadalupe, 2012. Painted and carved Ponderosa pine, 17 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 5 ½”. Gift of the Tony Ringold Family. 2025.5
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/lorrie-garcia
Enrique Martínez Celaya (American, b. Cuba 1964), The Stars (no answer), 2020. Oil and wax on canvas, 36 x 30”. Gift of Melony and Adam Lewis. 2025.6
https://www.martinezcelaya.com/
Shoda Koho (Japanese, c. 1871–1946), River in the Rain, c. 1930. Woodblock print, 10 1/4 x 15 1/4″. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.2
Laurence Pickett Williams (American, 1899–1929), Eve and Adam, 1926. Oil on panel, 27 3/8 x 21 7/16”. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.4
Ina Annett (American, 1901–1990), The Blue Mountain, 1927. Oil on board, 28 1/8 x 34 1/8”. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.3
Bradley Wood (Canadian, b. 1970), Our House, 2024. Oil on linen, 79 x 59”. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.8
https://bradleywoodnyc.com/
Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), b.1964), Daniel Prescott, 2022. Digital photograph with glass beads and rhinestones, 2/5, 50 x 40”. Museum purchase with funds from the Jedel Family Foundation. 2025.7
https://www.tomjonesho-chunk.com/
Katsuyuki Nishijima (Japanese, b. 1945). Traditional House on the Aki Road, c. 1972–85. Color woodblock print, 284/500, 16 x 11 1/4 inches. Gift of Thomas E. Young. 2025.12
Hancocks & Co. (English, founded 1849). Rose bowl with roosters and chrysanthemums, 1905. Parcel-gilt sterling silver, 8 ½ x 10 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.10
Tiffany & Co. (American, founded 1837). Liquor flask with tadpoles, c. 1880. Sterling silver with applied gilt, 4 ½ x 3 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.11
Félix Bracquemond (French, 1833–1914), designer; Lebeuf Milliet et Cie (French, 1840-1874), manufacturer; François-Eugène Rousseau (French, 1827–1890), retailer. Bracquemond-Rousseau Service, c. 1867. Hand-painted ceramic. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.14.1-9
Louisiana Pettway Bendolph (American, b. 1960). Medallion quilt, 2006. Cotton, 80 x 72 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.13.1
https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/artist/louisiana-p-bendolph
Amelia Bennett (American, 1914-2002). Rows of string-pieced blocks and triangles quilt, 1950s. Cotton and synthetic blends, 88 x 73 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.13.2
https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/artist/amelia-bennett
Aestean Pettway Young (American, 1936-2001). ”Bricklayer” variation quilt, 1960s. Cotton, 92 x 65 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.13.3
https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/artist/aestean-p-young
Daisy Patton (American, b. 1983). Untitled (Pink Woman with Pillow and Blue Pattern), 2022. Oil on archival print mounted to panel with frame and arch, 68 7/8 x 36 13/16 x 2 inches. Gift of the artist and Dr. Enrique Suárez. 2025.15
https://www.daisypatton.com/
Andy DuCett (American, b. 1979). Sometimes when you make the drawing, you lose the sketch, 2018-23. Pencil, ink, colored pencil, acrylic paint, tape, marker, vellum, and inkjet prints on paper, 38 x 49 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund. 2025.16
https://andyducett.com/
Tony Abeyta (Diné (Navajo), b. 1965). Artistic Family Dolls, 2025. Mixed Media with Dolls with artist’s paint brushes, 21 x 18 ¼ x 3 inches. Museum purchase, Taber Art Fund, 2025.17
https://www.tonyabeyta.com/
About Philbrook Museum of Art
Philbrook Museum of Art is committed to being Tulsa’s most welcoming and engaging cultural institution, providing a unique trifecta of experiences: a historic home, world class art museum, 25 acres of gardens. Philbrook Museum of Art opened on October 25, 1939. The addition of a 70,000 square foot wing in 1990 turned the historic home into a modern museum complex. A major garden renovation in 2004 cemented the Museum’s reputation as “the most beautiful place in Oklahoma.” Through bold action and strategic investment, we create a space for new ideas, diverse stories and perspectives, and social connection. The Philbrook Collection features more than 16,000 objects with a focus on American, Native American, and European art. Serving over 160,000 visitors annually, Philbrook shines a light on Tulsa’s storied and complex past while building a diverse and creative vision of the city’s future.
Media Contact:
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Philbrook Museum of Art
918.748.5352
jmartin@philbrook.org