Hike the HRM:Gallery Exploration Backpack
The "Hike the HRM" backpack program provided a self-guided exploration tool, appealing to diverse families and fostering engagement with museum exhibits.
Festivalof Animals
This event integrated artwork with interactive biology and conservation activities.
Photos courtesy of Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma
Funding Categories
Contract Labor
Supplies
partner
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma
location
Norman, OK
About
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Oklahoma collaborated with three curators and one educator from the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History to develop and facilitate interactive biology and art activity tables, specimen touch tables, and local conservation information for this interdisciplinary event. Additionally, the museum activated the front lawn for the first time with a live animal experience to draw in visitors. Through collaborative efforts with Sam Noble Museum staff, visitors experienced hands-on science components that related to the artworks in the exhibition. The Sam Noble Museum staff led touch tables with mammal pelts and specimens, as well as an informative table detailing local species conservation efforts. The FredJones Jr. Museum of Art also partnered with Wildcare Oklahoma, which had a table detailing its workin rehabilitating wild birds and animals.
Intended Outcome
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art hoped to reach 500 visitors with this activity, expand its audience into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, create new strategic partnerships in local and neighboring counties, and reinvigorate existing relationships within the University of Oklahoma.
Actual Outcome
Attendance for this event was 342 visitors, which more than doubled the average attendance for similar family-friendly programs. The museum was also able to build new partnerships with the university’s Sam Noble Museum of Natural History and various community organizations, including Wildcare Oklahoma, Bridges of Norman, Boys and Girls Club of Norman, OKC Dream Center, and Act Now OKC.
Advice Post Project
Collaborate with local science and conservation organizations to create interdisciplinary programs that connect art with hands-on learning. Activities like specimen touch tables and live animal experiences make exhibitions more engaging and accessible, especially for families. Using outdoor spaces and interactive elements can also help draw in new audiences and activate underutilized areas of the museum.
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Photos courtesy of Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma