OU museum hosts art and music event for all kinds of students

CASSI TONEY

NORMAN – Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art welcomed approximately 600 students and members of the Norman community to the bi-annual student opening party on campus Tuesday night.

FJJMA hosted a student opening party and a concert for its newest exhibition, “The James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection.”   The collection is composed of 4,000 pieces of art from indigenous cultures across North America, according to the website.

“The Bialac Collection is from the later part of the 20th century,” said Jessica Farling, coordinator of academic programs at FJJMA. “A lot of the artists are still alive and are coming to campus this week to speak or have demonstrations.”

Farling said the collector, James T. Bialac, will also be on campus this week, which is a really rare opportunity. 

“I’d love to talk to Vincent Van Gogh about his work, but this collection is so exciting because it’s contemporary,” Farling said.  “The artists are still working.  For me, that’s really exciting, and I hope that students see that.”

The museum targeted OU students to get them interested in the collections of art on campus, Farling said.

“The party is an exhibition opening for students only, like a sort of sneak peak of our new artwork,” Farling said.  “We want to provide an opportunity for them to enjoy the special exhibit and try to get them to come back.”

She said the event is elegant for students if they want to dress up and look at art in a formal atmosphere.  The two concerts after the party were more laid back and attracted different kinds of students. 

Farling said FJJMA partnered with the Campus Activities Council for the first time to host two concerts. 

Approximately 300 people sat on blankets on the lawn of the museum to listen to Milo Greene open for The Walkmen at 7 p.m.

Approximately 300 students attend The Walkmen concert, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 on the lawn of Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Okla. The concert followed the FJJMA’s Student Opening Party showcasing the new “James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection.”  

 Scott Vo, a biology junior, said having the concert next to the museum was a good reason to visit the museum.

He said he went to the student opening party briefly and then stayed for the concert.

“The concert had a good audience, very small and personal,” Vo said. “The genre was perfect for this kind of event.” 

Jake Smith, an OU alumnus, said he had never visited the FJJMA, but he enjoyed the concert.

“It was a laid-back, cool audience and an arm-chair atmosphere where everyone had a good time,” Smith said.

The FJJMA began hosting student opening parties each semester in 2008, according to Farling.