Free admission is now available to the general public when visiting the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art on the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus. A $60,000 gift from the OU Athletics Department budget will make this possible. The museum will be contacting members of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Association to help implement this change.
“In a time when funding for higher education is sharply dropping, this kind of cooperation has a truly extraordinary impact on the resources and opportunities available to our students and the public,” said OU President David L. Boren. “The success of our athletics programs not only has a positive impact on intercollegiate competition, but it also helps support the academic mission of our University.”
Over the past 10 years, OU’s Athletics Department has allocated over $14 million to the University’s academic budget. As one of only six self-sustaining athletics departments in the nation, the allocation of these funds has been vital to the continued success of the University. These funds are not appropriated from the state, but rather are generated by the operations of the OU Athletics Department.
“We are excited to have the opportunity and ability to supplement the University budget to provide free admission to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art,” said OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. “We are fortunate to have this type of cooperation at such an outstanding university.”
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is one of the top five university art museums in the country in terms of its appraised value. The entire FJJMA collection is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
“The museum and the Oklahoma art community are thrilled that the OU Athletics Department is creating this amazing and historic opportunity for current and future generations of museum visitors,” said Ghislain d’Humieres, the Wylodean and Bill Saxon Director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. “We are grateful for this outstanding collaboration between sports and culture.”
More than 50,000 people visit the museum each year. During certain days or events that offer free admission, the museum experiences a 50 percent increase in the number of total visitors.
“We are excited to offer to the entire community this opportunity to view one of the world’s most distinguished collections of art without having to go outside the state of Oklahoma,” added Boren.
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is located in the OU Arts District on the corner of Elm Avenue and Boyd Street, at 555 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman Campus. Admission to the museum is free to all visitors, thanks to this generous gift from the OU Athletics Department. The museum is closed on Mondays. Information and accommodations on the basis of disability are available by calling (405) 325-4938 or visiting www.ou.edu/fjjma
