By Barbara Johnson Ross, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum held its children’s summer program, SOOMA Kids, on the new Museum campus. With the opening of the City of Biloxi Center for Ceramics, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art (OOMA) was proud to announce the beginning of the annual SOOMA Kids program, which gives children access to the brand new ceramics studios and all of the Museum’s galleries. The program is for children ages 6 to 13 who are interested in having fun while learning about art and creating their own masterpieces.

SOOMA programs consist of half-day sessions for one week, 6-9 year olds in the mornings and 10-13 year olds in the afternoons.  Students work on projects in a state-of-the-art ceramics studio and new art classroom. Experienced teachers introduce students to the artwork of the artists represented at the Museum during gallery visits. Each session culminates in an art show featuring the work created by each child.

Tatiana Woodson painting in the SOOMA Kids classroom

Jamie Kline (foreground) and Julian Woodall painting in the SOOMA Kids classroom

Victoria Mills, Gracie Hankins, and Stephanie Landesman painting in the SOOMA Kids classroom

Additionally, student groups from the U.S. and around the world are beginning to visit to study the architecture and the art.  The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum was honored to be visited by 13 students from the Dalhousie School of Architecture of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The students flew into Miami, Florida for an 18 day trip, traveling to various cities to visit architectural sites along the Gulf Coast.  After leaving Seaside, Florida, they arrived at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art to observe the architecture of Frank Gehry and were given a tour of the facility, including the new City of Biloxi Center for Ceramics.  They travelled to Louisiana to visit Baton Rouge and Lafayette before they toured New Orleans, the last stop on their journey.

Nova Scotia architecture students on one of the staircases of the City of Biloxi Center for Ceramics