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

Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce hosts the Leadership Gulf Coast program designed to prepare the area’s current and potential leaders for the future. The goals of the program are to understand real problems, as well as opportunities in the community, and to create a communication network between present and emerging leaders dedicated to the improvement of the Mississippi Gulf Coast area.  The program is designed to last for nine months with a series of one-day sessions that feature experts from diverse fields. On April 10, 2013, the class toured the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.  They participated in an architectural tour of the Frank Gehry designed buildings and a tour of the art galleries.  The class was also introduced to the educational opportunities at the museum in the new ceramic studio.  They got an opportunity to paint ceramic vases that will be covered with a clear glaze and fired before they are given to the class at graduation.

Members of the Gulf Coast Leadership class of 2013 enjoyed the view from the Shoofly observation deck on top of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s Mississippi Sound Welcome Center, designed by Frank Gehry.

The decorated vases will be fired in the new kilns and returned to the class when completed.

Leadership Gulf Coast participants enjoyed decorating vases with glaze.

Resident artist Jay Milner introduced the class to educational opportunities in the new state-of-the-art ceramic studio, where classes are held for adults and children.

Executive Director, Denny Mecham, introduced the class to the architecture and art at the Ohr-O’Keefe.