Celebrated local artist Ernesto Sanchez’s expansive 9 x 20-foot oil on panel “Massive Communication” is now featured on the third floor of the Oklahoma City Convention Center thanks to a reciprocal public art loan agreement between OKC, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Convention Center.
Work on the public art loan agreement began in 2024 with a conversation among the Convention Center, Museum, and OKC’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs staff.
“All of the parties immediately saw the mutual advantages of this partnership,” Oklahoma City’s Arts Program Planner Randy Marks said. “And when Maury Ford, OKCMOA Director of Collections and Exhibitions, suggested starting the program with Ernesto’s blockbuster work, the excitement began to build.”
When the Convention Center, 100 Mick Cornett Dr., is open for public events, people can see the artwork.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Museum to introduce itself to an audience outside our galleries,” OKCMOA President and CEO Michael Anderson, PhD, said. “It’s another way to make our permanent collection and our mission to enhance lives through the visual arts more visible to the community.”
This and future installations are paid for through Oklahoma City’s 1% for Arts funds already budgeted for the Convention Center.
“We are always looking for ways to enhance our guest experience at the OKC Convention Center,” the Convention Center’s General Manager Barbara Beaton said. “Adding this beautiful piece and more artwork in the future through the partnership with the City and OKMOA is a wonderful way to provide an elevated experience for all of our guests.”
Another work of art, “Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouts Taste Metallic Gift Painting,” created by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and world-renowned artist Damien Hirst, is also located on the third floor of the convention center through an agreement with Coyne. The works anchor the north and south ends of the floor, making it an art destination.
About Ernesto Sanchez
Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Ernesto Sanchez Villarreal received his BA in Visual Arts from Nuevo León University. For 21 years, he worked in a number of roles at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, including as Head of Exhibition Design and Installation. He now focuses on painting and sculpting at Studio Sanchez in OKC's Paseo Arts District.