Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art, Ceramics museum in Biloxi, United States
The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art is an art museum in Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, designed by architect Frank Gehry with curving metal structures set among old oak trees. The complex includes several freestanding pavilions, a welcome center, and a ceramics studio that provides space for exhibitions and classes.
Construction of the Frank Gehry-designed campus began in 2004 on a 4-acre site in Biloxi. In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina drove a casino barge onto the semi-built facility, damaging the work. Three buildings on the east side opened on November 8, 2010, and the City of Biloxi Center for Ceramics opened in September 2012.
The name connects the local potter George Ohr with artist Annette O'Keefe, who championed the project and fostered the link between traditional craft and present-day art. Visitors today see work from the Gulf Coast region alongside objects that keep the ceramic heritage of this place alive.
The pavilions sit on a wide site, so visitors walk between several buildings during a tour. The ceramics studio offers pottery classes that are often booked ahead to secure a spot.
The museum is named for two people: George Ohr, the self-proclaimed "Mad Potter of Biloxi" (1857–1918), and Annette O'Keefe, late wife of former mayor Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe III, who raised funds for the campus. The curving stainless-steel structures were fabricated by Zahner of Kansas City, Missouri.
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