Local artist Ernesto Sanchez’s work featured at OKC Convention Center through partnership with OKCMOA

The Oklahoma City Convention Center has added a new artwork to its space, due to a public art partnership with the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA). Local artist Ernesto Sanchez’s large-scale oil painting, Massive Communication, now hangs on the third floor of the venue as part of the initiative. 

The 9-by-20-foot piece is on loan through an agreement between the City of Oklahoma City, OKCMOA and the Convention Center. Discussions for the partnership began in 2024, involving staff from the museum, the City’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Convention Center leadership. 

“All of the parties immediately saw the mutual advantages of this partnership,” said Randy Marks, OKC’s arts program planner. “And when Maury Ford, OKCMOA director of collections and exhibitions, suggested starting the program with Ernesto’s blockbuster work, the excitement began to build.” 

Sanchez, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, earned a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from Nuevo León University. He spent over two decades at OKCMOA, holding roles including head of exhibition design and installation, before focusing on painting and sculpture at Studio Sanchez in the Paseo Arts District. 

Visitors can view Sanchez’s piece during public events at the Convention Center. Barbara Beaton, Convention Center general manager, said this piece of artwork is a great way to enhance the guest experience. “Adding this beautiful piece, and more artwork in the future through the partnership with the City and OKCMOA, is a wonderful way to provide an elevated experience for all of our guests.”  

OKCMOA President and CEO Michael Anderson, PhD, echoed that sentiment. “This is an exciting opportunity for the Museum to introduce itself to an audience outside our galleries,” Anderson 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.” 

The initiative is funded by OKC’s 1% for Arts program, with funds already allocated to the Convention Center. 

Also featured on the Convention Center’s third floor is Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouts Taste Metallic Gift Painting, a collaborative piece by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and renowned artist Damien Hirst. Sanchez’s and Coyne’s works are displayed at opposite ends of the floor, establishing the space as a notable art destination within the facility.