Paint the Wild offers outdoor artistic experience at the OKC Zoo
Last Saturday, my best friend of more than a decade and I reunited after a long year of pandemic precautions at the Oklahoma City Zoo’s Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital. This may seem like a strange place for a friendship reunion, but we were there for a good reason: the zoo’s spring Paint the Wild event series.
“We are always looking for fresh ways to enhance our event calendar while creating new opportunities for people to connect with the Zoo’s animals in a safe and unique setting,” said Jenna Dodson, OKC Zoo’s manager of events.
And the setting was indeed unique. Our group gathered on a pavilion overlooking the Oklahoma Trail’s habitat, an 8-acre section of the zoo that highlights 11 different ecoregions within our state and the animals that call them home. Our artistic inspiration, the zoo’s herd of American bison, grazed lazily as a member of the zoo’s animal caretaker team went over some of their characteristics. And Pinot’s Palette of Norman provided art supplies and instruction as we painted our own version of North America’s largest and heaviest land mammal.
Our spring painting outing was one of eight planned by the zoo this month, with each weekend featuring a different animal and picturesque area of the park. Remaining Paint the Wild dates and featured animal paintings include:
- Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18: Sea Lion Painting (Sea Lion Stadium)
- Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25: Flamingo Painting (Roughneck Pavilion by Zoo Lake)
While my friend and I did not add a VIP experience to our outing, guests do have the option to enjoy early entry to the event and see the featured animal up-close through a feeding experience or special presentation. We did, however, take advantage of the event’s cash bar (for adults 21 and up, obviously) and select menu of culinary bites to round out our experience.
So if you are looking for a pandemic-safe event to ease you back into the world after a year of holing up in your house, or if you just want to embrace your creative side while learning more about some of the animals that call the OKC Zoo home, then Paint the Wild is for you. Cost per person for general admission is $50 (ZOOfriends members) / $72 (nonmembers) or you can purchase VIP admission for $70 (ZOOfriends members) / $92 (nonmembers). The event cost includes Zoo admission for nonmembers, so arrive early if you want to explore the park. Advance tickets are required and can be purchased at okczoo.org/tickets.
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