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Food is more than sustenance. It is a source of pleasure, an excuse to gather and a form of art that evolves as quickly as our tastes demand. The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation features more than 100 artworks by 36 well-known contemporary artists highlighting the subject of food. Included are artworks by some of the biggest names in the field, including John Baldessari, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and Lorna Simpson, and media such as painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture and ceramics. Whether celebratory or critical, each work presents a different, nuanced perspective on the central place food holds in everyday life.

The Art of Food presents an opportunity for Oklahomans to consider where their food is from, as well as the ways in which food and society inform one another. Farming is an integral part of Oklahoma’s history and character. The ethos of working hard and putting food on the table resonates with the region’s culture and self-image. At the same time, immigrants from all over the world — particularly Mexico and Vietnam — bring culinary traditions that enliven Oklahoma’s social landscape. At a time when politics surrounding food — its production, regulation and distribution — dovetail with questions about land use, climate change and animal welfare, The Art of Food challenges audiences to think beyond food as sustenance. The exhibition invites viewers to think of food as a language used to depict the dynamic and insatiable social lives of people around the world.