OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.- Oklahoma City will be the exclusive North American venue to host “Matisse in His Time: Masterworks of Modernism from the Centre Pompidou, Paris.” The exhibition will include 100 works of art, including nearly 50 paintings, sculptures and works on paper by Henri Matisse, as well as masterworks by Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Georges Braque, André Derain, Fernand Léger and Amadeo Modigliani. “Matisse in His Time: Masterworks of Modernism from the Centre Pompidou, Paris” will be on view from June 18 through Sept. 18, 2016 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The museum is one of only three international venues to host the exhibition, and is the only one outside Europe.

The exhibition is organized from the collection of the Centre Pompidou, one of the world’s leading modern and contemporary art institutions. Henri Matisse is one of the most important artists of the 20th century, and this exhibition showcases important works from each phase of Matisse’s career, demonstrating his significance to many key art movements of the 20th century. Matisse was the bridge between the Post-Impressionists and 20th century art and was responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture. His mastery of the expressive language of color and drawing, displayed in a body of work spanning over a half-century, won him universal recognition as a modern master.

“This exhibition marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration between the Centre Pompidou and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art,” said OKCMOA President and CEO E. Michael Whittington. “Our team and our French colleagues have worked tirelessly on this project, which will provide new scholarship on Matisse and his relationships with other artists of the early 20th century. We are indebted to the Inasmuch Foundation, whose support will provide our community and the entire country with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see some of the greatest works of art by this modern master.”

Inasmuch Foundation made a grant in honor of its founder Edith Kinney Gaylord to bring the exhibition to OKCMOA. Edith created the Oklahoma City-based foundation in 1982 and would have celebrated her 100th birthday on March 5th, 2016. In addition to the fine arts, Inasmuch Foundation supports education, health and human services and community enhancement initiatives that enrich the quality of life for Oklahomans.

“Inasmuch Foundation is excited to celebrate Edith’s 100th birthday with this extraordinary collection of modern masterpieces,” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of the Inasmuch Foundation. “A passionate supporter of the arts and Oklahoma City, Edith’s life and legacy will be honored with this exhibition. It’s an incredible opportunity for our city, state and nation.”

A prolific, intellectually curious and social artist, Matisse was at the heart of artistic debates throughout his career. He was, in turn, leader of the Fauvist movement, disciple and friend of his predecessors Paul Signac, August Renoir, Aristide Maillol and Pierre Bonnard, master of an academy, a major rival of Pablo Picasso and a precursor to the pop art movement of the later 20th century. This exhibition will also include an examination of Matisse’s voluminous correspondence with other artists.

“Henri Matisse is one of the 20th century’s – and of our collection’s – most celebrated artists, and it is therefore a great pleasure for the Centre Pompidou to be able to share this beautiful and insightful project with the American public thanks to our unique collaboration with the Oklahoma City Museum of Art,” said Serge Lasvignes, President and CEO of the Centre Pompidou. “The project, made possible thanks to the benevolent support of the artist’s heirs, sheds new light on the links between Matisse and many of the most important artistic figures of his time in a delightful and exciting presentation conceived by Cécile Debray.”

“Matisse in His Time: Masterworks of Modernism from the Centre Pompidou, Paris” is expected to attract visitors from across the state and country.

“With this magnificent exhibition, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art has demonstrated its reputation as one of the country’s leading regional art museums,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. “We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the county to see this wonderful exhibition in our beautiful city.”

OKCMOA will also host its own exhibition titled “Our City, Our Collection: Building the Museum’s Lasting Legacy” showcasing the Museum’s permanent collection and history for out-of-town guests. “Our City, Our Collection” tells the story of the Museum’s history as a series of major gifts and bequests, from a succession of visionary and philanthropic art patrons, and includes artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Rembrandt van Rijn, Gustave Courbet, Marcel Duchamp, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alexander Calder, John Singleton Copley, Andrew Wyeth, Roy Lichtenstein and Dale Chihuly.