Thirty-five new artworks created by University of Oklahoma students and faculty are now on display inside the Oklahoma City Zoo, all built around a single theme: the native plants that quietly hold Oklahoma’s ecosystems together. The exhibit, called “Radical Observation: Plants as Ecological Collaborators,” opened October 12 at the Patricia & Byron J. Gambulos ZooZeum and is free to view with regular zoo admission.
The show pulls together work from OU’s Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts, according to KOKH, with all 35 pieces created within the past year. Visitors can see the exhibit daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the station reports it invites the community to engage with original art while learning about native plants found across the state.
Art Sorted Into Four Distinct Categories
Rather than one sprawling gallery wall, the artists organized their work into four groupings: plant biology, drawing the natural world, expanded animation and olfactory art, per the station’s report. The expanded animation section features interactive student artwork, giving the exhibit a hands-on component beyond static paintings or drawings.
Dr. Rebecca Snyder, the zoo’s chief missions programs officer, said the display is designed to resonate with visitors of every age and leave a lasting impression. “[We are] excited to host OU art students’ creative work,” Snyder said, according to the same report, adding that the exhibit supports the zoo’s broader mission of connecting guests with wildlife — including native plants — and inspiring conservation action.
OU Instructor Calls Partnership a Showcase of Talent
Haley Prestifilippo, a guest lecturer of drawing with OU’s School of Visual Arts, said students and faculty are thrilled to partner with the zoo on the project. The original works, she said, celebrate Oklahoma’s botanical life while reflecting the students’ artistic talent — a sentiment the station’s report also attributes directly to Prestifilippo.
The exhibit lands amid a wider statewide push to spotlight native vegetation. An Oklahoma Wildlife Habitat Grant Program, open to residents of Oklahoma, Canadian and Cleveland counties, has offered reimbursement for up to $525 worth of native plants per 100 square feet of garden, according to KOSU. The program recommends species like purple coneflower, milkweed and goldenrod, and aims to meet the needs of insects and birds that live in or pass through the state.
Native Plants Already Central to Zoo’s Conservation Work
The theme tracks with conservation work the zoo has already been doing. The Oklahoma City Zoo states that protecting and restoring habitat — especially by planting native milkweeds and nectar plants — is essential to supporting monarch butterflies throughout their lifecycle and migration, per the zoo’s own conservation page. KOSU also reports that development and warming temperatures linked to climate change are contributing to pollinator losses, including monarchs, citing scientists in its reporting.
This isn’t the zoo’s first event built around homegrown species. Last October, the zoo held a Native Species Awareness Day focused on animals native to Oklahoma and surrounding states, with all activities free with general admission, according to Visit OKC. During that event, the zoo’s horticulture team sold native plants and Zoo Poo compost in the entry plaza, the outlet reported.
“Radical Observation: Plants as Ecological Collaborators” remains on view daily during regular zoo hours, giving visitors a chance to wander from live animal habitats straight into a gallery built entirely around the plants that keep those same ecosystems running.
