Meet Phil: Traveling Ambassador For The Philbrook Museum

Rick Wells, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Meet Phil. He'd love to be your traveling companion. Phil will go anywhere, has no passport issues and no baggage. 

Phil is the Philbrook Museum of Art's traveling ambassador. He loves to have his picture taken in beautiful and exotic locations. 

Jeff Martin is sort of responsible for the Phil phenomenon. Phil is an artist's mannequin: a wooden, pose-able doll. Sketch artists use them.

Jeff, who is the online communities manager at the Museum, took one on a trip to Chicago.

"I took some photos of this larger one looking at paintings at the Chicago Museum of Art," he said.

They posted the photos on Facebook, and the whole thing took off.

"It's certainly gimmicky, but it's gone far beyond anything we imagined," Martin said.

It's become so popular; they've had to press more than one Phil into service. There's one big Phil and several smaller ones.

Wonder if they ever give each other travel tips. 

"At least 50 people have taken them around the country and around the world," Martin said.

He's been to Rome and Spain. He's been on the subway in New York where no one noticed him.

"Some guy took him on a cruise, had the captain of the ship do an official photo with Phil," he said.

Jeff has put together some slide shows of Phil's adventures. He's added some music, and posted them on Facebook and on You Tube.

"You can put a little narrative structure with it, people like to see the arc of the story if there is one," said Jeff Martin.

He says whenever Phil travels folks always want to know where he's from, so he's a bit of a traveling ambassador. He's always looking for new adventures. He's a pretty easy traveler.

Apparently Phil likes beer, but I can't imagine he eats much. If you've got a trip planned and would like to make Phil part of your vacation, contact the Philbrook.

Phil, by the way, loves all kind of travel: cars, boats, planes, and trains.