The Gilcrease Museum has unveiled designs for an expansion of the 72-year-old Tulsa institution as part of a redevelopment plan meant to give its 350 years of collected history an upgraded 21st-century relevance.
The plan will add improved exhibition space for the city-owned museum founded by collector Thomas Gilcrease, a member of the Muscogee tribe who amassed a fortune in Oklahoma's early oil boom.
“We need a space that provides a visitor experience to match the strength of the collection” explained Gilcrease Executive Director Susan Neal.
The soon-to-be razed museum holds a number of Indigenous artifacts and boasts the world’s largest collection of art of the American West in addition to a collection of over 100,000 manuscripts, photographs, and rare books housed by the Helmerich Center for American Research.
SmithGroup is responsible for the design that took into consideration the museum’s proximity to Osage Nation land. With 83,500 square feet of new space and a welcoming three-story atrium, the firm envisioned an experiential museum connecting visitors to the surrounding “Great American Landscape” in a natural palette that conveys meanings of earth, night, and sky.
“It is important that the new Gilcrease Museum is of the spirit, history, and people of its place. We are therefore weaving the naturally breathtaking landscapes with the phenomenal collection of art and the multitude of rich cultures present in this area of the country,” lead designer Ivan O’Garro said in a statement.
The Gilcrease will close its doors on July 5 in anticipation of a late 2024 reopening.
No Comments
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.