Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center Flagship

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER:

In January 2020, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center will re-launch in a stunning new building, designed by Rand Elliott Architects to reflect the unique quality of light and sky in the region. This home for exhibitions, education and performance will be free and open to the public and will anchor the organization’s new, central location in downtown Oklahoma City. The new center will dramatically increase Oklahoma Contemporary’s capacity for free, internationally relevant exhibitions and programming and increase art access and education for citizens of Oklahoma, students and visitors alike.

Both the new building and the inaugural exhibition were inspired by the ever-changing light across Oklahoma’s sky. The inaugural exhibition is titled Bright Golden Haze, words from the first line in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic musical Oklahoma!, in which a cowboy sings about the morning light in the dawn of Oklahoma’s statehood. The exhibition presents a diverse range of artworks from nationally and internationally acclaimed contemporary artists who use light to create a specific sense of place, utilizing the new building’s expanded gallery space to exhibit significant, large-scale works. Over the course of its first year, Oklahoma Contemporary plans to expand its programming to present nine exhibitions – in the galleries, on its grounds and in adjacent Campbell Art Park – along with a wide variety of public programs to welcome upwards of 100,000 visitors, serving its community in Oklahoma and beyond.

“As Oklahoma Contemporary grows over the next year – expanding into a much larger, more central and fully-appointed location – we also are staying close to our origins as a community arts center, a place for the people of Oklahoma and visitors to our city to explore creativity,” said Oklahoma Contemporary founder and president, Christian Keesee. “We are excited to re-launch in January with an enhanced lineup of groundbreaking exhibitions, educational programs and performances that will explore and bring alive the art of our time.”


The new 53,916-square-foot, four-story building with a luminous facade – designed by Oklahoma City firm Rand Elliott Architects – captures aspects of the state’s ever-changing weather conditions and reflects and embraces the dramatic changes in light and sky that characterize the local landscape. In addition to the 8,000 square feet of galleries for visual art, the new building includes a flexible theater space that seats 200, a dance studio and nine classroom studios. The building is the centerpiece of the purpose-built 4.6-acre Oklahoma Contemporary campus, which will become a cultural gateway to downtown Oklahoma City. The grounds also include a renovated 9,839 square-foot historic warehouse (to house studios for ceramics and fiber as well as metal and wood sculpture) and a three-block arts park, providing space for outdoor exhibitions, education programs and public performances.

“We see the new Oklahoma Contemporary as an important catalyst for Oklahoma City’s ongoing cultural and economic renaissance,” said Oklahoma Contemporary Artistic Director Jeremiah Davis. “Through a dynamic mix of spaces designed to experience and create art across disciplines, the new building has enabled us to craft an exciting inaugural program built to bring the world to Oklahoma and Oklahoma to the world. We hope this unique combination of exhibitions, performances, learning opportunities and community engagement inspires our visitors to see contemporary art in a new light.”

Oklahoma Contemporary’s move from its original home at the city’s State Fair Park is a significant step in the evolution of the organization, which was founded as a community-oriented arts center in 1989. The new Oklahoma Contemporary will greatly grow offerings across exhibitions, education and performance, with exceptional exhibition spaces, studios built to the specific needs of artists and performers, and classrooms that will allow the institution’s team of experienced educators to function as never before.

Situated just north of historic Automobile Alley, the new building will become a highly recognizable landmark of Oklahoma City, positioned at a dedicated stop on Oklahoma City’s new streetcar, which serves the city’s greater downtown. On approach, visitors will be greeted by a striking, sculptural building with a facade comprised of custom-fabricated extruded aluminum fins, which extend from the ground to the top of the building’s parapet. The unique exterior shell is constructed from bright-dipped aluminum, resulting in an ethereal facade designed to capture and echo the surrounding environment.

Oklahoma Contemporary visitors will enter into a light-filled lobby, welcoming them in an open space that leads to flexible areas for public use, including a locally run cafe and retail shop. The first floor includes a “Creative Lounge,” intended as a public space for local residents and visitors to gather, honoring Oklahoma Contemporary’s history and legacy as a community organization. On the exterior, The Lantern, a dramatic tower of light, runs from ground level to past the roofline on the southwest corner of the centerpiece building. The Lantern will be a steadfast source of light in the night and an iconic new Oklahoma City landmark. Alongside this, the sculptural porte-cochère adds an elegance to the entrance of the building and offers guests protection from the elements on arrival.

Architect Rand Elliott, who also designed Oklahoma City's noted Boathouse District and the honored Chesapeake Boathouse, is well-known for producing innovative architectural spaces that are responsive to their context.

“The new building is architecture created to celebrate the ever-changing light in Oklahoma. With a focus on arts education, the building is intended to inspire visitors to see art responding to the environment around them,” Elliott said. “Special attention has been given to creating the north-facing outdoor terrace with views of the Oklahoma State Capitol dome. We hope visitors will leave the building with memories of their experience ascending the ceremonial stair. Art helps us see the world differently.”

Oklahoma Contemporary’s new downtown campus will stand as a modern marvel among the architecture of Oklahoma City, complementing and reflecting the city’s unique landscape. The Oklahoma Contemporary experience will continue outdoors, where a sculpture garden will feature rotating works and the adjacent Campbell Art Park will host large-scale sculptural installations year-round. The flexible-use second-floor terrace, on the north side of the main building, can host receptions of up to 150 seated or 250 standing guests, while landscaping elements will provide shade and cover for Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather.

Project Credits:
Project: Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center Flagship
Architects: Rand Elliott Architects