Yeah, it's pretty much a done deal. But the top brass would like to keep some sort of "satellite location" here if at all possible. I hate to see it go also--seems like a LOT of things were/are working against it.

Oklahoma City's 'Hidden' Museum is Moving (http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?s=9864427)

My suggestion won't be popular, but let me state a couple of things first:

1) I have been a photographer since I was 14. I did it all middle and high school in yearbook/newspaper, I worked freelance for papers, and I continue to do it in a more "arts" capacity as a passionate hobby, including participating in local shows and contests.

2) I have been to the International Photography Hall of Fame in its current location (Science Museum Oklahoma/Omniplex) many, many times.

3) I would like to see the hall of fame stay here in Oklahoma City.


That being said, losing the IPHOF could be beneficial to Oklahoma City. As is evident in this thread, many people do not even realize we have the IPHOF and few people visit. Every time I've been there, I'm one of about 2 or 3 people inside.

Granted, it is not well publicized, but losing an "International Hall of Fame" could wake a lot of people in Oklahoma City up. There is constant talk about "Oklahoma City being on the rise." So much so that, in my opinion, we have been kind of lulled into the idea that while progress may be slow, we will continue on this upward rise unhindered.

Losing this IPHOF to St. Louis publicly could be a wake up call and spur a lot of people who might not have cared about the fact that we have the IPHOF otherwise, and who may never have visited it, to suddenly feel the loss of it and realize that OKC is not on the rise unless our citizens make it so. Even if we prevented a move to St. Louis, there's a good chance people might just work to keep it in OKC just to chalk it up on a checklist of "attractions" and then forget about it again/not work to publicize it.

Subsequently, with the presumed increased interest in the IPHOF after it leaves, it would open greater interest and possibility of an independent photography gallery opening and "filling the void" so to speak. It may not be a "hall of fame," but chances are it would get greater publicity and be better run/publicized than the current IPHOF, not to mention better patronized since we can presume more people will hear about it due to the loss of IPHOF.

In other words, sometimes loss is a great motivator, and can spur even better things to pass.

Unfortunately to get attention the media will need to pick it up, and I doubt they will. I mean Bear Hunting is legal now, and that is totally more important. lol

Well, as linked above, News 9 covered it online at least. Not sure about on air. Steve will definitely make sure the Oklahoman doesn't miss it.

I know that this blog has been inactive for some time but there are is leadership at the museum and we are actively working to keep IPHF in OKC. We are determined to get the name identification marketed and make sure that the public is aware that we are NOT just a little place within the SMO. We happen to be the ONLY facility of our kind in the entire world and it needs to stay in OKC. Quite honetly, it most likely should have been founded and be located in France where photography was invented. We are lucky it is in the United States, especially in OKC! We need to get the word out that the effort has been revived to keep it in OKC and get in relocated into its own building!

Ok so COTPA is stupid like we all knew. This place isn't that big. I mean if anyone has been to it before, an exhibit at any museum is larger than this whole museum.

What we SHOULD be looking at, is a way to consolidate some of these small museums into a multi-museum complex. Take this one, the banjo museum, and whatever other random small ones we have, build a mixed-museum space and then someone can go to all of them without driving all over the place. They can still be organized in a manner that allows you to pay to enter each area, but share a common lobby...you just make the "museum" into a gallery (sq ft-wise, they are more like a gallery anyway).

Plop that sucker in museum-land off 50th if you want. Call it the "Banjotoseum".

This would make a great addition to the Arts District but when I suggested that before you would have thought I was proposing puppies be thrown into a wood chipper. I was told repeatedly that the Arts District was for performance art, not museums. I would still like to see all manners of art (visual, performance, cultural, etc.) housed in a single district where they could feed off of each other.

I would like to see the IPHF, Banjo Museum, Civic Center, OKC Museum of Art, a branch of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, a branch of the OU Museum of Natural History, the Bible Museum, the Toy Museum, an aquarium, and any other art/museum located all next to each other (maybe along a Walker alignment or fill-in the parking lots around Couch and Colcord Drive).

This would make a great addition to the Arts District but when I suggested that before you would have thought I was proposing puppies be thrown into a wood chipper. I was told repeatedly that the Arts District was for performance art, not museums. I would still like to see all manners of art (visual, performance, cultural, etc.) housed in a single district where they could feed off of each other.

I would like to see the IPHF, Banjo Museum, Civic Center, OKC Museum of Art, a branch of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, a branch of the OU Museum of Natural History, the Bible Museum, the Toy Museum, an aquarium, and any other art/museum located all next to each other (maybe along a Walker alignment or fill-in the parking lots around Couch and Colcord Drive).

I've proposed the same thing, specifically the parking lot on the Circle directly south of the OKCMOA [for the IPHOF].

I've proposed the same thing, specifically the parking lot on the Circle directly south of the OKCMOA [for the IPHOF].

Did people call you stuipd and out of touch also?

Well, we have been reviving this entire discussion. We have met with several community developers in the past few weeks and I have four more meetings this week. We are doing research on potential Green Space downtown that might be developed for this facility. We are open for anything. Most importantly, we do not want to see OKC lose this hidden jewel. It draws visitors from around the world and we need to expand its marketing locally as well as nationally.

Well, we have been reviving this entire discussion. We have met with several community developers in the past few weeks and I have four more meetings this week. We are doing research on potential Green Space downtown that might be developed for this facility. We are open for anything. Most importantly, we do not want to see OKC lose this hidden jewel. It draws visitors from around the world and we need to expand its marketing locally as well as nationally.

This sounds very promising. Something in the Arts District along Walker or on the Civic Mall would be great.