development
|category1=Automobile Alley
|category2=Arts & Entertainment
|category3=
|category4=
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|project=The Womb
|address=25 NW 9th Street (http://g.co/maps/8h7fp)("9th & Broadway" sub-district)
|status=Complete, new sign application pending
|owner=Wayne Coyne (lead singer, "The Flaming Lips")
|cost=
|architect=
|start=
|finish=
|contractor=
|height=
|sq. feet=14,000 + 7,000
|acerage=.32
|other=
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|image=http://www.okctalk.com/images/wikiphotos/womb1.jpg
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Information & Latest News
http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-12731-womb-to-grow.html
Links
County Assessor Record (http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/AN-R.asp?ACCOUNTNO=R010966900)
Gallery

I've been procrastinating on checking this place out, now I'm much less excited. Niether of those artists seem to be particularly artistic, especially "bigfoot". He said alot of words, very few were coherant and the only thing that I learned from that interview is that his brain has been fried from smoking too much. I think I would have enjoyed both of their work more if I had never seen those interviews.

Negative Nancy, signing out.

Uh, yeah. That dude is friiieeeddd!

I just really hope some dumb *** doesn't decide to ruin it with his/her own artwork...

LOL "wassutmeoseoplels almztiy rislwil gelwdcbme"

http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/nixweiss.gif

Ah....diversity means lots of fringe interests. With The Womb we will see just how ready OKC is for artistic and cultural diversity.

I agree and cant say I understood a word the guy said. On the bright side of things they did spruce up the outside of the old Mel's Towing space.
I've been procrastinating on checking this place out, now I'm much less excited. Niether of those artists seem to be particularly artistic, especially "bigfoot". He said alot of words, very few were coherant and the only thing that I learned from that interview is that his brain has been fried from smoking too much. I think I would have enjoyed both of their work more if I had never seen those interviews.

Negative Nancy, signing out.

Show this Friday at 7PM:

h4hKrMPlaIk

http://wombgallery.com/

It would be so sweet if they got that marquee neon sign going again.

I know they have plans for the sign, but I don't know precisely what. The building to the east was just painted pink too, and it's got a little bit of artwork on it.

Their spokesman is great in that vid. Wish I wasn't going to be in Big D. Seems like a great event.

Ha.... Wayne is Tweeting an all nude party this Saturday at the Womb. Wonder if the city will converge on it like the food trucks? I imagine hundreds of OCPD's finest will be volunteering to police this event.

While I don't like the exterior of the building, if I was younger and good looking, I'd be all in.


Tweet: Party this Saturday in the Womb Room inside the Womb! Must be nude to enter http://t.co/EsqYzQbp http://t.co/c7ON8Mpj http://t.co/4a4E4pkk
http://twitgoo.com/4q0fnt?cx=u

That is awesome!

Ha.... Wayne is Tweeting an all nude party this Saturday at the Womb. Wonder if the city will converge on it like the food trucks? I imagine hundreds of OCPD's finest will be volunteering to police this event.

Nope. Not gonna do it. I'm not going to walk in on this one. All I wanted when I stumbled into the H&8th market was a taco. This Saturday I will make a taco at home and not leave the house. Let some other reporter walk in on this one. Besides, I've seen enough photos of Wayne and his wife naked (beautiful morning in Barcelona on Twitter IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS!) that I know I don't want to see them naked in person. I will, however, forever enjoy his music and appreciate much of Michelle's art.

Second thought: what if we could get someone to convince Sally Kern she has to dine at the Iguana Saturday night?

Haha! I texted my daughter, who lives in San Francisco, and told her I thought I'd fallen asleep and was dreaming I was in SFO when I read this. I'll leave the nudity to those with younger bodies, and I sincerely hope others do the same!

Wonderful! It's not art if only the barbie and ken dolls show up.

Also on his twitter account was this tweet:

indielawyer Josh
by waynecoyne
at the womb w @waynecoyne consulting on legality of public nudity. instagr.am/p/PZxAG/

Ha.... Wayne is Tweeting an all nude party this Saturday at the Womb. Wonder if the city will converge on it like the food trucks? I imagine hundreds of OCPD's finest will be volunteering to police this event.

Looks like I found my excuse to stop by!

I happen to think I am better looking than average, but not enough so that I could ever attend this. I get uncomfortable when strangers touch me, much less look at me marbles.

Looks like the images were removed from the tweets. Looks like they erected (no pun intended) a gigantic ****** inside the building and, well, I guess you can imagine how you enter the party.

I went. It was fun. Truely artistic in almost a continuous mosiac the the building. Great to see such imaginations at work in the hood.

Was at a friend's office yesterday and took these photos of him getting the 1st of 13 limited edition skulls embedded with the Flaming Lips newly released 24-hour song. Not everyone's taste, but neither are The Flaming Lips in general. I kinda liked it though. I'd rather be made into an MP3 player than just left to rot in the ground.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4173/31601625726221165381283nc.jpg

That skull thing he was doing was just weird. But what could you expect from him.

Saw where the Womb was shut down today by the fire marshal. Any details out there?

Maybe all the Christmas lights! But seriously, the lighting on the Womb looks amazing at night, and even better at twilight when you can see the designs behind the lights.

Saw where the Womb was shut down today by the fire marshal. Any details out there?

Working on the story now....

Working on the story now....

No wait, I'm sure Thunder can explain for us.....

If it's not electrical like extension cords and temporary lighting...my wild guess based on the videos I've seen would be the Womb Room inside the Womb, and/or other art installation rooms, do not meet with exit path, exit lighting and emergency lighting requirements. In addition to the normal requirements for any commercial occupancy, at some point, those types of places can cross over into being similar to a "fun house" and add requirements to be able to quickly kill sound, turn on house lights and get people out of the building quickly.

Remember H&8th? Yeah, it involves some of the very same dynamics, but without the show of force (so far).....
Good news: OKC now has a genuine "creative class."
Bad news: The establishment and the creative class haven't yet learned how to communicate very well....

Sounds like they are still working from both sides to see it this can still happen.

http://newsok.com/fire-marshal-says-no-to-flaming-lips-party-at-downtown-gallery/article/3635998

Remember H&8th? Yeah, it involves some of the very same dynamics, but without the show of force (so far).....
Good news: OKC now has a genuine "creative class."
Bad news: The establishment and the creative class haven't yet learned how to communicate very well....

Sounds like the creative class in this instance didn't communicate with the city at all. I was curious if they had when they painted the murals, the first word out being they were doing it, rather than they were seeking permission, zoning, permits and what have you.

A read through just the city fire marshal's requirements for having a special event will challenge a person's will to be creative in the manner of having events like they have been promoting, not that those and other codes aren't necessary and proper, just counter to creativity by their nature.

I can't find the doc on it's own but it's embedded in this one page 25 to 36. http://homeshowokc.com/Resource.ashx?sn=OKCHSExhibitorKit

The state on Haunted Houses and Special Amusement Buildings: http://www.state.ok.us/~firemar/specialamusement.htm

All assuming one has passed zoning, planning and what not.

Sounds like they are still working from both sides to see it this can still happen.

http://newsok.com/fire-marshal-says-no-to-flaming-lips-party-at-downtown-gallery/article/3635998

I believe it's Rick Sinnett not Stinnet. He's had a gallery of his own in Paseo awhile back and is involved in a kickstarter financed dealio to paint murals along 66.

The spelling I was given was Stinnet, but I'll check into it.

Route 66 Mural Project with Wayne and Rick in the video.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/231508740/public-arts-project-66

I believe Rick's old place was Mothman Studios, a name I think he still uses. He used to make, collect and sell silkscreen concert posters among other things.

New windows being installed (courtesy Urban Pioneer):

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/womb5912.jpg

I am betting those will be additional doors..as to help with fire code. the way they have the place layed out there isn't a good flow which caused the shut down for NYE. they couldn't rate the building for a high enough occupancy.. and didn't have permits as well. so doors would make a difference.

I've heard that The Womb is being leased to Meow Wolf, the art installation experience from Sante Fe that recently partnered with the folks responsible for Shift at Current Studio. Anyone else heard this?

https://meowwolf.com/

I believe that Factory Obscura's next exhibit will be hosted at the Womb. Meow Wolf is FO's largest donor IIRC.

Factory Obscura was very cool, but Meow Wolf is on a whole different scale. I highly recommend going if you're in the Santa Fe area. This should be really cool.

Factory Obscura was very cool, but Meow Wolf is on a whole different scale. I highly recommend going if you're in the Santa Fe area. This should be really cool.

Meow Wolf is Amazing! Their House of Eternal Return exhibit is to me a new type of media all together. Keep in mind, Shift by Factory Obscura was only their first exhibit. The Womb will house their second (and larger) exhibit. In addition to what they are planning at the Womb, they want to create something similar to House of Eternal Return and are looking for their own permanent building to house it.

I heard from one of the developers of Factory Obscura that Wayne Coyne could change his mind on this. It sounds like he might not want lease The Womb now. Has anyone else heard this?

Last I heard, things were being moved out of The Womb to make way for the new installation. Whether that is the actual reason they are being moved, I don't know.