Re-opening of OU's Museum of Art

[kielaaron]

an email just sent out to OU students/faculty/admin:



Dedication of the Mary and Howard Lester Wing
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Home of the Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism
Thursday and Friday, January 20 and 21, 2005


Thursday, January 20
Keynote Address, Dinner and Dedication of the Mary and Howard Lester Wing *
Ballroom, Oklahoma Memorial Union
6 pm-Receptions
6:30pm-Address with dinner to follow, concluding with the ribbon cutting and tours of the Mary and Howard Lester Wing of the museum
President Boren will introduce Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for a keynote address, “Museums: Why Should We Care?”
*Reservations required.


Friday, January 21
Museum Opens to the Public
10am
No reservations required.

Luncheon
Ballroom, Oklahoma Memorial Union
Noon-12:45pm
Featuring Vincent Scully, Sterling Professor Emeritus of the History of Art at Yale University.
Luncheon participants adjourn at 12:45pm to Meacham for a lecture by Vincent Scully.
*Reservations required

Lecture
Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union
2:30pm
Featuring a talk by Hugh Newell Jacobsen, F.A.I.A., an acclaimed architect, of Washington, D.C. and architect of the Mary and Howard Lester Wing, followed by the film “My Architect.”
No reservations required



This is a very important series of events for our campus. I am particularly excited to see Hugh Jacobsen's lecture, as well as the showing of "My Architect." Having Jacobsen on-board as the designer of the Lester Wing is astounding and speaks volumes about the validity of OU's art museum. I encourage everyone to make a visit.

OU students may obtain reservation applications for specified events by contact the admin office of their college. I just pray our Friday arch studios will let us attend the lecture/film!

--kiel

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

How does this museum rank? Isn't it up there at the very top? I know they have the largest gift to a public art museum, but what else is there?

[kielaaron]

You know, now that you ask, I can't even tell you what it's ranked. I JUST read an article about it the other day, and I know it's in the top 5, but can't remember specifics...

The Fred Jones Museum has the new amazing impressionist collection, as well as works by Van Gogh and Monet, I believe.

Information about the new wing:
http://www.ou.edu/fjjma/information/new_building.html

Information about the collections:
http://www.ou.edu/fjjma/collections/index.html

As an architecture major here at OU, my roommate and I keep pretty close tabs on construction on-campus. I can usually tell what's going on with most projects, and with my contacts at Arch/Engineering Services dept. on campus, I can find out other goodies if I get really nosy, which is most of the time...

[BG918]

kielaaron, you're an architecture major at OU? Well so am I! What year are you?

About the museum, it looks like it will be pretty nice and the design is definitely out of the ordinary. Supposedly the individual "houses" that make up the addition are designed that way so the art becomes more intimate and personal with only a few works in each room.

[kielaaron]

I'm a fourth-year... u? I'm the jerk who designed the Solar House.

[BG918]

Second year. Solar house?

[kielaaron]

We're submitting an entry for the 2007 Solar Decathlon. Essentially the effort involves designing & building an actual house that is run entirely by solar power. We build the house in early 2007, then take it apart and ship it to Washington D.C. for a three week national judging/showing event. Check out http://www.solardecathlon.org for lots of info...

My concept was chosen last spring for design development, and I have since taken up as the student team leader for the College of Architecture's efforts. We are collaborating specifically with the College of Engineering and hope to have more colleges on-board by the end of this semester.

Actually, by the end of the semester we're going to be recruiting younger team members that will need to be taking over the process soon, since most of us will be graduating. Since you're a second year, it might be a great opportunity to get involved with us soon! I'm in a special topics course earning credit for the work, and I believe in the near future we'll have a specific course dedicated to students working on the project. We have a significant architect coming from Cambridge Seven Associates in Boston on the week of the 23rd to coordinate a week of charrettes. I do know that the 2nd year studio will be participating that week of events, so you might actually get thrown in! I know for sure that Callahan's studio will be working with us, and the other two might be as well... Hmmm.

[kielaaron]

Today is the official date that the museum opens to the public. My friend went yesterday to take pics of the exterior/site for a project we're working on in our studio...

New entrance facing the west (Elm St.)


Closer detail of the bronze-clad entry


Some additional view of the rest of the "milk cartons"


I'm going to see my architectural idol, Hugh Newell Jacobsen [who is the designer of the facility] this afternoon, and then going to visit the museum afterwards. I hope to have some interior shots to share this evening.

Also very excited to watch "My Architect," playing at Meacham Auditorium this afternoon as well!

[floater]

The addition is pretty cool. Original. Thanks for the pics, kielaaron.