OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark

[Plutonic Panda]

The garage has to be close to the hotel, marketplace, restaurants and spa, and convention center.

Really no other place to put it.

There’s the lot south of the event lawn. They could have reshaped it to make it more square or perhaps put it on the other side of the parking lot closer to the museum. That would allow for future development of residential towers along the river. Very odd they’d do this.

[Pete]

There’s the lot south of the event lawn. They could have reshaped it to make it more square or perhaps put it on the other side of the parking lot closer to the museum. That would allow for future development of residential towers along the river. Very odd they’d do this.

There is an enormous amount of land on the west side of the museum that hasn't even been touched.

South of the event lawn will be the aquarium. South of the waterpark is for future expansion. They want the garage, hotel, convention center and waterpark connected, which they are through covered walkways.

I'm sure they thought this through and they've hired expensive, internationally-known architecture and planning firms. I'll trust their judgment.

[Pete]

This will be in the building labeled 'Retail Gallery'.

Press release:

************


Exhibit C Gallery to open multi-use art space in the Horizons District

Oklahoma City, OK— Chickasaw Nation-owned Exhibit C Gallery will open a new 10,000-square-foot multi-use gallery space in 2025 within the Horizons District.

Exhibit C Gallery is a First American retail gallery, opened in 2014, with a mission of showcasing and celebrating First American artists to the 21.4 million visitors to Oklahoma City each year. In 2025, the Chickasaw Nation plans to relocate Exhibit C Gallery adjacent to the First Americans Museum (FAM) and OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark.

The reimagined First American retail gallery will feature a multi-use gallery space and up to seven rental art studios for native artists. The gallery space will work collaboratively to partner with FAM to complement the programs and activities already at the museum.

The artist studio suites will be exclusively available to First American artists who want to rent space to research, develop and create their art in a collective area. The studios will create an immersive experience where visitors will be able to watch and interact with the artists as they create their art, giving guests a glimpse into the artists' creative processes and creating moments of personal connection.

Exhibit C Gallery will continue to showcase First American artwork in rotating exhibits while adding an enhanced experience for the visitor. Immersive educational opportunities will be programmed throughout the year to allow visitors to have an interactive arts and cultural learning experience.

In addition to the art within the walls, the exterior of the building will showcase First American art, starting at the main entrance. The work of Chickasaw contemporary artist Addison Karl was commissioned for the entranceway façade. The entry is symbolic of nature and references indigenous pottery, mound sites, effigies, carvings and rich artwork.

“In the intricate interplay of forms and symbols within this artwork, we forge a powerful visual and spiritual connection between generations. It becomes a bridge that spans time, offering us glimpses into the visual world our ancestors inhabited and continue to contribute to through our hands and voices,” said Contemporary Artist Addison Karl. “What's more, by reintegrating our visual language into the very essence of this new building's façade, we make a resounding statement about the vibrancy and ongoing vitality of our culture. We celebrate the fact that our artistic traditions are not stagnant relics confined to history but living, breathing forces that continue to shape and inspire us today. It is a testament to our people's resilience, adaptability, and our unwavering connection to the ancestral roots that anchor us.”

Exhibit C Gallery showcases dozens of First American artists at its current Bricktown site. The new location will double in size, opening the door for an even greater number of First American artists to exhibit their exceptional creations.

The reimagined Exhibit C Gallery will also be available for special event rental to the public.

“With the relocation of Exhibit C Gallery to the Horizons District, in collaboration with FAM and OKANA, our goal is to make this district of Oklahoma City the top First American destination in the United States,” said Chickasaw Nation Director of Tourism Paige Williams Shepherd. “Exhibit C Gallery looks forward to working with our partners and the district as it evolves to bring millions of visitors to the community.”

The Chickasaw Nation recently received the Tribal Tourism Grant from the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Economic Development to create a business plan for the new Exhibit C Gallery to ensure it provides an innovative approach to showcasing First American heritage and culture.

The relocated Exhibit C Gallery is part of the new Horizons District along the downtown riverfront shores. The FAM and the upcoming OKANA will be the anchor attractions for the new district. The resort, set to open in early 2025, will include a 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon, a 12,000-square-foot family entertainment center, 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, retail outlets and restaurants, 39,000 square feet of conference center space, a spa and 1,500-seat amphitheater.

Exhibit C Gallery is expected to relocate in 2025. The location in Bricktown Oklahoma City will close upon relocation. For more information on Exhibit C Gallery, visit www.ExhibitCGallery.com.

###

About Exhibit C Gallery

Exhibit C Gallery, Oklahoma City’s premier First American art gallery, is currently located in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district. Proudly owned by the Chickasaw Nation, Exhibit C Gallery showcases a variety of art mediums from First American artists living around the world. Exhibit C Gallery continues the vision of raising awareness of the many cultural experiences in Oklahoma set forth by Chickasaw Nation Governor, Bill Anoatubby. Exhibit C Gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. at 1 E. Sheridan, Oklahoma City. All art and retail located in Exhibit C Gallery are available for purchase.

About Horizons District

Horizons District is Oklahoma City’s newest District located southeast of Bricktown along the Oklahoma River just east of I-35 and south of I-40. The Horizons District is home to the First Americans Museum and OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark. The mission of the district is to create multifaceted and memorable experiences through moments

[Bellaboo]

OKANA just keeps getting better.

[Laramie]

The quality of exhibits will make this a 'must see' among museums in our city.

[goldenHurricane22]

Curious question based on the creation of Horizons District: is there an official procedure for declaring/recognizing an OKC district?

I ask because when I look at the VisitOKC website that lists districts, they don't include places like Wheeler, Farmers Market, Eastside, Britton, Historic Capitol Hill, etc., even when I can find press (granted, it may be published directly from said entity) that mentions these areas as districts. During my search, I even stumbled upon some articles talking about the attempts to make an Ironworks District (area west of downtown), which I hadn't even heard of before! So, is it more that those places haven't reached a level of fame/development to be considered official districts? Or is it more those places aren't going to be big tourist draws and so aren't going to be featured on an OKC tourist website?

Regardless, based on the level of backing for Horizons as a district, I have no doubt that this is going to be added to the VisitOKC and all other official press quickly.

[Pete]

[Laramie]

There is an enormous amount of land on the west side of the museum that hasn't even been touched.

South of the event lawn will be the aquarium. South of the waterpark is for future expansion. They want the garage, hotel, convention center and waterpark connected, which they are through covered walkways.

I'm sure they thought this through and they've hired expensive, internationally-known architecture and planning firms. I'll trust their judgment.

Thanks for the update picks, Pete

Could the MAPS 4 multipurpose stadium be constructed on that land or would it be close enough to
take advantage of OKANA garage parking--will the city need to build more infrastructure parking and
access roads to address the infrastructure support for the stadium.

[warreng88]

Not sure if this should go here or somewhere else, but it is by OKANA, so I thought this would make sense:

Designs for a MAPS 4-funded pedestrian bridge and low-water dam are progressing with a “bare bones” budget with cuts to include a proposed performance plaza.

Construction of the bridge, which will connect trails on the north shore to OKANA on the south shore, is set to begin next year with completion by the resort’s opening in January 2025.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...s/70767221007/

[Pete]

[jn1780]

There are hundreds of waterpark slide parts sitting beside the FAM parking lot. Surprised they didn't put a fence around them.

[Pete]

There are hundreds of waterpark slide parts sitting beside the FAM parking lot. Surprised they didn't put a fence around them.

[Pete]

The City just filed these with design review -- looks like the final design:

[jn1780]

Depending on what construction method is used. The river could look pretty sad while they build that bridge. They will have to drain the river and build a cofferdam to divert water away from the piers being constructed. Hopefully it will be a winter project?

[Pete]

Depending on what construction method is used. The river could look pretty sad while they build that bridge. They will have to drain the river and build a cofferdam to divert water away from the piers being constructed. Hopefully it will be a winter project?

The last published schedule showed them starting before the end of the year.

They would just need to drain the river from about where the hotel is to the bridge to the east, where there is an existing dam.

And I don't think it will need to be drained long. Pretty simple project.

[Pete]

[jccouger]

Pete have you heard anything in regards to how outside lighting of the Okana hotel will look? Any special LED/Neon displays facing the river similar to the boathouse district?

[Pete]

Pete have you heard anything in regards to how outside lighting of the Okana hotel will look? Any special LED/Neon displays facing the river similar to the boathouse district?

No, I haven't heard anything.

[Pete]

The City has already filed design plans for the river boat landing, so that is another project (along with the pedestrian bridge) that is on the fast track.

[Pete]

[Jake]

The construction vehicles really hit home for me how friggin massive the lagoon is.

[jn1780]

The lagoon is basically a pool. Does that make it the largest pool in Oklahoma?

[gopokes88]

Is there a reason we didn't just build a lock and dam system to connect bricktown canal to this?

[Snowman]

Is there a reason we didn't just build a lock and dam system to connect bricktown canal to this?

It was considered, but I think it was mostly cost. With the canal/river connection construction being part of MAPS, the funds had competition, there was also stairs and an elevator as options in what actually got built but did not get funding either. Plus there was only a fraction of what has been constructed along the river at the time of the decision was made and the resort was not even a concept that might happen, so potential traffic growth would have had a lot of speculation.

[gopokes88]

It was considered, but I think it was mostly cost. With it being part of MAPS, the funds had completion, plus there was a fraction of what is there now and currently under construction.

Hopefully one day!