Fordson Hotel (formerly 21c Museum Hotel)

[mkjeeves]

I'm going to Mary Eddy's tonight for a preview tasting and will try and take some good photos and certainly provide a full report.

I was there today and got a look at some of the art. There was a sign up saying no photography. Good luck to them making that stick.

[LakeEffect]

I was there today and got a look at some of the art. There was a sign up saying no photography. Good luck to them making that stick.

A permanent sign? Maybe they don't want photos taken until it's open?

[Pete]

I went to the dinner last night at Mary Eddy's.

Once were were seated they gave us a printed list of 'rules': No photography of the space or the food, no posting on social media, etc.

I had already taken a few pictures and lots of staff saw and nobody said anything. However, once I read the rules I didn't take any more.

The restaurant opens next Tuesday and the entire place was full.

In order to comply with their wishes I won't say much more and just post the one picture below but will say this place is a knockout with a large bar in the front (along Main Street) and then a larger still restaurant space to the south. Not sure if you can get the full menu at the bar, as we ate in the restaurant portion.

The outdoor patio between 21c and Jones Assembly won't be open for a while, as I was told. The hotel itself will officially open June 26th.

There is a separate entrance for the restaurant but the restrooms are in the hotel lobby, so I got to see some of that. It's all super cool and they have installed a lot of artwork already. The hotel and lobby actually feel more like an art gallery than anything else, and in that way it's completely unique versus any other type of hotel Still really, really bummed the rooftop is only for the private use of whoever rents the large suite up there. So, the public will be confined to the ground floor only, unless they have a room of course.

I'll wait until they open to give a detail review but it was all fantastic and we stayed for almost 3 hours, as the space is beautiful and the setting is warm and pleasant, even given the modern aesthetic.

This will be one of those places you'll not only want to hang out, but go for nice occasions or bring people you want to impress. Very big city feel.

We were seated in a banquette a the north end of the restaurant; the large casement windows on the east wall are to the left and straight out the back doors is the patio. Those doors are actually the accordion type that will allow the restaurant to be completely open to the patio.

They had a lot of those purple penguins around, as it is the 21c symbol and they chose purple for OKC's unique color. The staff all had purple penguin pins.

Super excited about this entire project and as of next Tuesday, you should be able to get in there for a drink, dinner or just a look around. Most the lobby area is still blocked off but you can get a feel for the place.

[mkjeeves]

Artist statement on Red Penguin, originally in the Venice Biennale before appearing at 21C in Louisville

About the Exhibition

“We have sought the origins of life in the earth’s oldest natural material, that is petroleum. A black, dense liquid disgorging from the warm womb of Mother Earth, and the natural repository of the planet’s entire history of organic life-forms, from its origins to the present day. We have studied the technique known as ‘cracking,’ which breaks up this natural magma into a series of synthetic, artificial derivative products. We have discovered plastic, the most modern and extraordinary element that any artist can manipulate.

We use objects and shapes in plastic that evoke or simulate nature, so as to reinstate petroleum’s ancient, primary forms of life and imagery. This means turning life back in its tracks, as a way of finding the poetical voice an sould of art in the material itself.”

— Cracking Art Group

Cracking Art Group was founded in 1993 by 7 artists: Alex Angi, Kicco, Renzo Nucara, Carlo Rizzeti, Omar Ronda, Marco Veronese and William Sweetlove. They have exhibited widely throughout Europe and first exhibited at 21c Museum in 2005. The Red Penguin sculptures that are exhibited throughout 21c were commissioned for a public art project at the 2005 Venice Biennale.

“The group has chosen to express itself in atypical fashion through irony. After all, is learning not best accomplished when it is fun?”
Cracking Art Group: Nascita di un’avanguardia. Milan: Mazzatta, 2005*

Manifesto for the Third Millennium

Biella, Italy, 30 May 1993
The Philosophical Project of Cracking Art Group

We want to change the codes for the art of the future.
Art is as important as our own life.
We are men of the present and want our work to interpret contemporary problems.
Art and life do not exist without a wholeness of nature.
Art and culture are the only possible saviours of the world and humanity.
We have chosen ‘Cracking’ for our work as it shows the molecular fission between natural and artificial.
Our elected material is ‘plastic’, containing the whole experience of the planet, natural / artificial, ancient / future, and in which we seek the archaic anthropological, vegetable and animal origins, in order to build a new kind of iconography.
We are enemies of hypocrisy, conspiracy and suspicion.
We fight for the defense of nature and man with all our force.
We want to leave behind a better world than the one we found.

* Cracking Art Group: Nascita di un’avanguardia. Milan: Mazzatta, 2005 is a comprehensive catalogue of Cracking Art Group up to 2005 and is available at the 21c Museum Shop.

http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/louis...s/red-penguin/

[_Cramer_]

Why all the secrecy? Is this just because they haven't fully opened yet?

[Pete]

I'm sure they just didn't want people blasting things out on social media because all this was just a walk-through and practice for their staff.

Also, the food and drink were completely free. My dinner for two before tip was almost $150, as we were encouraged to try all the courses, have two drinks each and desert.

[Ginkasa]

Is there a menu somewhere? 'Cause I sure can't find it.

[NWOKCGuy]

I'm sure they just didn't want people blasting things out on social media because all this was just a walk-through and practice for their staff.

Also, the food and drink were completely free. My dinner for two before tip was almost $150, as we were encouraged to try all the courses, have two drinks each and desert.

That's in line with Metro. Glad to hear its not going to price me out.

[Roger S]

I haven't had a chance to take a picture of the tree, when functioning yet, but the tree in front of Mary Eddy's puts out mist and looks like smoke is coming out of it.... Apparently today, while it was on, someone called the fire department and reported it being on fire.

[Dustin]

^lol

That's hilarious

[warreng88]

21c Museum Hotel opening Tuesday

By: Journal Record Staff June 2, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – 21c Museum Hotels will open its sixth property at 900 W. Main St. in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The hotel is in the 100-year-old Oklahoma City Ford Motor Co. Assembly Plant.

The museum hotel will offer have 14,000 square feet of contemporary art exhibition space open free of charge to the public, a 135-room boutique hotel and Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge, led by executive chef Jason Campbell.

The first 21c Museum Hotel opened in 2006 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Other 21c hotels are in Cincinnati, Ohio; Bentonville, Arkansas; Lexington, Kentucky; and Durham, North Carolina.

[edcrunk]

I heard there is a huge bourbon selection since it's owners are heirs to the Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort fortune. Woo Hoo!
However, I'm sad to see so many of my co-workers siphoned off.

[sooner88]

Looking over the menu, it looks like they're branching out from the typical steakhouse fare, which is refreshing. We have plenty of that, and it's smart of them to try something new. I'm really looking forward to trying that porchetta cooked on the rotisserie. Like mentioned, their wine and liquor menu is extensive (and very nice for the price point). I would expect this with the Hall's owning their own vineyard. Regardless, the entree price points will be accessible to anyone... I plan to try this out in the next week or two.

[Kemotblue]

Me and My GF we were driving home last night saw the light on the tower went to check to see if the hotel was open we saw the restauarant all lit up. Thinking it was a private event we snapped pictures of the outside and found it the restaurant and bar are open. The place is incredible it is partially open. What a game changer it will be and the tree was cool and will keep you cool. LOL

[Pete]

Very cool! I've been meaning to get some photos of that myself. Thanks.

Here is my original post about the artwork and artist; it's called Woozy Blossum:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.ph...356#post926356

[dankrutka]

Just curious, do you think they'll turn the mister off when the weather is below a certain temperature? It's a pretty cool, interactive work of art.

[ljbab728]

Steve's update with video on Tuesday's opening.

http://m.newsok.com/article/5502586

[edcrunk]

I was bored this morning and I took my daughter to 21c to check it out, but it doesn't open until 3 pm today.

[edcrunk]

Is this just a big piece of art?

[Pete]

^

Yes, it has moving panels that resemble an assembly line, as an homage to the cars that were once built in that building.

[edcrunk]

^

Yes, it has moving panels that resemble an assembly line, as an homage to the cars that were once built in that building.

That's awesome!

[Urbanized]

Went to the ribbon cutting yesterday, and all I can say is wow. It was another of those moments I've experienced in OKC in recent years where I felt like I must be in another city. Got to see the rooftop suite, other rooms, lots of really interesting art and spent more than a little time in the great Mary Eddy's space. What an amazing addition to OKC.

I had stayed in the Bentonville 21c on a recent ULI trip, and it was very nice, but this one is roughly 1000x better thanks to the adaptive re-use of an already incredible building. The hotel is better for the building,a and the building is better for the hotel. Really, really incredible together.

[Rover]

Totally agree. We should be proud it's here.

[dankrutka]

The rich and famous have a lot of better options while staying in OKC with the rooftop suite here in addition to the huge suite at Aloft.

[Urbanized]

The Rockstar Suite at Colcord is nothing to sneeze at either. Some great high-end/boutique rooms in this town at this point. That said, we still need a luxury property with a standard flag.