Tulsa ART-DECO Museum?

[TheArtist]

Honestly William, what might be an interesting idea is to try and piggy back on the next remodel project.  When someone remodels the next old building downtown try to claim a corner of the ground floor with grant money.  It would be mutually beneficial for the owner of the building to have a museum in there to attract a cafe and to add class to the address.   Not sure how well it would fly, but an interesting idea anyway . . .  maybe rent the space at a reduced rate, have it donated, or paid by the grant or some foundation or the cities visitor center.

Just another thought I guess . . .

Good idea, I still want to get with Ken Busby and pick his brain for a while,  and could find out who the people are in town who have been working with the Kanbar folks to help them with historic preservation/grant money type stuff. Every idea is worth looking into, will put it on my list.

[TheArtist]

I have some extra cardboard boxes. I could even tape them together for you. 

You would be amazed what I can do with a little stuccoe and some paint. 

[TheArtist]

  I am going to make it official.  Our first meeting to throw out ideas and talk about how we can get an Art-Deco Museum going in Tulsa will be...

Wednesday the 10th 6:00, at Joe Mommas Pizza downtown.

Also, if anyone wants to be on a mailing list to be kept "in the loop" on this project, send me a message on here. 

[sgrizzle]

Meeting still on?

[godboko71]

Ok, going to be "that guy." Well maybe anyway...

Has a foundation been set up yet? The reason I ask, is if you're going to be doing fundraisers, talking to land owners, and setting up meetings, its best to have a legal entity set up.

What research has been done on costs to run this museum? Including but not limited to staffing costs, art buying, warehousing, show room/floor space, marketing, and so on.

What is the long term goal of this museum, its mission so to speak?

Who is welcome to the early meetings?

I am sure I have more questions but will start with this little group.

No I lied, is this museum only about the architecture Art Deco style or will it include all forms of art deco?

[TheArtist]

  I am going to go ahead and say the meeting is on. I was thinking of postponing because I have gotten a lot of input already that I need to follow up on, meetings I need to set up, etc.  However, I would still like to just get together with anyone who is interested and simply brainstorm about possibilities.

Speaking of which, I couldnt sleep one night, couldnt for the life of me stop thinking about the museum, and tossed and turned, then about 5 in the morning had a series of "inspirational moments" lol. I will lay out my utterly brilliant ideas at the meeting tommorrow. 

[TheArtist]

Ok, going to be "that guy." Well maybe anyway...

Has a foundation been set up yet? The reason I ask, is if you're going to be doing fundraisers, talking to land owners, and setting up meetings, its best to have a legal entity set up.

What research has been done on costs to run this museum? Including but not limited to staffing costs, art buying, warehousing, show room/floor space, marketing, and so on.

What is the long term goal of this museum, its mission so to speak?

Who is welcome to the early meetings?

I am sure I have more questions but will start with this little group.

No I lied, is this museum only about the architecture Art Deco style or will it include all forms of art deco?

I am setting up meetings with people who will help me get the 501 3c thing going and advice on some other issues. Yes that has to be done before the fundraisers get going. We will also need a few people to volunteer to be on a board, etc.

Right now things are at the earliest possible stages. There is a lot to be done and I want to do a lot of the basic groundwork, get a list of "things that need to be done",,, heck, find out what needs to be done lol. I have already heard some interesting ideas and advice from people. Unfortunately this week is a packed week for me and next I will be in Florida, so wont really be able to do much until the final week of this month. But I will set the goal of having the 501 3c thing set up at next months meeting. Plus want to start collecting a list of emails from people who are interested in helping out, being involved in some way or another, or just want to be kept abreast of progress. Oh, and anyone is welcome to these first meetings. Will have formal board meetings once we have a board lol.

As for art buying and such,,, will need to visit with the Tulsa Historical Society and Philbrook to see how they do things. I am sure there has to be a process with rules set up. Definitely another item to put on my list of things to find out.

Yes we will need to write up a mission statement, the board will likely do that.

Cant really know how much the museum will cost, labor, etc. until we get the over all concept laid out for what we want to do and how we will do that. I hope to lay out a core concept at this next meeting. One interim idea someone has suggested is to get a space downtown and set up a couple of sample room displays which will give a bit of the feel for what the over all concept will be like. Kind of like the Rock and Roll display at the Oklahoma History Museum was a starting point from which the new Tulsa Pop Museum. It will give potential donors and others an idea of what we are wanting to do. And give us a "presence" to get things started, get some promotional things going.  Even a tiny deco museum presence downtown I am sure the city and others would love to have and start promoting right away. It can also be a place to start collecting stuff and building sets and props, etc.   

This first meeting is going to be very informal, think of it more as a happy hour to chat, meet people, and have a few drinks, do a little brainstorming, make some lists of things to do, ideas to look into, etc. Future meetings will be more substantive. 

Only about art deco architecture or all forms of art-deco?.... Come to the meeting and allow me to describe my vision. I really think people are going to be excited to hear what I have come up with, I can barely contain myself from not describing it right now lol. You will get the first descriptions at this meeting, then later I will have storyboards and such drawn up.

[godboko71]

Sounds exciting, hoping I can make it to the meeting!!

Thanks for taking the time to answer and I know how annoying I can be. To many questions.

[TheArtist]

The questions are much appreciated actually. I have never done anything like this before lol, so questions like yours help me make a list of "things to do".

Hope to see you all there tonight.

Beginning ideas for one of the dioramas that I would like to have as part of the museum tour.  From the classic 1927 movie, "Metropolis". 

[Hometown]

An Art Deco Museum for Tulsa makes more sense that the proposed Popular Culture museum idea that was recently announced. 

Word of caution:  Whoever funds the museum will control it.  And though you may shape and guide it, it won't belong to you.

Both making art and founding a museum take major commitments and one or the other may suffer because of your attention to the other.

When I was in Dallas last year I stopped by a gallery I used to direct.  I was surprised to find that a series of exhibitions that I started in 1980 still continues to this day.  Two new artists every month for the past twenty-nine years have been able to exhibit their work because of this series.  That is just short of 700 artists have had exhibitions because I converted two storage spaces in an already established gallery into additional exhibition spaces.

When you get older you start thinking about your legacy and what you are going to leave behind when you die and so far nothing has given me more satisfaction than knowing that my brainstorm resulted in hundreds of artists being able to show their artwork.

Good luck with your project Artist.  Pick your funding sources carefully.  Whoever pays the bills will be your boss.  You're a Taurus so you have the political skill and the inner grit necessary to make this happen.  Goodbye life, hello legacy.

[Conan71]

William, I'm going to try very hard to make the meeting.  I may be sealing my concrete floors tonight, just depends on whether or not all the stain is dry after work.  I'm very much a supporter of your idea, my obvious first priority right now is to finish my house so I have a place to live that doesn't resemble 1980's Beirut.

I know, I'm such a self-centered SOB. 

[mr.jaynes]

The questions are much appreciated actually. I have never done anything like this before lol, so questions like yours help me make a list of "things to do".

Hope to see you all there tonight.

Beginning ideas for one of the dioramas that I would like to have as part of the museum tour.  From the classic 1927 movie, "Metropolis". 

Perfect! This does look like a great idea, William!

[TheArtist]

  I want to thank everyone that showed up. We had a very good crowd and I really appreciate all the input and ideas. I now have a LOT of things to follow up on lol. It is becoming quite obvious that there are a lot of Tulsa Deco treasures around that different people and groups have collected; architectural elements from lost buildings, photos, drawings/renderings and blueprints, documents, advertisements, furniture, fixtures, etc. Its about time all these scattered pieces and collections had a single place to come home to thats dedicated to our Art-Deco heritage.

I would write more but its been a looong day and I am worn out. Thanks again to everyone for all the great ideas and help in getting our Art-Deco museum going.

[Conan71]

I can't believe this has not been done before, we have such a rich art-deco history in Tulsa.  I was very impressed not only with the turn out but the quality of people we attracted in the way of resources and ideas.  I'm really looking forward to being involved.

[TheArtist]

Here I want to lay out the first rough drafts for one of the central features of the envisioned museum. I want it to be an immersive, walk through or ride through experience. Very much like something you would see at Epcot in Disney World. You would move through each different diorama and it would either have an automatic narrator, perhaps earphones, or a live guide. Those kinds of details will be worked out later and depending on budgets lol. Each area you enter would be a completely different exhibit related to the world of deco. Will have to come up with a name for this "tour". Ideas are welcome.  

But here is how it starts....

1.    THE BEGINNING

At the entrance/gathering area for this tour part of the museum would be artifacts and descriptions of the earliest beginnings of Deco. There were hints of it in the late 1800s and it pulled from lots of different artistic and cultural heritages. Basically, how deco came about...

2.   PARIS EXHIBITION 1925

The first diorama you would move into would be a city street in Paris with mock-ups of the Paris exhibition which is oft hailed as being the event which showed art-deco as a mature, full fledged style/art form. ceiling would look like sky, Eiffel tower off in the distance, music playing, narrator describing what you were seeing, figures wearing the style of the day, video screens showing Paris at that time, etc.... Something would be said about Deco spreading around the world, then you would move into....

3.  TULSA the BOOM YEARS

Here you would enter a Tulsa street scene during the oil boom when much of our deco buildings were being built. You would hear jackhammers and "construction noises", see store fronts with goods of the day displayed, the steel skeleton of a skyscraper going up, etc. The narrator would tell interesting tidbits about Tulsa during that time, and so forth.  From the hubub of the streets we would then move into....

4.  THE HOME

This would be a chance to show how Deco could either be "dressed down", very humble and simple, or "dressed up" and over the top. On your left you would see the interior of an average home; Bedroom, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen. Then on your right a glamorous, over the top home with the finest of everything, muraled and marbled walls, elegant chandeliers, etc. From the home we would move to...

5. WORK/ INDUSTRY/ TECHNOLOGY

This could show a collage of some of the grand building projects of the deco era like the Hoover Dam. Collage as in each thing would be a 3-D model but having lots of different things jumbled together in a fun way. From work to...

6.  ENTERTAINMENT

This room would be dark, on one side would be a mock-up of the front of grand Deco Style movie theater. Just the front entrance/ticket booth/canopy as kind of an arch for the rest of the building wouldn't be there but would be open to the inside of the movie theater behind. Then on the right something similar showing a Jazz Club during the prohibition era, with a stage, a singer and a band, music playing, "people" sitting around at tables.  Then into...

7.  THE FUTURE METROPOLIS

Here you would enter a set mock-up of the city in the movie "Metropolis" at night. Buildings on either side of you, lines of airplanes flying through the city, spotlights piercing the night sky, zeppelins,.. Then you would enter the mad scientists lair where Maria was being turned into the "False Maria" robot. This could be a fun diorama lol. Then onto a collage of other visions of the future and sci-fi/pop culture of the day. Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon...

9.  ART-DECO TODAY

This would show how deco is still alive and its style and sensibilities influencing art and architecture today.


Then you would move into the rest of the Museum with more traditional exhibits. The Tulsa Room where we could collect and display the different historic artifacts that are held by different groups and individuals. Would be nice to have a lot of these objects finally displayed and in one space. May have a miniature model of downtown. We could also have a fine arts room. Some more interactive stuff, perhaps a room with a stage and a silly, step by step, how to movie, that would show you how to do some of the dances of the day. An area where you could dress up, stand in front of some sort of fun prop and have your picture taken. A Deco Cafe, Gift Shop, etc.  

But anyway, that's just a brief, first off, description of the kind of thing I am envisioning for the museum. I want it to be both entertaining and educational. We would likely get a small space first and have only part of a couple of the dioramas and displays set up to show how the vision could be executed.  This would give us a "presence" and be a first step to getting good attention and publicity, and that ever important funding lol. We got a lot of good ideas last night in the meeting on this aspect.