Brady District

[Red Arrow]

Great news on the Pop Museum, and I noticed the tower going up on the way to Stillwater today.

What's with the Stillwater trip?  I thought you were mercilessly trapped in Bixby.   

[Teatownclown]

Sorry, but I don't get the pop museum theme thing. Is there government money involved?

The distinguishing fact about Woody, besides being an icon, is the archives are so fat.


Pop music? http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/12-extremely-disappointing-facts-about-popular-mus

Pop goes the weasels....

[ZYX]

What's with the Stillwater trip?  I thought you were mercilessly trapped in Bixby.   

Well, not always, but most of the time anyways! No, Stillwater is like a second home to me. I have a lot of family there and I'm actually in Stillwater quite often.

[Truman]

It is very nice to see that Tulsa is now actively pursuing things like the "Guthrie Museum".

Not that long ago, the City, along with the Tulsa Metro Chamber, were prepared to stand by and watch as the "Beryl Ford Collection" made it's way to OKC.

If not for the Rotary Club it would now be calling OKC it's home.

[Red Arrow]

It is very nice to see that Tulsa is now actively pursuing things like the "Guthrie Museum".
Not that long ago, the City, along with the Tulsa Metro Chamber, were prepared to stand by and watch as the "Beryl Ford Collection" made it's way to OKC.
If not for the Rotary Club it would now be calling OKC it's home.

Is there something similar to the "Beryl Ford Collection" from OKC that we could try to grab?  Would we really want it if we got it?

[DTowner]

What I've heard around from some high ups is that they are moving ahead with planning for the OK Pops even if the money doesn't come from the legislator. I've seen a survey crew taking picture of the area around me and the BOK lot it is planned for.

While any forward movement on the OK Pop Museum is great, it will be very frustrating if we cannot get any state support for this museum and local philanthropists must step in the breach to completely fund.

[Teatownclown]

While any forward movement on the OK Pop Museum is great, it will be very frustrating if we cannot get any state support for this museum and local philanthropists must step in the breach to completely fund.

Again, there's a major "breach" in thinking here....The Woody archives are Smithsonian material....the pop museum more like Nascar

[TheArtist]

Again, there's a major "breach" in thinking here....The Woody archives are Smithsonian material....the pop museum more like Nascar

I don't think so since even Woody Guthrie could have been included in the OK Pop Museum.  The original plan, and I hope thats the one they persue, was to have all Oklahomans and their works that had an influence on our nation and the worlds culture represented in the museum.  And anything in and about Oklahoma itself that had an influence.

From authors of books and comics, TV and Movie Stars, Radio personalities, Athletes, Architects, Musicians, Famous Criminals, Singers, Composers, Astronats, news men, news makers, politicians, major corporations, etc. etc.  For such a small population and a young state we have had a big influence on our nation and its culture. The Oklahoma Pop museum would be a place to showcase that talent and influence, the influence that a lot of people, including those in Oklahoma often don't realize exists.  It would be a way of making Oklahomans proud of their heritage and hopefully inspire young Oklahomans to reach for the stars.   

SE Hinton and the Outsidets, the Grapes of Wrath, Will Rogers, Woodie Guthrie, Paul Harvey, Chester Gould (creator of Dick Tracey) Archie Godwin (Archie Comics) The quotes of Waite Philips, Pretty Boy Floyd, Belle Star, J Paul Getty, Geronimo, Tom Mix, Bill Moyers, Wiley Post, Bob Wills, Conway Twitty, Roy Clark ( and more musicians than you can shake a stick at) Gene Autry, "Hopalong Cassidy", Joan Crawford, John Hope Franklin,,,, the list of famous people, places and things that have impacted the nation and impacted its culture is long.   

[RecycleMichael]

I agree with the artist here.

Woody is ultra-cool, but you don't have to be snobby about it.

Pop music isn't for you, teatownclown. I ain't their demographic either. But Pop music is incredibly popular. My nine year old daughter and my 95 year old grandmother both like Katie Perry. A museum for Pop music will be great for Tulsa and will be a nice mix for the soon to be coolest neighborhood in Tulsa.   

[Teatownclown]

I agree with the artist here.

Woody is ultra-cool, but you don't have to be snobby about it.

Pop music isn't for you, teatownclown. I ain't their demographic either. But Pop music is incredibly popular. My nine year old daughter and my 95 year old grandmother both like Katie Perry. A museum for Pop music will be great for Tulsa and will be a nice mix for the soon to be coolest neighborhood in Tulsa.   

It does nothing for an arts district having a pop museum or a Bob Wills Museum....this area is not the tourist trap area of downtown....the Blue Dome/Areama area is for those pedestrians.

Can we please refrain from 1) what other cities do 2) beauty contests 3) what is hip for the moment.

Sorry Mister America, but Woody was never about ultra-cool and do you really think it's snobbish to go for quality rather than quantity?

Didn't see my link?

[dbacks fan]

What's the matter TTAC? Aunt Flo come early this month?

[jacobi]

The clown is right about the archives being smithsonian quality.  He us incorrect in thinking that they are going to he in the pop museum.  They will be in the Mathews warehouse across the street.  The are smithsonian quality so ... What are you complaining about?  There will be something truly legit and interesting (in a non-touristy kind of way) I don't think that us something to grumble about.

TTC (also the name of a killer French rap group) raises an interesting question: should we aim for just bringing in tourist dollars or for promoting an actual arts district?  Personally, I think the elements that make the Brady an arts district are already in place (Tulsa violin, the glass blowing studio, Boston artists coalition, even Hanson). 

To return this thread to a sort of Brady centered nature, I have my own question,  the Bradyhas had alot of development going on but (seems to) be running out of places to develop.  What does everyone think is next for this part of downtown?

[TheArtist]

 I would like to see both an authentic arts district and "tourist trap" and that includes locals doing the tourism thing in their own town.  There will be a lot of arts related things in the Brady District and nearby that will in aggregate make a nice tourist destination even without the OK Pop.  And lets remember we get a lot of tourists through Tulsa as it is, and I am seeing more of that on the few days I have been at the tiny little Tulsa Art Deco Museum we are working on.  There are a lot of people who come through Tulsa specifically to see the Art Deco and Route 66, and we arent making the money or promoting it like we should be imo.  Just this last Wednesday when I was there was chatting with some people from Toronto and Singapor who had a Downtown Tulsa map and were asking about the Art Deco. I really enjoyed chatting with them and explaining the history of Tulsa and explaining what Deco is.  The more things we have, including in the Brady, for these people to see and for us to promote, the more likely they will stay a little longer, and the more likely more people will come.

The TU Gilcrease collection in the Brady will be another nice attraction along with the Philbrook expansion. The Arts and Humanities facility will have some nice synergies in the area.  There is still work going on to create a large GeoScience center, Childrens Museum, Cains Museum and Fiddler Hall of Fame, the Jazz Depot is right across the way, and there are more possible attractions being worked on.  I am with a group of these people on a Museum Coalition project in which we hope to band together these different efforts and "coming attractions" in the downtown area in order to maximize and coordinate events, exhibitions, publicity and fundraising efforts to indeed create a full on regional destination.  I know we are just small fry and just starting out, but I of course have big dreams for the Tulsa Art Deco Museum and hope to really capitalize on Tulsas Art Deco heritage.  There are millions of people all over the world that love deco and the deco era that we should and could be pulling into Tulsa.  As long as I am still breathing, I intend to do just that.

[ZYX]

I don't think that the OK Pop Museum would seem like a cheesy tourist attraction. I actually think it would further enhance the area and solidify its identity as an arts district. Where would be the more logical place to put a Popular Culture museum than in the middle of our arts district?

Agreeing with Will, if we are able to build more museums downtown, as well as develop a awesome urban scene, we could become a regional attraction. We could have people coming in from OKC, NW Arkansas, Joplin, Wichita, etc. to see our downtown. If we made it special enought, we could attract people from Dallas, Little Rock, and Kansas City. Possibly even further. I think you can make a really cool area, and still attract tourists. If museums and such are added tastefully, and create synergy with each other, I think they have the potential to actually increase the quality of life for locals.

As far as what I see as the future of Brady.....well I expect more housing, and hopefully more things that make it stand out as being an arts district. So far I think it has definitely earned that identity.

[jacobi]

I'm inclined to agree with both the artist and xyz ( science museum makes me very excited!). What I mean is it seems we are saturated on current projects.  If the Brady is going to really expand beyond what it is there will have to be some serous new projects to eat up open space (nw corner of main and cameron, mexicali and spag house parking lots, disused comercial space close to the cans). These are the projects I read the newspaper for and heck it's what i joined TNF for (I mean, who gives a smile that Gaspar doesn't like Obama, really?). That's what I mean when I ask about the future of this favorite district or mine.