The Dance Begins
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art
Friday, March 28, 2008
Biloxi, Mississippi—The rebuilding celebration called “The Dance Begins” will be Open to the Public and free of charge on Saturday morning, December 1, at the construction site for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi beginning at 10 a.m. The event will be held rain or shine. Any number of activities are under way that mark the return of the museum to the neighborhood of East Biloxi, as well as the building of great architecture marking the museum as a landmark for the Gulf Coast:
The rebuilding of the “Ohr Pods”, a four-gallery pavilion that is part of the five-building campus designed by famed architect Frank Gehry; the first step of the pods are their aluminum structure in the shape of the buildings that eventually will be clad in stainless steel. Contemporary in style, the five buildings were a nod by Gehry to the pre-Katrina architecture of Biloxi and were designed, as the architect predicted, to “dance with the trees’, the ancient Live oaks still standing on the site.
- Rebuilding of phase I of the campus; the Board of Trustees will open bids in January for the campus and determine at that time how many structures can be built in the first phase.
- Rebuilding of the Pleasant Reed house as the Pleasant Reed Interpretive Center. The house, a home built in 1887 by former slave Mr. Reed, will be reconstructed as a replica with an emphasis on African American culture and history of the Gulf Coast region. The original house, donated by Delta Sigma Theta, was swept away in Katrina but archives were saved. The Reed House was a side hall cottage design.
- Restoration of the historic Creel House, donated to the museum after Katrina by Key Largo Holdings. The House, built circa 1895, is a Biloxi cottage moved across the street from the museum campus from Reynoir Street.
(Historic Creel House)
The celebration includes great local food, including pusharatas by the Slavonian Ladies and pastries from the popular Vietnamese-American owned Le Bakery, as well as winners of an art and poetry competition from coastal schools and a performance by the Gulf Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra. Tours of the “Ohr Pods”—the George Ohr gallery pavilion, which will be completed by Christmas—will be guided by museum Docents and interns from Guild Hardy Architects. The Center for Ceramics stage will feature the Youth Orchestra, joined by area potters at the wheel. The event for the public begins at 10 a.m. Parking is at Lady Luck and Biloxi Yacht Club parking lots, both on Highway 90. Kuhn Street from 90 to Meaut will be closed for the morning only.
Information about special guests for the rebuilding events are still coming in, but to date includes:
Brian Zamora, Project Architect with Gehry Partners
Speakers include:
Harold Closter, Executive Director of the Smithsonian Affiliations program
Mayor A.J. Holloway of Biloxi
Ricky Mathews, Publisher, The Sun Herald.
Lucimarian Roberts will give the invocation, Ronny Broussard will sing the National Anthem, and the 81st Training Wing of Keesler Air Force Base will present the colors.
Judy Steckler is Chairman of the event.
The ceremony will be hosted by Larry Clark, President, Board of Trustees.
Among those coming are Jerry O’Keefe, a founding benefactor of the museum, and Marty Shack, a famed Ohr pottery collector who in 2000 donated the five-foot Urn, made by Ohr, to the museum. There will be special appearances by George Ohr, thanks to Joel Germany of Biloxi Little Theatre, and by Pleasant Reed, thanks to Delta Sigma Theta and museum Docent Ike Edwards.
(Pleasant Reed)
Other activities will include the unveiling of the 2008 phone book cover, which features the design of the Center for Ceramics, and a large presentation of donated azaleas by Encore Azalea of Loxley, Alabama. Sponsors of the event include: AT&T, Guild Hardy Architects, Beau Rivage and Tradition.
Parking is off Highway 90 at the Lady Luck lot and at the Biloxi Yacht Club. Entrance to the construction site is on foot on Meaut Street at the north entrance; there is availability of handicapped accessibility on site.
A transitional location of the museum is at 1596 Glenn Swetman St. in Biloxi and is open with free admission Mon-Fri 9-4:30 and
Sat 10-2.
For more information, see www.georgeohr.org or call 228.374.5547.
