Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

ARTS CENTER / ART SCHOOL
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
2010–2020

Oklahoma Contemporary encourages artistic expression in all its forms. It is a place for artists to come together and exchange ideas, for friends and families to spend quality time, and for individuals to grow personally and professionally. The Arts Center and Studio School are now serving a second generation of Oklahomans on their new campus in Midtown. The non-collecting museum, a design titled Folding Light, will has 8,000 sq. ft. of gallery space, a public art lounge, a black box theater, a light-filled dance studio, early childhood classrooms, and a new media lab. An adjacent industrial building has been refurbished to house studios for ceramics, fiber arts, and sculpture.

Amy led the development of the original Institutional Plan and was hired a second time as planning advanced toward construction. Her work included updating the vision and plan, specifically:

• Reengaging Board and staff to assess progress and guide leadership from the planning phase into the construction and implementation phase;

• Conceptualizing and planning the Studio School, a new element on the expanded campus;

• Updating the Market Analysis and Audience Research, including the existing cultural context; relevant data on residents, tourists, and downtown development; interviews with key opinion leaders; stakeholder workshops; and a survey of OKC’s cultural consumers;

• Creating a seven-year Business Plan that reflects new assumptions and investments in fundraising;

• Supporting senior staff in the development of integrated departmental plans, and developing an Implementation Plan to guide the transition through opening day; and

• Collaborating with the President and Board members to onboard the new Executive Director and evaluate readiness for opening in 2020.