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An interdisciplinary team from the University of Oklahoma recently received funding from Oklahoma Humanities, a non-profit organization in Oklahoma City. The funding will support a humanities-informed design experience in preparation for the Route 66 centennial in 2026. The project, Route 66 Placemaking Communities Retreat, will explore placemaking efforts for communities along the historic Mother Road.
The project will be led by Vanessa Morrison, interim director of the OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC), and Kimberly Marshall, faculty director of the OU Arts and Humanities Forum. The team will also receive support from Angela Person, Gibbs College director of research initiatives and strategic planning and associate professor of Architecture, and IQC staff members.
The team received this grant through the “Grants for Humanities Discussions” program, which provides funding for public projects that bring the humanities to life through community conversations. Their project aims to strengthen Route 66 visibility at the eastern and western Oklahoma borders. The team plans to create an inviting placemaking activation in Hydro, a rural town located along Route 66 that was once known for its plentiful well water supply and agriculture development.
They will also develop a living-museum experience at the Threatt Filling Station in Luther to bring visibility to this historic Black site. This gas station once acted as a refuge for Black travelers along the Mother Road in the early to mid-1900s. However, it is now listed as one of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In Spring 2024, the team will carry out site visits and retreat-style conversations in partnership with community members. During these site visits, they will conduct workshops that focus on how these places connect to regional and national narratives. The team will explore several topics with community members, including:
Perspectives elicited during these workshops will inform the community and design partnership with the IQC. Following the site visits and retreats, the IQC will prepare a public report with key takeaways, design concepts and placemaking recommendations.
This program is funded in part by Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.
Featured Image: The Threatt Filling Station in the 1980’s. Photo courtesy of Charles David Threatt of the Threatt Filling Station Foundation.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
