The American School Project Newsletter
January 2018
Dear friends,
 
As we begin 2018, we wanted to take a moment to reflect back on the ways in which the American School Project has evolved and grown in the last year and offer our sincere thanks to all of those who have supported this project. 
Above: OU alumnus Chayo Frank (center) with Erik Baker (left) and Hans Butzer (right).
We connected.

We visited with, interviewed and hosted a number of alumni and American School associates including Herb Greene, Donald MacDonald, Eddie Jones, Bart Prince, Brian Phillips, Takenobu Mohri, Carolyn Price, Mickey Muennig, John Hurtig, Joe and Etsuko Price, Chayo Frank, and others. We were encouraged by the insights and wisdom shared by this group of American School architects, patrons, and friends. 

I f you would like to connect with the American School team, click here .
Above: Matt Cook of OU Libraries tours a virtual reality model of Goff's Bavinger House.
Our team grew.

The idea for an American School exhibition started as a discussion among a few faculty and staff in the fall of 2016.  By the end of 2017, our team of collaborators grew to include over 30 faculty, staff and students across campus. From the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, to the OU Press and OU Libraries and Skyline Ink, we are fortunate to have support across the University of Oklahoma campus and beyond. We now have scholarly partners around the world as well; from Victoria, Canada, to Auburn, Alabama, and Rome, Italy. We are thankful for the dedication, expertise and enthusiasm of our team.

I f you would like to join the American School team, contact Stephanie Pilat here .
Above: A student views the American School exhibit in Gould Hall.  Caitlyn Epes/The Daily.
Our aspirations grew.

Over the course of 2017, the American School Project grew from a single exhibition into a series of installations and exhibitions in Gould Hall, during the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, and in Bizzell Memorial Library.  The first of these, designed by Dr. Tiziana Proietti and Professor Michael Hoffner, is open now in the living room of Gould Hall. This dazzling interactive installation invites you to engage the history of the American School.

We were grateful to be invited to author an installation during the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale. This installation will bring the American School to an audience of nearly 300,000 international designers and architecture aficionados. A team of students led by Dean Hans Butzer, Dr. Luca Guido and Prof. Michael Hoffner are busy working on the design and fabrication. Mark your calendars: the installation will be on view at Palazzo Bembo from May 25 - November 25, 2018. During the fall of 2018, the American School will be the focus of an installation in the main promenade of Bizzell Memorial Library at OU.

C lick here  to learn about recent American School activities.
Above:  American School Archive papers donated by Donald MacDonald.
The American School Archive was born.

Dean Luce of OU Libraries agreed to support the creation of an American School Archive within the OU Western History Collections. This support ensures that the incredible drawings, paintings, and documents donated to OU by our alumni and supporters, including Donald MacDonald,  Jim Gardner, Don Olsen, and the Henderson family, will be preserved, cared for and accessible to the public for years to come. We extend our thanks to Dean Luce, Matt Stock, Lina Ortega, Barb Laufersweiler, Rick Schultz and the team at OU Libraries for this critical support.

C lick here to learn more about the OU Western History Collections.
Above: Guests mingle during "An Evening at the Ledbetter House," a fundraising event for The American School Project.
Our support grew.

In 2017 the American School Project received our first foundation level gift from the Ross Group. Our alumni and supporters raised funds for the project over cocktails at the Ledbetter House hosted by FJJMA Director Mark White. OU Provost Kyle Harper promised support for our installation at the Venice Architecture Bienniale and our team was awarded three grants to support the American School Project.

I f you would like to support the American School Project, contact Erik Baker here .
We're incredibly excited about all that 2018 will bring for The American School Project, and we look forward to providing updates all along the way.

Kind regards,
Stephanie Pilat
Director, Division of Architecture
Gibbs College of Architecture
The University of Oklahoma
The American School Project is led by the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.