The State
Justice Steven W. Taylor. “The Oklahoma Judicial Center now stands as a public and physical symbol of judicial independence. This building is dedicated solely to the Oklahoma court system and the administration of justice. “…This building was designed to be a museum, and it is now the center of the judicial branch of government, but the building still stands in service to the public. It is not in disrepair, and most important, it has not been the victim of a wrecking ball. It is a great building with a new life,” Taylor says. Blackburn shares a similar perspective. “For more than 30 years, I have witnessed many efforts to collect, preserve and share Oklahoma history,” he says. “The adaptive conversion of the Oklahoma Historical Society into the Oklahoma Judicial Center, followed by the creative display of art reflecting our shared history, will always stand out as one of the most remarkable.
“The building itself is a piece of art that has been treated with respect. The neo-classical structure is still a picture of symmetry, with massive columns and limestone details that reflect the brilliance of ancient Greek culture,” Blackburn continues. The judicial center retains the building’s original marble floors, hardwood features and priceless wall murals painted by the famed Kiowa Six artists. “The additions and alterations blend seamlessly with the original fabric of the building,” Blackburn says. “The additions are sympathetic to the historic nature of the building and add a new level of function without compromising form.” Kauger says the renovation has enhanced the integrity of the state’s high court system. “For the first time, citizens can actually see the third branch of government at the Capitol complex. Judges and court clerks now have a place to meet,” she says. “We were scattered over the city. Some of the justices’ clerks were in the Capitol basement. Our administrative offices were in another building. Now, we are all able to work together.” The rebirth of the building was documented in images by Dr. Neil Chapman, a now-retired professor from California, who toured the Capitol in 2009. Documenting the renovation and center’s art collection became a compelling photo project. “Art is the soul of our cultural past,” Chapman says. “The judicial center building is not just stone and grout. The renovation design reflects a respect for the traditional past – preservation with a thoughtful integration of the future. I was acutely aware I was participating in a historical moment.” Kauger says she hopes the judicial center’s transformation marks a trend in Oklahoma’s preservation story. To her, the center is a significant gathering place. “This was always destined to be the supreme court’s building,” she says. “More than that, it is the people’s building.”
BOTANIC GARDEN MOVES FORWARD
Work on the first of several gardens planned for the long-anticipated Tulsa Botanic Garden is set to begin this month. The construction moves ahead following a successful first phase of fundraising to see the long-term project to completion. “We’ve been working quietly and behind the scenes for the prep work,” says Lori Hutson, communications and programs director for the Tulsa Botanic Garden. The organization is 14 months into a three-year fundraising campaign to bring in $17 million. Already, the campaign has brought in $10 million, which will fund work on the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Floral Terraces, a four-acre garden of ornamental plants; the Children’s Discovery Garden, a learning garden for families; the lotus pool, which will feature assorted water plants; and the All-Seasons Garden, which will include plants with year-round appeal. The developing Tulsa Botanic Garden sits on a portion of 170 acres of donated land in the Osage Hills northwest of downtown Tulsa. A RENDERING OF THE A.R. AND MARYLOUISE TANDY The project first saw widespread FLORAL TERRACES. attention as the Oklahoma CentenIMAGE COURTESY TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN. nial Botanical Garden, which was awarded $2.2 million by the
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2014
M.J. VAN DEVENTER
Oklahoma Centennial Commission in 2006. Coupled with a $1 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration received in 2010, the funding has covered much of the cost for necessary infrastructure – including a road and extension of city utility services. The money was also used to pay for construction of the seven-acre lake anchoring the gardens along with an operations facility. Since the master plan was revealed in 2012, several updates have been made, including tying all the tended gardens around the lake, which will allow about 100 acres of natural growth and untouched cross timbers in the garden to be more contiguous, Hutson says. “It’s the same project, it’s just evolved,” she says. “We changed our name last year from Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden to Tulsa Botanic Garden, and that was really just to make it easier to represent who we are and what we are.” Groundbreaking on the floral terraces is scheduled for Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. Officials anticipate that feature to open in the fall of 2015. Work on the Children’s Discovery Garden is anticipated to begin next spring, while construction for the lotus pond and adjacent all-seasons garden should begin in 2016. The entire project is on a 25-year plan for completion. For more about the Tulsa Botanic Garden or to visit it, go to www.tulsabotanic.org. – Karen Shade