39 top left Archi tectural rendering of the Postal Plaza Gal lery left During a private event where plans for the gal lery were unvei led, attendees could view renderings of what was to come for the former post off ice bui lding. right The bui lding on Husband Street, a few blocks south of Sixth Street, was bui l t 80 years ago as part of the WPA. “About a decade ago, the library loaned us storage for six months,” she says. “That turned into 10 years. That was lucky for us and probably unlucky for the library.” But before the collection can be transported to the new facility, the 1930sera building must undergo a facelift. Originally built as the city’s post office by the Works Progress Administration, the building has gone through many different purposes, most recently serving as office space. Even through decades of wear and tear, Crauder says the building has endured with a strong core. “It’s a marvelously solid structure,” he says. “And it’s not a generic building — it’s a classic building in itself.” The building needs few changes aside from knocking down walls that were added in the 1960s and updating the plumbing and other essentials. In fact, Siddons says, the architects are focusing on the uniqueness of the structure. “The building itself is a work of art and something that was really thought through,” she says. The gallery will be a careful blending of the building’s history and its present, Siddons adds. Much of the building’s original ironwork and marble has been tied into the design of the art gallery. Additional lighting has been added to highlight special historical features such as an original cornice, Siddons says. A mural depicting the history of Payne County that was painted on a wall in the 1960s has also been incorporated within the building. Aside from the historical relevance and beauty of the building, Crauder says the space is a perfect fit for the university’s collection with 15,000 square feet of space. Although OSU eventually plans to have a museum on campus, Crauder says the gallery is a critical step in preserving and cataloguing pieces while also encouraging learning. “It’s so exciting because when we open the doors, people will say this is museum quality and that OSU really knows what it’s doing with artwork,” he says. “And they’ll be correct.” Even It’s a marvelously sol id structure. The bui lding i tsel f is a work of art and something that was real ly thought through.” — Bruce Crauder though the building will be separated for exhibits and storage, the entire building can serve as a classroom and teaching area, Siddons says. “Just having a space where students can work is huge,” she says. “It’s going to change the way we teach humanities.” And she personally understands the value of a student’s experience in the museum. In fact, Siddons once despised history as a student and initially went to college to major in physics. But while taking an art history class as a general education course, something sparked Siddons’ curiosity in the arts. “One of the first things they made us do was go to a museum, and it changed my life,” she says. “It was incredible (to know) these things are real, they’re right here, and we get to study them.” Now, she says she hopes the Postal Plaza Gallery will energize both OSU students and the Stillwater community. “I think it is a way that you can capture that excitement about discovery and research,” Siddons says. And with art donations to the university doubling during the year after the announcement of the museum, Siddons says she expects there to be a variety of pieces to encourage discovery. To keep the creative spark alive, the gallery will also feature new exhibitions regularly. For now, Siddons says she is excited to share some of OSU’s best-kept secrets.“You can talk about art by looking at a PowerPoint, or you can talk about art while it is right in front of you, and how exciting is that?”
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