Bartlesville Exhibit Recreates Bruce Goff's Designs

Rick Wells, News On 6

BARTLESVILLE, Oklahoma -- There are lots of examples of the art and architecture of Bruce Goff around Oklahoma.

The Boston Avenue Methodist Church is one of them.

But the Price Tower in Bartlesville features an exhibit of Bruce Goff designs that were never built. It's an opportunity to imagine what might have been.

For eight years architect Bruce Goff lived and worked in Bartlesville's Price Tower. Now the Price Tower Art Center houses an exhibit of Bruce Goff projects that have either been demolished or were never built.

"The Viva Casino was designed for Las Vegas in 1961," said Scott Perkins. "Probably cutting edge in 1961. Would look fantastic in 2011."

Scott Perkins is the Price Tower Art Center Curator. He described it as sort of a "Y" shaped hotel casino building; larger at the top than at the bottom and built on three sort of egg shaped bases. It was never built primarily because of money.

You can also find Bruce Goff's design for the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

"You see a perspective from above of how the wings of the building are all arranged around a stake," Perkins said.

There is no explanation as to why the design wasn't chosen. Some of the unrealized designs were brought to life using computer animation.

The exhibit includes several of Bruce Goff's paintings as well as his conceptual designs. It's a collaboration involving the Price Tower and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum at OU.

"I think he was a visionary," Perkins said. "He did think ahead of his time, but his clients were always in the present not necessarily in the future."

The exhibit runs through May 1st at the Price Tower in Bartlesville.