“Passing,” an exhibit by OU architecture student Ryan Godfrey, is now on display in the main hall of the Bizzell Memorial Library. This display focuses on three homes built between 1938-1951 that encapsulate different ways that buildings can be qualified as queer spaces. The exhibit also provides reading recommendations for those interested in the intersection of architecture, gender, and sexual identity.
Although this exhibit centers around three homes, it has a much deeper meaning. Godfrey wanted to showcase how much has changed since this topic was first discussed in academia in the 1990’s. Over the past 30 years, representation and understanding of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has progressed greatly.
“2SLGBTQIA+ rights are in danger at the moment. Meanwhile, OU, a public university in a red state, has the word 'queer' in 600pt font in the main hall of its library. An exhibit that celebrates a few queer people and houses, before it was legal, and showcases how queer people don’t disappear because of laws is powerful to me,” said Godfrey.
During the creation process, Godfrey worked with Gibbs faculty Dr. Wanda Liebermann and Marco Piscitelli, as well as Exhibits Coordinator James Burnes and faculty of the OU Library. According to Godfrey, “a lot of love and care went into this exhibit, from the descriptions to the laser-cut letters.”
This exhibit will run until the end of the spring 2023 semester. Head over to the Bizzell Memorial Library to check out Godfrey’s project and learn more about queer spaces.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
