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The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma is pleased to announce the exhibition “Outré West: The American School of Architecture from Oklahoma to California,” meticulously curated by Gibbs faculty members Dr. Angela Person, Dr. Stephanie Pilat, and Marco Piscitelli. The exhibition also features significant contributions from faculty and students across the college and beyond. Hans Baldauf, Rachel Engler, Christopher Loofs and Amber Brown curated sections of the exhibition dedicated to the work of individual architects. This exhibition opened on August 22, 2024, at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.
Outré West delves into the creative journey of architects who were mentored in Oklahoma during the 1950s and 1960s under the direction of iconic figures like Bruce Goff and Herb Greene. These architects later transported their innovative approaches to California, significantly influencing its architectural landscape with projects ranging from the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to the Pavilion for Japanese Art in Los Angeles.
The exhibition features large-scale photographs, architectural models, and archival materials that illustrate the transformative impact these architects had on both Oklahoma and California’s built environments. It highlights how their education at the University of Oklahoma encouraged a break from conventional architectural canons, fostering a culture of innovation and creativity.
The curatorial team, led by Person, Pilat, and Piscitelli, has collaborated with a dynamic group of researchers and students to bring this exhibition to life. This includes full-scale installations of notable projects such as Mickey Muennig’s Big Sur studio and Violeta Autumn’s Cliff House, meticulously recreated by Gibbs students under the guidance of OU lecturer Ken Marold.
The exhibition was also made possible by OU Libraries and the American School archive, whose invaluable resources and support have been crucial in documenting and preserving the legacy of these iconic architects.
To learn more about the exhibition, please visit the Oklahoma Contemporary’s website.
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
