Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
Architecture Design Studio students at the Visual Arts exhibition
Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts introduced an architectural studio framework that positioned the existing building as both subject and catalyst for design education. Rather than beginning with a blank canvas, students were immersed in the history, materiality, and lived realities of the building, critically analyzing it architecturally, functionally, and spatially before moving into the design phase. Engaging with the building and its users, which was especially meaningful since those users were their own art school contemporaries, provided a rich springboard for design work. By situating their projects within the constraints and opportunities of an existing structure, students broke free of stylistic dependencies formed in earlier studios, arriving instead at unexpected and surprising design solutions.
Projects exhibited at Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts
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.
