Bob Dylan Center to Open in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 10, 2022
May 11, 2021
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, May 12, 2021 — Olson Kundig is pleased to share that the new Bob Dylan Center will open on May 10, 2022, welcoming visitors from around the world to access and interact with the exclusive cultural treasures found in The Bob Dylan Archive®. Led by design principal Alan Maskin, Olson Kundig is architect and exhibit designer for the new museum, which will be located in Tulsa’s burgeoning arts district just steps from the city’s renowned Woody Guthrie Center®.
Dedicated to the study and appreciation of Bob Dylan and his worldwide cultural significance, the Center will serve as the primary public venue for The Bob Dylan Archive®, a collection of more than 100,000 items spanning nearly 60 years of Dylan’s career, from handwritten manuscripts, notebooks and correspondence, to films, videos, artwork, memorabilia and original studio recordings. The Center will be a dynamic, multifaceted venue, housing permanent, temporary and traveling exhibitions readily accessible by artists, historians, musicologists and the general public seeking a deeper comprehension of Dylan’s work, his influences and the offshoots inspired by his legacy.
“Olson Kundig is thrilled to lead the amazing design team creating the Bob Dylan Center, the new home for the Bob Dylan Archive,” shares design principal Alan Maskin. “The Bob Dylan Center will include immersive exhibit experiences with rarely seen artifacts that illustrate the creative trajectory of one of the world’s greatest and most prolific artists.”
The museum’s exhibits and highlights include:
- A large-scale façade mural depicting a rare 1965 image of Dylan, donated to the center by renowned photographer Jerry Schatzberg.
- An ever-evolving curated display of elements that illuminate the depth and breadth of the Bob Dylan Archive® collection.
- An immersive film experience that will initiate visitors through an innovative cascade of archival music and film, directed by renowned Dylan chronicler Jennifer Lebeau.
- A recreation of an authentic studio environment where visitors will experience what it was like to be present at one of Dylan’s historic recording sessions.
- The Columbia Records Gallery, which will provide an in-depth look at the creation, performance and production of timeless Dylan songs such as “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Chimes of Freedom.”
- A screening room that will showcase Dylan-related scripted films, documentaries and concert performances, including never-before-seen material unearthed from the Archive.
- A multimedia timeline of Dylan’s life from his early years in Minnesota through the present day, written by award-winning historian Sean Wilentz.
- The Parker Brothers Gallery, which will explore the creative process through the work of other innovative artists, in an initial exhibit curated by influential author Lewis Hyde.
59 Productions, world-leading specialists in design for stage and live events (including the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the record-breaking David Bowie is exhibition and the decor concept design for The Met Ball), is collaborating with Olson Kundig on the exhibition design and media development.
To celebrate this announcement, the Bob Dylan Center has shared a recently unearthed image of Bob Dylan on stage during his 1974 tour with The Band, taken by renowned photographer Barry Feinstein, as well as a previously unknown recording of Dylan performing “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” This recording was made by Milton (Mell) and Lillian Bailey, friends and early champions of the young Bob Dylan when he was a fixture in New York’s Greenwich Village folk scene. This version of the song features alternate lyrics and is the earliest known recording of the song that was eventually released in 1963 on The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Both the photograph and song are available for download, courtesy of The Bob Dylan Center®.
Founding Memberships in The Bob Dylan Center®, which include lifetime memberships to both the BDC and the Woody Guthrie Center as well as permanent recognition on the center’s donor wall, are available now at bobdylancenter.com. Annual memberships to The Bob Dylan Center® will become available later this year, including combined membership opportunities for both the BDC and its neighbor, the Woody Guthrie Center.
Both The Bob Dylan Center® and Woody Guthrie Center® operate under auspices of the American Song Archives, a project of the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF). GKFF acquired Dylan’s vast archives in 2016 and Guthrie’s in 2010.
Information regarding public admission to The Bob Dylan Center® will be released later this year.
About Olson Kundig
Now in its sixth decade of practice, Olson Kundig is a collaborative design practice whose work includes cultural and museum projects, exhibition design, commercial and mixed-use design (including wineries and sports facilities), private and multi-family residential, hospitality projects, places of worship, interior design, product design and landscape design. With deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, the firm and its staff of over 200 work with clients around the world. More information at olsonkundig.com.
About Alan Maskin
Alan Maskin is a principal and owner of Olson Kundig, where he leads an interdisciplinary team of architects, designers, visual artists and researchers. For almost three decades, Maskin has pursued unconventional design challenges in public places. In recent years, Maskin has won several international design competitions, including Fairy Tales 2016, the world’s largest architectural ideas competition. His built international portfolio includes museums, installations, exhibits, visitor-based destinations and urban park projects, and his current work includes a master plan and renovation of the Bay Area Discovery Museum, the new Bob Dylan Center and several narrative-based projects in South Korea.
About The Bob Dylan Center®
To be anchored by a permanent exhibit on the life and work of Bob Dylan, The Bob Dylan Center is committed to exploring the myriad forms of creativity that enrich the world around us. When it opens in the Tulsa Arts District in May 2022, the Center will serve to educate, motivate and inspire visitors to engage their own capacity as creators. Through exhibits, public programs, performances, lectures, and publications, The Center aims to foster a conversation about the role of creativity in our lives.
As the primary public venue for The Bob Dylan Archive® collection, the Center will curate and exhibit a priceless collection of more than 100,000 items spanning Dylan’s career, including handwritten manuscripts, notebooks, and correspondence; films, videos, photographs, and artwork; memorabilia and ephemera; personal documents and effects; unreleased studio and concert recordings; musical instruments, and many other elements. More information at bobdylancenter.com.
About Bob Dylan
An up-to-date overview of Bob Dylan’s career can be viewed and downloaded at: https://bit.ly/3vYTop3.
About The George Kaiser Family Foundation
The George Kaiser Family Foundation is a Tulsa-based charitable foundation dedicated to providing equal opportunity for children through investments in early childhood education, community health and civic enhancements. Part of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the American Song Archives operates the Woody Guthrie Center and the future Bob Dylan Center, and preserves and maintains the archives of these and other important American artists.
About 59 Productions
59 Productions is a multi-disciplinary design studio with a passion for ‘story-driven design’. Our work spans a broad range of disciplines including design for the stage, exhibition design, architecture, projection-mapping and large-scale events, as well as VR, AR and interactive design. Regardless of the medium, 59’s approach is based on the harnessing of innovative thinking, extensive research and world-class design skills to create memorable story-telling experiences. More information at 59productions.co.uk