Preserving the past
Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference is set Wednesday through Friday
“Preservation Future Tense: Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference” is Wednesday through Friday at Civic Center Music Hall.
Preservation is green. That’s another way of saying historic preservation has environmental benefits.
It’s a highlight presentation of the “Preservation Future Tense: Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference” Wednesday through Friday at Civic Center Music Hall, 200 N Walker Ave.
James Lindberg, director of the Preservation Green Lab for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will talk about how preserving the built environment is good for the natural environment. His talk Friday afternoon is “Reset to Default: Making Preservation the New Normal.”
Other highlights will be Carol Shull, retired Keeper of the National Register, presenting “Impacts of the National Historic Preservation Act: Past, Present, and Future,” and Cathy O’Connor, president and CEO of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, who will discuss “Historic Preservation and Oklahoma City’s Renaissance,” both Wednesday afternoon.
For detailed information on the conference, go to www.okhistory.org/shpo/ conference.htm.
The annual Statewide Preservation Conference has not been in Oklahoma City since 1995.
It is held in different parts of the state to encourage the widest participation, said Melvena Heisch, deputy state historic preservation officer.
Having the event here this year provides a historic framework for considering Oklahoma City’s renaissance since the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building 22 years ago.
One of the sessions Wednesday morning is “Downtown OKC: Disaster to Recovery (April 19, 1995, to Present),” a roundtable discussion with Rand Elliott, Melissa Hunt, Chad Huntington, Jane Jenkins, A.J. Kirkpatrick and Steve Mason.
Another plus of having the conference here, Heisch said, is the number of historic neighborhoods and buildings close to downtown. People attending have several options for tours, including a hard-hat visit to the state Capitol, which is under rehabilitation.
Half-day workshops on Thursday and Friday mornings will include:
• Architectural/Historic Resources Survey: A Mobile Workshop, presented by State Historic Preservation Office staff, on basic survey techniques including use of the SHPO’s standard survey form and tips for photographic documentation.
• Historic Preservation Commissions: Authority, Ethics, Designation and Design Review, by James K. Reap, professor at the University of Georgia, for preservation commission members and city staff.
Concurrent tracks of sessions, featuring dozens of Oklahoma preservationists and special guest speakers, will include:
• Track A: “Beyond Preservation 50,” focusing on the challenges and opportunities for historic preservation in the
decades ahead.
• Track B: “Trending in Preservation,” highlighting new technology, techniques and programs that improve the preservation of our heritage.
• Track C: “Preservation Fundamentals,” featuring the National Register of Historic Places, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and more.
Special events include the opening reception; Preservation Oklahoma Inc.’s annual meeting and luncheon; and the State Historic Preservation Office’s annual awards banquet.
Conference co-sponsors include the Oklahoma Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Office; Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma Main Street Center; Preservation Oklahoma Inc.; American Institute of Architects Central Oklahoma Chapter; the city of Oklahoma City; Civic Center Music Hall; Downtown OKC Inc.; Okie Mod Squad; Oklahoma City Foundation for Architecture; Stockyards City Main Street; and the Urban Land Institute.