What if a genius Oklahoma creator who was misunderstood, dismissed and diminished in his own lifetime could be understood, valued and amplified in ours? That’s one mission of GOFF Fest, the inaugural festival from the nonprofit Goff Center of the Continuous Present, which takes over Tulsa this weekend in celebration of architect Bruce Goff.
Never heard of him? That’s about to change. Over four days, you can get to know this polymathic, avant-garde, largely self-taught gay pioneer of design through a series of diverse events across the city—many in landmarks and hidden treasure locations you probably didn’t know were created by one of our own. From a family festival at the Spotlight Theatre, to a rooftop Beaux Arts Ball and costume contest at the Reunion Apartments, to a VIP brunch at the Tulsa Club Hotel, GOFF Fest makes Goff’s presence in our local cultural landscape impossible to ignore.
For documentary filmmaker Britni Harris and Tulsa Artist Fellow Karl Jones—the festival’s founders and organizers, both of whom have studied Goff for years—getting acquainted with the architect and his work opened up a whole new wing, as it were, of mid-century Tulsa. “He’s one of these exceptional artists who have been put to one side or not enough is known about them, criminally, because they didn't fit the mold of the kind of people that were supposed to be here,” Jones explained. “And so these things are hiding in plain sight, all around us.”
Born in 1904, Goff started drawing buildings as a child (everything from castles to cathedrals, according to his mother). By age 12, he was recognized as a prodigy and apprenticed to the Tulsa architectural firm Rush, Endacott & Rush. If you find yourself doing a double-take when driving by a particular midtown house of a certain vintage, chances are good that it’s by Goff. He created about a dozen homes here—his first, a bungalow with an iconic sweep of concrete porch at 17th and Yorktown, at age 15. Mentored and admired by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and inspired by everything from Balinese music to ocean life forms, Goff went on to create a stunningly beautiful, thoroughly convention-shattering body of work from Los Angeles to Bartlesville (home to his masterpiece Shin’en Kan, destroyed by arson in 1996).
Shin'en Kan. Photo by Larry Harris
But at his death in 1982, despite a lifetime of groundbreaking invention and execution, he was unknown even in many creative circles—and the “why” of that is one of Harris and Jones’s big questions. (In the late 1940s and early 1950s Goff was a popular professor and chairman of the OU School of Architecture; he was forced to resign, many historians believe, because of his homosexuality.) Jones has noticed a reluctance among many in the field to speak of Goff the human being, the gay man, one whose work and life were deeply different from the norm in Oklahoma. “There are people who have shepherded his legacy for a long time, architects and architectural historians whose training in that craft controls how they are participating in the narrative,” Jones said. “When you come in without that training, it's sometimes hard to even have a language to speak together. The question is often, ‘Why can't we just talk about the work? Why do you have to talk about this persona?’ Well, sure. That would have been fine, but his work was interrupted many times because of other people's interest in his personal life. And so that's part of the story. The work stands for itself—and we can also talk about his personal life. That’s one of the big things we're hoping to spend some more time doing. Britni’s documentary does that. And the festival will hopefully open those conversations up as well.”
For Harris, who began her work on the documentary GOFF as an OU student in her early twenties, researching the architect and his circle of friends and collaborators has been a deeply personal journey. “I love Goff because, I mean, there are such strong rules in the architectural world, and if you are not a part of that mentality, you're somewhat of a rebel,” she explained. “Goff wanted to have Frank Lloyd Wright as a mentor and an associate—but he also wanted to have his own career path and carve out his own way. I think a lot of the architects wanted everything to be how they'd seen it before and Goff wanted to go against that. They called him ‘the Michelangelo of kitsch.’ They changed [the perception of] his architecture from an art form to more of a craft, which it is not. He doesn't really hold a place in architecture because there really is no spot for him. He kind of created his own world.”
As Goff himself put it, "I find myself obliged to invent new forms. Discipline must be sought in freedom, and not within the formulas of an outworn philosophy." Sharing Goff’s life and art with new audiences, Harris said, is an emotional experience. “The story of Bruce Goff has been hidden and not really appreciated. It was such an interesting journey to collect all of these misfits [i.e., Goff and his friends] and bring them together. Being able to amplify their story was really special because for so long they have felt alone. And so being able to take their stories and what they've been fighting for for so long and share it with an audience that actually is so excited to ingest that information and be a part of that movement is very gratifying.”
Goff, center, in bolo tie
In addition to the chance to see Harris’ documentary on Saturday at the Circle Cinema (featuring an original soundtrack by fellow Tulsans Mark Kuykendall and Sam Regan), GOFF Fest provides many other access points into the life and work of this extraordinary creator. Events are designed to segue seamlessly into one another, so you can keep the conversations and inspirations flowing. For instance, an architect’s mixer at the Boxyard immediately follows a panel at the Center for Public Secrets which examines the longstanding controversy around who should be credited for the design of Boston Avenue Methodist Church (Goff or his high school teacher Adah Robinson, with whom he worked on the project). A Goff-themed beer tasting from Good Cause Brewing links up with an exhibit curated by Harris at The New Gallery. Each GOFF Fest event is a curiosity-generator, meant to raise interest in an endlessly fascinating artist for whom the pleasure of doing things together was paramount. “I feel like Tulsa’s thirsty for this event. Everyone we've partnered with is just excited and encouraged and wants to be involved and has so many other ideas about to how to make this festival great,” Harris said. “I think that's what's so exciting about this, because it's very in line with what Goff in many ways was trying to do: just create a space for people to be creative and feel like they're evolving as an artist. And I feel like Tulsa is that.”
On Saturday, before you head out to the GOFF Ball, you can even bring the family to explore Goff’s creative world with music, storytelling, puppets and hands-on activities meant to engage young people with the world of architecture. It’s an homage to the fact that Goff started designing buildings when he was just a kid. Plus, kids are Tulsans too, and they deserve to know about what they see in their city every day. “This is a chance for children to really engage with their physical space,” Jones said. “One of the first things you draw as a kid is a house, right? So we're having a face painter to do, like, Art Deco zigzags. We’ll have a station where they build buildings. Maybe kids start to get a sense that design can have a history and a form and a shape moving forward. And maybe they start to learn about the history of Tulsa, too. They can even make their own building costumes out of cardboard—and if the adults want to do it, they'll be able to wear their costume to the GOFF Ball later that night.”
GOFF documentary poster by JP Morrison Lans; Bruce Goff in 1947
For Jones, getting to know the man behind the buildings has been a revelation. “When I was a kid growing up in Tulsa,” he said, “I thought that the Riverside Studio—now the Spotlight Theatre—was this magical place. And then, thinking about the community and looking at gay icons in a more adult or post-coming-out context, it was like, wow, I grew up around all these gay buildings! I would love to have more people in the LGBT+ community know they have a gay hero that they didn't even realize they have.”
“It's all about opening up the discussion,” he said. “For so long, many people have not known who Goff is and the multifaceted life that he led, as well as his art. And I think it's just opening up those conversations that have been hidden for so long that we're almost afraid to talk about, and unraveling who he was and the great impact that he had in Oklahoma.”
Whether your interest is in preservation, representation, a rich exploration of a rare and wondrous talent, or just a really good party, each event in this inaugural GOFF Fest promises an effervescent introduction to the Goff Center’s delectable mission: “to promote beauty in all its strength by encouraging the mysterious, the uncomfortable, and the disobedient aspects of art and architecture.”
And if you can't make it out to GOFF Fest, here's an interactive map of Goff's works in Tulsa. Use it to take your own tour!
If you go
Adah & Bruce: The Controversy Over the Design of Boston Avenue Church
Through November 6
10am-4pm, Tuesday–Saturday
Tulsa Historical Society
2445 S. Peoria
In 1929, after years of planning, the new Boston Avenue Methodist Church held its first worship service. Soon afterward, a controversy originated about who designed the nontraditional, Art Deco structure: Adah Robinson or Bruce Goff. This exhibit examines a variety of historical documents related to the question. Teresa Holder, art manager of the Gardiner Gallery of Art in Stillwater, curated this traveling exhibit.
Live Chalk Mural of Bruce Goff by Alexander Tamahn
November 1-4, weather permitting
ahha Tulsa (west wall)
101 E. Archer
Panel Discussion: “The Bruce & Adah Controversy”
November 4
Center for Public Secrets
573 S. Peoria
6-7pm
Guest speakers include Teresa Holder (Tulsa Historical Society, Gardiner Gallery of Art) and Kevin Adkisson (Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research). Moderator: Western Doughty.
Architect’s Mixer
November 4
Open Container at Boxyard
502 E. 3rd Street
7-9pm
Exhibit: “Bruce Goff: Continuous Present II” with Goff-themed beer tasting (afterparty to follow)
November 5
The New Gallery
2308 E. Admiral Blvd
5-7pm
Exhibit: “Bruce Goff: Continuous Present III”
November 5
Circle Cinema
10 S. Lewis
10am-10pm
Outdoor Family Festival and Puppet Shows
November 6
11am-5pm
Spotlight Theater
1381 Riverside Drive
Saturday, November 6 is filled with various activities and festivities at the Spotlight Theatre. A children’s architectural-themed crafting workshop, face painting, mini-golf and other kid-friendly events with food trucks and Goff-themed beer launch by Good Cause Brewing will take place on the Spotlight’s lawn. Throughout the day in the theater will be looped presentations of Goff’s work as well as live puppet shows by Tulsa Artist Fellow, Karl Jones.
Maple Ridge Neighborhood Tour
November 6
1920 S. Cincinnati (Council Oak Elementary School Parking Lot)
12-2pm
Guided architectural tours of Goff’s buildings with Tulsa Foundation for Architecture’s (TFA) Ted Reeds will take place throughout the city, starting with a tour of Goff homes in the neighborhood of Maple Ridge on Saturday from Noon to 2 p.m.
GOFF Documentary by Britni Harris (2020, 96 min.)
November 6
Circle Cinema
10 S. Lewis
2pm
Circle Cinema will host a reception in the lobby at 12:30pm where guests can grab a mimosa, view “Bruce Goff: Continuous Present III” exhibit in the gallery and watch the pre-recorded screening of the Center for Public Secrets pre-recorded panel talk about the controversial design debate of the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.
At 2pm, don’t miss the theatrical premiere screening of Britni Harris’ feature documentary “GOFF” to be followed with a Q&A with the director, cast and crew.
Tour of the Spotlight Theatre
November 6
1381 Riverside Drive
3-4pm
Tour the Spotlight Theatre with host, Ted Reeds. The Spotlight was originally The Riverside Studio, also known as Tulsa Spotlight Club, built in 1928. It was designed by Bruce Goff in an Industrial style of architecture. It was built as a house with a studio wing for a music teacher named Patti Adams Shriner.
Virtual Panel Talk: Bruce Goff: Life and Legacy
November 6
5-6pm
The Friends of Kebyar and Tulsa Foundation for Architecture (TFA) will hold a virtual panel “Bruce Goff – Life & Legacy” with organic architect and former colleague of Goff’s, Bart Prince, and Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and Goff biographer, David G. De Long PhD. The event will be moderated by TFA Board Member and former news anchor, Meagan Farley. A simulcast of the virtual panel talk will be screened at the Circle Cinema in Screening Room 4.
Goff Ball: Architectural-Themed (1931 Beaux Arts Ball Style) Costume Contest w/ Music & Bar
November 6
Reunion Apartments Rooftop
9 E 4th St
8-10pm
Become inspired by architecture and come to the Goff Ball dressed in your creative expression of a building, design element or architectural influence costume. There will be music, libations, a costume-contest and giveaways while overlooking the downtown landscape showcasing all of Tulsa's amazing art-deco architecture from Reunion's beautiful rooftop!
Sunday Brunch and Tour
November 7
Tulsa Club Hotel
115 E. 5th St
12-2pm (brunch)
2-3pm (tour)
To celebrate a beloved tradition of days gone by at the Tulsa Club, enjoy Sunday brunch followed by an in-depth tour and talk by Tulsa Foundation of Architecture’s Ted Reeds.