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Construction has resumed on the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi. The Board of Trustees of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art voted May 20 to resume construction of the campus designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The first phase will be the East Campus, including the Welcome Center, the IP Casino Exhibitions Gallery, and the Gallery of African American Art; work begins on these three buildings within the coming weeks. Simultaneously, discussions are under way that should result in funding before the end of the year for completing construction of the famed George Ohr Gallery Pavilion (the “Pods”). This should result in four of the Gehry-designed buildings being opened together in the next two years. Also on the campus is the Pleasant Reed Interpretive Center, which will open with a traditional Sankofa candlelight ceremony—an African ceremony that celebrates the past while focusing on the future--on September 29. Not yet being completed is the Center for Ceramics, the large education building. Fundraising for over $13 million for the completion of the Pods, for an endowment and for the education center has now begun. The contract for the Gehry buildings was awarded to Roy Anderson Corporation of Gulfport; J.O. Collins of Biloxi is contractor for the Reed Center. Executive architects are Guild Hardy Architects of Biloxi while Gehry Partners remain the Design Architect. “The resumption of construction of OOMA is the most
significant construction project affecting the day to day lives of our
citizens since the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge,” said Larry Clark,
President of the Board of T Funding for the three buildings of the East Campus includes grants from the Mississippi Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Transportation plus the Department of Marine Resources for the Welcome Center; $1 million from the IP for the Exhibitions Gallery; $1.6 million from the Economic Development Administration plus a gift from the Grand Casino for the Gallery of African American Art. The City of Biloxi has contributed both funding prior to Katrina and the land for the museum for a total of $6 million as well as technical support over many years. Also, the State of Mississipppi, Harrison County, and the cities of Ocean Springs and Gulfport have been major donors. Earlier grants included $500,000 from the Knight Foundation, which has also provided planning support for several years, and a $471,000 grant for the studio from the Mississippi Arts Commission. Major ongoing support for diverse curatorial and operating programs continues from the Ford Foundation. Other funds for the Ohr Pods include $1 million from
the Beau Rivage; a challenge grant from Jo Carole Lauder and Ronald Lauder
and gifts from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and others
nationally; and bricks from hundreds of individuals and businesses. The
Lauder Challenge is still open, and more funding for Additionally, the family of Jeremiah O’Keefe contributed the original $1 million to the full museum campus in memory of Annette O’Keefe. As well, a portion of the terrace will be built in Phase One and will include hundreds of bricks donated by community members. Also, the Isle of Capri contributed $200,000 to underwrite the audio tour headsets that will be available to visitors. The East Campus will be 10,500 square feet. Welcome Center includes: Museum Store; Lecture Hall; Ticketing; Indoor/Outdoor Café. The IP Casino Exhibitions Gallery will offer variety of international, national and regional modern and contemporary art. The Gallery of African American Art will feature emerging artists of the African diaspora as well as famed artists of the African American tradition.
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rustees.
“The Frank Gehry designed campus will bring more attention to the
Mississippi Gulf Coast than any other single project in our history. You
may ask, how that is possible.......This museum and its campus will help
us make a quantum leap in the perception that the rest of the world has of
the Mississippi Gulf Coast and will bring tourist attention and money to
our coast.” 
the Pods will be is anticipated in the coming months.