Museum fundraiser to feature hard-hat tour

Guests at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History's third annual fundraiser will need to leave their formal attire at home. Jeans and a hard-hat will be more appropriate for the event, which will feature exclusive tours of the museum's newest permanent exhibit under construction.

"Muse-A-Palooza," set for 7 to 10 p.m. April 5, will allow guests to "Experience the Change" inside the caution tape while exhibit fabricators work on the new 4,600-square-foot permanent exhibit in the museum's Hall of Ancient Life, set to open to the public May 31.

The exhibits will not be complete, but this year's Muse-a-Palooza will provide a chance to see what goes into the fabrication of these large and detailed exhibits. Fabricators from Chase Studios, a professional exhibit design and construction firm, will be present and working throughout the evening, giving guests an opportunity to view the work in progress and talk with the artists and builders.

"We wanted to give our fundraiser guests something truly exclusive and special," said Ellen Censky, museum director. "The work that goes into fabrication of these type of exhibits is fascinating, and the professional team from Chase Studios is well-spoken and eager to share information about how it's done. That, plus the opportunity to get a sneak peek at this beautiful new gallery, should provide our guests with an evening to remember."

The evening also will feature live music provided by the local band Horseshoe Road, plus food and drink catered by Legends and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 per person. A limited number of corporate tables for eight are available for a $1,000 event sponsorship, and $500 business sponsorships also are available, which include two tickets to the event.

For information on tickets or sponsorship, call Alison Mainers, museum development officer, at 325-5020. Proceeds from Muse-a-Palooza support the ongoing programs of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

OU construction science and architecture students win competitions

University of Oklahoma College of Architecture students made high marks recently in two competitions held in Dallas.

Four OU Construction Science students and two Architecture students competed against three other schools to win the Associated Schools of Construction Region 5 Design-Build Competition.

Each team was given a mock Request for Proposal for design and construction of a 170,500-square-foot office building and a 930-car parking facility on a 12-acre site in northwest San Antonio. They were asked to design their project with the local Texas Hill Country style of architecture in mind, provide an estimate, schedule and a management plan for the construction of the office building.

They were given 16 hours to complete their work; they then traveled to Dallas to turn in their proposals and prepare for the 40-minute presentations.

OU's team consisted of Tyler McManaman of Norman; Brent Gathright of Tulsa; Matt Brindle of Garrett, Ind.; Melissa Herndon of Terre Haute, Ind.; John Jarrett of Dallas; and Michael Huemmer of Flower Mound, Texas.

They will compete nationally against teams representing the other six Associated Schools of Construction winning teams in Las Vegas.