An Artistic Sense of Place
When Marva Ellard bought an old house in Oklahoma City several years ago, she had no idea it would lead her to become a revitalizer of some of the most notable buildings in the city. Whether it was the restoration of the 1920's era Seiber Apartment Hotel in Midtown or her service within Historical Preservation, Inc., Marva made a name for herself as an artistic developer specializing in pre-existing historic canvases fashioned from brick, stone, and wood. To Marva, every city has a uniqueness rooted in its architecture, and each structure has a narrative based on its relationship with the community. This connection fascinates her, and she is interested in reviving it to share with a new generation of owners. Through unique collaborations with notable architects, designers, and art gallery Objets Trouvés, she developed a passion and commitment to preserve, revive, and shape the city where she lives.
Marva's current project is a small respite from her usual focus on revitalizing the old. Instead, she's developed a modern condominium complex in the shadow of the Villa Teresa building. After eighty beautiful years of service as the Carmelite Convent and the adjacent Catholic grade school, Marva and her partner Billy Woodring purchased the Villa Teresa property to breathe new life into the celebrated structure in Oklahoma City's dynamic downtown.
When Marva finished the model unit for the new Villa Teresa Residences, she needed to present it in a way to inspire others to see their sense of place. As an avid art collector, Marva felt the best way to highlight its appeal was to let diverse and carefully selected contemporary art tell the space's story. Since Objets Trouvés owner Susan McCalmont shared her love for art and preservation of the city, she called her longtime friend to see if she would be interested in helping stage a condo with work from some of her consigned artists.
Susan was thrilled when she received Marva's call regarding the project. She was one of the first people Susan met when she moved to Oklahoma, and over the years, they had become kindred spirits that share a genuine love of art and the city. Susan stated, "Marva is one of the few female developers that has had a significant impact on the restoration of buildings in Oklahoma City. To partner with her and have people experience the work in a different type of space was a perfect fit for Objets Trouvés." Susan instantly saw Marva's vision for the project and was anxious to explore how her artists could help bring the modern space to life. The condo offers neutral colors and high ceilings that Marva wanted to enhance with contemporary artwork that popped with color.
Susan focused on light, color, texture, size, and style diversity when making her art selections. In addition, she focused on pieces that were different from each other to expose visitors to the general nature of the gallery, bring the space to life, and help potential buyers imagine what the work would be like in their homes. Susan felt mixing different artistic styles illustrated how each painting could create a different feeling in the various rooms. In the end, she chose pieces by both local and international artists, including Marc Barker, Dragana Milovic, James Cobb, Josette Simon-Gestin, Peter E. Healey, Paul Medina, and Xvala. The artists were enthusiastic about having their work staged in a non-gallery space.
Marva and Susan are thrilled with the results of their unique collaboration. The reactions from the people that visit the space are overwhelmingly positive. Marva stated, "People tell us all the time about how they remember the space based on the art in each room." The paintings help the visitors identify the details of the different interior locations even though they only visited one time. Susan remarked that having the works hung in a living space also created new appearances with the pieces. For example, Susan stated, "Marc Barkers Pareidolia came to life in one bedroom because of the beautiful natural light spilling through the window," an effect not present in the gallery. Shortly after staging the space, Marva was able to sell two units, and both buyers stated that the presentation helped them imagine a home where they wanted to live.
Marva believes that art and architecture are a personal expression of the person who created it and the period when it was produced. The political climate, history, and building material tell a story we connect to and want to remember. Marva states, "It's a very personal relationship, and I can't imagine owning a work of art or building that I don't have feelings for." Marva believes homes decorated with art and treasured objects represent the owner's journey. It's a unique combination of what illustrates our sense of self translated into your space.
The creative partnership between Marva and Susan is all about making genuine personal connections between art, architecture, community, and a unique sense of place. Marva feels that her work helps provide the glue to restore the stories that are often lost. She intends to revive them so existing communities can be a part of the new narrative -- a version that preserves the city's uniqueness and celebrates the renewed connection with a generation of people seeking a genuine and personal sense of place.
To learn more about the Villa Teresa Residences, please visit https://www.villateresaokc.com, and to view the art used to stage the space, please visit https://www.objetstrouveok.com.
