We’re also employing a technology that will reduce our cooling bill dramatically. We’re implementing an ice storage system that will produce ice in below grade tanks during evening and off peak hours. The ice will melt during the day and provide cooling to the 125,000 square foot Museum and Cultural Center. When compared to a traditional cooling system the energy that will be saved is dramatic.

We are fortunate to be receiving a grant from the State Energy Office that is helping us fund the ice storage system located in the Central Plant. Funds for the grant are coming from the US Department of Energy as part of the Recovery Act. As part of the monitoring process we recently hosted Carolyn Sullivan and Rhonda Harding-Hill from the State Energy Office and Cathy Iverson and John Winkel from the US Department of Energy. We gave them a tour of the construction site so they could see what they were helping to bring to reality. We’re certainly proud of what we’re doing but it’s always interesting to hear other perspectives. John and Cathy are from the Golden, Colorado office and were very impressed. We were already being mentioned in the same breath with nationally recognized museums. And, of particular relevance to them, ours is possibly one of the largest ice storage systems being funded by the Recovery Act. With any luck our story will be shared by our new friends from Colorado. They’re looking forward to coming back when we’re open. This may be dry subject matter to some, but hopefully, it shows we are thoughtful in our processes and mindful of the need to be good stewards of resources.

	Amy Weaver  Development Coordinator amyw@aiccm.org

For some reason the song “Embraceable You” comes to mind. In our case it would be “Sustainable You.” Maybe it’s a stray thought. Or, maybe it’s the combination of my fondness for our project and our commitment to environmental sustainability. Two recent efforts have brought this to the forefront of my mind. We received a US Department of Energy grant through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce State Energy Program (SEP), and we just submitted an application to the EPA Brownfields Program for a petroleum site assessment.

The SEP grant pertains to energy efficiency aspects of our building. We will be employing an ice storage system for cooling the building, adding a frit on the building’s glass that will reduce heat transfer and using a natural gas generator instead of a diesel one. We are ever mindful of ways to save energy and utilize resources in the most responsible manner possible. We’re grateful that the state and federal government see the value of our efforts.

I’ve recently finished working on a grant application to the EPA Brownfields Program for a petroleum site assessment. It’s mind boggling to think of what once went on where our site sits. It was the location of a large portion of the original Oklahoma Oil Field. At the peak of operations in the 1930’s and 1940’s there were more than 57 oil production wells drilled on our site. Wildcatters and oil companies from across the country drilled wells, erected steel derricks and dug drilling mud pits. Storage tank batteries were built and billions of barrels of oil flowed into transmission pipelines for distribution to dozens of refineries.

I hope you take a moment to imagine what this was like. I’m sure these were exciting times! It was a prosperous time in history for our state.

Regrettably, all of this activity on the land came at a price. During the 1930’s and 1940’s, very little regulatory control existed and there was environmental contamination associated with the wells. The land was burdened with hydrocarbon residue from blown-out wells and random pipeline leaks. Brine from the wells also flowed onto the site. Drilling mud pits, sometimes referred to as sludge pits, were bulldozed into the earth along the banks of what is now the Oklahoma River. At least one sludge pit was associated with each well, and sometimes two pits were constructed.

It’s important to realize that this project doesn’t merely involve building a building. It is about healing the land so that we can bring you a Cultural Center & Museum and a beautiful park with all of the associated amenities. Healing of the land is essential in order to develop the site and bring you an outstanding AICCM complex. Please join us in thinking good thoughts as our grant application goes through the review process. Hopefully, as our project progresses, you, too will think of it as “Sustainable You.”

	Amy Weaver  Development Coordinator amyw@aiccm.org

Since our beginning development in the first part of this decade we have had a commitment to tribal stories and consultation. This started with our exhibit design firm and deputy director going around the state doing tribal interviews and shooting video of community gatherings.  Now that we have expanded our staff beyond the three-member Ninja team that carried us for so many years, we are doing all the tribal consultation ourselves.  

Our two-person Community Outreach & Public Programs division manages the tribal consultation aspect of our work.  Stacey Halfmoon, our director of community outreach and public programs, is hitting the road for her third year, talking to tribal leaders, elders, and community members.  She and other members of our team are listening to and recording stories and oral histories.  They are documenting gatherings/events and asking community members for their tribal object and image recommendations.  Community outreach activities are extensive.  Fortunately, Stacey can call on other members of our team to pitch in and help make it happen. 

This work is both inspirational and exciting.  Wouldn’t you like to be a fly on the wall when one of our staff is recording an oral history of a tribal elder?  You may not be able to be a fly on the wall but you can join us in making this critical community work possible and play an important role in building a legacy.

In my department I get to invite people to the table who have a passion for our work and the desire to help make it happen.  It is the work of philanthropy, facilitating people making a difference.  In the coming months you will be invited to our table.  We hope you will accept our invitation.  The behind the scenes work is exciting, important and vital.  Tune in for more back of house stories.

	Amy Weaver Development Coordinator amyw@aiccm.org

Check out the Native Communities section of our web site and the Arts and Cultural section of our web site to learn more about our community.  Think about how you envision the Cultural Center serving as a community connector for you.  Let us know, share your thoughts…they empower and connect us.

	Amy Weaver Development Coordinator amyw@aiccm.org