American Banjo Museum Coming to Bricktown in Downtown Oklahoma City

08/19/2009 09:01

The American Banjo Museum - the only museum of its type in the world - will soon call the Bricktown district of downtown Oklahoma City its new home.

The American Banjo Museum - the only museum of its type in the world - will soon call the Bricktown district of downtown Oklahoma City its new home.

Currently located in Guthrie, Oklahoma, the Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1998 by Midwest City attorney, Brady Hunt and Indiana industrialist, Jack Canine under its original name, The National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum. Established by Canine's donation of over 60 ornately decorated four-string tenor and plectrum banjos - which were the instruments associated with American popular music during the jazz age of the 1920s and early 30s, the Museum immediately held the distinction of having the largest banjo collection on public display in the world.

However, the recent million dollar acquisition of a trove of nearly 200 American made jazz age banjos from a private collection in Germany grew the Museum's collection of instruments to over 300. This fact alone made it clear that the Museum was quickly outgrowing its current facility's ability to display and protect its collections.

With the singular purpose of sharing its treasures with as many visitors as possible, in summer of 2007 the Museum's Board of Directors began a nationwide site search for a new home. As the banjo has no particular place of origin, every potential location was considered. In the final running - for completely different reasons - were Orlando, Florida and Oklahoma City. Orlando's primary attraction was its massive flow of international tourist traffic. However, after reviewing the potential sources of long-term funding in Orlando (as compared to that which is available in Oklahoma City) along the Museum's established identity as an Oklahoma attraction, the Board chose to make Oklahoma City the Museum's new home.

With many locations in OKC considered to either build a new structure or work with an existing building, it quickly became apparent that the Bricktown district held the greatest potential for Museum visitorship from both locals as well as out of town guests. However, once this realization had been made there were no buildings of appropriate size and location for sale. An exploratory call to Bricktown Square LLC, the owners of an entire block of choice property in Bricktown explained the Museum's needs and desires. While they were not considering the outright sale of any of their properties, the owners were excited with the prospect which a Museum would add to the overall fabric of the Bricktown district and agreed to offer for sale to the Museum the 21,000 square foot historical building located at 9 E. Sheridan (directly adjacent to Abuelo's). Closing of the property took place on January 22nd, 2008.

To design and coordinate the two million dollar renovation project, the Museum has engaged the Architectural Design Group (ADG), the OKC firm which has done similar renovation projects already completed in Bricktown. The original exterior features of the building will be restored with the interior completely restructured into a state-of-the-art museum facility. In addition to instrument displays, interior plans call for an extensive multi-media banjo history exhibit, a 60 seat performance theater, a replica of a vintage Shakey's Pizza Parlor along with classrooms, offices, workshops, snack bar, catering kitchen, archives, storage, and gift shop. Once plans are complete, renovation work will begin in spring with estimated completion and the Museum's relocation taking place in mid 2009. The current Guthrie facility will remain open until mid-April 2009.

When the relocation takes place, the Museum's new name, American Banjo Museum, will better reflect the its desire to tell the entire story of the banjo's colorful 350 year evolution in America, opposed to its previous exclusive focus on the instruments, artists and music associated with the relatively brief period known as the jazz age. While the massive collection of artistic banjo creations manufactured during the 1920s and 30s will remain the centerpiece of its collections, the Museum is aware that the significance of their jazz age masterpieces is greatly enhanced by placing them in a musical and historical context which is recognizable to the non banjo playing general public.

Funding for this exciting endeavor has come in large part from donations made to the Museum from its co-founder, Jack Canine, through the U.S. Charitable Gift Trust. A banjo player himself, Mr. Canine was the founder and, until recently, the owner of the Banjo Corporation, a Crawfordsville, Indiana company which manufactures and distributes liquid chemical transfer apparatus for the agricultural industry to a worldwide market. While Mr. Canine's generosity has guaranteed that new Museum renovations will be seen through to completion, the Museum's Board has embarked on a capital campaign to develop other sources of renovation funding to allow the maximum amount to remain in the Museum's long term endowment.

While the Museum’s future direction includes the presenting all banjo types and playing styles to its visitors, its continuing affection for the instruments, artists and music of the jazz age continues with its annual ceremonies to induct honorees into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame. Approaching its 11th year, the Hall of Fame honors jazz age pioneers of the four-string banjo as well contemporary artists, manufacturers, educators and promoters who carry on the traditions of their predecessors. 2009 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place on Thursday, April 16th. Those honored included John Becker (a St. Louis banjo treasure), Buck Kelly (a modern banjo legend), Henry Lea (the dean of banjo craftsman), Dave Frey(a highly respected banjo player and educator), and Myron Hinkle (a significant force in banjo promotion in the NW United States).

For more information regarding the Museum’s relocation or the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies call 405-260-1323 or 800-OK BANJO.

From humble African roots, the banjo has experienced a long and colorful evolution as it matured in the United States during the past 350 years. Its development has often paralleled ongoing changes in American music...as styles, tastes and repertoire changed, the banjo changed as well. At no time was its influence more evident than during the Jazz Age of the 1920s and 30s. In that brief yet golden era, the banjo's immense popularity among the Flapper set of the Roaring '20s led to its being perfected as a musical instrument. It is an accepted fact that little has been done to improve on banjo design since the 1920s. In addition to being the finest musical tools ever produced, banjos of the Jazz Age also reflect the opulence of the era in their decorative appeal. In the days prior to television, sound film and high fidelity recording, the enjoyment of music was an in person experience and the visual impact made by the banjos of the day was equally important as how they performed as musical instruments. Banjos of the Jazz Age were laden with plating of pure gold surrounded by exotic woods and decorative materials and craftsmanship the likes of which will never again be seen...many were literal works of art.

Since the Jazz Age, the banjo has continued to evolve, finding new musical homes in Bluegrass as well as folk and country music settings. While recent incarnations of banjo seem very popular, they pale in comparison to the popularity and design triumphs the banjo enjoyed during the Jazz Age. In an ongoing effort to preserve and promote that significant era in American musical heritage, the American Banjo Museum was established in 1998. The Museum is the home to the largest collection of Jazz Age banjos on public display anywhere in the world. As an educational and research facility, the Museum also houses an extensive collection of recordings, films, periodicals, instructional materials and memorabilia. Museum visitors are entertained and enlightened by exhibits detailing the history of the banjo while simultaneously being enthralled by the beauty of each of the nearly 100 instruments in the Museum's collection.