Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Keefe has been and, through the support of his family, continues to be a central and dynamic force in bringing the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art from vision to reality. Jerry and his children gave the first major gift to the Ohr-O’Keefe capital campaign in 1998 in memory of Jerry’s wife, Rose Annette Saxon O’Keefe. In gratitude and recognition for major support of the new Museum’s building fund by Mr. O’Keefe and the O’Keefe Family Foundation, the Museum’s Board of Trustees renamed the George E. Ohr Arts & Cultural Center the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in honor of Annette O’Keefe. Mr. O’Keefe passed away on August 23, 2016 at the age of 93.
The Pleasant Reed Interpretive Center is a reconstruction of the original house built by Pleasant Reed during the 1880s and 1890s. The Gulf Coast Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. had the foresight and the commitment to save the house from demolition by purchasing it in 1978. In 2000 the Reed house was donated to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art by Delta Sigma Theta. The house was moved from Elmer Street to the site of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in 2002 to insure that this cultural and educational resource would be used to tell the story of a modest but remarkable family that became a significant part of Biloxi’s history. The completely renovated Pleasant Reed House opened to the public at the groundbreaking ceremony for new the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in May 2003.
On August 29, 2005, the House and the original furnishings contained in the house were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The Board of Trustees of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art was determined to continue honoring the legacy of Pleasant Reed and his family. In 2006 the board voted to replicate the Pleasant Reed House as the Pleasant Reed Interpretive Center so that the generations to follow could continue to learn about this remarkable man. Working from Reed’s original plans the house was reconstructed on the site of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. The interior of the house was changed to accommodate tours and exhibitions while the exterior is an exact model of the house Pleasant Reed built.
A visit to Pleasant Reed Interpretive Center provides a rare opportunity to see how an African-American family with limited means lived in Biloxi during the early twentieth century. Like the Acadian French, Slavonian, and Italian immigrants of that time, and the Hispanic and Vietnamese immigrants of more recent times, the Reed family came to Biloxi to seek a better life for themselves and their children. While every immigrant ethnic group faced difficulties in finding acceptance within their adopted community, the Reeds had additional challenges because of the increasingly rigid segregationist laws that characterized the “Jim Crow” era in America. The story of their lives is one of perseverance and determination in spite of dauntingly adverse circumstances.
James D. Dodds, A.I.A
Pleasant Reed Interpretive Center Reproduction Architect
The original house built by Pleasant Reed on Elmer Street in Biloxi, Mississippi was constructed during the 1880s and 1890s. The home, that was built to house the Reed family, was a side hall camel back cottage, with a plan that allowed privacy to the rooms by locating the room-to-room circulation in a hallway along one side of the house. The side hall cottage is a common house type throughout the coastal areas of the nation as well as in the entire Mississippi River Valley region, but side hall cottages are found in greatest concentration in New Orleans, LA. The Reeds’ house was built with only three rooms; the kitchen was originally in the rear yard, completely detached from the house. The two structures were joined to form one building circa 1910 when the Reeds’ house was connected to the public water supply, along with much of the rest of the city. The long room above the kitchen was used exclusively as the dormitory-like bedroom for the Reed family boys.
Reed probably began construction of his home in 1887, as suggested by receipts from local lumber suppliers in the same year. By the mid-1880s, the Biloxi area had become the center for milling lumber harvested from Southern Mississippi’s “Piney Woods”; logs felled many miles inland were floated down the Biloxi River or delivered by rail to sawmills in Biloxi and Gulfport to be sawn, milled and shipped by rail to the Midwest and by ship to other parts of the south for use on projects including construction of the Panama Canal locks at the turn of the twentieth century. Around Biloxi, lumber was at its least expensive during the period from 1880 to 1910; local millwork companies were busy at work producing sashes, doors, and other architectural elements available at low prices. Pleasant Reed was not a master carpenter, but he had the determination and requisite skills to build a solid home for himself and his family. He also had the means and the desire to gradually improve his home by adding refinements such as the stock turned-spindle frieze to the front porch, giving his home the appearance of something more than a simple worker’s cottage.
Members of the Reed family recall that their mothers and grandmothers conversed in a French Creole dialect among themselves, and that they called the loft above the kitchen, where the Reed boys slept, the garçonnière. A garçonnière (which literally translates to “the boys’ room”) was not an uncommon element of Creole architecture in Louisiana in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century. Several members of the Reed family, including Georgia Harris, were either born or raised in Louisiana, which helps to explain the strong traditional ties of both language and architecture to the Creole culture.
James D. Dodds, A.I.A.
Pleasant Reed House Restoration Architect
Eley Guild Hardy
In 2008, Guild Hardy Architects merged with Eley Associates of Jackson to create one of the largest architectural, engineering and interior design firms in the state. Now known as Eley Guild Hardy Architects, the firm was founded in 1953 on the principle of providing comprehensive professional services and excellent design. EGH continues this tradition today with a highly skilled and talented team of professionals including architects, interior designers and civil engineers that provides innovative design solutions to satisfy our clients’ needs.
Eley Guild Hardy’s design philosophy is that good design transcends style and substance is more important than trend. This is evident in the wide variety of projects which have been recognized for excellence by the American Institute of Architects, The American Society of Interior Designers, The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) as well as many other construction industry organizations.
As a member of the United States Green Building Council, EGH realizes the importance of sustainable design. Our commitment is evident in the design of our own Biloxi office which received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification.
Over the last half-century, Eley Guild Hardy Architects has become one of the largest and most respected architecture firms in Mississippi. With offices in Biloxi and Jackson, EGH is committed to providing superior service to clients statewide and regionally.
The Mad Potter of Biloxi
George Ohr (1857-1918) the self-proclaimed “Mad Potter of Biloxi” created a body of ceramic work which defied the aesthetic conventions of 19th century America. Ohr is considered an early leader in the modernist movement and it is his creative spirit which informs the mission of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum. His extraordinary cultural legacy is recognized for its power and integrity and for its important influence on 20th and 21st century art. Ohr’s work was rediscovered in the 1960s and is admired by artists and collectors alike.
In May 2009, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York celebrated the opening of the Robert Ellison Art Pottery Collection on the Mezzanine Balcony of the New American Wing prominently featuring selected works by George Ohr. As Ohr had often predicted, his genius was at long last recognized by the world. Over ninety years after Ohr’s death, it is a fitting tribute to the artist that one of the 21st century’s most admired architects, Frank Gehry, created the Museum’s award-winning design.
Learn More:
WLOX Video Intro to George E. Ohr
Gehry Partners
Gehry Partners, LLP is a full service firm with broad international experience in museum, theater, performance, academic, and commercial projects.
Founded in 1962 and located in Los Angeles, California, Gehry Partners currently has a staff of 110 people. Every project undertaken by Gehry Partners is designed personally and directly by Frank Gehry. All of the resources of the firm and the extensive experience of the firm’s senior partners are available to assist in the design effort and to carry this effort forward through technical development and construction administration. At the heart of the firm’s approach to design is a method in which the client is brought fully into the design process as a member of the design team, making the design a true collaboration between architect and client. The design process is based on extensive physical modeling at multiple scales, in which both the functional and formal aspects of a project are explored in detail.
Very early in the process, actual building materials and large-scale mock-ups are employed to promote understanding of the design among all involved parties. Working simultaneously with the formal image at the urban scale and with materials and building systems at the detail level, every project undertaken by Gehry Partners evolves in response to the specific programmatic and budgetary goals defined by the client. The staff of Gehry Partners includes a large number of senior architects who have extensive experience in the technical development of building systems and construction documents and who are highly qualified in the management of complex construction projects. This development and management is aided by Digital Project, a sophisticated 3-dimensional computer modeling program, developed by Gehry Technologies, Inc. Adapted from French aerospace engineering software, this tool allows the firm to thoroughly document designs and rationalize the bidding, fabrication, and construction process.
The work of Gehry Partners has won numerous awards for design and innovation in architecture. Notable projects include: the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain; the DZ Bank Building, a mixed-use building adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany; Der Neue Zollhof, an office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany; the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington; the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi, Mississippi; the Bard College Performing Arts Center in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; the Peter B. Lewis Campus of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio; the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio; the Millennium Park Music pavilion and Great Lawn in Chicago, Illinois; the Corcoran Gallery and School of Art in Washington, DC; the Marques de Riscal Winery in Elciego, Spain; Maggie’s Centre, a cancer patient care center in Dundee, Scotland; the Team Disneyland Administration Building in Anaheim, California; the Nationale-Nederlanden Building in Prague, Czech Republic; the EMR Communication and Technology Center in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany; the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota; the University of Toledo Center for the Visual Arts in Toledo, Ohio; the Vila Olimpica Retail and Commercial Complex in Barcelona, Spain; the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California; the Chiat/Day Office Building in Venice, California; the Vitra International Furniture Museum and Factory in Weil am Rhein, Germany; the Vitra International Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland; the Lou Ruvo Alzheimer Center in Las Vegas, Nevada; the Princeton Science Library in Princeton, New Jersey; the Bio Museo- Panama: Bridge of Life in Panama City, Panama; and the Hall Winery in Napa Valley, California.
Gehry Partners, LLP
12541 Beatrice Street | Los Angeles, California 90066
Phone 310-482-3000 | Fax 310-482-3006
Website Privacy Policy
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum is committed to protecting the privacy of its online guests, customers, members, and patrons. This privacy policy applies to transactions made, and data gathered, on the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art websites. By using the Museum websites or communicating with the Museum by email, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
Children’s Privacy
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is concerned about protecting children’s privacy. The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children. If a visitor sends an email to the Museum, it is used only to respond to the writer and not to create profiles or otherwise retain the information.
Privacy Policy
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art website offers broad public access to and use of a wide range of information comprised of data, images, and text files to visitors of all ages. We are dedicated to safeguarding all information collected online. To help ensure a rewarding online experience for all visitors, the Museum provides this summary of our information practices. This privacy notice governs the collection and use of information on our websites. As the museum continues to offer our visitors new and different types of content and services, we may modify our practices from time to time. However, we will treat all personal information collected in accordance with the privacy notice in effect at the time the information is collected.
Information We Collect
When you order from the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, we collect your name, billing address, shipping address, email address, phone number, and credit card number, including expiration date and v-code. We also gather information on the person who will receive any gift you send (e.g., that person’s name and address) and we will retain a record of your purchases.
How We Use the Information
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art uses visitor’s personal information for internal purposes only. We may also use personal information provided by shoppers to send them, by email or direct mail, notification of special offers or sale events. We may also use your contact information to notify you about upcoming events and or exhibitions. If you do not want to receive information, you will have the opportunity to opt out. We never sell, rent, or otherwise share our visitor’s personal information with third parties. We will disclose the information we maintain as required by law, for example, in response to a court order or a subpoena. We also may disclose such information in response to a specific law enforcement agency’s request.
Collection of Information by Third-Party Sites and Sponsors
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art website may contain links to other sites, including those of sponsors and advertisers, whose information gathering policies and practices may differ from ours. Visitors should consult the privacy notices of these third party sites’ since they are not covered by our privacy policy.
Security
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art has put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use the information we collect online. The personal information you provide is transmitted through a secure server using 128-bit SSL encryption We are especially sensitive to visitor’s concerns regarding the use of credit cards to purchase products over the Internet. For orders placed on our websites, we use a technology that automatically encrypts credit card data while information is being transmitted over the Internet, provided that the visitor’s browser supports the Secure Socket Layer protocol (SSL). To verify the security of your connection, check by looking at the URL line of your browser. When accessing a secure server, the site address will change from http to https.
Merchandise Returns
Please inspect your order upon delivery. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, please return it within 30 days for an exchange or credit towards a future purchase in our museum store. You will be issued a gift card if not exchanging an item. Please note that the item returned must be in its original packaging and in sellable condition. Return items should be mailed delivery confirmation and shipped at the customer’s expense. If your merchandise arrives damaged, please contact the museum store immediately. Special orders are non-refundable. For further information about returns, please call the museum store at 228.374.5547 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m CST, or you may email us at museumstore@georgeohr.org
Shipping Policy
We will try to ship your order as quickly as possible. We ship USPS Priority Mail whenever possible. If you would like overnight or express delivery via Fed Ex, please call us to place your order and for shipping rates. Fragile items must be double boxed. If your purchase requires additional postage due to weight or size, we will contact you immediately to discuss shipping rates. We apologize, but at this time we do not ship internationally. Items ordered together may not always be shipped together; however, you will be notified in advance of any back ordered items or shipping delays.
Shipping and Handling Fees
for the contiguous U.S.:
Order Total Shipping & Handling
$00.01-$30.00 $6.95
$30.01-$50.00 $13.95
$50.01-$100.00 $16.95
$100.01-$150.00 $18.95
$150.00-above $24.95
Contact Us
If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding our privacy policy and/or practices, please contact us at the following email address, mailing address and telephone: admin@georgeohr.org The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Inc. Post Office Box 248 Biloxi, MS 39530 (228) 374-5547