The university president displays art from OCU artists in her new home, Wilson House.
President Martha Burger moved into Wilson House, the house owned by the university for the president, Sept. 1. Burger became OCU’s president in July.
The house is located on Blackwelder Avenue between the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre and the Ann Lacy Admissions and Visitor Center. It was built in 1975 by Architect George Seminoff. Florence Wilson, alumnus and trustee, donated the money to fund the house’s construction.
The house has undergone few renovations since the ’70s, Burger said. Some of the furniture was already in the house when she moved in, and some she brought from her previous home. Many furniture pieces are antiques, passed down through her family.
The two-story house has a master bedroom, three guest bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a secondary living room area, a dining area, and a study.
One of the guest bedrooms is named the “Sandra Day O’Connor Suite” after the Supreme Court justice who served on the court from 1981 to 2006. Former President Robert Henry had close relationships with many Supreme Court justices, and Burger said O’Connor stayed in the suite when the Henrys lived in the house.
The Henrys lived in Wilson House for six out of the eight years of Henry’s presidency. Burger said the house was vacant, except for some of the Henry’s furniture, for two years until she moved in.
Burger had two rooms in the house repainted and re-carpeted.
“The facilities staff here at OCU did all of that work,” she said. “I am forever grateful for them.”
The dark wood and furniture in the living room is tied together by an oil painting Burger bought while traveling in Morocco with the Henrys and Dr. Mohamed Daadaoui, professor of political science. She filled the house with art from her travels across the world and artists from OCU. She has a display case in the living room with mementos from Prague, Russia, Tanzania, Morocco, Israel, Mexico, Antarctica, and more.
The living room can comfortably seat about 20 people, Burger said. The house can seat about 50 for dinner.
“I haven’t had to do that yet,” she said. “But I can’t wait to.”
Burger hosted a faculty and staff open house from 4-6 p.m. Friday. The event celebrated Burger’s 100th day in office.
Between the living room and the master bedroom is a baby grand piano illuminated by skylights and an almost 10-foot-tall graphic painting created by Roger Lee White, former chairman of the School of Visual Arts in the 1960s. A tall, three-legged sculpture and a blue, geometric piece by Morgan Robinson, artist in residence for the School of Visual Arts, stand guard in front of the piano.
Allegra Knight, visual arts junior, said she appreciates that Burger is displaying art from OCU artists.
“I think any chance people get, they should purchase from artists they know. It’s good to encourage young artists and have their work displayed,” Knight said.
Burger said she looked through the archives from the School of Visual Arts with Heather Lunsford, the school’s director, and chose the pieces she wanted.
One of White’s paintings caught her eye immediately and made everything in the house come together, Burger said.
“I was worried if I could ever make this place feel like home to me. When I saw this, I knew this was perfect. This was going to make it feel like home,” she said.
Wilson House is a great place to display art from the school, said Burt Harbison, visual arts professor.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve always liked to have art there. For one thing, I know it’s secure and it’s seen,” he said. “The different presidents who have had art there have tried to show it off as much as possible.”
Opposite the piano hangs a painting Burger painted herself.
“I got a roller and masking tape to get the squares right, so this is, ‘an accountant tries to paint.’ I didn’t get much past circles,” she said.
One her favorite pieces of art in the house is a vibrant portrait of a Cuban woman, Burger said. She purchased the portrait from a street art vendor while visiting Cuba.
“I just love her. She’s got spunk, you can just tell,” she said.
Past the Cuban portrait is the study, filled floor to ceiling with shelves displaying relics from Burger’s travels.
Sparkling blown glass in vivid colors decorate the room. Burger said much of the glass artwork was gifted to her from Oklahoma State University, her alma mater, as recognition for her accomplishments and contributions to the school through the years.
“They always give you orange glass,” she said. “I thought, ‘I just love the glass, but I want other colors besides orange,’ so I’ve actually bought blue glass for OCU.”
Burger said she spends most of her time in a smaller living area, which has a television, comfortable seating, her desk with a Mac computer, and a small breakfast table. The upstairs area has two guest bedrooms that feature many more family heirlooms, antiques and pieces of art.
Burger said she hopes to add an additional piece to the house from one of the female art professors.
“I asked for two pieces to be framed that were done by a woman who taught in our art department in the early 1900s,” she said. “She had to be one of the first female art professors in the country.”
Displaying the artist’s work in her house would mean a lot to her, Burger said.
“Being the first female president, I really want to display women’s art,” she said.
When asked by the university trustees if she intended to live in Wilson House when she became president of OCU, Burger happily accepted.
“It is absolutely the right thing to do,” she said. “There’s so many things that I need to be here for in the evenings. If you’re home 10 miles away, you’re less likely to come back.”
After the past few months living in the house, Burger said she loves the space and wants to let others enjoy it as well.
“I hope to have student events here,” she said. “This is the university’s house.”
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