The Bob Dylan Center, housing Dylan's extensive archives, expected to open in 2021 in Tulsa, OK

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Credit: William ClaxtonDetails have been announced about The Bob Dylan Center, a planned public facility that will be built in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  As its name suggests, the Center will house the extensive archives of Bob Dylan, acquired in 2016 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Tulsa.

The Bob Dylan Center will be located in Tulsa Arts District on Martin Luther King Blvd., southeast of the Woody Guthrie Center.  The latter facility was established by the same foundation in 2013, after it acquired the influential folk songwriter’s archives.  Groundbreaking for the building is expected to take place next year, with an opening being eyed for 2021.

The Bob Dylan Center will be dedicated to the study and appreciation of Dylan and his cultural significance. It will serve as the main public venue of The Bob Dylan Archive, an extensive collection of writings, recordings, films, instruments and memorabilia that Dylan amassed over the course of his nearly 60-year career.

Seattle-based design firm Olson Kundig was chosen as the lead architect and exhibit designer for the center after winning an international design competition. Dylan’s management team was involved in the selection of the firm.

Olson Kundig executive Tom Kundig said in a statement that the project is “deeply meaningful” for the firm, because it will be play an important role in helping to preserve the “teaching value of [Dylan’s] legacy for future generations.”

While the center is being built, the Kaiser Family Foundation is planning to present a series of Dylan-themed events in Tulsa.

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