Small Oklahoma City Business Wins Bid For Civic Center Chandelier

The Civic Center has been undergoing renovations, and the facelift is just about complete. When it’s done, it will proudly shine the light of an Oklahoma company.

“We are calling this the grand reopening even though the main part of the building never closed to performances,” said Elizabeth Gray, executive director of the Civic Center Foundation.

The project was three years in the making on the 1937 historic building.

“We no longer have the box office, we have this beautiful bar, and obviously the most stunning part are these two chandeliers,” said Gray.

Companies from all over the country submitted proposals to create unique lighting fixtures.

“We gave it a good shot we were happy with what we had done, but we couldn’t let ourselves believe we actually when it,” said Tracey Bewley owner of Art Fusion Studio.

Rick and Tracey Bewley opened Art Fusion Studio about 20 years ago. It’s a small studio with no other employees, and no experience in a job this size.

“It only felt natural to go with Rick and Tracey Bewley of Art Fusion Studio,” said Gray.

“There was a little jumping up and down and screaming when we heard that we got the project, we figured it was out of our league,” said Tracey.

But after the celebration, reality set in.

“And then there was the moment of oh no, how are we going to do this?” said Tracey.

The Bewleys have been working on the project in their small studio for just over a year.

“We worked on it ten months before we saw any of it going together,” said Rick Bewley owner of Art Fusion Studio.

The fixtures were so big they had to be taken apart and then reassembled once inside the Civic Center.

“The overall size of the fixture is ten foot by seven foot, and then it hangs down six foot from the ceiling,” said Rick.  

Just seeing the massive fixtures and know the work that went into them, confirms to the Civic Center foundation that they made the right choice.

“Ecstatic. I hope the patrons walk in and their breath is taken away,” said Gray.

“Definitely some people here that took a chance on a small local company,” said Rick.

While they are grateful for the opportunity, their joy comes from a different place.

“The thought of our grandkids coming here and being able to see what grandma and grandpa made, yeah its going to be awesome,” said Rick and Tracey Bewley.

For more information about Art Fusion Studio visit their website, www.artfusionstudio.com.