Owner Of Price Tower Clearing Up Rumors About Selling Some Of The Tower's Artifacts

Some people in Bartlesville were upset after items from the Price Tower had been sold to an art gallery in Dallas.

The owner blames financial trouble and said she had to make a decision in order to keep her doors open. 

The one-of-a-kind green skyscraper is an icon in Bartlesville.

"Everybody knows that that's Frank Lloyd Wright," said lifelong resident, Jan White. 

Inside, the Price Tower is filled with beautiful art and artifacts dating back to the 1950s. After seeing some posts on social media, there was some concern from the community about what had been happening inside the tower's walls.

"To have pieces of it ripped away, yeah, it feels like you're taking pieces of Bartlesville, taking parts of us away," said White's daughter, Jayleen Mayes. 

The new owner of the tower, Cynthia Blanchard, said she puts the preservation of the tower first, but with financial issues happening behind the scenes, she had to make a tough decision.

"I got to a point in April that I was up against the wall, and I was going to have to lay off employees and close the doors, or I had some assets," Blanchard said. 

She said the company had sold some pieces from the tower to the 20cdesign Art and Design Gallery for Mid 20th Century Classic Modern in Dallas.

"I didn't want to sell anything ever, but I felt like keeping my employees work, and they have families, and if that means I need to sell a few items, I'm going to sell some items to keep the doors open," said Blanchard. 

She said she had seen rumors online and wanted people to understand what was really happening.

"I'm here. I am as transparent as they come. I am here; no one has asked me," she said. 

Blanchard said she looked forward to the future of the tower.

"I love the tower, and I am going to continue to protect and honor the spirit of what the tower means to not only the community but the state of Oklahoma and to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation."

Blanchard says she had no plans to sell any more items from the tower.