When she died at the age of 104, Miss Myrtle E. Woldson had lived several lifetimes in terms of both work and play. She made a vast fortune in real estate as a self-taught developer while gracing Spokane newspaper society pages – a woman as shrewd and tenacious as she was fashionable and cultured, not to mention generous.

That generosity led to a massive gift to Gonzaga University, many millions of which went toward building the campus’ Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center and its collection of artifacts from her incredible life. helveticka worked on that exhibit with a team of professors and students, including multimedia displays loaded with stories, photographs, oral history videos, and more.

While our firm’s original work on the Myrtle Woldson Collection wrapped up in 2019, we just completed the first update to touchscreen content. That included redesigning some existing pages and freshening several narrative sections, as well as adding new pages for visitors to explore.

The new FAQ offers details about where Woldson’s money came from and where it went upon her death (and whether she was indeed a basketball fan).

Three digital exhibits have been added to the original three:

Seeing Opportunities: “Myrtle Woldson’s business investments expanded beyond Spokane, embroiled her in litigation, and allowed her to build a fortune well beyond her father’s success.” This exhibit digs into Woldson’s uncanny ability to see value in properties others dismissed – and the grit to stick to her instincts among a chorus of doubting men. It also takes a close look at her home office (uncommon in her day), complete with an ornate bridge table that doubled as her desk.

Call Me “Miss”: Woldson was described by those in her circle as “shockingly frank,” and that extended to her insistence on being called “Miss” throughout her run as an unmarried business mogul. At the time the honorific lent respect and standing, and this exhibit dives into the evolution of formal social titles through the civil rights movement, feminism, and the perspective of one Miss Myrtle E. Woldson.

The Unexpected Myrtle Woldson: It is here that you’ll see then 96-year-old Woldson’s radiant smile at the 2007 grand opening of Spokane’s Fox Theater. She was a great patron of the arts, and this 30,000-foot view of her signature qualities links out to four other exhibits in the collection.

The touchscreens are part of an immersive whole, and we recommend viewing it all in person.

The Myrtle Woldson Collection is open Monday through Friday, noon-5 p.m. (and during performances), and includes an interpretive center with the digital displays and narrative panels, plus replicas of rooms in her storied Spokane home showcasing personal furniture, art, and décor.