Arts commission recommends four park and sports artworks for City Council; seeks study on Air Force Monument relocation

The Oklahoma City Arts Commission on Aug. 22 recommended several public-art projects to the City Council and directed staff to pursue further study on the aging Air Force Monument.

Staff presentations and brief commissioner discussion led to recommendations to advance four city artworks:

- "People Watching" by Matthew Mazotta (Social Space), proposed for Lower Scissortail Park’s Songbird Plaza: two oversized scissor-tail bird sculptures approximately 12 feet long mounted on 15-foot posts. The pieces will be fabricated in fiberglass; the selection was recommended to City Council and to the Downtown Design Commission for a certificate of approval.

- "Heart of the Game" and "Off the Pitch" by C.J. Wrench for the C.B. Cameron Park Soccer Complex: a 13-foot immersive soccer-sphere sculpture (18 by 25 feet) near the main clubhouse and a smaller 9-foot social-photo sculpture at the north side. The project budget for the park artwork was cited at $206,000; the commission recommended a public-art commission agreement.

- "World United" by Paul Beckley at South Lakes Park near 12310 S. Meridian Ave.: a 17-foot steel-and-aluminum sculpture inspired by global soccer culture, to be powder-coated and clear-coated; staff said the artist anticipates little ongoing maintenance and will provide a maintenance plan. The commission recommended forwarding a public-art commission agreement; staff reported the artist award for this project at $72,500.

- "Born to Be a Star" by Marcus Muse: a neighborhood mural to be installed at Phillips Park (2808 Prospect Ave.) funded through the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative with a $10,000 installation budget and a focus on youth engagement and cultural-historical themes. The Arts Commission recommended Strong Neighborhoods Initiative staff proceed with a public-art agreement.

Robbie Jones, Special Projects Manager, and Leandre Lattimore, Project Manager for Arts and Cultural Affairs, presented the proposals and answered commissioner questions about siting, materials and anticipated maintenance. Commissioners questioned wind loads and ventilation for the Cameron Park metal sculpture, suggested specifying maintenance-manual requirements for display of tournament information and asked that seating surfaces be finished in light colors to reduce heat.

On a separate agenda item, staff and commissioners discussed the Air Force Monument, originally installed in 1963 and currently located at Kerr Park. Smith Art Conservation assessed the monument’s bronze and reported the sculpture is fragile with cracks and internal water intrusion; conservation work earlier this year revealed further deterioration. The commission considered options including recasting the bronze, relocating the monument to a new site and incorporating salvaged elements (medallions, plaques, eagle) into a redesigned monument. Marks said recasting the bronze could cost in the range of $100,000 to $200,000. The commission voted to direct staff to continue work on proposals and fundraising strategies, with an emphasis on private fundraising from local aerospace stakeholders.

The body also discussed a proposed amendment to the Arts Commission ordinance that would reduce membership from the current level to nine members, clarify residency and attendance requirements, and codify officer roles. Commissioners exchanged preferences about residency rules and the proportion of professional artists on the commission; no final vote was taken on ordinance changes and staff said the item would return to a later meeting for additional discussion.

All four art projects will be forwarded to City Council for final approval under the city’s normal public-art and permitting processes. Staff said finalized maintenance manuals and fabrication details will be part of future contract approval packets.