City Council Approves Art Requirement

The Oklahoma City Council Tuesday passed a new ordinance requiring that one percent of construction expenses spent on City-owned property be set aside for art in public spaces. The mandatory art funding was a recommendation of the Oklahoma City Arts Commission, which suggests and reviews art purchases and makes recommendations for City Council approval. The ordinance applies to the construction of new buildings, major renovations of existing buildings and significant park development.

. . . I sure there will be lots of disagreement, but I think this is absolutely fantastic!!

I disagree. When the government controls the money spent on art, the government controls the art. They will disapprove of anything other than buffalo, native american indian displays, cowboys, or whatever their "friends" create.

I agree it's a step in the right direction, however I would have like to have seen the budget higher than 1% (especially given the cheap cost of land and construction in our city).

city owned property and buildings ... so government would control the process anyway. At least now there is a requirement for there to be some art for them to control.

Cheer up, they may even get bold on it. It could happen. Not holding my breath, but it could happen.

I disagree. When the government controls the money spent on art, the government controls the art. They will disapprove of anything other than buffalo, native american indian displays, cowboys, or whatever their "friends" create.

Did you see any of the sculpture that surrounded City Hall for about a year, and has now been placed all over the city?

Did you see any of the sculpture that surrounded City Hall for about a year, and has now been placed all over the city?

I saw a bunch of buffalo. Is there something else?

There weren't any buffalo at city hall. That was elsewhere. It was just several modern sculptures. Didn't fit any of your criteria.

I saw a bunch of buffalo. Is there something else?


Those fiberglass buffaloes didn't even come out of city funds. That was a private effort.

Yeah kmf, the City has been buying and "borrowing" modern art all over the City for about 2 years now. Surprised you haven't seen any.

I know one of them, which is orange, is now located at Classen and NW Expressway.

I disagree. When the government controls the money spent on art, the government controls the art. They will disapprove of anything other than buffalo, native american indian displays, cowboys, or whatever their "friends" create.

I was on this commission years ago. The definition of art was loose enough to include landscaping. There's no "Art Police" if that's what you fear. What I do fear already exists: I recently walked away from the purchase of a commercial development parcel because of the requirements and restrictions by the planning commission for permitted uses, hours of operation, setbacks, sidewalks, building fascia materials, roof pitches, lighting, signage and landscaping.

Yeah kmf, the City has been buying and "borrowing" modern art all over the City for about 2 years now. Surprised you haven't seen any.

Do you have any pics you can post metro? I just don't remember seeing anything. But I may have and just don't remember.

I can think of several pieces of public art that aren't related to cowboys and Indians.

1. The old town murals along the sides of the railroad bridges in downtown

2. The mural on the building along the Bricktown canal across from the ballpark

http://xenohistorian.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_1436_sm.jpg

3. The statue of the man rolling the ball up rails on the canal

http://www.durangotexas.com/eyesontexas/pix/okc/brickball_small.JPG

4. Statue in the Myriad Gardens:

http://xenohistorian.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/img_1459_sm.jpg

5. Will Rogers Park Rose Garden statue:

http://www.okc.gov/parks/will_rogers/fish_statue_sm.jpg

I have seen a weird looking sculpture at Robert S Kerr and Broadway NE corner. Under the roof of the parking garage it looks like a giant white yarn bug. No clue what it is.

One new piece is on the corner of NW Expressway and Classen.

I have seen a weird looking sculpture at Robert S Kerr and Broadway NE corner. Under the roof of the parking garage it looks like a giant white yarn bug. No clue what it is.

It is called Curious Organism by Stan Carroll

I hadn't thought about governmental control but I guess that could happen. I like the idea of art being in public places. Maybe they could use an independent group to select it. Just a thought.

I was in Philadelphia earlier this year for the Dad Vails Regatta. I got to spend some time in the city being a tourist. On the double-decker tour bus, they said that Philly has a 1% Art Fund requirement.

I wouldn't want all art to be buffalo related, but there ain't thang one wrong with some of it being buffalo
8^)

kmf, some of the modern art is still on the lawn at City Hall, saw some last night while at the OKCMOA.

keving, Philly is an amazing City. It would be an EXCELLENT city to study for walkability, public art, connectivity, etc. etc. etc.

What I would like to see is art incorporated into our everyday structures. Things we pass by or use everyday do not have to be old and mundane.

For example in Tucson they have tiled murals on their highway retaining walls.

http://www.redzilla.net/200205tucson/tn_pict0049_jpg.jpg

They also have a rattlesnake pedestrian walkway:

http://www.redzilla.net/200205tucson/tn_pict0045_jpg.jpg

Or incorporate art into our bus stops: The World's Coolest Bus Stops - Urlesque - Internet Trends, Viral Videos, Memes and Web Culture (http://www.urlesque.com/2009/09/10/the-worlds-coolest-bus-stops/)

Well, I like the idea but to be honest, that rattlesnake looks tacky. I still like it, though.

I agree, however there is probably more than you realize here, but we still have a long ways to go. Most all the new highways or remodeled highways have public art intigrated into the sidewalls. Look at I-244 around NW 36th street recently, or the bridges around Moore/Norman. Also the new I-40 is going to have lots of it integrated.

As far as those bus stops go, most of them are ugly. I could go for the Dubai one or the green roof concept, other than that, they're nothing to mimic.

As far as the bus stops go it just shows that we do not have to settle for three walls of advertising and a roof. Another example is in Paris some of the entrances to the Metro are works of art.

That rattlesnake walkway is really pretty cool. The fenceing is painted like snakeskin, you can't really see the head from the roadway. Most of the walkways there and in Phoenix have some sort of design to them as well as the bridges and intersection. The Zach Taylor Memorial interchange here is definitely a step in the right direction, as well as the Oklahoma Shield they added at Memorial and Broadway.