Bolt Tower '75 foot sculpture' proposed for Oklahoma City Fairgrounds

[Laramie]

Arts commissioners voted unanimously to recommend city council consider placing a 75-foot-tall sculpture at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds. Projected cost: $905,000 would come from the Arts budget.

For comparison, this will equal the size of the Golden Driller at the fairgrounds in Tulsa.

[Bellaboo]

Wonderful. Need more culture in OKC.

[TheTravellers]

Wonderful. Need more culture in OKC.

The fairgrounds is probably the last place I'd look in OKC for arts-type culture, lol.......

10,000th post, yay!

[Canoe]

The fairgrounds is probably the last place I'd look in OKC for arts-type culture, lol.......

10,000th post, yay!

Congradulations.

[unfundedrick]

The fairgrounds is probably the last place I'd look in OKC for arts-type culture, lol.......

10,000th post, yay!

You may have forgotten that the fairgrounds used to be the location of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

[Bullbear]

You may have forgotten that the fairgrounds used to be the location of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Key to that post is "use to be" the fairgrounds use to have many more interesting structures but are all gone. The airplanes, Museum, monorail, Space Needle.

[jn1780]

Key to that post is "use to be" the fairgrounds use to have many more interesting structures but are all gone. The airplanes, Museum, monorail, Space Needle.

Museum of Art leaving was the start of the great purge. Not that I'm complaining about them leaving we obviously got something far greater downtown.

Hopefully this sculpture will lead to more interesting things being added back. Now that they have all the main things they want either built or underconstruction.

[TheTravellers]

You may have forgotten that the fairgrounds used to be the location of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Nope, went there when it was there, but as others have said, that was then and then was a loooooooooooooooooooooong time ago. And yes, the new museum is pretty fantastic, we go there often. Don't like that they don't have a restaurant any longer, but glad the gift shop was able to massively expand.

[unfundedrick]

Nope, went there when it was there, but as others have said, that was then and then was a loooooooooooooooooooooong time ago. And yes, the new museum is pretty fantastic, we go there often. Don't like that they don't have a restaurant any longer, but glad the gift shop was able to massively expand.

Then, unlike your statement, you actually did look there for arts type culture, long time ago or not. My biggest wish is more that they could do something to dramatically improve the landscaping. It just always looks so barren.

[jn1780]

Its something not a barn at the fairgrounds so I approve.

[shavethewhales]

Its something not a barn at the fairgrounds so I approve.

Exactly. The OKC fairgrounds are in desperate need of a bit more culture and intrigue. Everyone misses the whimsical monorail and observation tower, among other things that used to be there. Make it a more interesting public place that people actually remember.

[mugofbeer]

If they built a straw out the top it would resemble the Pop's sign in Arcadia.

[Bill Robertson]

If they built a straw out the top it would resemble the Pop's sign in Arcadia.

That was my exact first thought.

[Rover]

Arts commissioners voted unanimously to recommend city council consider placing a 75-foot-tall sculpture at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds. Projected cost: $905,000 would come from the Arts budget.

For comparison, this will equal the size of the Golden Driller at the fairgrounds in Tulsa.

So, what is this representing, or is it just form for form's sake?

[bombermwc]

If it's going on the fairgrounds, then you might as well make it accurate and tell what it's real purpose is. It has to be for a horse right? Tiepost?

[TheTravellers]

If it's going on the fairgrounds, then you might as well make it accurate and tell what it's real purpose is. It has to be for a horse right? Tiepost?

[Jersey Boss]

Is it made of bolts or is the name of the artist "Bolt"?

[SoonerDave]

Since they wholesale destroyed the fairgrounds to accommodate the whims of the horse crowd, I think the ship of regaining public interest has sailed. Dallas knows how to maintain and upgrade a fairgrounds. OKC knows how to bulldoze them. I, for one, couldn't care less about this sculpture.

[Bellaboo]

IMO, it will be a nice addition especially on a drive by at night. This location probably is one of the highest traffic counts in the city. Will I go take a close look of it, probably not, since I rarely go to the fairgrounds.
It more than likely will have some awesome LED displays.
Another thing, the horse shows and the money brought in from them are probably one of the biggest incomes from out of state visitors OKC has. Hell, Captain Kirk spends a couple weeks here every year.