City considers relocating Houston sculpture here
James Coburn
The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — The Edmond City Council voted 5-0 to purchase a $250,000 bronze sculpture for no more than $90,000, a figure which includes transportation costs with the condition the artwork is in acceptable condition.

“Touch the Clouds” is a bronze sculpture located at the Houston Astrodome, which is about to be demolished, Shadid said. This piece is available for a $50,000 donation to the Houston Rodeo Livestock Association, plus additional costs for relocation.

Internationally known sculptor Dave McGary, who created the piece, died about three weeks ago, Shadid said. “Touch the Clouds” is part of his Warrior Series. The sculpture depicts a Miniconjou chief of the late 19th century, a cousin of the Sioux warrior, Crazy Horse, according to McGary’s website.

His artwork has been placed overseas and “Touch the Clouds” is recognized as one of McGary’s significant pieces of art, Shadid said.

“The City of Edmond will get an enormous amount of press out of this,” Shadid said.

Bob Thomas of Edmond knew the artist and his representative in Ruidoso, N.M. He made the suggestion to Shadid to see if the city would be interested in purchasing “Touch the Clouds” for its collection.

“I said, ‘Well, there’s no matching money for it,’” Shadid said. “‘But I’ve talked to several councilmen before and they want some larger pieces for the city’s collection.’”

“Touch the Clouds” is 18 feet tall with a 15-foot-wide wing span weighing 20,000 pounds. There was an early cost estimate of $15,000 to move the sculpture from Houston to Ruidosa, Shadid said. Another cost estimate of $42,000 was made to move the sculpture to a museum in Atlanta.

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Here is sculpture:




I would be in support of this. Could make for a nice piece in the middle of future roundabout somewhere in DT Edmond.