Compass Rose

By sometime in 2011, Oklahoma City will have a beautiful new sculpture to look at in Bicentennial Park east of the Civic Center Music Hall and easily viewable west of Walker. Click the photos in this article for a larger views.

On Tuesday, March 30, 2010, the Oklahoma City Council approved a plan being 100% funded by a $350,000 grant from the Inasmuch Foundation to construct and install the the 30-foot diameter sculpture named "Compass Rose." The sculptor is New York artist Owen Morrel. What you're seeing above and below are photos I took at City Hall yesterday before the transit meeting which I reported on yesterday.



A packet of realistic looking images were available near the model and I'll show some of those images below. When I took the above pics and picked up the packet, I didn't know what it was all about, but today's Oklahoman carried a short article by Tim Henley which describes the action taken by the City Council.


The information below was scanned from the packet and gives some background and cost detail:




I don't fully know the history behind this project but I've found a little. In an October 21, 2009, Staff Report to the city's Park Commission, it is noted that on May 16, 2007, Leadership Oklahoma City (LOKC) presented a proposed Bicentennial Park and City Hall Area Master Plan to the city's Park Commission and, further, that,

The Department has been notified that LOKC has selected an artwork by Artist Owen Morrel to be placed in Bicentennial Park, funded by a $350,000 grant from the Inasmuch Foundation * * *.
* * *
The proposed artwork selection by LOKC has been placed on the October 19, 2009 Oklahoma City Arts Commission agenda for a recommendation to the City Council. The decision of the Arts Commission will be communicated by staff to the Park Commission during the meeting.

The sixty-year old sculptor has crafted a substantial body of public art and you can find out about the award winning Morrel at his website and view photos of some of his other work here.

The packet of materials by the model of Compass Rose shows these views of how the completed project will look. Click on them for larger views.

Artist's Description












Night Scene -- LED lights in base illuminate at night



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