CENTENNIAL SPECTACULAR, BRICKTOWN VERSION. Following the morning's Statehood Parade and events in the territorial and 1st state capitol, Guthrie (see the November 17 Oklahoman article for more about that), the Ford Center in Oklahoma City hosted a "Centennial Spectacular" replete with appearances by Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Shirley Jones (of course, Laurey in the movie version of Oklahoma! — she sang Oh What a Beautiful Morning and People Will Say We're in Love), the Flaming Lips, All American Rejects, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks (who didn't sing), the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Canterbury Choral Choir, Leona Mitchell, Shayna Steele, and others. See this November 17 Oklahoman article for more about the Ford Center events. The article notes that a large stage, topped with a huge state seal, occupied the entire south end of the Ford Center, and that three "giant" screens above the stage showed video birthday cards from state stars who couldn't be there in person. I've added several actual videos at the end of this article.
But, tickets for this event have been sold out for quite a while ... I had none ... what to do, where to go? Not a problem ...
Larger image not available
Bricktown Ballpark provided the place and a free one at that. No, you didn't get the live performances, only a simulcast broadcast on the video display down the 3rd base line. But, hey, it was free so who's to complain? The Oklahoman said that an overflow crowd attended at the ballpark, but that's not true. A good crowd, yes, "standing room only," no. We picked up our tickets at the ballpark ticket office on Friday morning and it's true that only "standing room only" tickets remained ... but when we arrived, there were plenty of seats available so apparently a lot of the distributed tickets did not get used.
Here are a few pics of the crowd ...
Looking South Along 3rd Base Line
Looking Southeast Along 3rd Base Line
Looking Northwest Along 3rd Base Line
Looking West Showing the "Tube" Snow Slope for "Downtown In December"
On 3rd Base Line Looking At the Video Display As you can see, the display looked small from a distance
The pics I took of the display didn't turn out well — They appeared much better than those shown below, even though smallish from the long distance
Strolling the concourse gave a sense of history ...
Several bands played after the Ford Center adjourned ... too many if one was just hanging around for the fireworks ...
There was plenty of time to walk around the ballpark for some views ...
Finally, around 10:45 p.m. or so, the fireworks began Click the "Play" button to watch the fireworks
CENTENNIAL SPECTACULAR VIDEOS. With a BIG Doug Dawg thanks to BPOETA, here are some videos from the event:
OKLAHOMA STATE ART COLLECTION GALLERY. The long-awaited Oklahoma State Art Collection Gallery, operated by the Oklahoma State Arts Council, opened at noon on Saturday, November 17, at the State Capitol. Sadly, this event seemed to receive almost no pre-event publicity — but Doug Dawg thinks that it was one of the very finest Centennial events to occur! If mention was made in the Oklahoman other than a short "blurb" on November 15, I didn't catch it.
For a 2-Minute Tour, click the "Play" button below
Nothwithstanding the Oklahoman's lack of coverage, a very nice spread did occur in the November 18 Tulsa World, excerpts being the following:
Treasure Trove State's art collection goes on display at Capitol
Some of the artists whose work makes up that collection had forgotten all about it.
That's because most of the art that makes up the Oklahoma State Art Collection dates to the 1970s, when the Oklahoma Arts Council established the collection as a way to collect and preserve the works of Oklahoma artists.
And — with the exception of a few pieces shown at Oklahoma City museums and on tours of Oklahoma towns in the 1980s — the collection has not been on public display for many years, in part because there has never been an official gallery space for it.
That changed Saturday, when as part of the state's Centennial Celebration, the Oklahoma State Art Collection Gallery opened in the State Capitol Building in Oklahoma City.
The gallery occupies the space in the Capitol's west wing that for many years housed the offices of the state's attorney general.
"This is the first permanent home this collection has ever had," said Amber Sharples, visual arts director for the Oklahoma Arts Council who also serves as curator for the collection. "And to have that home in the state's capitol building is a way to show that Oklahoma recognizes the importance of the arts in people's lives."
In this new facility, the State Art Collection, which began to form in 1971, certainly has a dandy home now! Located in the west wing of the first floor of the State Capitol in space formerly occupied by the Attorney General's offices, it presents a dazzling display of art which has been contributed to the collection since 1971 and which consists of more than 175 works of art (though not all are displayed in the inaugural exhibit). You can read more about the collection and facilities at the State Arts Council website.
For now, though, watch the people, see the speeches (without actually having to hear them!), and take a walk with me through this wonderful new facility!
Get there by entering the State Capitol (through the south entrance which puts you at the 1st level, or west entrance which is actually the basement). Go to the Rotunda and look up and you see the inside of the Capitol Dome ... as always, click on a pic for a larger view ...
From There, Look West ... The Dark Entrance Awaits the Opening Ceremony
Dignitaries and Ordinary Folk Like Doug Dawg Hanging Around
Federal District Judge Robert Henry at Left
Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson
Betty Price, recently retired 24-year State Arts Council Executive Director Mary Jo Watson, Director of the University of Oklahoma School of Art Wanda Otey Westheimer, Long-Time Arts Patron & Benefactor from Ardmore
Several Speeches Commemorating the Occasion Were Made Most Were Brief and To The Point
Oklahoma Centennial Executive Director Blake Wade
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins (she's very cool, by the way)
Ribbon Cutting By Betty Price & Jari Askins
And The Gates Are Open!
A Walkabout in the New Gallery!
Upon Entering, a Video Panel Can Help With The Story
Or You Can Just Lollygag Around ...
Amber Sharples Curator of the Oklahoma State Arts Collection Put It All Together!
Is She Too Cool or What?
The Gallery is free and is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. You'd be utterly crazy not to go!
DEVON CENTENNIAL OKLAHOMA RIVER PARADE. 2007 marks the 4th Annual Devon Oklahoma River Parade, this year moved up a bit to coincide with Oklahoma's Centennial Week. For some background, see the Oklahoman'sNovember 16 article and the November 18 article, the latter being excerpted below:
Parade lights way to future By Michael Kimball Staff Writer
As a former mayor of Oklahoma City and a man well-known to local residents, Ron Norick has plenty of reasons to look back with fondness on his city's past.
But sitting on the deck of Devon Discovery, about an hour before the boat was christened Saturday as part of the Devon Energy Centennial River Parade, all Norick wanted to talk about was the future.
"Just because it's the end of Oklahoma's first century, that doesn't mean we're going to stop working hard going into the next century,” Norick said.
Norick and other organizers of the boat parade feel as if their event embodies Oklahoma City's transition into a dynamic regional power.
River of change
The parade began after dark following fireworks and other entertainment organized for thousands of spectators.
It followed a route down the Oklahoma River, which is a focal point for urban renewal efforts taking place over the next decade in the same spirit that yielded Bricktown.
Over the next several years, as part of the "core to shore” plan, the city intends to combine public and private funds to reinvigorate the area between the Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway and the river.
"The public dollar was put in with MAPS and MAPS for Kids, but now the private dollars are coming in,” said Norick, now serving as chairman of the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority. "It's because of the corporations who say, ‘Yeah, we want to be a part of it.' And they write us a check. ... Corporations that are competing in the marketplace are willing to come together for the sake of making the city better.” * * * A city to ‘be proud of'
Of the hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators, perhaps no one exemplified what Norick hopes for the future of Oklahoma City more than Dan and Jackie Whygle. City residents for the past 11 years, they said they've never known Oklahoma City to be anything other than the vibrant, cosmopolitan city it is now.
"There's been a lot of change, and obviously I think it's for the good,” Jackie Whygle said. "I think this is the nicest part of the city, and it's exciting all of the changes that are still out there.”
It's that kind of attitude that Norick hopes will continue to dominate the minds of Oklahoma City residents in the state's second century.
"This is a city that people want to live in, and a city people already here can be proud of,” Norick said. "I'm just happy I'm a part of it.”
Indeed! Without the bold and risky leadership that Mayor Ron Norick provided with 1993 M.A.P.S. initiative, none of this (and much more) would have been happening 14 years later!
A very nice video clip featuring former Mayor Norick and others and much better pics than those I took is at the Oklahoman's website ... credit the pic below from that video to Sarah Phipps of the Oklahoman ...
The pics that I took from the north side of SW 15th, north of Wiley Post Park, follow ... as always, click on a pic for a larger image.
Looking West, The Sun Sets Behind The Walker Bridge
Looking Southwest At Wiley Post Park
The Weather Was Good — Very Little Wind
At Last, The Sun Sets
And It Is Finally Dark
A Beacon North of SW 15th Marks The Spot
And The Fireworks Begin Click the "Play" button to watch the fireworks
I've not gotten my night picture-taking skills down very well so these images are blurry ... but ... best that I can do ... pictures are not in order and I didn't get them all ...
A Parade of 24 Lighted Boats Begins Oklahoma's 101st year
The Devon Discovery, 1st of 3 new water taxis which will hold 49 passengers, led the parade. Covered in about 18,000 lights and topped with a bow, it is Devon's gift to Oklahoma City. In the spring, the Discovery & 2 other cruisers will move from Meridian and I-40 to near the Chesapeake boathouse.
I don't know what this caterpillar is, but it was the largest entry.
Operation Scissortail - Our Latest Book!
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[image: devon book cover]
We are very happy to announce the release of our latest book, "Operation
Scissortail," a narative history of the construction o...
Saturday in the Park..on a 113 degree day
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For those who don't know, there is a reason I've gone very quiet at such a
pivotal moment for Downtown OKC. I accepted a position in Cleveland, Ohio
and I...
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