Public Art

Photo Credits: Kumar Krishnan

Native color in unity square

Native Color was commissioned by the citizens of Bartlesville as a part of Tower Center at Unity Square and dedicated in the spring of 2021. This interactive art installation celebrates the unity of our community as our “Third Place” - an urban destination where every person is welcome, regardless of age, gender, finances, culture or lifestyle.

This piece was created by Tulsa-born artist and designer Amie J. Jacobsen. Her inspiration comes from the state wildflower of Oklahoma, Gaillardia pulchella, commonly known as “Indian blanket.” The piece is meant to celebrate the strong Native American history of the area and honor the flora and fauna of the prairie. Honeybees, toiling atop the flowers, are another state symbol and represent communities working together.

The whimsical stainless steel flowers and honeybees were created in Amie’s Kansas City studio. The colorful cast glass flower petals were created by artist Dierk Van Keppel of Rock Cottage Glassworks in Merriam, Kan.

“Each of my pieces is unique, but I inevitably circle back to flora and fauna, wildlife, insects and other animals as inspiration. Ultimately, my work is meant to be uplifting, communicate energy, movement and playfulness. Yet, I strive to maintain a sense of elegance and craftsmanship.” - Amie J. Jacobsen

INTERACTIVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Funds for the purchase of “Interactive Musical Instruments” were raised and donated by Leadership Bartlesville Class XXVII and Young Professionals of Bartlesville following the successful hosting of community supported events like HOT Street Party and the Leadership Bartlesville Golf Tournament.

suspended moment

This lovely bronze sculpture graces the raised flowerbed overlooking the Parson's Family Foundation fountain within Unity Square and just outside of the Bartlesville Community Center.   

The sculptor, Heloise Swaback was an apprentice at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.  Heloise was born in Kobe, Japan on March 9, 1926 and passed away on March 11, 2018, at her home at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California.  Heloise joined the Taliesin Fellowship in 1949, not to become an architect, but rather to be in “the atmosphere of such ideas and such people as Mr. and Mrs. Wright and the community of apprentices”.  

The piece was named ‘Suspended Moment’ as the sculpture sought to depict the gentle embrace of two people very much in love.

White Bison

Mr. Box first heard the legend of the white bison as a sacred symbol of peace, from Native Americans in Oklahoma. He grew up and received his education in Bartlesville where he was inspried by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Funds for the purchase of "White Bison" were granted by the Lyon Foundation, Bartlesville Rotary Club and citizens of Bartlesville.

Sponsored by the Bartlesville Visual Arts Commission: 2018 William Buckles, Chairman; Price Connors, Vice-Chairman; Nancy Warring, Grants; Val Callaghan, Publicity; John Gorman, Construction.

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Sixty-Six

Robert Indiana, whose father worked for Phillips, was inspired by the colors of the old Phillips 66 gas station signs set against the Midwestern sky. Price Tower Arts Center engaged the artist to create his newest sculpture, Sixty-Six, which is derived from his personal iconography. The artist evokes that great icon of the road, the Phillips 66 logo, and the mystique of Route 66, in this monumental sculpture through the slanted double sixes and the quotation of the old gas station colors. The influence this image exerted throughout Indiana's career is evident in the famous tilted 'O' that makes his LOVE so instantly recognizable and effective a composition.

Courtesy of the Morgan Art Foundation and Paul Kasmin Gallery.