About 200 people gathered on a slightly cloudy Thursday morning to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of three public art displays in Wellston during the Centennial year of Route 66.
The event also marked the completion of the project to rebuild an I-44 bridge over Route 66 at Wellston in preparation for the upcoming widening of the turnpike.
“A project like this is the culmination of incredible partnerships, incredible insight in planning, and most importantly of all, execution. And again, the result that we’ve got here is I think something extremely special,” said Oklahoma Secretary ofTransportation Tim Gatz, who called the spot not only the center of Route 66 in Oklahoma, but the center of the universe on that bright morning.
Among the dignatries who attended was Sean McMaster, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. He said it was an honor to be at the event that celebrated a project that connected history, community and the future ofAmerican transportation.
“Projects like this bridge replacement and the new Route 66 landmark here in Wellston show how we’re honoring the past while delivering modern, safer infrastructure for generations to come. This is exactly what it looks like when we invest in both mobility and community identity,” he said.
He spoke of the importance of Route 66 throughout history -- how it helped launched businesses like McDonald’s and Dairy Queen, expanded the trucking industry and helped farmers transport their produce and grain. He mentioned that 210,000 traveled the road to escape the Dust Bowl, and millions more got their kicks during the 40s as they moved west to support the country during World War II.
“Even today, the lure of Route 66 draws visitors from around the country and the world. Route 66 still powers local economies from small businesses, tourism, and freight and daily commutes,” McMaster said. “Our focus is making sure this road works for families, workers, and visitors today and for generations to come.”
Amber Sharples, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council, said the day was both a celebration and a milestone that reflects what is possible when the public sector, community leaders, artists and community members come together with a shared vision. She the works are monumental in scale, but more so in meaning.
“While large-scale construction is familiar to many of our partners, what may be less visible is the depth of care, planning, and community engagement that shapes public art long before the installation begins,” she said. “Public art starts with listening. It begins with what we ask, what really matters here, what stories, histories, and values define a place and its people.”
She continued that while these conversations guided every step of the process, the goal was never to just put artwork along the Mother Road, but to create something that reflected the past, resonated in the present and endured into the future.
Of the three artworks at the spot, the largest is called “You Are Here,” and is 23-foot-tall sculpture of a map pin marking the midpoint of the almost 400-mile stretch of Route 66 in Oklahoma. It was designed by Joseph O’Connell of Creative Machines and is constructed of carbon steel pipe and square tubing. The main feature is the colorful, translucent polycarbonate artwork panels featuring scents from the Mother Road that take on the appearance of stain glass panels when lit up at night.
The second piece, “Harvest and Highway,” is a wallmounted artwork installed along the new Turner Turnpike bridge designed by Cliff Garten Studio. It stretches the length of one bridge wall and has brightly colored, powder-coated metal panels that honor Wellston’s agricultural history and land through elemental themes such as corn, wheat, roads, water and earth.
The last, “Relics and Reed,” is by Helen and Wills Art and is currently in progress. It will eventually feature 17 steel vignettes that incorporate the imagery of wheat, native plants and cars.
All of the artworks were commissioned through the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Art in Public Places program in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.