OKLAHOMA CITY — A new public art installation has joined the Oklahoma City Convention Center’s collection: “Howdy,” a 17-by-20-foot mural by Oklahoma artist Nick Bayer. Commissioned through the City of Oklahoma City’s 1% for Art Ordinance, the mural debuted in August and was formally dedicated during a reception on Oct. 23.
“Howdy” contributes to Oklahoma City’s expanding public art collection displayed throughout city-owned facilities. The 1% for Art Ordinance allocates one percent of construction budgets for new city buildings, parks, and trails to fund public art installations. The initiative has produced several landmark projects across the city, including the Skydance Bridge.
Installed on the Convention Center’s first-floor lobby wall, “Howdy” features 16 repeating images inspired by Oklahoma culture and history. Images like a Route 66 sign, Osage shield, oil derrick and scissortail flycatcher are all arranged in a radial pattern reminiscent of Western wear embroidery.
“Basically, we wanted it to be a friendly ‘Oklahoma hello,’ and a friendly ‘Oklahoma hello’ is a ‘howdy,’” Bayer told Free Press in an interview.
Bayer is an Oklahoma-based artist with over 15 years of experience in arts education and public art.
He described the mural as “a showcase of Oklahoma’s story through iconic images and symbols.”
Leondre Lattimore, the City of Oklahoma City’s Public Art Project Manager, said the goal was to create something meaningful for both locals and visitors.
“There are many elements in the mural itself, all related to Oklahoma, from the state flower to guitars. It even has some Native American symbolism,” Lattimore said in an interview. “These are all things that are very relevant to Oklahoma’s history and culture.”
The piece also aligns with the upcoming centennial of Route 66 in 2026. Oklahoma is home to over 400 miles of drivable Route 66, the most of any state.
“When we first did this project, it wasn’t intended to be tied into the centennial at all, but it just happened to be perfect timing,” Lattimore told Free Press. “Route 66 is such a prominent part of Oklahoma’s culture, and hopefully people traveling along it will stop and see this mural as well.”
Bayer painted the mural with acrylic latex on custom cotton duck canvas. The canvas was produced by a company in New York and shipped to Oklahoma City, where Bayer built a special apparatus to accommodate its 14-foot height. The process took about three months.
The finished piece was installed using aircraft cables, ceiling anchors and an aluminum support pipe.
“Howdy” joins several other public artworks at the Convention Center, including “Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouds Taste Metallic Gift Painting” by Wayne Coyne and Damien Hirst, “Together, Together” by Joe Slack, “Virtual Sky” by Susan Narduli, and “Massive Communication” by Ernesto Sanchez.
Lattimore said additional installations are planned as part of the city’s ongoing partnership with the Convention Center and its 1% for Arts initiative.
“We’re really excited to do this kind of partnership, and we’re definitely hoping to do more of these kinds of things in the future,” he said.
Bayer emphasized the importance of public art and community connection.
“Public art is for the community, and that’s something I’m always thinking about when creating,” he said. “I consider a work like this a love letter to Oklahoma and its people.”
He said he hopes “Howdy” encourages visitors to learn more about the state’s history and see it from new perspectives.
For more information about public art in Oklahoma City, visit okc.gov/art.
Zoe Elrod covers events and happenings around Oklahoma City for Free Press bringing her skill as a reporter and photographer. Zoe has spent her career covering local musicians, artists, politicians, and everyday folks.
