Last Updated on December 6, 2023, 11:32 PM | Published: December 6, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — On December 6th, 2023, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to unveil a new artwork in Oklahoma City. “Together, Together,” a commissioned steel sculpture, sits on the corner of Mick Cornett Drive and Robinson Ave, near the entrance to the Oklahoma City Convention Center.
The 26-foot, 18,000-pound steel statue was commissioned by Allied Arts in 2021 and completed by Oklahoma City-based sculpture artist Joe Slack. In partnership with W&W/AFCO Steel, the work is a new permanent fixture commemorating Allied Arts’ 50th anniversary.
The statue features three figures looming above the city, all facing out toward the viewer. The figures wear pensive facial designs, and a complex network of metallic mapping makes up their bodies.
Gridlines and rings in the heads continue the steel motif, while gaps in the bodies provide a glimpse of the city skyline.
The rusty framework sits beautifully amongst the open layout of downtown, and Scissortail Park provides a relaxing backdrop to the piece. Seating at the bottom of the structure provides a space for a potential meeting point outside the Convention Center.
During the unveiling, members of the media and the public heard from Sunny Cearley, President and CEO of Allied Arts, CEO Emeritus Deborah McAuliffe Senner, and the artist himself, Joe Slack.
“This sculpture is about community engagement and personal connection,” Slack said during the ribbon-cutting event. The lines and heads represent communications and conversations, while the lines and voids in the bodies represent roadmaps along life’s journey that make us uniquely who we are” he explained.
“My hope for this sculpture is that it represents what unites us in similarity, rather than what divides us in discord. Because we’re all in this together… together!” Slack said.
Community impact
Discussing the community impact, CEO Sunny Cearley said “Allied Arts plays a fundamental role in supporting a thriving arts community. It touches lives throughout the state, reaching over 1 million Oklahomans every year.”
Cearley continued, “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our partners, who have worked for over four years to see this project completed. Thanks to this installation, we can now reach even more Oklahomans and visitors from all over the world” she said.
“I’ve been imagining this day for years!” said Senner, who retired in 2022, but spearheaded initial design concepts for the piece. “It started as a ten-foot sculpture but had to grow to twenty-six feet to match the scale of this Convention Center. But now, I can’t imagine it anywhere else.” Senner said.
“We can all be so proud of this beautiful building behind us,” Senner continued. “But now with ‘Together, Together’ on this corner, it’s an even more exciting and intriguing part of the city.”
Closing out the evening, Senner commented, “Public art brings the city to life. And with this beautiful work here now, we’re officially as tough as steel in Oklahoma City.”The Allied Arts 50th Anniversary commemorative statue, “Together, Together”, is on display now at its permanent home outside the Oklahoma City Convention Center. Visitors to the statue can scan a QR code on the base of the sculpture, which links to a ‘making of’ video that shows how the statue was completed. For more information on Allied Arts, visit their website, alliedartsokc.com.
Adrienne Proctor is a theater and arts writer in Oklahoma City. She's been contributing to the arts reporting space since 2017.
