It’s official — the Big Boot sculpture will be placed at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
KWTV reported that the City Council last week approved the plan to install the 35-foot-tall art installation east of the famed museum just off an alignment of Route 66.
Originally planned for a location near Classen Boulevard and Northwest 25th Street, city leaders say the new location near the museum is a better fit than the previous suggestion after receiving concerns from local residents.
“As a dramatic symbol of the spirit of the West, the Cowboy Museum is the fitting site for a sculpture celebrating the hundredth anniversary of Route 66,” OKC Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Program Manager Randy Marks said. “We anticipate that ‘66 Kicks’ is going to be a must-see stop on Route 66 for many years to come.”
The city’s MAPS 4 Beautification would fully fund the project, priced at $875,000.
The Oklahoman newspaper had more details about the art installation itself:
The project, titled “Kicks 66,” was designed by local artist Cameron Eagle. The 35-foot-tall boot reads “Oklahoma City looks Mighty Pretty,” calling back to the iconic Bobby Troup song “Get your kicks on Route 66,” and will light up at night.
“The sculpture recalls the golden age of Route 66 signs,” said Randy Marks, program planner for the city’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. “It’s constructed of heavy gauge aluminum, painted in aircraft paint with hard Plexiglass letters lit from within. So although it mimics the look of neon, there’s actually no neon in the work whatsoever. This rock-solid sculpture is going to be able to handle virtually anything Oklahoma weather throws at it.”
The target date to finish and install the completed “Kicks 66” is July 1.
(An artist’s rendering of the “Kicks 66” art installation planned for Oklahoma City)