OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - The Oklahoma City Community Foundation was honored by Mayor Mick Cornett and the Oklahoma City Arts Commission with the Curtis A. Schwartz Cityscape Award for the installation of the sculpture, Flamenco, in the Paseo Arts District. The biennial award recognizes organizations that make a contribution to the aesthetic quality of Oklahoma City through public art, architecture or landscaping.  |
| |
Flamenco by Jonathan W. Hils of Norman, Oklahoma. Click on the image for a high resolution file.
|
Commissioned in memory and celebration of the life and work of Paseo pioneer, John Lampton Belt (1936-2013), the Flamenco sculpture was created by Jonathan W. Hils of Norman, Oklahoma. The installation of the sculpture was funded by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, where Belt served as general counsel since 1984. "John Belt was an integral part of the Oklahoma City arts community and played an invaluable role in our organization," Oklahoma City Community Foundation President Nancy B. Anthony said. "It was an honor to accept the award and to continue to pay tribute to his legacy." Located in the heart of the Paseo Arts District, the sculpture marks Belt's legacy of working tirelessly for more than 30 years to renovate the area. He helped to restore a number of dilapidated buildings in the Paseo, preserving not only their historic integrity but also establishing the area as an affordable space for the artistic community to live and work. The Oklahoma City Arts Commission created the Cityscape Award in 1983 to recognize outstanding construction, design, restoration or renovation. In 1985, it was renamed in memory of Curtis A. Schwartz, an advocate for the arts in Oklahoma City. -30-
| 
