CLOUD TREES BY BRAD OLDHAM AND CHRISTY COLTRIN. PHOTO BY SHEA ALAN
CREATIVE MACHINES’ PLAYFUL SCULPTURE IS INSPIRED BY OKLAHOMA’S
officially titled Cloud Trees , created by artists Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin. The piece plays with light and reflection, and my toddlers were captivated. One of them stared straight up into it, mouth wide open, for a full 2 minutes, which in terms of a toddler’s attention span is basically a standing ovation. Another day, we took an impromptu drive through downtown and let the city surprise us. Under the railroad overpasses near Bricktown , colorful murals from artists like Denise Duong and Dylan Cavin tell stories of culture, nature and imagination. Even the pillars supporting the overpass have been turned into vertical canvases. One of our favorite downtown stops was the Arts Center Parking Garage , home to Small Talk About the Weather , an interactive sculpture by Creative Machines. The way the light dances across the
EXTREME WEATHER.
structure as a result of our colorful suggestions made us gasp. It completely redefined what a parking garage could be. We made a quick stop at Scissortail Park , where we saw the physics-defying piece Taking Flight: Light as a Feather created by Lesley Chang and Jason Klimoski. Meanwhile, the Skydance Bridge loomed in the background, a sculptural icon inspired by the scissor-tailed flycatcher and executed by Stan Carroll, Hans Butzer, Chris Ramseyer and a talented team of designers. Tucked near Auto Alley , we stumbled upon the spiral staircase that seems to rise out of nowhere. It isn’t traditional artwork, but in the right light and from the right angle, it feels like one. It’s a hidden architectural flourish that gives the neighborhood even more charm.
TAKING FLIGHT: LIGHT AS A FEATHER TOWERS 31 FEET HIGH AND WEIGHS IN AT 14,000 POUNDS!
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 15
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