ARTWORK
The artwork for the Convention Center extends the link between the city’s spirit while incorporating its vision. It is a call to reconsider the changeable, majestic sky that is part of the city’s environment, cultural history, and economy.
"Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouds Taste Metallic Gift Painting
by Wayne Coyne & Damien Hurst
A striking artwork by Wayne Coyne, frontman of the Flaming Lips, and world-renowned artist Damien Hirst is on display at the Oklahoma City Convention Center.
Titled Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouds Taste Metallic Gift Painting, the piece is an 18-by-18-foot spin painting created in Gloucestershire, England. Coyne and Hirst made it by standing on a raised platform and pouring paint onto a huge circular canvas while a machine spun it—much like a record on a turntable.
"Together, Together"
by Joe Slack
"Together, Together", a 26-foot-tall, 18,000-pound steel sculpture by artist Joe Slack, stands at the northwest corner of the OKC Convention Center.
The piece depicts three towering figures gazing outward over the city. Their faces carry thoughtful expressions, while their bodies are formed from an intricate lattice of metal lines. The gridwork and circular rings that shape their heads echo the steel motif, and the open spaces in their forms allow glimpses of the skyline beyond.
"Virtual Sky"
by Susan Narduli
Virtual Sky blends solid and changing elements to reflect the shifting beauty of the Oklahoma sky through technology. Suspended across the Convention Center’s two atriums, it features anodized titanium shapes that suggest the movement of clouds and atmosphere.
Colors shift subtly, much like the sky does throughout the day and across the seasons. The reflective surfaces catch and respond to surrounding light and shadow, making the piece feel alive and ever-changing.
A grid of programmable LED lights, linked to real-time weather data, adds another layer of motion and interaction. As conditions change, so does the artwork—creating an evolving experience that invites the public to engage, explore, and discover something new each time they encounter it.
"Massive Communication"
by Ernesto Sanchez
Local artist Ernesto Sanchez’s large-scale painting Massive Communication, (9 x 20 feet, oil on panel) is now on view on the third floor of the Convention Center. The work is presented through a public loan partnership between the City of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and the Convention Center.
The painting explores how we process sights, sounds, and experiences before we can put them into words. Sanchez visualizes this moment as a burst of emotions and impressions—a space that borders on chaos. It reflects how our personal experiences and feelings shape the way we perceive and respond to the world around us.
"Howdy"
by Nick Bayer
Local artist Nick Bayer's Howdy, a 17’x20’ mural, hangs prominently on the first-floor lobby wall, greeting all who enter. Painted with acrylic latex on custom cotton duck canvas, the mural is secured with aircraft cables connected to ceiling anchors and an aluminum support pipe.
The mural showcases 16 iconic images of Oklahoma culture and history, arranged radially like a windmill on the state’s landscape. Its style draws inspiration from western wear embroidery found on boots and shirts, blending tradition with vibrant color.
Installation required the canvas to be hand-raised with a pulley system and then secured to three ceiling anchor points.
