How a husband-and-wife duo transformed OKC's OAK with public art

This story originally ran on VeloCityOKC.com. 

Oklahoma City recently celebrated the opening of OAK, a new urban village that brings the Lively Hotel, Residences at the Oak, Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Arhaus, The Capital Grille, Pottery Barn, and more to the city. A highlight of OAK is its public art, contributing to Oklahoma City’s growing art scene. 

Husband-and-wife duo Brad Oldham and Cristy Coltrin of Brad Oldham Sculpture, based in Texas, were brought in by OAK developer Ryan McNeill, who met the couple through a mutual business partner. Coltrin focuses on the character of each piece, while Oldham leads the sculpting. Together, they created a series of public art installations inspired by Oklahoma’s history and spirit. 

Oldham and Coltrin sought to make their work meaningful for the community. “One thing I really liked was the opportunity to provide a spark of life to an area that seemed a little bit older,” Oldham said. “Not by what we were doing, but by what Ryan and his team had developed. We were going to be a part of it.” 

For Coltrin, designing these pieces involved researching Oklahoma’s history to develop sculptures that would feel authentic to Oklahoma City. “We wanted to pull through something that captured that sort of awe, like what happened here in Oklahoma,” Coltrin explained, noting she didn’t look to other public art in the area for inspiration but focused on her perspective as an outsider. 

Their pieces for OAK include Mighty Live OAK, Cloud Trees, and Cloud Puncher, each drawing on local themes: 

Mighty Live OAK – a 22-foot-long, 7,200-pound bronze sculpture installed at N. Pennsylvania Avenue and the Northwest Expressway. Symbolizing strength and resilience, the piece speaks to qualities McNeill envisioned for OAK. 

Cloud Trees – a 42-foot-wide, 61,000-pound sculpture inspired by Oklahoma’s agricultural and natural elements, connecting the city’s people to its land and sky. 

Cloud Puncher – a 50-foot-long installation bridging the second-story balcony of the Lively Hotel with Heartwood Park below. Originally, Cloud Trees was intended as a standalone piece, but the artists felt something was missing. “We went ahead and did the companion piece of Cloud Puncher because we didn’t feel like we had the human element in there, that sort of bold attitude, wild determination, and grit that we felt needed to be there,” Coltrin said. 

Once installed, the sculptures belong to the community, Oldham noted. “Once we install the piece, it’s not ours anymore. It’s the location, it’s the city, it’s the community that lives there.” 

Oldham and Coltrin see public art as an open invitation to engage with the city. Their work at OAK is a step in expanding Oklahoma City’s public art offerings, encouraging a daily connection with art. Coltrin highlighted that Cloud Trees will be exclusive to Oklahoma City: “Visitors will only be able to see Cloud Trees in cloud country, Oklahoma City.” These pieces mark a meaningful addition to the city’s evolving art landscape, blending art with everyday life.