NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Oct. 6, 2009
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Ann Dee Lee
Public Information Director
Oklahoma Arts Council
(405) 521-2931
anndee@arts.ok.gov
OKLAHOMA SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION GARY RIDLEY TO RECEIVE
GOVERNOR’S ARTS AWARD
Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council, 16 individuals and five organizations will be honored for their contributions to the arts in their communities or throughout the state. The ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 20th in the 4th Floor Rotunda of the State Capitol and is open to the public. Presiding at the ceremony will be Council Chair Kym Koch Thompson and Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Suzanne Tate. A reception on the first floor of the Capitol will follow the 4 p.m. ceremony.
Because of Gary Ridley’s leadership, the visual landscape of Oklahoma has changed. Everyday across Oklahoma, thousands of vehicles access our state’s highways and bridges. Whether resident or tourist, each of the passengers form impressions of our state and these opinions impact economic development, business incentives, tourism, educational opportunities and quality of life.
As Secretary of Transportation, Ridley has spearheaded projects to incorporate artistic elements into roadway construction projects. He has encouraged participation in the Oklahoma Art in Public Places Program, a program launched after the 2004 passage of a Senate bill that requires artwork to be incorporated in or near new state capital projects or those undergoing major renovations.
The enhancements to bridges, interchanges and sound abatement walls are designs that reflect Oklahoma’s unique history and our pride in being Oklahomans. An example of the marriage of transportation and art was the incorporation of the images of buffalo and scissortail flycatchers on the concrete walls located along I-235 and 36th Street in Oklahoma City. Other projects include the Osage shield prominently seen on the bullnose of the bridges on US 77, Broadway Extension at the new Memorial Road Interchange in Oklahoma City and 193rd East Avenue and US 412.I-44 Interchange in Tulsa/Catoosa. As the Department of Transportation widens I-35 in Norman and redesign the eight bridges in that corridor, each bridge design will be related to the history of that intersecting street.
Ridley has also played a vital role in constructing and dedicating new state-of-the art tourism information centers in Blackwell and Sayre, constructing the Oklahoma Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler and the designation of the Talimena Scenic Drive as a national scenic byway.
After the Webbers Falls bridge tragedy struck, Ridley supported the creation of a bronze sculpture and granite memorial by Oklahoma artist Shahla Rahimi-Reynolds, dedicated to the 14 victims who perished in that disaster. The importance of an artful, dignified memorial for the victims, families and responders was never in question for Ridley. He understands the power of art and the impact public art has on the environment.
As a registered professional engineer, his service to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation dates back to 1965 when he joined the agency as an equipment operator. His journey up the ranks gave him first hand insights into the whole spectrum of department operations. Since 2001, he has held the position of Director and was appointed Secretary of Transportation by Governor Brad Henry in 2009.A complete list of Governor’s Arts Awards recipients and their photos are available at www.arts.ok.gov. For more information about the Governor’s Arts Awards, please contact Ann Dee Lee at (405) 521-2931 or at anndee@arts.ok.gov.
ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA ARTS COUNCIL
The Oklahoma Arts Council is a state agency whose mission is to improve lives through the arts by promoting and sustaining the development of a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education and economic vitality for all Oklahomans.
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