Norman — A trip to the Oklahoma State Capitol almost can feel more like a visit to a top-level art museum.
It shows from the dozens of pieces of artwork around the walls of the interior, to Enoch Kelly Haney’s sculpture that was placed atop the new Capitol dome in 2002, to the view from inside looking up of the dome itself, regal and colorful.
It wasn’t always that way. Former Gov. Frank Keating recalled in the book his first impressions upon seeing the building in 1972.
“I mischievously compared its gray, unadorned halls to a ‘Bulgarian veterans’ hospital,” the then-first year House of Representatives member said.
It wasn’t long after that Sen. Charles Ford began to build a collection of artwork for the building. It grew a few pieces at a time into the Senate Collection, which is featured in the book “Art of the Oklahoma State Capitol: The Senate Collection,” released through Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum in January.
The book chronicles the pictorial history of Oklahoma displayed by the artists commissioned for the work inside the Capitol building. It was compiled by author Bob Burke, who has written 94 books, all of which relate to Oklahoma.
He and others in the book make many nods to the contributions of Sen. Ford in making the collection a reality. Each piece featured in the book was selected by Ford.
“The amazing thing is that Sen. Ford single-handedly envisioned the Senate Art Collection and literally shaped it by devoting thousands of hours of volunteer time approaching potential donors who also were interested in beautifying the Capitol with original art,” former governor and current University of Oklahoma President David Boren said in the book.
Many of the works featured are those of Norman artist Mike Wimmer, whose career doing pieces for the Capitol’s gallery began in 1998 with a portrait he painted of famed aviator Wiley Post.
He since has gone on to complete several dozen paintings of current and former congressmen as well as other historical figures and events from state history. Wimmer has more artwork displayed in the building than any other artist.
The book is available through the University of Oklahoma Press, 1-800-627-7377 or online at www.oupress.com, or at local bookstores and online book sellers. It retails for $39.95.
