Governor Henry bust dedication set for January 4

CapitolBeatOK Staff Report

Published: 27-Dec-2010

The official bronze bust of Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, the state’s 26th Governor will be unveiled on Tuesday, January 4, during a dedication ceremony at the State Capitol.

Hosted by the Oklahoma Arts Council and the State Capitol Preservation Commission the ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. in the Hall of Governors located in the southwest corner on the second floor of the Capitol. According to a press release sent to CapitolBeatOK, the ceremony is open to the public.

Sculptor Paul Moore of Norman was commissioned to craft the bust, which will be added to a collection of Oklahoma governors’ busts on permanent exhibit in the Hall of Governors. The first 21 busts were produced as a commemorative project of the Oklahoma Diamond Jubilee, the 75th Anniversary of Oklahoma in 1982. Subsequent governors’ busts were produced and unveiled as each left office.

Gov. Henry will participate in the ceremony along with Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director, Suzanne Tate, and Dr. Glen D. Johnson, Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education. Former Oklahoma governors and statewide elected officials are among those expected to attend the unveiling.

Noted Oklahoma sculptor Moore, whose work includes Governor Henry Bellmon’s sculpture at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds and the nine-foot likeness of Johnny Bench at the Bricktown Ballpark, will be recognized during the ceremony.

A reception following the dedication will be held in the second floor rotunda. A strings ensemble from the Classen School of Advanced Studies will provide music during the reception.

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.