Sculpture dedication in honor of Paseo Pioneer, John L. Belt (1936-2013)
Oklahoma City – On Thursday, April 23 at 4 p.m., the Paseo Arts Association and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation will host a dedication ceremony for a new sculpture in memory and celebration of the life and work of Paseo Pioneer, John Lampton Belt (1936-1913). The sculpture, Flamenco, was created by sculptor Jonathan W. Hils of Norman, Okla. and is located in the Paseo Arts District at the intersection of Paseo Drive and Northwest 29th Street. Hils will join Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City Community Foundation President Nancy B. Anthony and John’s widow Joy Reed Belt to make remarks at the dedication ceremony.
Hils, an associate professor of sculpture at the University of Oklahoma, said he chose to use the Spanish dance “Flamenco” as his primary inspiration because a dance is an apt way to memorialize life and its accomplishments.
“The Flamenco is passionate…graceful…emotional… sensual…and energetic. All things that make up a good and fulfilling life,” Hils said.
The sculpture concept was chosen by a selection committee that solicited proposals from artists who either currently live, have lived or were educated in the state of Oklahoma. The committee encouraged proposals using vivid color in abstract or non-representative forms, celebrating the visionary and optimistic spirit of Belt.
A visionary and longtime supporter of the arts, John Belt is credited with creating the Paseo Arts District as we know it today. He was a prominent local attorney who also helped to found Harding Fine Arts Academy, a college preparatory charter high school in Oklahoma City focused on the integration of arts and academics. After a brief battle with cancer, Belt died March 10, 2013.
Located in the heart of the Paseo Arts District, the sculpture marks Belt’s legacy of working tirelessly for more than 30 years to renovate the area. He helped to restore a number of dilapidated buildings in the Paseo, preserving not only their historic integrity but also establishing the area as an affordable space for the artistic community to live and work. His efforts proved successful, as the Paseo has been recognized by the American Planning Association as one of the top 10 neighborhoods in America.
The installation of the sculpture was funded by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, where Belt served as general counsel since 1984.
“John played an invaluable role in the growth of our organization, as well as the Oklahoma City arts community,” Oklahoma City Community Foundation President Nancy B. Anthony said. “It is our honor to help memorialize his legacy with this fitting tribute.”
About The Paseo Arts District:
The historic Paseo Arts District, located between the intersection of Northwest 28th Street and North Walker Avenue and Northwest 30th Street and North Dewey Avenue, is the oldest arts district community in Oklahoma City. Today a vibrant group of artists with substantial involvement and support from the larger community, continues to build The Paseo Arts District into one of the most creative art venues in the country. The Paseo is now home to 22 galleries and more than 80 artists, all within walking distance. Intermingled with the galleries are fabulous restaurants, art schools, boutiques and other businesses. Learn more at www.thepaseo.org.
The Gayly – April 21, 2015 @ 1:30pm.