On Jan. 6, Oklahoma City will officially welcome the newest addition to its evergrowing public art collection. “Bolt Tower,” a dynamic 72-foot-high structure commissioned by the city, was installed at the OKC Fair Park this past fall. The upcoming dedication ceremony will allow the public to ge t acquainted with the tower, and will include the burial of a time capsule led by Mayor David Holt and the structure’s creator, Jenny Sabin. The staggering art piece, which rests between the Bennett Event Center and the OGE Coliseum, commemorates the illustrious history of the fairgrounds. From the Oklahoma State Fair to sporting events to the former Space Tower, the fairgrounds have colored the memories of countless Oklahomans. And, it is these memories that artist Jenny Sabin sought to honor. Sabin, an Ithaca-based artist, is a professor of architecture at Cornell University as well as the chair of their new Design Tech Department. Her practice, Jenny Sabin Studios, specializes in sculptures made using computational design and digital fabrication. What sets Sabin and her team apart, though, is what they refer to as their “generative design process.” “It’s about designing with relationships and systems, as opposed to starting with a predetermined idea of what the final form will be,” said Sabin. “The process evolves generatively and in a bottom-up way, so the final form emerges from that process.” Their generative process is both enhanced and informed by their use of modern technology, like 3D printing and robotics, as opposed to more traditional art practices. “We’re able to design the algorithm that controls, for example, the 3D printer, which allows us to think about both geometry and form as a set of linked relationships,” said Sabin. “This process was very much at the center of the development of ‘Bolt Tower.’ With the addition of community input and the fairgrounds’ history, we were able to think about everything as an ecology of relationships.” Due to the generative process, “Bolt Tower” is an authentic product of extensive research into the history of the fairgrounds. Every aspect of it was informed or inspired by Oklahoma City’s memories of the beloved spot. Bolt Tower, State Fair Grounds Bolt Tower, State Fair Grounds Bolt Tower, State Fair Grounds Bolt Tower, State Fair Grounds Even the time capsule, which will be buried at the base of the structure, was an idea conceived from the generative process. In her research, Sabin requested historic and personal photos of the fairgrounds from the Oklahoma City community. Impressed with the breadth of memories captured in these photographs, she suggested the idea of a time capsule to the city’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs program manager, Randy Marks. “I just thought that it would be a meaningful way to wrap up the work we did, by literally bringing the community in through their memories,” Sabin said. While every component of the structure is both intentional and interesting, perhaps most intriguing is its “skin”: “The patterns and various colors on the sculpture’s exterior fabric were informed by a series of generative studies that incorporated actual videos of horse events that take place at the fairgrounds every fall,” Sabin said. “The videos were not used for literal representation, but rather allowed us to use the horse’s movement as a way of generating a pattern that would be lively and dynamic in conjunction with the lighting program. The lighting program is what makes “Bolt Tower” a must-see art piece for families in the OKC metro. “It simulates a day to night sequence over the course of about 22 minutes,” said Sabin. The goal was to create a highly transformational experience. So, someone visiting just for 20 minutes can experience quite a lot of change in how they view the structure.”Surrounding “Bolt Tower” is a pedestrian plaza, the creation of which was equally as intentional. “It’s a place people can sit, hang out, or gather,” said Sabin. “The plaza will invite people to come up close and engage with the project.” By experiencing the structure up close, Oklahomans will realize that the true dynamism of “Bolt Tower” comes from how it stands. It is a tensegrity structure, meaning that equal and opposite forces and weights work together to uplift the various components. Three rings, referred to as “flying rings,” define the spine of the structure. “They’re called Flying rings because they look like they’re flying. The central mast [which runs between the rings] operates as the main compressive element. So, all of the stainless steel cables are in tension, interweaving with the rings,” Sabin said. “It was important to me that the structure achieved great height, but that it would also be very lightweight and dynamic.” With the vast amounts of thought put behind each artistic decision, it is clear why the city chose Sabin’s studio for such a special project. For her, the decision to take on this project was obvious. “I like projects that are not just about sculptures as objects. With projects like this, there’s an interest in it being a part of the city and the many relationships that inform the production of the sculpture.” While Sabin herself is not from Oklahoma City, many people on her team were. From her general contractor to her lighting designer and fabricator, Sabin wanted a team of Oklahomans who understood the history of the fairgrounds. The brilliance of “Bolt Tower” comes from its marriage of dynamic artistic design and genuine care for Oklahoma City’s history, culture and memories. The tower’s future will be graced by our community’s appreciation for art and our pride in Oklahoma history. “My hope is that ‘Bolt Tower’ becomes a new iconic structure that the community finds to be as equally beloved as the previous structures were,” Sabin said, thoughtfully. “The real success of a project happens when the community takes ownership of it; when it becomes a part of their daily lives and the ways that they participate with the fairgrounds.” Welcome “Bolt Tower” alongside Sabin and the Oklahoma City community at the dedication ceremony on Jan. 6, 2026. The event will start at 10:30 a.m. at the OKC Fair Park, located at 3101 Gordon Cooper Boulevard. The post “Bolt Tower” Brings the History of the Fairgrounds to Life. appeared first on Oklahoma Gazette. ...read more read less