The American? ANYONE?!

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Weather it is a spruce goose or not is yet to be seen, but look how famous that flop of a plane is!  I hope things go smoothly and I'm excited to see/hear about construction starting.

The spruce goose wasn't a flop.. or even spruce.

[cannon_fodder]

It sure was a flop.  At enormous expense he built a plane that never went into production and only got off the ground one time.  The only thing that could be considered a success is the fact that it flew - which, for an airplane, is setting the bar pretty low.

[sgrizzle]

Well for a plane with the largest wingspan ever built, it was a bit of a feat.

The government cancelled the contract so it was a prototype and one that functioned. Hughes, however nuts he was, was very dilligent in making the project work despite tons of obstacles.

He had many prototypes considered flops and eccentricities in the day (flush mounted rivets, GASP!) which are very important to today's aviation.

[Conan71]

As a mode of transportation it was a failure.  It's legacy has been a pretty good financial boon though.

It did manage to find success in tourism in Long Beach.  Now it's at the Evergreen Aviation museum in Oregon and still attracting visitors.  I think it's helped keep the legend and mystique of Howard Hughes alive which has sold books, movies, and all kinds of stuff related to the "Amazing Mr. Hughes".

[Johnboy976]

I know, I know... beating a dead horse, but are we  all pretty much convinced that this project has been entirely hosed?

[breitee]

If it hasn't, it should be.

[cannon_fodder]

Well, being the rumor hater that I am I picked up the phone and called Mike Rohleder, the CFO and COO of The American project.  After explaining that I am a nobody and was just curious about the status of the project for an internet forum he was very friendly...

1.  The project is still moving forward and "is still targeted for the Tulsa area."

2.  They are working on funding still.  It is a for-profit venture and they have been disappointed on the speed of investors.  Specifically, "the interest from the many high-net worth investors in the Tulsa area has been small."

3.  They are working on finalizing a deal with "a final large investor and then an announcement will be made about where they go from there" (hinting that it would secure the rest of the financing).

4. They will get 100% financing commitment before breaking ground, so as not to leave Tulsa with a pair of giant bronze Indian legs.

5. To keep it a private enterprise and within the definition of a closely held company there are no plans to seek small investors (I asked because it would be interesting to buy a share for $250... just to say I did.  But doing so would open them up to a whole new level of regulation).

6. When construction starts the project will take FORTY-FIVE (45!) months to finish.    It would be fun to watch the progress on that one!
- - -

So there you have it.  I told him I was exited to see the project move forward and hoped things would go smoothly for them.  It surely would(will) be an interesting project and a feather in our hat.  A collection of things to do is what makes a city a worth-while destination.  Casino's, sports, giant new music venue, updated convention center, world class museums, several hoppin' bar districts... all we are missing is a giant Indian Statue.

I wonder if they asked the tribes to invest?  Should have inquired I guess.

[PonderInc]

Does anyone but me think that overly enormous sculptures are usually sort of...creepy?

The Statue of Liberty is amazing and beautiful, but it's surrounded by a lot of water and skyscrapers.  Mount Rushmore is beautiful, but the heads are not out of scale in the context of the surrounding mountains.

But ridiculously oversized statues usually remind me of people and places that are trying to compensate for something (evil dictators and/or towns with inferiority complexes).  

Why not spend the money on a thousand amazing, creative, beautiful sculptures spread all over Tulsa...rather than one embarrassing behemoth?  $40 million dollars could buy a lot of great art for the city.

[cannon_fodder]

It is a private project.  One giant statue can draw people to look at it.  Tulsa already has a trove of wonderful pubic statutes, and few take notice.

But yes, they can be creepy.  But neat just the same.  Americans love over sized things.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


4. They will get 100% financing commitment before breaking ground, so as not to leave Tulsa with a pair of giant bronze Indian legs.

The idea made me giggle, so I had to:

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc
Why not spend the money on a thousand amazing, creative, beautiful sculptures spread all over Tulsa...rather than one embarrassing behemoth?  $40 million dollars could buy a lot of great art for the city.

I still think that ten statues that are two stories tall each would be a better draw than one statue 21 stories tall.

My list:

Golden Driller (the original)
Will Rogers (near the school)
Pistol Pete (near the school)
Mickey Mantle (near the new ballpark)
Fisherman (wading in the river)
Bingo Caller (near the casino)
Rodeo Clown (at the fairgrounds)
Lumber Jack (Woodward Park)
Peeping Tom (looking at new city hall)
Homeless Guy (north of the arena)

[PonderInc]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


4. They will get 100% financing commitment before breaking ground, so as not to leave Tulsa with a pair of giant bronze Indian legs.

The idea made me giggle, so I had to:

I like it!  Instead of the St. Louis Arch, we could have the Tulsa Crotch.

[PonderInc]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc
Why not spend the money on a thousand amazing, creative, beautiful sculptures spread all over Tulsa...rather than one embarrassing behemoth?  $40 million dollars could buy a lot of great art for the city.

I still think that ten statues that are two stories tall each would be a better draw than one statue 21 stories tall.

My list:

Golden Driller (the original)
Will Rogers (near the school)
Pistol Pete (near the school)
Mickey Mantle (near the new ballpark)
Fisherman (wading in the river)
Bingo Caller (near the casino)
Rodeo Clown (at the fairgrounds)
Lumber Jack (Woodward Park)
Peeping Tom (looking at new city hall)
Homeless Guy (north of the arena)

RM, you have a great idea here, and I love your thoughts, except...

I don't see the Tulsa connection to Pistol Pete and Mickey Mantle.  Don't we have some local sports hero to memorialize?  Maybe just a giant frisbee golf player down by the river somewhere...?  Or, since Tulsa's pretty well know for women's golf at TU, perhaps a giant Nancy Lopez swinging a golf club at Lafortune Park?  

And, since Tulsa's not really a lumber town, perhaps we should replace the lumberjack with a...uh...big guy with a leaf blower...or standing on one of those professional lawn mowers.

Just got back from DC...and saw the two statues that represent Oklahoma in the Capitol Building: Will Rogers and Sequoyah.  Perhaps we should have a giant Sequoyah with a quizzical look, observing the Cherokee Nation Casino?  

We could also replace the Bartlett "Square" "Fountain" with a statue of a street preacher...you could drive between his legs like the dinosaur at a miniature golf course...  Or we could just have some bronze sculpture of workers standing in the empty fountain...perpetually trying to make it work.

[RecycleMichael]

If we got off the human theme of the statues...we could really do some good stuff. Those animal statues down by the river...too small. Who notices life size when you can go two stories tall and make them attractions?

I can see tourists lined up to get their pictures taken next to the big catfish near the aquarium or the two story pony near the race track. Anybody want to play on the twenty foot squirrel at Mohawk park or the two story cockroach on 71st street?

Giant statues all over town would make us a stop on family vacations all summer long.

[PonderInc]

Nope.  We've got enough animal art here to last a lifetime!  No more animal bronzes!  What we need is good, old-fashioned, naked human art!

Speaking of giant art and nakedness...as I mentioned, I just got back from DC where I saw the Washionton Monument up close and personal.  I think it's sort of weird that America's monument to George Washington is a 555 ft tall phallus.  But on the other hand, maybe that's what it takes to become "The Father of Our Country..."