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Discussion of a new Oklahoma City Thunder–inspired mural gift to the city was delayed Monday after the Arts Commission canceled its meeting for lack of a quorum.
The mural would be more than 200 feet wide and feature the phrases “The City of Champions” and “Welcome to Loud City” on a retaining wall on Classen Boulevard between Northwest 14th Street and Northwest 16th Street. According to an Arts Commission staff report, the wall has experienced significant vandalism in recent years.
To combat the problem, two prominent local artists — Quinn Karney and Tony Thunder — proposed the mural to “transform and beautify the space.”
Karney and Thunder have each completed mural projects in the city in recent years. Karney is best known for the Classen Boulevard mural on the side of “The Pink Building,” an abandoned furniture store in the heart of the Asian District. Thunder has two works in the city’s public art collection: the Manuel Perez Park murals and “Rise Up O Douglassites,” which adorns the baseball dugouts at Frederick Douglass Park.
The “City of Champions” mural may be a gift to the city once recommended to and approved by the Oklahoma City Council in 2026. (Photo provided by the Arts Commission)
“Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed firsthand how murals bring vibrancy and unity to neighborhoods,” Karney wrote in the duo’s Art Commission application. “This project, in particular, will reflect a defining moment in our city’s sports history, paying tribute not only to the Thunder’s hard work and excellence but also to the sense of community and resilience they represent.”
Karney wrote that he and Thunder have already received “enthusiastic support” from community members and city officials. The pair are seeking sponsors to raise $42,750, pitching the mural as “an opportunity” for Oklahoma-based companies to “visibly reinforce their investment in the growth, culture and pride of our city.”
If recommended to the City Council, the mural titled “City of Champions” may become the second in the metro to celebrate the Thunder’s historic championship win in June.
The first, titled “A Moment in Time,” is in Edmond and captures in paint the most memorable moment from the Oklahoma City Thunder parade: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with his arms lifted as he looks to the National Memorial’s 9:01 Gate.
The Arts Commission was set to also discuss a sculpture for the Robert Ravitz Crisis Center, the new MAPS 4 mental health center named after the late Robert “Bob” Ravitz, former Oklahoma County chief public defender. The center is set to break ground in spring 2026.
In July, the city put out a call for artists to submit public art project designs for the center, and Jeremy Freiboth and A.J. Davis, an artist team from Denver, Colorado, responded with plans for a 12-foot-tall sculpture titled “Pillars of Light and Hope.”
“Pillars of Light and Hope is an uplifting sculptural installation, designed specifically for the unique ecosystem of the Oklahoma City Mental Health Crisis Center,” a staff report read. “The work acts as a tranquil focal point, a beacon of serenity and solidarity, reflecting the shared journey of healing and resilience within this space.”
Davis already has one work in the city’s public art collection, a 6,000-square-foot mural titled “A Symphony in Bloom” depicting Native Oklahoma flora inside the Sheridan/Walker Garage.
Both the “City of Champions” mural and the “Pillars of Light and Hope” sculpture are now set to be discussed at the Art Commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting in late January.