This piece can be found along the canal in Bricktown, in the shadow of Brickopolis, by where you board the canal taxi. It was dedicated in 2000 and is the work of David Phelps. It was commissioned by the City of Oklahoma city depicts a bronze man coming out of the ground to about chest high. The man is holding a big cement ball in both hands like a basketball and pushing the ball up two steel rails.
Health care consultant Curtis Thomas served as a model for the piece, which is meant to pay homage to the struggles of those original residents of the "Deep Deuce" neighborhood, a thriving African American community, as well as the historic structures themselves; the railroads, loading docks, and post & beam construction of the warehouses. It also rumored to represent civil rights struggles.
The piece has been criticized for being too urban. I however, really like the sculpture. It is very detailed. It is almost life-like even though it is a bit larger than scale. It really grabs your attention, even though it is in a little corner along the canal. It is definitely worth a look if you are in the area.
Being that this piece is located in Bricktown, there is metered street parking and commercial parking lots within a reasonable walking distance. It is not a destination piece though, nor a large consumer of your time. With that being said, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. There are many bars and restaurants in the area. read more