Public art vital component of community

By Marie Earley

Dallas artists Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin have made and donated a stainless-steel owl sculpture named Wise in memory of long-time neighborhood resident Belva Becker, who died suddenly five years ago. In 2011, Belva Becker donated the first owl sculpture named Whimsy, created by Brad Oldham Sculpture, in honor of her late husband Bill Becker. A public dedication was held on Wednesday, July 27 to celebrate the coming together of Wise and Whimsy. The two sculptures now have a permanent home at Exall Park on the southwest corner of the park near the intersection of Bryan Street and Skiles Street. 

“Belva Becker was a remarkable woman who embodied a brilliant style that came from within her. She radiated a positive attitude, strong faith and fierce love for those she held in her heart,” Christy Coltrin said. “Donating Wise to Exall Park and the City of Dallas is a fitting tribute to Belva that will brighten the day of first-time and everyday visitors to the park.”

“Today would have been Belva’s 85th birthday. Her kindness and thoughtfulness in donating Whimsy 11 years ago is the example that we followed in donating Wise in her memory today,” Brad Oldham said. “This is a unique and personal sculpture for many reasons, one of which is that Wise has glasses as a nod to Belva’s habit of wearing large, fashionable sunglasses.”

The Friends of Exall Park have agreed to maintain the sculptures and park. Many of the nonprofit organization’s members knew Belva and Bill Becker as members and personal friends. Belva was an original homeowner in Bryan Place since the early 1980s.

“Exall Park is a vital part of our Bryan Place community,” said Marie Earley, president of the Friends of Exall Park. “Having such heartfelt sculpture that carries the spirit of former residents so brilliantly is exciting.”

The City of Dallas accepted the donation from Brad Oldham Sculpture and worked with the artists to ensure that the spirit of the sculptures would be officially recorded in city files.

“Public art is a vital component of a community, and the City of Dallas is happy to facilitate the donation of site-specific sculpture to Exall Park,” said Drema Chavez from the Office of Arts and Culture. 

“It is an exciting day when local artists and a local neighborhood group work together to make a Dallas public park truly special. These two owl sculptures will be in the community for the foreseeable future.”

The two stainless steel owl sculptures are surrounded by oak trees. In addition to donating Wise, the artists designed and donated a new concrete plinth and stainless-steel artists signage. The sculptures are made of mirror-polished 316 stainless steel and the overall measures of the installation are 43 inches tall by 8 feet wide and 5 feet deep. The new concrete pedestal provides a nice perch for the owl sculptures and their visitors. The sculptures themselves are 37 inches tall and 28 inches wide.

Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin are a husband-and-wife team, who together create place-making sculptures for communities, companies and collectors across the country. Their work has earned recognition from national arts organizations, media and their peers. The 23-year-old Brad Oldham Sculpture workshop, office and store are located in downtown Dallas. The artists thrive on the challenge of articulating the personality of diverse locations and events while ensuring the uniqueness of each installation, which often becomes a cherished community icon. 

Exall Park is the largest and oldest park in the Central Business District. The Friends of Exall Park (FEP) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization incorporated in 2007 by a group of Bryan Place neighbors who embarked on a shared mission to enhance and beautify Exall Park. For more than 100 years, Exall Park has been a thriving, diverse public space with a broad mix of residential and commercial development. Unfortunately, by the 1980s, Exall had fallen into disrepair and neglect. 

A core group of community leaders came together in the early 2000s to work with the city to clean up the park. From that initiative came the genesis of the FEP, a nonprofit organization. Using funds provided by city bond programs and private funds raised by the FEP, the group transformed the park. 

The group works with city officials, area homeowners and business owners to continually improve and maintain this amazing space.

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