Route 66 Rising

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Over 30 feet high and 70 feet long, "Route 66 Rising" was dedicated on July 2, 2019. It's a giant, gray Route 66 shield sign with "Tulsa" at the top, half-submerged in the ground, surrounded by swirls of tan and teal. Sculpted by Eric F. Garcia from New Mexico -- another state along Route 66 -- it cost $682,000. Garcia said that the sculpture reflects the hope that the Mother Road offered in the Great Depression, although that hope -- at least for poor Oklahoma farmers -- was to go west and get the hell out of Oklahoma.

The sculpture stands in the Avery Traffic Circle, built on the site of Cyrus Avery's "old alignment" Route 66 motor court, which had a gas station, restaurant, and tourist cabins. Avery was "The Father of Route 66" and his granddaughter Joy attended the dedication. In his dedication speech, Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell said that the sculpture was "really demonstrating that Route 66 is red hot."

The choice of gray for the Route 66 sign is odd, and with its tilted angle -- like a stricken ocean liner -- and no visual cues that it's emerging from the ground, the sculpture could also be viewed as "Route 66 Sinking." Some local critics called it "Route 66 Rusting" because it stood in the traffic circle for several months before receiving its final coat of paint.