At 16 feet wide by 15 feet tall, the piece depicts a giant wishbone being pulled on each end by a child. Attorney Randel Shadid, former Edmond mayor, said such a large work is used to advertise the community and encourage people to see Edmond’s parks. Shadid had seen “Big Wish” in Colorado and met Prokop. He pitched the piece, along with 25 others, to the Edmond Visual Arts Commission, which purchased the artwork for the 121-acre Hafer Park, 1034 S. Bryant.
“It’s a happy piece, appropriate for a park setting, and children love it,” Shadid said. “The City Council — a year ago, in their budget sessions — decided they wanted a larger, signature destination piece as part of the public arts program.”
He said the project was funded by private and city funds, combining a small percent of a public works project fund used to renovate the park with private donations. Matching private with public funds began with Edmond’s “Art in Public Places” program, in which the city appropriates a specific amount of money each year that cannot be spent unless a private donor donates half of the cost.
“So, the city, in essence, gets twice the bang for its buck,” Shadid said, “while beautifying the city.” —Emily Summars
