Bartlesville unveils another mural downtown
The Owl Mural is primarily envisioned to be a tribute to new beginnings. Painted in the winter of 2025, the public art piece celebrates the process of taking a chance and putting down roots in an unfamiliar place—and then discovering an entire community from it all. The diverse flock of birds is an allegory to the diverse waves of people who have migrated to our beloved area over the centuries. All have played a role in shaping our American Tapestry of a community as we find it today.
Depicted here as a unified & confident Great Horned Owl, Drew and Jordan Ihrig are dedicated parents to their three adorable children—the thoughtful Jack, the whimsical Harry, and the mischievous Ellie. The children are represented by the feathers of their favorite birds: the Muscovy duck, the Mallard, and the Painted Bunting, respectively. The chaotic yet chromatic plumage chirp at the whimsical creativity and playful imagination of children. The eclectic birdhouses of Woolaroc symbolize the Phillips Petroleum Company—one that has been vital for the growth of our community—and Woolaroc, Frank Phillips’ storied retreat that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Found along the parking lot of Woolaroc and instantly recognized by many a Bartian, these iconic birdhouses—made home by many wrens, blackbirds, and starlings—celebrate the retreat’s enduring and dedicated stewardship by Bob Fraser. The wise owl is also a nod to Bob’s spouse Meredith Fraser, an award-winning children’s book author. Bob and Meredith’s longstanding commitment to the betterment of the Bartlesville community is ingrained in their daughter and son-in-law, Jordan and Drew Ihrig. The entire mural is an esoteric family portrait of the owners of the wall: the Ihrig Family.
Community reins supreme in the mural. Along with Woolaroc, the birdhouses also serve as an homage to our housing stock and the vital community of real estate professionals servicing them. Working closely with realtors and lenders, the Ihrigs have endeavored to further develop The Musselman Abstract Company, a well-regarded title business that guides people with the most prized purchases in their lives—their homes. In addition to being a symbol of book authors and illustrators in our community, the erudite owl is a stately nod to our local legal community overall, and specifically to an adjoining legal firm—Maddux, Ihrig, & Shamhart, PLLC. The avian concept continues to honor our own Sutton Avian Research Center. We wholeheartedly acknowledge associations of owls with wisdom, death and the afterlife in certain Native American cultures. Finally, the birdhouse theme is a hopeful offering for continued growth of our community and shall be a reminder of the ever-present risk of irrelevance and the need for sustainable, intentional, and contemporary development.
We are grateful to various advocates of the community such as The Musselman Abstract Company, Shelly Collins of Sunny Dayz Mural Festival, Maria Gus of Visit Bartlesville, Mark Haskell of Downtown Bartlesville, Sangeetha Arun of Phillips 66, Larry Curtis of the City of Bartlesville, Remya Gopal of Indian Territory, Laura Jensen of Bartlesville Community Foundation, and plenty of others for their support of this project.
Public art installations can be instruments of education, and it is hoped that our blossoming art scene—currently encompassing Kathleen Rutledge, Yatika Fields, Lana Laughlin, Josh Waddell, and plenty of others too numerous to name—shall inspire the creativity of the inner child in all of us to take flight.
The mural is located in a semi-alley at 216 E 4th Street in Downtown Bartlesville.
About the artist:
Amanda Zoey has been cultivating her art form over the years in a variety of expressions—from illustrations and installations to mixed media and jewelry design. With a background of art and graphic design studies at UCO, she left school to cultivate her artist career and launch an artist-run retail store and gallery in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District in 2007. Amanda has been a part of the Oklahoma City public art scene for over a decade and has helped other artists grow through show curation and mentorship.
As an artist, Amanda believes that core values of community growth and engagement go hand-in-hand with the creative process. She is passionate about immersing herself in the history and culture of each area, creating a personalized interpretation via interacting with people who stop to visit while she works. She believes that public art belongs to the people and is the best way to break down the illusions of the art world by celebrating the richness of individuals and places.
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