Pictured with the newly unveiled Ben Johnson statue at Northern Oklahoma College’s Pickens Learning Commons are (from left) NOC President Diana Morris, Hugh Pickens, artist Yatika Starr Fields and Sheri Snyder, NOC vice president for development and community relations. (photo by Caroline Hillock/NOC)
NOC unveils Ben Johnson statue at Pickens Learning Commons
Northern Oklahoma College dedicated a new art piece at the Pickens Learning Commons last week with the unveiling of a 1½ life-size statue of famed actor and rodeo cowboy Ben Johnson.
The statue was created by sculptor John Free and painted by artist Yatika Starr Fields. The work was commissioned by Hugh Pickens and is on loan to NOC as part of the Pickens Museum collection. There are 79 pieces currently displayed in the Pickens Learning Commons.
“This is one of the most significant art collections on display in northern Oklahoma,” said Sheri Snyder, NOC vice president for development and community relations.
Pickens, an art collector and executive director of the Pickens Museum, said he has long admired art despite not being an artist himself.
“I am not an artist myself, but I’ve loved art since I was in high school,” Pickens said. “I always thought art was in museums, but I learned that individuals could own art. I love to encourage artists, and I purchase their paintings and in some cases commission pieces of art. That’s what I am doing here.”
Pickens said Free originally created the plaster statue in pieces. After seeing the fragmented work, Pickens purchased the pieces and commissioned Free to assemble the statue at NOC. The components were transported separately before being reconstructed on site. Pickens then commissioned Fields to complete the painted finish.
“I love to combine works of art,” Pickens said.
Fields expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute to the space.
“It’s good to be back in Tonkawa,” Fields said. “I appreciate what Hugh has done in this space and in the Cultural Engagement Center here at NOC. Artists need spaces like this to explore and create important conversations.”
Fields said the arts play a fundamental role in enhancing understanding and offering new perspectives.
“The arts are a fundamental way to enhance students and human understanding of beautiful things and another way of thinking,” he said. “It’s great that we can have these conversations in Tonkawa.”
NOC President Diana Morris closed the ceremony by thanking Pickens and the artists.
“How fortunate are we in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, to have this museum,” Morris said. “Thank you, Hugh, for the work you started long before I came here and that we have been able to continue.”
Pickens serves as executive director of the Pickens Museum, a fine arts museum with exhibition spaces at three locations in north-central Oklahoma: the Pickens Learning Commons at NOC, the Pickens Museum at City Central in Ponca City and the Pickens Art Gallery at Woolaroc Museum in the Osage Hills between Barnsdall and Bartlesville.
John Dale Free Sr., born in Pawhuska in 1929, grew up on his grandfather’s ranch near McAlester and developed a lifelong admiration for cowboys and ranching. By 1971, he held his first one-man show at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and became widely recognized for his Western-themed sculptures. Many of his works depict American Indian subjects, reflecting his Osage and Cherokee heritage. In 1981, Free founded the Bronze Horse Foundry, which continues to operate as a family business.
Fields, a painter and muralist originally from Oklahoma, studied at the Art Institute of Boston from 2000 to 2004. Influenced by graffiti aesthetics and landscape painting, he is known for large-scale works featuring vibrant colors and dynamic movement. Fields currently lives and works in Tulsa through the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
Johnson, a native of Foraker, was an American film and television actor, stuntman and world champion rodeo cowboy. Known for his authenticity and horsemanship, he transitioned from stunt work into acting with the help of director John Ford. In addition to his film career, Johnson operated a horse-breeding ranch and became a successful real estate investor.
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.
NOC serves nearly 3,100 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater, and the University Center in Ponca City. Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing.
For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu.
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