Klint Schor has become a master in filling space, which is evident throughout Oklahoma City.
In 2009, an Oklahoma City mandate was adopted that dedicates 1% of the cost of any municipal project to fund public art. Schor has been selected twice as the recipient of these funds, adding beauty to areas of the city that were previously overlooked. At the Wendel Whisenhunt Sports Complex in South Oklahoma City, the 13-feet-tall, six-feet-across aluminum and steel “Brazuca Ball” stands proudly among the soccer fields. With “Glacial Erratics”, Schor created five unique geodesic steel structures, resembling boulders, along the West River Trail.
Downtown OKC has a similar mission of activating urban space, which has resulted in many of the vibrant murals around town. But in 2017, it requested proposals for a sculptural project, originally planned to be displayed somewhere downtown Oklahoma City. Schor was overjoyed to be the artist selected for his large steel sculpture, “The Kiss”, and suggested Kerr Park as a location. Though this work wasn’t officially installed until October of 2023 on the neighboring lawn of The Commons, Schor admits that “The Kiss” — made up of two 12-foot-tall interlocking pieces of steel — may be his favorite piece to date.
“Part of the message of the piece is that they each need each other to stand, which happens at the moment of the kiss,” Schor said. “It’s an intimate moment that proves we need each other for support.”
Not all of Schor’s sculptural pieces are intended just to be viewed and fill vacant space. In fact, most of his work also serves a functional purpose. “I merge art and architecture. I typically work from a commission standpoint and design custom tables, gates and fences as well as just pure artwork. I love when people come to me with a specific problem and we figure out the solution together.”
This artistic combination of architectural engineering, functionality and art can be seen outside of The Icehouse Project in Edmond, where Schor has created a neon green grasshopper that doubles as a climbable jungle gym.
When asked how he designed “Grasshopper,” Schor admitted his inspiration is actually the budget. “It sounds weird that it’s the inspiration, but a lot of my creativity is based on reverse engineering a budget,” he explained. “One of the reasons I love commissions is because of how creative I get to be. It’s like when you open your fridge and you have milk, rice and a jalapeño and you think, ‘How can I make a meal out of this?’ When you have the dollar amount, you work backwards to make something substantial and special.”
Be sure to catch Schor in the Sculpture Garden at the 58th annual Festival of the Arts, April 25-28. He will have his signature outdoor pieces — “The Knots” — for sale.