The area beneath the arbor is paved with colored concrete. The reddish brown hue of the concrete, as well as the red posts, represents the red earth of Oklahoma. The blue beams and roof pickets represent the blue sky. During the Pow Wow, the judges are seated on a raised platform providing them with a view of all the dancers in the arena.

The Pow Wow starts in the early evening and continues into the late hours of the night, making illumination a very important part of the design. The client desired a high level of uniform illumination in the center of the arena, but did not want the lighting to cast shadows of the arbor structure onto the arena area. The landscape architects at LandPlan worked with the Lighting Consultant to strategically locate the lighting, both horizontally and vertically to achieve the desired level of illumination without casting shadows or blinding the dancers and spectators.

The arbor is a visually dominant feature on the western side of Standing Bear Memorial Park; however, it is used for its primary function only three days each year. Therefore, interpretive signage is incorporated into the design to educate visitors on the culturally important aspects of the Pow-Wow year round.

Read More