June 18, 2026- As part of the Route 66 Centennial Celebration, an 8-foot Blue Dog sculpture by George Rodrigue is now on historic Route 66 near Oklahoma City. The sculpture will move in 2027 to the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park, a 62-acre public space for “art, nature and play” under construction on Route 66 in Edmond. Uncommon Ground is Oklahoma’s first dedicated sculpture park.
“Public art is sculpture,” noted George Rodrigue (1944-2013), as he worked for ten years to create a 3-dimensional Blue Dog from a strong, painted shape without movement or a backside. Rodrigue was adamant that the Blue Dog is not a character or cartoon, and retaining its artistic integrity was key. Today, Rodrigue’s Blue Dog sculptures are amongst his greatest artistic achievements and are integral to the story of Modern American Art. Rodrigue often recalled the 1962 Corvair he drove from New Iberia to art school in Los Angeles, much of it on Route 66, and how the visual intensity of this long drive ultimately shaped his landscape style.
As part of this Oklahoma Route 66 initiative, the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park, together with private donors, has invited Rodrigue’s widow, Wendy Rodrigue Magnus, to share his art and story with students in Oklahoma Public Schools during two weeks this fall. This unique programming is part of Wendy’s non-profit, the Life & Legacy Foundation, and includes original Rodrigue paintings from her collection, focusing on Route 66 as an integral part of Rodrigue’s history.
This particular sculpture is owned by the George Rodrigue Family Trust and was originally installed by Rodrigue himself at the former Blue Dog Cafe in Lafayette, Louisiana.
“George’s magnificent sculpture is where it belongs, in the public arena, where it delights and inspires,” says Wendy. “In recent years, we’ve shared this same sculpture in Rodrigue museum exhibitions across the country. I’m thrilled for George over the nostalgia andAmericana surrounding this longterm installation on the Mother Road!”
In addition to this Route 66 Oklahoma installation, George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog sculptures, ranging in size from 6 to 18 feet, are currently installed as public art on Scenic Hwy 30A in Rosemary Beach, Florida, at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and multiple locations in Louisiana, including the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art, Veterans Memorial Blvd in Metairie, and the George Rodrigue Park at the Bayou Teche Museum in the artist’s hometown of New Iberia.
Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art
To learn more about The Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park visit uncommonground.org.