TULSA, Okla. — For the first time since the "Cry Baby Cry" statue concepts made a splash on social media local artists and Riverview community members voiced their concerns in person to the city.
The Riverview Neighborhood Association hosted the meeting at the Brut Hotel near 21st and Boulder. Numerous neighbors as well as a few local artist attended the open meeting.
The issue? These renderings of the statue, posted to social media by the artist Ken Keleher.
Mayor G.T. Bynum's Chief of Staff Blake Ewing and the Managing Director of the City Design Studio Ellen Ray attended the meeting. They fielded questions on behalf of the city about the controversial decision.
"I don’t want to see the capital of Route 66 get tarnished by this at all," said famed Route 66 Expert Michael Wallis.
He is wildly regarded for his knowledge of the Mother Road even writing the book on the topic. His knowledge even gained him a role as the Sheriff in the Cars movies.
He was not the only Riverview resident who expressed concerns to the city.
"It’s basically negative, I think there’s a 2,400 negative responses on Change.org about this project. That says something," said another neighbor who addressed the city.
But the event was not only for the neighbors to talk, the city also had a place a the table.
"The objective was for the review committee and the mayor, something in the character of Buck Atoms and a blue whale and what have you. Something big, something selfie worthy and goofy and had a story with it," said Ewing
WATCH: 2 News talked to the artist about the design
Ewing and Ray both described the statue as goofy and kitschy when talking about it's design. Something the resident are concerned about.
"Why should we have to live with something that’s really bad," said one resident.
Despite the in-person push back the city is moving forward with the design but said it's not final. They said additional changes may be made before a final design. This could include clothing changes and additional pieces.
However, the main design will stay the same.
"I think what wasn’t clear in terms of how this information got to the public is that whenever we do an arts project the submittal is not the final thing," said Ray.
"And what was released by the artist was not even the final conceptual design that we asked him to produce, that was an act of his own volition in response to some criticism that he faced."
Ray said the city welcomes feedback and civil discussion like that hosted by the Riverview Neighborhood Association.
2 News will continue to follow this story.
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