Project Overview
The E 4th Street Alley project embodies a commitment to community identity, public safety, and creative expression. By integrating artistic lighting and engaging elements, the project seeks to convert an underutilized urban space into a welcoming, interactive environment that fosters a sense of place.
Project Site
Project site is a publicly accessible alleyway running southeast to northwest, located between 4th and 3rd, Boston and Cincinnati Avenues, encompassing a roughly 16 FT by 163 FT wide area.
Directly south of the alley are many of Tulsa’s most historic Art Deco buildings, including several hotels. Directly north are the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and Williams Green.
Project Goals
- Enhance Safety: Use lighting to improve perceptions of safety and comfort for pedestrians.
- Celebrate Tulsa’s Culture: Reflect the city’s unique identity through artistic storytelling.
- Foster Engagement: Create a space that invites public interaction and exploration.
- Drive Tourism: Establish an attraction that draws visitors to Downtown Tulsa.
- Direct Pedestrian Traffic: Serve as a connection between the hotels and Deco District and the Performing Arts Center and Blue Dome Districts to the north.
About the Artist: Kevin Killen
Artist Kevin Killen is a Belfast-based sculptor whose practice makes hidden systems of movement and connection visible through light, structure, and form.
Killen’s work is held in a number of public and private collections, including the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Queen’s University Belfast and Belfast City Hospital. Killen has vast experience in public art installations, including pieces located in Dallas, London, and Belfast.
Killen obtained a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the Surrey Institute of Art and Design University College, now UCA, in 1999, and undertook specialist training in neon making in Dallas, Texas, in 2009. His hands-on knowledge of neon, light, fabrication and installation remains central to his practice, allowing him to develop works from initial concept through to making, engineering and final installation.
Learn more about Killen's past work and view his portfolio here.
Project Timeline
Installation for the project will begin in early 2027 and is expected to be complete by Fall 2027.
Project Committee
Final, approved designs will be developed in close coordination and approval by the Project Committee which includes:
- Chris Bumgarner - Adjacent Property Owner (Kennedy Building, 4th St Parking)
- Jameson Shaffer - Adjacent Property Owner Representative (314 Building)
- Lydia Duncan - Adjacent Property Tenant (Coracle Coffee)
- Carolyn Sickles - Tulsa Artist Fellowship
- Kate Green - Urban Core Art Project
- Amber Litwack - Tulsa Girls Art School
- Jamie Pierson - Downtown Tulsa Partnership Staff
- Emily Scott - Downtown Tulsa Partnership Staff