A towering piece of Hockley County history is shining brighter than it has in decades, thanks to the brushstrokes of local artist Albert Sepulbeda and the generous support of King Brothers Oilfield Services and the City of Sundown.
The 20-plus-foot oil derrick sculpture, welded together in the late 1950s by Boogar Dean, has stood sentinel for nearly seventy years, welcoming visitors but the winds of west Texas had faded the former colors of the art piece. The recent mild December weather was perfect timing for a facelift, as Sepulbeda spent two days perched in a scissor lift complimentary of King Brothers to restore the derrick to its former glory—this time with a modern twist. The lattices now declare the Roughneck mascot colors of red and blue as well as white.
Just in time for the annual Christmas in the Park event on Dec.18 at 6 p.m., Sunset Park is decked out in festive lighting, and now the decorated derrick will have its own distinguished outline, although a bit fainter in brightness to accompany the LED-lit trees.
The derrick is the first of four furnished with a special QR-code sign of local history. A unique idea from Library Director A’ndrea McAdams, Sundown already has five street signs that feature short biographical information on the town’s pioneers. Accompanying pictures of the pioneers are housed at the library. This second phase of the town’s influencers–Boogar Dean being one of them–began after the oil boom and will add another half dozen QR codes to the parks and derricks around town.
“I am so thankful for a city municipality and the residents who share the same heart to creatively highlight history and art,” McAdams said.
The larger project, “Brushes around Boomtown,” began this summer with a postcard mural on the side of City Hall, led by high school theatre teacher Jonna Evans and a few students. The painting of the derrick is another portion of the revitalization of the town’s spaces. Every stroke has been a thank-you to the people who pioneered and built this part of the world with their hands. The next mini-project evolving is Painted Pumpjacks in collaboration with some students in Sundown high school’s metal works class.
This program is supported by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the Prentice Farrar and Alline Ford Brown Foundation.