Praying Hands, Tulsa Oklahoma
Tulsa is home to Oral Roberts University and at the entrance of the university is a bronze sculpture in the shape of praying hands. These hands are sixty feet tall, weighing 30 tons, making them the world’s largest bronze sculpture.
Now referred to as CityPlex Towers, houses corporate tenants in the 640-foot-tall central tower. It is said that Oral Roberts had a vision of Jesus in a dream, instructing him to build the structure. Among the beautiful sculpture are flagpoles and hedges that are shaped to spell ORU.
Originally the hands were “The Healing Hands” when placed in front of the “City of Faith,” a medical center at Oral Roberts University which is a devoted faith healing center. After several lawsuits against the City of Faith, in 1989 it would file bankruptcy, and the pair of praying hands were moved to the university’s entrance of the Oral Roberts Prayer Tower.
This colossal sculpture, shaped like praying hands, form the top of a triangular shape with vertically oriented work. The sides of the structure create the forearms while the base is the bottom plane.
While the university’s founder, Oral Roberts was the subject of the sculptor’s work, it was completed using a live model by the name of Gary Mitchell. There are 450 pieces to the sculpture. More info on the Home Page
