Bison sculpture leaves legacy at Oklahoma School for the Deaf

SULPHUR - Visitors to the Oklahoma School for the Deaf will see a new sculpture on campus.

The art piece embodies the school’s motto, “Bison Strong.”

“This project has been years in the making, and we are very proud of everyone involved,” OSD Superintendent Heather Laine said.

Denise Henry, the former art, business, marketing and information technology education teacher, wanted students to experience building a life-size sculpture. Students in prekindergarten through 12th grade had been working alongside Henry on the art piece, called “The Bison Project,” since 2023.

According to Henry, she led the project, but the work was done by the students.

“As lead artist, I would give directions and let them do the work,” Henry said.

Everyone involved studied the bison’s natural habitat, size, personality and history in America when they began the project. The first year they made miniature sculptures to decide what and how they wanted to construct for the final life-size piece.

The second year, the students and Henry constructed the sculpture using Styrofoam blocks and cut out the body with a cutter. They made smaller miniatures first to get a feel for cutting Styrofoam. Then they added a paper pulp glue mixture.

In the third and final year, they added the paper pulp mixture and the details. It was completed in May. Henry and others at OSD sought a place to display the sculpture and miniature pieces before the school year ended.

“My hope is that this piece will show everyone the importance of teamwork and following through to completion,” Henry said.

Henry retired in May after teaching for 30 years. She said this project fulfilled a dream she had since the beginning of her time at OSD.

“I have always had a vision of a sculpture made by my students and myself,” Henry said. “I realize we could have had a fundraiser to raise money to buy a sculpture, but it has always been my dream to create one with my students’ help from beginning to end. I am proud to leave such a sculpture behind as I start a new chapter in my life. Bison Strong.”

The sculpture was unveiled May 7.

OSD is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, a state agency, which assists Oklahomans with disabilities through vocational rehabilitation, education, employment, independent living programs and the determination of medical eligibility for disability benefits.

OSD has been located in Sulphur since 1908. The school provides residential and day school educational services at no charge for students who are deaf or hearing impaired. The school provides a range of outreach programs, including pre-school programs and onsite consultation for public school students, their families, public school districts and communities statewide.

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