Woody Guthrie Statue

Bronze statue of Woody Guthrie with guitar slung over his shoulder

A life-size bronze of Woody Guthrie stands on a low plinth on West Broadway, guitar across his back, looking out across the town he wrote about with both love and anger. The statue, dedicated in 2018, is the focal point of the annual folk festival — every year musicians gather at its feet for an opening sing-along.

Behind the statue is a small park with interpretive panels covering Guthrie's life, his Dust Bowl years, and the songs he wrote in California and New York. It is the best free history lesson in Okfuskee County.

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A story
For most of the twentieth century Okemah was uneasy about being Woody Guthrie's hometown — his communist sympathies kept his name off any town sign until the 1980s. The statue, unveiled in 2018 by sculptor Dan Brook, finally put him at the centre of the town square. Guthrie's guitar still carries the famous label This Machine Kills Fascists.

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