Riding Into the Sunset
Encyclopedia
Riding Into the Sunset is a public
sculpture
by Electra Waggoner Biggs, depicting Will Rogers
on his horse, Soapsuds, and is located on the campus of Texas Tech University
in Lubbock, Texas
. Three additional castings were commissioned. The sculpture is a contributing object to the Texas Technological College Historic District
; a National Register of Historic Places
listing.
, potentially insulting the Lubbock business community. To address this issue, the statue was turned 23 degrees
to the east, causing Soapsuds' rear to face in the direction of the Texas A&M campus
in College Station, Texas
.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
by Electra Waggoner Biggs, depicting Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
on his horse, Soapsuds, and is located on the campus of Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Three additional castings were commissioned. The sculpture is a contributing object to the Texas Technological College Historic District
Texas Technological College Historic District
The Texas Technological College Historic District is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas...
; a National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
listing.
Location and installation
A campus legend holds that the statue was originally intended to be positioned with Will Rogers facing due west, so that it would appear he was riding into the sunset. However, that position would cause Soapsuds' posterior to face due east, towards downtown Lubbock, TexasLubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, potentially insulting the Lubbock business community. To address this issue, the statue was turned 23 degrees
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
to the east, causing Soapsuds' rear to face in the direction of the Texas A&M campus
Campus of Texas A&M University
The campus of Texas A&M University, also known as Aggieland, is situated in College Station, Texas, USA. Aggieland is centrally located within 200 miles of three of the 10 largest cities in the United States and 75% of the Texas and Louisiana populations...
in College Station, Texas
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
.