Amarillo's Parks and Recreation Department held a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday for a new art installation honoring Matthew "Bones" Hooks. The event was held on what would have been Hooks' 159th birthday.
The four-panel, spray-painted display is at the northwest corner of Bones Hooks Park. Each panel shows a different part of Hooks' legacy, including cowboy culture, horse training and his love of the North Heights community. The artist, Micheal Toombs-Reed, is a self-taught visual artist who used acrylic spray paint. He said he hopes people who see the piece will be inspired to keep pushing forward. The work is titled "The Legacy of Hooks."
The installation is the third in the department's Outdoor Gallery series. Two other works by local artists are at Sam Houston Park and El Alamo Park. More are planned for Thompson Park, Memorial Park and John Stiff Park, to be installed in 2027. Parks and Rec Director Michael Kashuba said the projects help tell a story, create a sense of place and make parks more special.