Which public art piece is money better spent?

[speedog]

Spent a little bit of time this evening at the new Chinook Arc public art piece in Barb Scott Park (SE corner of 12th Avenue and 9th Street SW) and when I compare the $370,000 spent on this compared to the $387,000 blue ring, I would say the Chinook Arc piece is definitely tax monies better spent.

The Chinook Arc interactive art piece is kind of neat and definitely had people interested in it and interacting with it tonight. The blue ring - well I've never seen anyone in person there although it is not really easily accessible.

Never the less, if we're going to spend public monies on art, then give us more like the Chinook Arc.

[Nitro5]

I don't mind the 1% budget for art, but that money should go back into the local economy, not spent in Germany to ship a massive cock-ring.

If no local artist can be found, at least in the province.

[Masked Bandit]

The other day when we were out as a family we drove past the blue ring and my kids asked what it was. I told them it was art and that it cost $400,000. They both said Nenshi should be fired for doing something that dumb. When a six year old & ten year old see the idiocy of that much money for a circle, how can any adult even consider it to be reasonable?

[rage2]

But he's only 1 vote!

[ZenOps]

This isn't a democracy.

Not one single constituent voted Rob Anders out, and yet he has been axed. You are going to pay for million dollar art and like it dagnabit. Now eat your oatmeal.

[speedog]

How many have actually been down to the Chinook Arc piece to make a valid judgement call on what I've compared?

[Sugarphreak]

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[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Nitro5


If no local artist can be found, at least in the province.

When they use local artists we end up with cows all over town or a giant metal Stetson hat.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Is it this?



based on the shopping cart wheels tucked away at the bottom, it looks like an expensive homeless shelter with a 3 cart garage

Better than the Blue Ring... but still a total waste of money, that costs as much as some peoples real homes

Not shopping cart wheels - more like moveable scaffolding.

Never the less, if we're going to spend public tax dollars on art which piece is more palatable?

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Type_S1]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Option C) Neither

For 370K they could have done an entire low maintenance park complete with native trees, shrubs, and sponsored memorial benches... would have been far nicer for people to spend time around than this

100% agreed.

Who approves the "art" that gets chosen anyways? They should have been fired long ago as they are likely taking a kickback from the artist for what is being paid.

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by rage2
But he's only 1 vote!

If the art projects were better received all we'd hear is how it was all his initiative

[Sugarphreak]

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[speedog]

All this ranting aside, public art is here to stay - it's been a part of Calgary's landscape since I moved here in 1979 and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. As far as people thinking pockets are being padded or whatever, probably not happening - anytime a project starts involving big business or government, there is going to be extra costs because of all the beauracracy and red tape that comes with these large organizations. My last seven years at TELUS was in network engineering and project management and that was a real eye opener with respect to how little projects could quickly become bloated - an art project like the $387,000 blue ring, the dollar amount isn't out of line.

As far as the selection committees, I believe the average joe blow can have input or even sit on these committees - problem is most of us don't want to be bothered, I know I don't want to be and that probably is the same for all other Beyond arm-chair critics. Finally, the cost to create a low maintenance park as suggested above would probably easily exceed these two specific art project's outlays as well and in the case of the blue ring site, who exactly would be going to a memorial/low maintenance park there - it's just not in a place that people really want to hang out. What needs to happen and this is if every project has to include art in it's budget, the art monies have to be capable of being placed where they'll be appreciated/enjoyed by the public. Not on the side of a highway slope between a freeway and a railroad with no public access - the Chinook Arc, it's well placed.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Option C) Neither

For 370K they could have done an entire low maintenance park complete with native trees, shrubs, and sponsored memorial benches... would have been far nicer for people to spend time around than this


We should scrap the art budget and use it towards improving or creating nice public spaces. That would make Calgary a lot nicer than just paying some asshole at Heavy Industry (or whatever the fuck the name is of that elitist company is that mysteriously seems to endlessly get all of these contracts) millions of tax dollars for garbage every year.

Are you serious? If you give the city a free $370K to spend you're going to end up with a lane shut down on Deerfoot and turned into a permanent cycling lane.

[supe]

Yeah I'm with speedog. Without the artwork this city would be a pretty lame. Its a tiny piece of the budget. If you have a problem with the dollar amounts, do something about it, not just complain. I personally think the peace bridge looks awesome, the blue ring... well its a conversation piece.

[Lex350]

Art is very subjective but it doesn't mean we don't need it around our city. That fact that we all debate it is merit enough. It is something that brings character to our city even if it is a giant cock ring. These debates have gone on in other more worldly cities around the globe. Art will always be a hit or miss kind of thing with most people.

[speedog]

Originally posted by supe
Yeah I'm with speedog. Without the artwork this city would be a pretty lame. Its a tiny piece of the budget. If you have a problem with the dollar amounts, do something about it, not just complain. I personally think the peace bridge looks awesome, the blue ring... well its a conversation piece.

With the blue ring, maybe the $387,000 should've been spent on an art piece/whatever further west on 96th Avenue on the south side of the community of Harvest Hills - maybe as a feature pedestrian entrance point to Nose Creek Parkway, something that maybe commemorates some of the original settlers of the area or how Nose Creek was used by natives or early explorers. There just needs to be some flexibility on the placement of these art monies allotted to these projects - the Airport Tunnel art budget will put the blue ring to shame, let's hope it's something good and situated in an accessible space.

[ZenOps]

I always thought we needed a big barrel of oil as an artpiece.

Whos with me?

[LOLzilla]

Public art is a good idea. There needs to be strings attached though, local artists get priority. Shipping from Germany? Get out of here. Keep the money local.