Look mom, I grabbed some granite countertop scraps, stacked them on top of each other and presto – I’m a fricking artist!
But you won’t see SculptureYawn mention public funding in their brochure. After a press release appeared on the Gargoyle Leader’s website last month saying SW doesn’t take public money, I have been prodding the Gargoyle to do a story about the organization’s funding. I have been doing some digging myself to.
According to their brochure the city now purchases the award sculptures through a grant from the Sheldon F. Reese Foundation a locally based charity organization. The SF Area Community Foundation and the SD Arts council also donated to SW (both receive partial tax dollars for their annual budget). What was missing from the brochure was how much, or that the city even gives a penny to SW.
Then I stumbled upon this. Buried under the Planning Services CIP budget were a couple of line items that I found interesting;
Planning & Building Services
113025 SCULPTURE WALKÂ Â Budget: Â 15,000 Expensed: 15,000
Not sure what the money is spent on specifically (insurance?), but it is pretty obvious that city spent $15,000 this year on SW (which is down about $10,000 from last year).
Now while some of you may know, I am all for public art, but think it should be paid for through private donations. I think tax dollars spent on the arts should go 100% into education. Since public art is objective, I don’t think it is a wise use of tax dollars. That being said, I think a majority of Sioux Falls residents probably disagree with me, and don’t have a problem with the city spending $15,000 on SW this year, I just find it curious that SW wouldn’t mention it in a brochure that is dedicated to thanking their sponsors. As a taxpayer, it would have been nice to be recognized.