My ‘Fort Collins’ connection sent me this picture of the ‘Potato Man’ in Loveland, CO who seems to be up the creek without a paddle. How many of these bronzes exist anywho? Original art in Sioux Falls? Who needs it?
Even Sodapop THINKS the city is silly.
When I read this story and got a H/T from a DaCola foot soldier, I said to myself, tell me it is not true. I mean, the city spends money on some pretty stupid shit (just recently they bought a film projector for a private non-profit). But this takes the cake;
The City of Sioux Falls has hired a firm to maintain nearly 40 pieces of artwork.
The California Company has been signed to a three year contract at $25,000 a year to maintain the city-owned artwork throughout Sioux Falls.
Oh, but this explains how the city got roped into this boondoggle;
The California firm is also working with local Sioux Falls artists to take care of the city-owned art.
So let me get this straight, the city had to hire an out-of-state contractor, to contract local artists to clean sculptures with soap and water? And that is the crux of this. Bronzes are used in outdoor sculptures because of there durability, and if you don’t like a little bird shit on them, you simply get out the hose and a scrub brush, something a city parks worker could do very easily. But for some reason the city seems to think (or got suckered) into thinking they need to pay $625 per year, per sculpture to essentially check welds and give a bath to sculptures.
I did my research (even though I already knew the answer);
One of the wonderful things about bronze sculptures is that they need little care or maintenance and will last for hundreds of years.
The best cleaner for bronze sculptures (now get ready) is plain soap and water.
Maybe we should hire a private firm to maintain the amount bullshit coming from City Hall, of course that would take more then $25,000 a year. CALL FEMA! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION!
I have often thought the city was getting the shaft on SculptureWalk. But not financially, to be fair, SW funds most of the project each year privately, the city provides space, some liability insurance (I think)Â and purchases a couple of sculptures each year (even though SW could probably raise this money privately and gift the sculptures to the city). My beef has never been with the money or even the sculptures themselves. I have never agreed with the fact the jurying process has been closed to selected individuals by SW, though SW uses public funds. And now those funds are apparently going to California to buy Ivory dish soap. Go figure.
UPDATE: The contract was approved at the October 9, 2012 Council Meeting in the consent agenda. It only took the city 10 months to make a formal announcement about it. (DOC:Â art cleanup) scroll to the bottom
I was driving down Phillips on Saturday afternoon and there were a bunch of people downtown looking at the sculptures, etc and there were two ADULT women on the bicycle having their picture taken.
They were SITTING on it like it was a play thing. Then on the 0ther side of the street there were three younger females and one looked around before climbing on top of the stone/rock to have her picture taken with the rabbit.
This is not an adult playground…it is ART.
Yesterday at the SF City council informational meeting, SF Sculpture Walk dictator, Jim Clark, admitted that the city (taxpayers) give $25,000 yearly to SW (of course after Staggers asked him the question). And just out of curiosity I went to their website to see if that claim was repeated, and it was;
WOW! While Mr. Clark and I don’t see eye to eye, I am glad to see he is coming around. I have often said, give credit where credit is due, and it seems he finally gets it, kinda. Public art is just that, public. And when you shut out the public (after digging in their wallets) you are not encouraging people to give to the arts, it only makes them suspect, that is why public art has gotten such a bad rap. Tell the public what their money is being spent on, and they will support it, keep them in the dark, and they will not.
l3wis 