I have to admit I like the sculpture in front of the theater center--Blue Boy Pull Toy #1. It’s cool, bright, modern, and funky. It would look great in a museum. But $32,000? It’s not that cool.
Look at it this way: If I were a court-appointed guardian of a minor child with an very large inheritance or trust fund, and I were called before a judge to give an account of how I spent that minor child’s money, and I told the judge that I spent $32,000 on buying a piece of art for the child, that would be a problem. No child needs art worth $32,000. A $10 picture from Target for the wall of his or her bedroom: ok. But a $32,000 sculpture? Never. I would have wasted the child’s money and proven myself untrustworthy as a fiduciary.
Dictionary.com provides the following definition of the word “fiduciary”: 1. A person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another... 3. Of, based on, or in the nature of trust and confidence, as in public affairs: “a fiduciary obligation of government employees.”
The city government, through the administration of its elected officials, is also a fiduciary. These officials are responsible for the money of over 150,000 people. Just because they have a lot of money (relatively speaking, compared to my trust fund example above) doesn’t mean they should feel any more free to spend it than I should feel in spending the money of a minor child.
Here’s a solution to the Blue Boy Pull Toy #1 dilemma: Let the artist have it back. Or, let the artist leave it there for free, since, after all, the city is providing free advertising for the artist. If the artist chooses to take the sculpture back, put some pretty pots full of flowers in the middle of the traffic circle in front of the theater center. (I’m pretty sure you can find some of these at the local home improvement store for much less than $32,000.) Nobody will mind seeing flowers there. I’ll bet there won’t be a reduction of visitors to Coolidge Park because of it. However, $32,000 of our tax dollars can go to projects that are far more urgent than the permanent placement of a large, blue rhinoceros on the North Shore.
Jamie Rohrbaugh
Chattanooga
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I was eating lunch at a meat and three today, and the sculpture was discussed. Everyone there thought the city was nuts to buy that when many Chattanoogans are struggling financially.
Plus, there were many, many offers to provide similar large outdoor objects for as little as $50.
However, the consensus was that, even if the large outdoor object was only worth $50, it would not be considered art, unless it sold for thousands. So, after spirited discussion, we settled on $9,995 for an appropriate outdoor object. That includes a lifetime warranty, all upgrades, staff training, and free beer at the installation.
Steve Daugherty
stevedaugherty48@att.net
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Something that is described as "cool, bright, modern, and funky" has a value. Jamie Rohrbaugh and other critics of public art will probably never agree on what would be a fair price for a sculpture, but I would guess that is the price tag was $5,000 we would hear the same argument against a purchase.
Personally, I completely support the commitment that the city made to public art. In fact, I am concerned that we have lost momentum in the effort, as evidenced by the fact that there has been a lengthy hiatus from purchasing.
Sculptor John Petrey, the creator of Big Blue Pull Toy #1, says on his studio website that "Imagination is the most powerful tool humans possess." I have to agree. His work is testament to that concept and its public presence in Chattanooga, as part of the fabric of public art in our community, is valuable. I hope our fair city will be considered "cool, bright, modern, and funky."
Mr. Petrey operates a small business and his studio is on Main Street. If $32,000 is too much for Chattanooga, then I am sure that it would sell in Austin, Tx., or Columbus, Ohio, or other cities that compete with Chattanooga to attract business, industry and people.
Public art is a difficult to gauge quality-of-life element for a community, but I hope we can all agree that such art is an asset.
Lawrence G. Miller
Hixson