Here are two of the 12-foot steel sculptures installed Friday, seen (barely) at 8:30 p.m.
One of the selling points — to me anyway — of Albany’s public art project was that its colorful lights would brighten our winter nights. But on Friday evening, they were hard to see from more than a few feet away.
The four steel sculptures were installed during the day on Friday. I missed it, having forgotten the date until I read about it in City Manager Peter Troedsson’s Friday report to the city council.
Troedsson included a photo in his report, and here it is:
Under a 1998 ordinance, the city was obligated to spend some money on public art after building the new police headquarters and downtown fire station. And in January 2018, the council authorized $80,000 to be spent on a commission for South Carolina artist Dee Dee Morrison.
Early descriptions of the sculptures, intended to resemble wildflowers, mentioned colorful lighting that would change.
I went to look at the installation well after dark on Friday, a very windy night. In the center of each flower there was, indeed, a glowing fixture, and the color of the light did change in a gradual way.
But I doubt drivers coming down the nearby Pacific Boulevard off-ramp to Lyon Street would have noticed. There was not much twinkling, and the nearby street lights were far brighter than the flowers’ LEDs.
That’s probably why ODOT approved the location of the sculptures: There’s no way they distract.
Back in November I was looking forward to the long-delayed installation and wrote: “It’ll be interesting to see colorful lights twinkling off the highway there, a bright spot this dark winter made even bleaker by Covid-19.”
Well, it was a dark and stormy night, and the steel flowers had a hard time cutting through the gloom. (hh)
The ordinance you reference (Chapter 2.96 of the Municipal Code) states that the art be “an integral part of the building” or “capable of display in other City of Albany buildings.”
The ordinance does not seem to allow “art” on a piece of ground near an off-ramp controlled by ODOT.
Shouldn’t the code enforcement officer cite the city for noncompliance?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Guess I’m not a beholder!
What does the City Council care? It’s tax money they collected to be spent on a very frivolous item. Well, at least the pigeons will have a roost. In my opinion, those “flowers” should have been put on the sidewalk next to the CARAsel on 1st Ave.
“The ordinance does not seem to allow “art” on a piece of ground near an off-ramp controlled by ODOT.”
As you state it, the artwork is “capable of display” in another public building. However, that would be an ugly process to make it happen and would look terrible IMO, so it’s much better off where it is situated…
“capable of display IN…”, Ray.
The art must be IN a public building or facility, at least if Albany wants to comply with its own 1% for Art ordinance.
The art elites in Albany should never have been allowed to force property taxpayers to fund these outdoor leaves on sticks.
Why didn’t the City Council perform due diligence and send the Arts Commission back to the drawing board given this project appears to violate city law?
Reluctantly, I have to side with the naysayers (with whom I usually disagree). Disappointing compared to the proposal. Poor location. Also, I fear/predict that within a year the lights will go dark and be unfixable — hope I’m wrong.
I seriously doubt if there’s any “public art” that everyone will like. It’s here, in place, and will grow on folks. “Public art” has a way of doing that over time… :-)
“Public” art should never be forced on every property taxpayer via coercive government power. For example, Albany’s 1% for Art law.
This means zero “public” subsidies. No private citizen should be forced to pay for the artistic tastes of a few city politicians.
Art should always be funded with private money. The separation of art and city government is the solution.
Repeal the ordinance.
Any community that invests in public art is better off IMO. I’m proud of Albany for having done so and hope we can do it again!
DH article this morning: https://bit.ly/3h4JFHA
Like the duck in the pond…..beautiful
Came off Pacific yesterday. This is clearly visible while moving at reasonable speed on the ramp. Message is ” drop by some time”
Watch The Peoples Republic of Portland for Art guidance. They seem to have a knack for a diversity of Art. I have my own opinion for Art, and will leave it at that. My objection is spending the $80,000 to someone in another State. We have no artist of this caliber in our State or the Pacific Northwest? Buy local, spend local?