HASSO HERING

A perspective from Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley

Public art on a dark and stormy night

Written December 18th, 2020 by Hasso Hering

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)





12 responses to “Public art on a dark and stormy night”

  1. Gordon L. Shadle says:

    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?

  2. Richard Vannice says:

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Guess I’m not a beholder!

  3. James Engel says:

    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.

  4. Ray Kopczynski says:

    “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…

    • Gordon L. Shadle says:

      “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?

  5. HowlingCicada says:

    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.

    • Ray Kopczynski says:

      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… :-)

      • Gordon L. Shadle says:

        “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.

  6. Ken says:

    Like the duck in the pond…..beautiful

  7. centrist says:

    Came off Pacific yesterday. This is clearly visible while moving at reasonable speed on the ramp. Message is ” drop by some time”

  8. Bob Bush says:

    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?

 

 
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