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  • From: Bibb Latané <latane AT seafrolic.org>
  • To: "Janet Kagan" <jkagan AT nc.rr.com>, <chpac-staff AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [Chpac-staff] Chapel Hill News: Letter to the Editor
  • Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 17:22:55 -0500

Hi Janet--
    I completely agree with your communitarian reasons for supporting public art, but you might also want to consider adding some individualistic and even crass ones: namely that public art makes living in or visiting Chapel Hill more enjoyable and even uplifting, adding to its reputation as a great place to live or shop, and thus helping merchants and property values.
    Sorrry I missed the retreat.
        --Bibb
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 2:25 PM
Subject: [Chpac-staff] Chapel Hill News: Letter to the Editor

CHPAC
 
I personally enjoyed collaborating with each of you yesterday at our retreat: thank you for making art vital to our community.
 
I was distressed to read Robin Cutson's op-ed piece in today's Chapel Hill News, in which she states that public art is a "non-essential" budget item.  As Chair of the Percent for Art Committee, I have drafted a Letter to the Editor in response to her claim.  Please take a look at this draft below, and let Jeff or Kate know if you think something along these lines should be sent to the CHNews for publication in Wednesday's paper.  The deadline to be published in the Wednesday edition is 12 noon on Monday.  I would be happy to revise this statement should you ask me to do so.
 
Yours
 
Janet
 
 
 

Letter to the Editor

Chapel Hill News

 

Public Art Extends Civic Pride and Responsibility

 

In response to Robin Cutson's claim (Sunday 9 January 2005 Op-Ed) that public art is a "non-essential" budget item, we would like to correct her misrepresentation of the facts and suggest that public art, when integrated into our experience of public spaces, catalyzes our sense of civic pride, contributes meaning to our Town, and creates a coherent frame for social and communal discourse. 

 

For the record, the Town passed a Percent for Ordinance in March 2002.  Funds allocated for percent for art projects do not add additional costs to a project; these funds are already integral to its budget.  The process of deciding which capital improvement projects should include the work of a public artist is public, open, and transparent.  Ms Cutson seems concerned about the ratio of local: national artists who are commissioned to design site specific works.  If every community across America applied her logic of only offering local projects to local artists, our own accomplished regional artists would be denied the opportunity to compete for projects elsewhere across the country.  The Public Arts Commission is committed to promoting and advancing professional opportunities for all artists, regardless of their address.   In the case of the selection of Ray King to design the new floor for the Homestead Park Aquatics Center, the project received 108 applications from local, regional, and national artists.  A modest design competition was held among three finalists, whose proposals for public comment were displayed in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough for four weeks.  The choice of Mr King was made by a selection committee representing both the Chapel Hill and Orange County Parks and Recreation Departments, the Chapel Hill and Orange County Public Art Commissions, local artists, the project architect, the Town Manager's office, the Town Council, current users of the pool at the Community Center, and outside arts professionals.   Regarding the design of the new Southern Community Park, the artist team of Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan are receiving compensation of $20,000 not $28,400 as stated, for consulting services to the Park design team.  Their scope of work is to collaborate with the landscape architects and the Parks and Recreation Department to create art elements that will establish a cohesive aesthetic framework to enhance the experience of the new Park. 

 

Since ancient Greece, public art has been firmly embedded in the idea of synoikismos: making city or place.   Without aesthetic beauty or commitment to the arts, Chapel Hill becomes an uninteresting and mediocre town.  Instead, let us continue to celebrate ourselves and create works of our time for all time .


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