Public Art Debate

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by geotag277

So you've never been to the park?

Why is it so many who aren't even in the communities involved get their panties in a wad over the art that these communities themselves have decided on?

Hey Einstein, who do you think pays for the art??? Only the people from those communities? Next time I suggest you take two minutes and think before you post.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Doug

Ralph Klein Park is not in a community. It is confined by the ring road in a semi rural/semi industrial area. The section of bike path to which it connects is barely used. The fail on this one is placing public art in a location where few will experience it. Again, an inflexible policy requiring a set amount be spent no matter the context is to blame.

Calgary's best public art is privately funded: the two pieces at the Bow, Conversation on Stephen Ave (and its rarely mentioned companion in the lobby of the General Services Building at Foothills).

I visit it on occasion as I live and work nearby. It is easily accessible to anyone who drives the ring road or lives in the SE. The art piece in question is actually a focal point in the design of the interpretive centre. Clearly you have never been there. It seems a common theme for conservative complainers to only value the things they personally use. Using your logic I should oppose any city spending in the NW as I don't live there and rarely visit.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Hey Einstein, who do you think pays for the art??? Only the people from those communities? Next time I suggest you take two minutes and think before you post.

I'll remember to tally the infrastructure spending for every corner of the city I don't live in and gripe about it incessantly because I pay for it and don't use it. Guess what Einstein, we all pay taxes and the majority of it goes to things we don't personally use. It's called being a part of society. Your righteous indignation over taxes rings completely hollow as the amount you personally would have contributed to this art project would probably have only added up to the price of a small double double at Tim Hortons. I bet you also brashly defended the Flames demanding that the city bankroll their new arena because you personally attend hockey games.

[Chinook Arch]

I like public art generally, but this example is the poster child of how public art is shit. Also if you’re going to argue in favour of this stuff at least have an understanding of who pays for this. FYI, everyone in the city pays for this not just people in that community.

Originally Posted by geotag277

So you've never been to the park?

Why is it so many who aren't even in the communities involved get their panties in a wad over the art that these communities themselves have decided on?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

I like public art generally, but this example is the poster child of how public art is shit. Also if you’re going to argue in favour of this stuff at least have an understanding of who pays for this. FYI, everyone in the city pays for this not just people in that community.

Again, communities make up the city. You can't argue against art in communities because you don't live there. Stuff gets built where you live and it gets built in other parts of the city too. The price of this piece would have cost you the same as a small double double. Ralph Klein Park is a public city park and a network of wetlands that cleans stormwater before it returns to the river. It is for everyone in the city not just one community. Visit it before you bash it and the art that was chosen to complement the site.

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Wow WTF happened to the Construction thread? All the good posters are gone and right wing trolls have oozed up to take their place. This used to be a board for progressive people who strove for a better, more welcoming city.

Anyone who questions Calgary's public art is suddenly a right wing troll? Some of us here on the thread and about 95% of the rest of the city find the art at Ralph Klein park to be garbage. Take a moment to consider that this thread might be plagued by left wing trolls rather than right wing trolls.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

I like public art generally, but this example is the poster child of how public art is shit. Also if you’re going to argue in favour of this stuff at least have an understanding of who pays for this. FYI, everyone in the city pays for this not just people in that community.

I haven't seen it in person, but I quite like that Ralph Klein park piece from the images, but the photo Chu took is clearly uncomplimentary. In the right context, it looks much better:



(Not my picture)

I do think Calgary has made some missteps though IRT public art which hasn't helped it. The blue ring is objectively shit and I don't think anyone can argue otherwise, and while I don't think the Bowfort Towers look bad, their positioning in a freeway interchange makes them completely pointless and out of scale. I think tweaking the rules a little could help by allowing the art to be placed outside the bounds of the project, or pooled into larger projects or until a good opportunity comes up.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Hey Einstein, who do you think pays for the art??? Only the people from those communities? Next time I suggest you take two minutes and think before you post.

Oh, the irony. You can't get more oblivious in regards to development contributions (more specifically the 1% public art policy) and yet, here you are telling others to take more time to research things before posting.

I don't know who ultimately covered the costs of this park and its art piece. I'm not going to dismiss that it wasn't development contributions towards building the park and art piece or draw conclusions that it was property tax dollars that footed the bill.

P.S. LOL Calgary is home to one of the largest manufacturers of these public art pieces so consider it an investment in the economy. Don't forget Toronto was first with the public art development levy and Vancouver quickly followed with theirs. That's millions a year flowing into the Calgary economy.

http://heavyindustries.ca/customfabricationprojects/

[ST1]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Anyone who questions Calgary's public art is suddenly a right wing troll? Some of us here on the thread and about 95% of the rest of the city find the art at Ralph Klein park to be garbage. Take a moment to consider that this thread might be plagued by left wing trolls rather than right wing trolls.

Well put.

[O-tacular]

For those who haven't been here's some pics of Ralph Klein Park with the Sentinels:

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Anyone who questions Calgary's public art is suddenly a right wing troll? Some of us here on the thread and about 95% of the rest of the city find the art at Ralph Klein park to be garbage. Take a moment to consider that this thread might be plagued by left wing trolls rather than right wing trolls.

Where do you get your 95% figure from? The same place Trump gets his massive approval ratings? Just because you think one way doesn't mean everyone else does too.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I haven't seen it in person, but I quite like that Ralph Klein park piece from the images, but the photo Chu took is clearly uncomplimentary. In the right context, it looks much better:



(Not my picture)

I do think Calgary has made some missteps though IRT public art which hasn't helped it. The blue ring is objectively shit and I don't think anyone can argue otherwise, and while I don't think the Bowfort Towers look bad, their positioning in a freeway interchange makes them completely pointless and out of scale. I think tweaking the rules a little could help by allowing the art to be placed outside the bounds of the project, or pooled into larger projects or until a good opportunity comes up.

I agree with that sentiment.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Oh, the irony. You can't get more oblivious in regards to development contributions (more specifically the 1% public art policy) and yet, here you are telling others to take more time to research things before posting.

I don't know who ultimately covered the costs of this park and its art piece. I'm not going to dismiss that it wasn't development contributions towards building the park and art piece or draw conclusions that it was property tax dollars that footed the bill.

P.S. LOL Calgary is home to one of the largest manufacturers of these public art pieces so consider it an investment in the economy. Don't forget Toronto was first with the public art development levy and Vancouver quickly followed with theirs. That's millions a year flowing into the Calgary economy.

http://heavyindustries.ca/customfabricationprojects/

Yep. I worked a stint there coming out of college. They manufacture stuff for here and cities all across North America.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Oh, the irony. You can't get more oblivious in regards to development contributions (more specifically the 1% public art policy) and yet, here you are telling others to take more time to research things before posting.

I don't know who ultimately covered the costs of this park and its art piece. I'm not going to dismiss that it wasn't development contributions towards building the park and art piece or draw conclusions that it was property tax dollars that footed the bill.

P.S. LOL Calgary is home to one of the largest manufacturers of these public art pieces so consider it an investment in the economy. Don't forget Toronto was first with the public art development levy and Vancouver quickly followed with theirs. That's millions a year flowing into the Calgary economy.

http://heavyindustries.ca/customfabricationprojects/

IIRC, this park was built using funds Bronco and his gang took from Enmax profits to setup a parks fund. The concept of the park and it's main reason for being are likely supported by the vast majority of people. I believe the park gets good reviews from those that visit. What some have an issue with is the cost of the art piece/installation. $1.57 million seems high to me. I have no problem with the piece itself as it actually fits in well with the surroundings unlike some other notorious pieces the city has installed.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

For those who haven't been here's some pics of Ralph Klein Park with the Sentinels:

That perspective changes things drastically. Firstly, it is the broader landscaping all integrated into this art. Second, it allows us to see a broader story that it is a part of. Lastly, that lighting context in the evening is quite brilliant. I like when art helps create a mood, and from what I can see in those images, this does that to a degree.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by milomilo

The blue ring is objectively shit and I don't think anyone can argue otherwise

To get rid of it without destroying it, maybe it could be relocated to the Town of Cockring and become a recognizable symbol for the town, the same way, say, that big arch serves as symbol for St. Louis?

[Stephen Ave]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

If Skyrise is so great why are you here?

Isn’t that like telling immigrants who come here when you go back home where you came from if they say something good about their old country?

Anyway, I come here because I still have an account here and while there is generally not much happening on the construction front it’s still good entertainment.

[Northern]

Originally Posted by lio45

To get rid of it without destroying it, maybe it could be relocated to the Town of Cockring and become a recognizable symbol for the town, the same way, say, that big arch serves as symbol for St. Louis?

Now that! would turn it into a true conversation piece. I say we do it.

[Northern]

Those pics don't change anything. The pics do look nice, but if you take the art installation out of the pics they as good, if not better. It's not the rusted girders that look good, it's the surroundings, it's still a ridiculous piece of work.

Originally Posted by O-tacular

For those who haven't been here's some pics of Ralph Klein Park with the Sentinels:

[Tarsus]

Interesting take. I always thought the folks in the Canada section were douchebags, but really they are just people who like debate (with the exception of a few are truly douchebags) and debate is 100% what the Canada section is.

Originally Posted by Tobyoby

Here's my take on it. I always looked at the forum as three groups. 20% were hard right wingers (Doug, Bad Grizzly), and 20% were hard left wingers (Boris5K, Geotag, Otacular etc..), and the other 60% were kind of in the middle and were here because they liked skyscrapers, construction and general urban development.

Most of the 20% hard-line leftwingers are gone. They aren't here, and they aren't at SRC, they're just gone. The 20% hard-line rightwingers are still here...that much is obvious.
The 60% from the middle are now at SRC. That leaves only a few hardliners from either side left. Those kind of people like this kind of stuff anyway. Cooincidentally, it's those same hard-liners (left or right) who hang out at the Canada section.