Debate reignites over spending on hazardous sculpture
Council debates expense and benefits while discussing city’s art program
Reignited debate on public art has opponents once again throwing shade at a hazardous northeast Calgary sculpture.
A report destined for Monday’s council meeting, highlighting the effect of September’s decision to press the pause button on the city’s contentious public art program, suggests an additional $180,000 could bring new life to Wishing Well — a $559,000 orb of polished metal currently languishing in a city warehouse after it burned holes in an admirer’s jacket.
Located near the bottom of a list of suspended art projects and listed as a “high profile” matter of social and media interest, the report suggests engineers have “come up with a solution” to issues caused by the piece’s dazzlingly reflective surface.
The report did not explain what this solution might entail.
The entry also suggests Genesis Centre — the northeast Calgary wellness centre and community hub where Wishing Well was installed in the fall of 2012 — would like the piece back “once the alteration has been completed.”
An additional $180,000 would bring the sculpture’s price tag to $739,000.
Wishing Well was deemed a safety hazard when sunlight reflected off its highly polished surface, concentrating to melt holes in an onlooker’s jacket.
It was fenced off in 2012 and shipped to a city warehouse in 2014 after efforts by its designers and city staff failed to make the shiny showpiece safe for visitors.
The price tag for a fix came as a shock to Coun. Sean Chu, who told Postmedia he plans to get to the bottom of it during Monday’s meeting.
“It’s crazy — why spend even more on it?” Chu said, adding he was not in favour of throwing more taxpayer money at existing art projects.
“We have to be accountable for what we do as city employees.”
That’s an opinion shared by Colin Craig, interim Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, who said the situation is another example of the city’s outof-control art program.
“Ultimately, someone involved in that program hasn’t figured out that times are pretty tight right now for Calgarians,” he said.
“The public shouldn’t have to pay another $180,000 for that art.”
He, too, was curious about what this $180,000 will go toward, when simply moving the piece out of direct sunlight could be a more practical solution.
“They could probably find an indoor location that has access to shade, but also natural light as well,” he said.
“If that’s part of the sculpture’s need, then you could find someplace indoors where you could have windows that would protect it from attacking citizens again.”
Wishing Well’s predicament was a disappointment to Coun. Jyoti Gondek, who said she generally laments the lack of accessibility of most Calgary public art projects — almost always attached to infrastructure upgrades.
“I would most prefer seeing those funds being dispersed throughout the community to a few different locations,” she said.
“That way you can have something people can actually interact with, and appreciate it the way art’s meant to be appreciated.”
Rather than using public money, Craig suggested the city pursue a partnership with corporate or private citizens to sponsor and fund art projects.
“There’s no reason why Calgary couldn’t have a program funded by corporate sponsorship or donations,” he said.
“It’s bizarre the city’s public art program just doesn’t seem to get it.”