It was 11 years ago this month that the city of Fort Worth created a public arts program, and since then projects have enhanced the aesthetics of public spaces all around town.
Unique sculptures, murals, paintings and mosaics have added decoration and dimension to the Convention Center, parking garages, parks, fire stations, libraries, community centers, plazas, even street medians.Yet, like the question of "Is that art?" new works routinely generate debate over their relevance and artistic value. That's especially so when they're paid for with public money, even more in times of tight budgets.That's what happened when Fort Worth acquired a circular yellow metal sculpture, 13 feet in diameter, to be placed at the Fort Worth Municipal Plaza, 1000 Throckmorton St. The artwork, one of six sculptures commissioned for Chicago's Millennium Park 2010, is by acclaimed Mexico City artist Yvonne Domenge.Millennium Park offered the piece, valued at $150,000, as a gift to Fort Worth, which only had to pay for transportation, storage and installation. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept the artwork and approve the $60,000 to get it here, install it and provide lighting for it.The decision was a sound one, even though some critics had grumbled about the acquisition when it first was announced. They complained that it was a work from outside the city by a nonlocal artist and requires a large expenditure in a year when the council voted to cut funding for the Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County by 25 percent.Certainly Fort Worth should support local artists -- and it does. The issue of a stable funding source for the Arts Council is a longer-term problem that the council will have to address, and it couldn't be affected by rejecting this gift from Chicago.It's important to note that the money for shipping and installing Tabachin Ribbon was available through the city's capital improvement and capital projects funds.The artwork will be a great addition to the plaza near the city's Public Safety Building, which hundreds of people pass daily. The Fort Worth Public Art Program was intended to commemorate the city's cultural and ethnic diversity, create an enhanced visual environment for residents, integrate artists' work into the city's capital infrastructure and promote tourism and economic vitality through enticing public spaces.By ordinance, Fort Worth allocates 2 percent of capital improvement bond projects and 2 percent of water and sewer fund annual cash-funded capital projects for public art. In addition, by policy, Fort Worth allocates 2 percent of certificate of obligation projects for public art.The city of "cowboys and culture" has a long legacy of public art. With the involvement of resident stakeholders, who in many cases help select artists, concepts and final designs for projects, Fort Worth Public Art has been quite successful.This latest acquisition carries on that valuable tradition.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
