There's a lot to look at around our city - street theater of a distinctive, pocket-urban style. Adding to what we can view, the City has in the past year allocated funds for two distinctly different public expressions, one of art and one of patriotism.

Art in the form of sculpture, mostly abstract and all quite modern, sponsored by a new organization called ArtInPlace. ArtInPlace was started by Elizabeth Breeden along with developers Blake and Charles Hurt. Mrs. Breeden is marketing manager for sculptor-husband David Breeden and son Christian at Biscuit Run Studios. They enlisted Satyendra Singh Huja, Charlottesville's Planning Director, and several other local arts appreciators.

The idea was to give public display to an assortment of sculptures, and through this, to elevate our experience of everyday spaces - to change the way we feel when we're in an urban area, even if we're driving through it at 35 miles an hour.

The patriotic display of flags and banners was a quick reaction at the City Manager's office to the events of September 11th. The decision was made to do something, and the something took the form of flags and banners since the brackets were largely in place and the flags and banners were readily available.

What did it cost?

The city budgeted $10,000 for the ArtInPlace - to insure the work, and to cover some of the installation costs. The public doesn't own the art - we've just paid for the ability to view them for a year or so. As we write, another $10,000 has been approved to extend the program (with all new art) an additional year.

It is hoped that a 25% commission from the sale of each art work will provide a working budget in the future - so far, though, there have been no commissionable sales. (Some artists have had serious inquiries, and there have been several ancillary sales).

$15,000 was allocated for the flags and banners, from available Community Development funds. These we own, and although they are coming down now, a few at a time, we are assured that they will have ongoing use for other occasions such as the Fourth of July.

Who decided what we would see?

ArtInPlace invited entries by sculptors, and the board served as the art jury. City Council has an Urban Design Committee, which includes local architects and artists as well as council members. The committee was asked to review the idea of ArtInPlace, but did not pass judgment on the specific works. Local architect Andy Thomas, a member of the committee, recalls that they expressed a concern about the need for pedestrian access, so that people who wanted to pay closer attention to the work would have the opportunity.

In fact, some of the chosen sites simply do not provide that access. (This has not deterred vandals who chose the relatively inaccessible "Transformer" in the median on the 250 Bypass as well as the tree ("Metallice Glosserous") across from Bodo's on Preston Avenue, for their deeds. (And why is it vandalism to "edit" a sculpture but noble to 'edit' a message on the virtual chalkboard? Should those vandals be encouraged to put down their crowbars and pick up their acetylene torches?))

The decision for the city to do something in response to the September 11 attacks was made in City Manager Gary McConnell's office, and the discussion of what, where and how took place with senior staff of the Neighborhood Development Commission. According to Jim Tolbert, Director of the NDC, it was rather quickly agreed that since the city already had the brackets in place, some kind of banners were appropriate. And since the time for response was pressing, available banners rather than new creations was the way to go. Catalogs were reviewed, and the suggested choices were shown to the Urban Design Committee, which approved them.

The public can usually be part of the decision making process - the Design Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm in the conference room of the Community Development Commission in City Hall. The public is invited to make proposals and participate in discussions. Among topics to be discussed soon is the design of future banners for the Downtown area.

ArtInPlace, the Movie

This Web site has offered some of the public discussion of ArtInPlace. In early November Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Camblos felt the need to write a letter to the editor of the Daily Progress complaining of the lack of municipal patriotic display following the events of September 11 (although the plan to display the flags and banners was already under way at the time of his letter, the project had not been made public). And in his letter, he expressed a negative opinion of the art displayed.

A little more than a week later, stamp dealer Menachem Max Mayo expressed a similar opinion at greater length. In a recent conversation, Mayo reiterated his stance. "It's ugly, … and not good enough to be in Charlottesville. We have good art here already, and that could be promoted." As to the expenditure of public funds, Mayo feels that "in times like this, on the list of City priorities, this has got to be just above the bottom." His main concern is about the placement of the art out in the middle of traffic. "It's too distracting to drivers. Put it in a park … where people can contemplate it."

In Charlottesville we have several excellent examples of fine traditional public art in places where people can contemplate it. The Keck Statue of Stonewall Jackson in Jackson Park is perhaps the best example - a world-class equestrian statue in a well-proportioned open space.

But it is very much the point of ArtInPlace to put art in unexpected places. Art that was chosen, in part, to be taken in quickly - some mistakes were made in selection and in placement, says Elizabeth Breeden, but overall the group is well pleased with results so far, and eager to do more and better in the next round.

Patriotic Public Display

At the time of Camblos' letter patriotic symbols were everywhere. The city's impulse was part of a great wave of feeling - it just took a little longer to get it on display. What else might have been done with the $15,000? Should there have been public discussion of the issue? Were there not already enough flags and banners and patriotic symbols? (The Council had already passed a resolution condemning the terrorists and commending the local citizenry for the "prompt outpouring of response" and had helped fund a "Don't Tread On US" bumper sticker.)

ArtInPlace is a private organization with a public-spirited mission. Their exhibition supports Mr. Huja's idea of Charlottesville as a "city of art and music." Unexpected art changes the passer-by's perception of the urban environment.

Patriotic display makes you feel good, while art out and about in the urban landscape makes you feel different. Is supporting or altering your feelings a proper municipal function?

Let us know your thoughts - those deemed to be most representative will be published on the website with full attribution. (Dave Sagarin, February 13, 2002)