BOWFORT TOWERS
And the fall of public art
Behold the most contentious public art display since the 'Giant Blue Ring'.
Some say it resembles 'burial towers' of local native american tribes, others say its symbolic of the 4 seasons, some dont even notice it amongst the backdrop of an unfinished construction project. Regardless of the views, everyone has one common opinion: More public involvement.
But instead of consulting local residents, artists, tribes and communities, City Council has instead decided to freeze all public art contracts until they pass a new public policy.
The City of Calgary currently has a public art policy whereby 1% of capital budget for infrastructure is dedicated to public art. The Transcanada-Bowfort Interchange comes in at $71 million and this towering project, 1 of 2 public art works, cost $500,000.00.
With the upcoming Southwest Calgary Ring Road coming in at a blistering $4.2 Billion, Albertans are literally caught between a rock and a hard place.