Local News

Good Question: Is Public Art Worth The Money?

(WCCO) When the city of Minneapolis commissioned 10 drinking fountains by local artists at a cost of $50,000 each some people responded by calling it "ridiculous." Is public art worth the money?

"There's a better use for the money when people are hurting because of the economy," said one woman in downtown Minneapolis.

Another man in the warehouse district said, "When people can't pay their mortgages it's hard to justify paying that much for art."

"For as long as I've been studying, people have been complaining about the cost of art," said Dr. Steven Ostrow, Art History Department Chair at the University of Minnesota.

Ostrow said that governments have been paying for art since the concept of a city began.

"Back in antiquity, in ancient Rome it was the empire, the city that paid for the great works," according to Ostrow.

He pointed to 1648, when Pope Innocent X commissioned a fountain by the artist Bernini. The Fountain of the Four Rivers is in Piazza Navona in Rome. It cost so much money, Pope Innocent levied a bread tax to help pay for it.

"People were astounded at its beauty, but they were hungry. And they said 'We don't want any stinking obelisk,' they said, 'We want bread. Bread we want,'" said Ostrow. "So there's a long history of tension around these objects and these public works, but for the most part it's been public funding that have made cities what they are."

For example, when many people picture Paris, they think of the Eiffel Tower. That cost 8 million French Francs in the late 1890's. In today's U.S. dollars that would be about $35 million.

"I'm sure people complained then that too much money was being spent on it," said Ostrow.

He believes the money is a worthwhile investment.

"It's an expression of our culture, of who we are, of what we believe in, it's really central to humanity," he explained.

When asked if he could use the money for public safety, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan didn't flinch.

"I could. But it's about an investment, it's an investment in the city which keeps this city where it's at," said Dolan.

Mayor R.T. Rybak pointed out that the $500,000 city investment in the fountains is a small percentage of the city's total budget. Half of the money comes from the Water Fund (as the idea of the fountains is to promote the use of city water), and the other half comes from a fund dedicated to public art.

"Money for public art can always go someplace else," said Rybak. "But a small investment can make a big impact."

The mayor said he believes investing in art sends a message, especially to a city that has a large creative workforce.

"Minneapolis is seen as one of the most significant cities in the country because we are about public art, and art that is seen publicly," Rybak added.

According to the mayor, nearly all of the art that people encounter on the streets is paid for by private businesses and benefactors.

 

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