Public Art for Carlsbad?
Dr Bill Fowler
Images of Carlsbad's infamous Split Pavilion from artist Andrea Blum's Web site were posted on Facebook a day or so ago and Carlsbad's residents who were around in the early nineties commented on the City Council's disastrous foray into public art. I suppose there are parallels to the current City Council's tone deaf response to the Caruso project, but at a somewhat smaller scale.
The Measure A campaign has focused a lot of attention on commercial and residential development projects, but it is important to remember that there are a lot of other kinds of community interests in Carlsbad. Including interest in Carlsbad City's support of art. In fact, at a recent Carlsbad City Council meeting, council members discussed public art for Carlsbad as part of the "Public Arts Master Plan." This set off alarm bells for many in Carlsbad who remember our painful experience in the early nineties.
As a Carlsbad City Council person, I would not vote for an investment in public art spaces such as the Split Pavilion, even (or especially!) on that I thought attractive. Clearly Carlsbad is not ready for that.
I think a much better alternative is to support the development of a vibrant arts community here in Carlsbad. We have parts of that now. When I drive to the Carlsbad Village Coaster Station, I pass two theaters that serve ever changing performing arts programs. There are many other examples. But I think we can do much more. A great arts community in Carlsbad would speak much more loudly about Carlsbad support of the arts than a quirky statue somewhere downtown.
At a recent City Council meeting, a presentation was made by Carlsbad's own biotechnology incubator, Bio, Tech and Beyond, where subsidized laboratory space is leased to small biotech startups in Carlsbad. Their success continues to impress us all. But this post is about art, and I can't help think that this could serve as a model for providing space for artists within Carlsbad, perhaps with corporate and foundation sponsorship.
Creating any kind of STEM related incubator for Carlsbad is an easy sell. I have spent all of my work life in technology and it is easy to see the benefits of subsidizing this kind of project. But I also was a social science major in college and truly appreciate that there are other endeavors that make a great community in which to live. And that includes art.
An Arts Incubator is just one idea and I am sure there are many other ways that Carlsbad can support Carlsbad artists. This is the point that I stop opinionating and start listening to ideas from both Carlsbad's artists and from people like myself who are interested in supporting them.
Any ideas?
Posted on http://www.carslbadcommunitycorder.com
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