South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

June 2013

Art Sioux Falls Washington Pavilion

The Best Part about the Washington Pavilion will be no longer starting July 1st.

l3wis 13Comments

Photo from my art reception at the VAC ‘In Passing’

I have often felt the Visual Arts Center providing FREE exhibits is what made the Pavilion unique. Oh, sure, you betcha, museums across the country charge a fee to their visual arts center, but what is different about the Pavilion is our demographics. The Pavilion has gotten a reputation over the years for not catering to the whole community, and this latest move proves it. I have often argued that leaving the VAC free would attract people who normally wouldn’t ‘look at art’ or attend the Pavilion and the FREE gallery as an asset to our community. While I have often disagreed with the facility (now more then ever with the recent departure of the Development Director) I have supported the Arts Night exhibit and fundraiser in the past and have had an individual exhibit and have been in several joint exhibits at the VAC. The Pavilion really is closing the last remaining door to the general public as a whole with this move.

But there is also other questions that need to be answered;

Nan Baker, interim executive director of the Sioux Falls Arts Council, said she is worried that the arts center board had lost sight of the purpose of the group’s two largest fundraisers — the Sidewalk Arts Festival and the Arts Nights. She said their purpose was to ensure the arts center would remain free.

“When we go out and solicit donations, we do so on the premise that (the Visual Arts Center) is free and open to the public,” Baker said. “If that’s not occurring, we need to have the conversation about what those fundraisers are for.”

Nan could not have said it better. What are the fundraisers, the grants and individual donations for? Because we know one thing, there isn’t a lot of ‘work related’ activity going on behind the big purple walls . . . ahem.

And the VAC director, who couldn’t direct a class of 5-year olds on how to open a can of play dough had this to say;

“We’re ready to do it; we’re ready to take on the next level,” Merhib said. “It’s not about money; it’s about putting value to the art.”

Taking what to the ‘next level’? Banning all ‘regular folk’ from patronizing your facility? And that is really the irony in all this. Imagine someone coming to your facility for the first time, walking in and enjoying the FREE gallery, then deciding to take in a movie or buy a ticket to a concert.

The Pavilion is really missing the big picture on this one, but sadly, no surprise here.

Art Sculpture Walk Sioux Falls

UPDATE: City hires firm to maintain outdoor BRONZE sculptures? LOL!

l3wis 30Comments

Even Sodapop THINKS the city is silly.

When I read this story and got a H/T from a DaCola foot soldier, I said to myself, tell me it is not true. I mean, the city spends money on some pretty stupid shit (just recently they bought a film projector for a private non-profit). But this takes the cake;

The City of Sioux Falls has hired a firm to maintain nearly 40 pieces of artwork.

The California Company has been signed to a three year contract at $25,000 a year to maintain the city-owned artwork throughout Sioux Falls.

Oh, but this explains how the city got roped into this boondoggle;

The California firm is also working with local Sioux Falls artists to take care of the city-owned art.

So let me get this straight, the city had to hire an out-of-state contractor, to contract local artists to clean sculptures with soap and water? And that is the crux of this. Bronzes are used in outdoor sculptures because of there durability, and if you don’t like a little bird shit on them, you simply get out the hose and a scrub brush, something a city parks worker could do very easily. But for some reason the city seems to think (or got suckered) into thinking they need to pay $625 per year, per sculpture to essentially check welds and give a bath to sculptures.

I did my research (even though I already knew the answer);

One of the wonderful things about bronze sculptures is that they need little care or maintenance and will last for hundreds of years.

The best cleaner for bronze sculptures (now get ready) is plain soap and water.

Maybe we should hire a private firm to maintain the amount bullshit coming from City Hall, of course that would take more then $25,000 a year. CALL FEMA! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION!

I have often thought the city was getting the shaft on SculptureWalk. But not financially, to be fair, SW funds most of the project each year privately, the city provides space, some liability insurance (I think) and purchases a couple of sculptures each year (even though SW could probably raise this money privately and gift the sculptures to the city). My beef has never been with the money or even the sculptures themselves. I have never agreed with the fact the jurying process has been closed to selected individuals by SW, though SW uses public funds. And now those funds are apparently going to California to buy Ivory dish soap. Go figure.

UPDATE: The contract was approved at the October 9, 2012 Council Meeting in the consent agenda. It only took the city 10 months to make a formal announcement about it. (DOC: art cleanup) scroll to the bottom

SF City Council Sioux Falls Walfart

Slowing the Walmart Train

l3wis 12Comments

At last night’s city council meeting, the council approved an amendment by Kermit Staggers to move the 2nd reading of the Walmart development to July 16, then a substitute motion was made to move it to August 6 (Erpenbach had some picnic or something to attend on July 16 so she wanted it moved). Sorry Walmart for the delay 🙁 The reason why Staggers asked for extra time is so the council and the SON group could review the traffic study. Jamison also wanted to use the time to study an alternative to Walmart at that development site;

“This is where it starts to get real, and I think we’ve got to come up with a better plan a better transition to this neighborhood and I’ll work hard to find a better alternative to that plan,” said councilor Greg Jamison before the vote to delay the second reading.

I know when I walked out of the council meeting last night, the developer who is attempting to broker the land deal didn’t look too happy, but of course he never does.

I addressed the council about representational government, residents (taxpayers/voters) and small business in Sioux Falls, and told them the reason they are asked to vote on this project, even though Walmart may have a legal right to be there, is because they need to represent their constituents, not Walmart.

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