Funding for artwork on Central Threatened

[PACMAN]

News 36 has kicked off a major controversy over a small arts project on Central Avenue. The initial report and headline on Tues, May 12th contained a misleading headline and provided no explanation of the background of this project foir mosaic trashcans on Central Ave.
The original headline read "$3,400 trash cans spur public art debate" The story went on to call the trashcans "fancy fans" and said that the 12 cans would cost $42,000 ...$3400 each. In fact, the $42,000 was also intended to cover A lead artist, and 3 other artists, hold community arts input meetings with students at Garinger, and the community, as well as manage all of the other arts projects on Central Avenue.
None of the stories provide these details. Unfortunately the public fury caused by the initial cost published by news 36 did not subside upon correction of the price. The damage had been done. More importantly the least expensive project was the focus of their scrutiny and no historical info on this project has been addressed by the author
On Thursday, May 14th, I contacted News 36 to request fair coverage that included ACCURATE backgound information. Initially there was interest, but they declined to do the story. Please contact Mark Boone and encourage him to run this story. Our community deserves fair coverage and a prospering business district.

My letter to Mark Boone News 36

Dear Mr. Boone,
My name is Ed Garber and I am the chairman of the Eastside PAC. I am very concerned about the damage the article and news clip you ran about wasteful spending on mosaic Trash cans on Central Ave.
First of all, the original version of the story that ran half the day yesterday claiming that the cans cost $3400 each was misleading and lacked any detail. It kicked off quite a bit of controversy that has not subsided even after the more accurate information was presented.
I also am concerned that the Artist, Amy Sanders was not quoted, nor was the ASC or the Knight Foundation, who could have explained the project in better detail. Interestingly there were quite a few projects, but this was the only one featured in your story, the only one mentioned in the Observer until today, and it was the least expensive of all the proposed projects I have seen referenced in your article.

This is the least expensive project & yet it is being used as a posterchild for overspending. Furthermore people are talking about cutting $ for this project in "hard times" as a result of this story, but it isn't clarified in the story that the project started a year ago, is halfway complete, and only part of the project remains to be funded.
Students from Garinger High School designed some of these trashcans, and the community at large will design others.

Central Ave. is a struggling business corridor. Similar mosaic projects helped spur economic development in other parts of Central between Pecan & Thomas St. It had a direct influence on that thriving entertainment & Arts district. The intent of the International Corridor Project is to repeat proven tactics for improving business districts further down Central Ave that are *inexpensive* in the scheme of things.

My community and I would appreciate the opportunity to have these issues brought to the public's attention and have all the facts presented. I think this is only fair considering the impact to the business district on Central Ave., the controversy that has been created, and the initial misleading article that ran on charlotteobserver.com

[PACMAN]

In these stories notice how no citizens in the community that supported this were contacted, the artist wasn't quoted. But the video includes people who don't like the project.
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http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-051309-mrn-trashcanart.22ac67ea.html

$1,290 trash cans spur public art debate
03:35 PM EDT on Thursday, May 14, 2009
By MARK BOONE / NewsChannel 36
E-mail Mark: MBoone@WCNC.COM
Forty-eight hours after city council members heard about a project to add mosaic tiles to a dozen trash cans along Central Avenue, a critic of the arts program said he was still receiving complaints from taxpayers.
“I’ve gotten calls from people who have never called me before. E-mails from people that have never e-mailed me before,” said councilman Andy Dulin. “I think these trash cans may be the tipping point of what this community is willing to put up with.”
Charlotte automatically sets aside 1% of the city’s budget for most public works projects to be spent on public art.
The Arts and Science Council, a non-profit group, oversees how the tax money for art is spent.
In a presentation Monday night, ASC staff briefed council members on several public art projects, including the installation of colorful tiles on the Central Avenue trash cans.
Charlotte artist Amy Sanders has been hired for the mosaic installation and to manage other art projects along Central Avenue.
She will be paid $42,000 for the work, including $1,290 for each trash can.
”We’ve created jobs. We pay people’s salaries and we have an asset,” said city council member Nancy Carter, an ASC board member and advocate for the Central Avenue art.
“That’s an asset. That’s a city asset now,” Carter said.
Other recent art projects funded with the support of local taxes and fees:
$56,000 for railings on the Central Avenue bridge over Briar Creek
$250,000 for lighted sculptures near an airport parking deck, paid for with fees collected at airport
$67,000 for an aluminum gate and sculpture outside a Providence Road fire station.
“They are marks of beauty that make people think, that make people remember Charlotte,” Carter told NewsChannel 36. “We do have to expend money.”
Carter said she had not heard any negative feedback about the arts program since Monday’s presentation to council members.
Changes to the city’s policy on public spending for art are not likely, Dulin conceded, as few council members have expressed concern about the projects.
Still, as city leaders draft a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Dulin said he intends to question arts spending.
“I promise you, my input will be heard by the Arts and Science Council,” he said.

[PACMAN]

I am very concerned about the publicity and scrutiny the mosaic trash cans on Central Ave. are receiving from the council and media. I fear this may lead to a cut in funding. I am concerned that the lack of support Eastsiders complain about may be a reality. I hope this is not the case. on Central Ave, we have already experienced delays in streetscape projects, Eastland Mall, and now the probably the streetcar. I understand that we have hit hard economic times, but this is the *least expensive ASC project*, and I believe quite a bit of funds have already been disbursed, as this project has been going on for a year.

Several years ago a sign ordinance was passed on Central Ave.. A deadline was set for conformity. The council retracted it at the 11th hour. How much would it have cost the tax payer to clean up Central Ave? Nothing. Where was the support from council? Now more aesthetic improvements in the Central Ave. corridor are threatened. Four jobs will be lost in east Charlotte if this project loses funding. I can't imagine how many jobs will never be created.

These mosaic trash cans along with other planned art projects will make the business district on Central Ave become visually more appealing to ALL consumers. By making this small initial investment in this diverse struggling business district, an attractive upgrade to the street would encourage private investment and revitalization as affluent people start shopping there *because they feel welcome and safe*. By attracting affluent clientele, money will flow and desirability to live in the area will increase.

As evidence, I point out that similar mosaic art from Thomas St. to Pecan Ave. on Central avenue started the momentum behind the arts & entertainment district in Plaza-Midwood. Shortly after installation of the mosaics and lamp post lighting Thomas St. Tavern, The Penguin, Fuel Pizza, Johnson's' Brewery, & Swing 1000 were established and kicked off a *self-sufficient* ARTS & entertainment district that grows strongr every day 15 years later. Harris Teeter was about to pull out of the Plaza location and decided to stay. Fuel Pizza went on to grow into a staple franchise all over Charlotte. House prices have doubled in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Plaza-Central Development Group fought tirelessly for those mosaic pieces when Central Ave. was widened. It is no coincidence that business boomed where public art was installed. It is ridiculous that mosaic artwork which still stands as a testament today at the trendiest most vibrant spot on Central Ave., is considered too expensive and a waste of taxpayer money just a few blocks down the street. A very small financial investment has created hundreds of jobs and plenty of tax revenue in a once stagnant strip of pawn shops.

As Independence Blvd. And Albemarle Rd. are widened, and connectivity and business is lost, Eastsiders will depend more and more heavily on Central Avenue to provide. Many council members tell Eastsider's how they support the revitalization of Central Avenue and that help is coming. For those that make those promises, now is the time to make sure we get the tools we need to build our business district. I urge you to support smart business development on Central Avenue and support the Mosaic Trash Can project.