Members of the Portland Public Art Committee apparently haven’t spent enough time listening to country music.

If they had, they may have recalled the words of the famous art critic Kenny Rogers, who advised that “you gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.”

When it comes to Tracing the Fore, the well-intentioned but poorly executed installation that has been unhappily occupying Boothby Square, the time to “fold ’em” has arrived. Moving the piece to another in-town location is not the answer.

The Portland Public Art Committee voted 7-3 to find a new home for the much-maligned piece, which was supposed to combine cut steel “waves” and a rare plant to echo the movement of the water nearby.

Instead, the plantings were choked out by weeds and the piece ended up looking like a dump for old saw blades.

The problem isn’t just the location. The piece, as it was presented, did not enhance the experience of the people who live, work and shop near Boothby Square. It just made them mad.

Moving it to another location would promote the idea that the public art committee doesn’t care about the public, and thinks that it knows best what should occupy prominent public places in the city.

Fortunately, the committee’s vote is just advisory and the City Council, whose members know what happens when you don’t listen to the people, will get the final word.

Public art should be a source of pride for a community and, while not everyone is going to like everything, a piece that has already gotten such a negative reaction in one place should be scrapped, not moved to another spot.

The committee should simply admit its mistake and move on.

 

Copy the Story Link