Davd Smith, guest column: How public art connects us

By David A. Smith
July 12, 2009

That we Americans are hearty individualists is so widely acknowledged as scarcely to be the stuff of headlines.

Much more worthy of the occasional headline is that there's a downside to this, one that manifests itself in many different ways.

Too much of this individualism leads to our growing isolation from one another and losing track of how and why a sense of community, particularly in a democracy, is vital.

Almost everything in our culture, from iPods to driving habits, reinforces this isolation.

One of the best remedies for it is the arts. I've said before on this page that one of the best effects of great art is that it draws us outside of ourselves and makes us less self-centered, and indeed it does.

For this reason, art in public places is an indispensable part of a city's fabric.

Waco's Freedom Fountain once was a good example of what public art can do. It was built in 1973, but water no longer flows because of a breakdown in the pumping system.

As it sits in the shadow of the Hilton in its inoperable state, it's now only a vivid testament to the fact that public art needs attention and upkeep.

Now changes are afoot, with proponents seeking to re-envision and recreate the work. The plan as it stands now involves installing a new fountain of some sort atop one of those concrete piers out in the Brazos that once supported a railroad bridge.

Plaques explaining the story of the original fountain would be part of the work, installed in an overlook onshore.

Amidst the enthusiasm comes a cautionary tale from Louisville, Ky. There, a group of public art enthusiasts envisioned a computer-operated fountain out in the Ohio River designed to spray water hundreds of feet high in the shape of a giant fleur-de-lis – the city's famous symbol.

It was that city's version of Waco's aborted giant Texas Ranger statue, with the exception that Louisville actually built it.

After 10 years, however, soaring maintenance costs and public criticism led to its removal.

Civic enthusiasm can sometimes work against artistic quality.

Meanwhile, some notable pieces of sculpture, both representational and abstract, are appearing in Waco's Indian Spring Park, across University-Parks Drive from the Hilton.

This is a welcome and exciting trend. A serious sculpture garden along the river downtown would indeed be a jewel.

St. Louis has just opened such a park. Its Citygarden has nearly three acres of trees, lawns and a split-level pool with a waterfall.

The idyllic setting is home to two dozen pieces of sculpture created by some very big names (Martin Puryear, Mark diSuvero, Keith Haring) in contemporary art.

There's a cafe on-site, too, along with one of the largest computer-operated "spray plazas" in the country.

The project was a significant investment, to say the least, but hopes are commensurately high for its effects.

In an interview with The New York Times, one city official said, "There are several development opportunities right in the vicinity and as the economy recovers, I think Citygarden will make those sites a lot more attractive."

Sound familiar? The sentiment has been expressed by any number of civic boosters here in Waco about similar endeavors.

Well, bully for St. Louis. Perhaps it will help economic growth, because such concentrated installations of public art do invigorate a community.

They become a gathering point where we see each other. Waco should set about making more of what it has in place.

Happily, plans are in the works to do just that.

One thing: A new Freedom Fountain belongs in Indian Spring Park. Yes, maybe in the river right at the shore. But in terms of aesthetics, the notion of placing it atop one of those piers our in the river – even if reworked – ought to be cast aside.

If it costs a little more money to build a base from scratch, so be it. Even better, since the lure of spectacle is so great, remove the piers entirely and put the fountain within the park.

Water sculptures have a unique power the closer you can get to them. One of the added advantages of having it in the park would be that it would enrich the sculptures already in place and provide motivation for others.

The more that little stretch of land along the Brazos can host works of public art, the more it will be a magnet pulling pedestrians to the site.

There, with hope, we can be reminded of our participation in a community.

Far from being a frill, public art is vital to a good life, and ought to be part of our civic life, too.

David A. Smith is a senior lecturer in history at Baylor University. He can be reached at www.davidasmith.net