Historical Fall 2001 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
It’s time for my annual pitch: Recycle. It’s very easy. For a nominal fee, Earthcircle Recycling will collect aluminum and steel cans, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, plastic containers, and glass every Monday.
It requires little extra effort and helps the environment.
On a different note, I want to commend the Regional Arts Commission and Focus St. Louis for sponsoring the People Project.
It was fun, it was whimsical, it added some pizzazz to our normal environment. Were these great works of art? Will they endure? That is doubtful.
But fun is not always easy to come by and the People were fun.
I had enjoyed them at the Galleria and in Forest Park but I especially enjoyed looking at the sculptures at Kiener Plaza and by Union Station.
A friend and I scoped it all out on a warm September day and returned to the grand finale, the People Family Reunion.
Some critics spoke ill of the project and denied that it could provide any possible benefit to our community. Of course, it was an imitation of the Chicago cows. But, St. Louis was the only city to do people. And, the people took on many varied shapes and positions and used many different kinds of material.
My friend really liked the Bean Counter.
I liked the student at a desk. One of the pictures took on my People visits appear here.
This project certainly could interest young people in art and could also show our sometimes stodgy city that public art is a very positive thing. Putting on this display throughout the metropolitan area was expensive and time-consuming. Even so, I hope that a similar project can take place again someday.
We need a little whimsy and we can always use some art.
The West End Arts Council, co-chaired by our beautification maven Andy Cross, has a project in a similar vein. Children participate in the creation of wood sculptures at Four Corners and their work will grace our neighborhood for awhile. Resident artists supervise the children as they assemble their objects d’art1200.
We are fortunate that the Regional Arts Commission contributes to our local endeavor. It’s time to quash the naysayers. Let’s let public art bring us together in laughter, in pathos, and in understanding.
Original photograph caption
A particularly patriotic People Project sculpture drew attention during the recent display. Photo by Lana Stein.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Fall 2001.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source prints objects d’art1200; anomalous numeric suffix retained without invented correction.
Original source: SD_Times2001_09.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
