In Thinking that money grows on trees we saw that the city spent $750,000 on those things that have sprouted up on Airways.
They call it public art.
Without getting into a discussion about whether we should spend money on public art, or another discussion about how much we should spend (currently 2% of city capital spending), maybe we should talk about how we spend the money that we have allocated for public art.
Wouldn’t our community have been better off if the $750,000 had been broken apart into smaller projects commissioned with local artists?
Let’s say they had broken the money up into ten $75,000 projects.
We would have public art in more places and we would have supported ten locals.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Brutus, l completely agree with your point of view. Besides, we already have plenty of local artists proudly displaying there talent, it’s called graffiti. l mean sometimes the spelling is off, but at least it’s complimentary. And when the homeless(?) ask me for change for the 9 millionth time, l call that “performance art.” Now that l think about it, we could use a lot less art.
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How would you know if their spelling is off?
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I like your idea, Brutus. Spread the money around, maybe support the local economy at the same time. Who knows, maybe some of that graffiti that the unknown person has complained about, and the activity he/she has labeled as “performance art” would dissipate if there were more city money spent to promote local art.
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Instead of just blowing off the money on GRAFFITI, THEY could have done something, anything to BENEFIT the PEOPLE. Clean up, fix up some something, some where, besides DOWNTOWN, the ball park, Bar, booze, party areas. Maybe even actually use it to FIX streets, paint traffic lanes, clean up trash, grown up weeds, MANY blighted areas. “Well, uh, we have the money, so got to blow it off. More sexy, distracting lights on I-10, Graffiti “Art “, fix up, clean up, do stuff at the BALL PARK”. Tax, waste, spend, tax some more, waste MORE.
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Don’t you think we already spend enough money on welfare in this town? We provide welfare for billionaires, architects, engineers, lawyers and now you want to do it for artists?
Admittedly, they would probably do less damage:)
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Most of that public art money has been spent downtown and around ballpark, so most of it is welfare for the same usual billionaires and developers.
https://mcad.elpasotexas.gov/~/media/files/mcad/public%20art/pabrochure17-digital.ashx?la=en
The art on Airways was installed to try to convince visitors that they have arrived in a progressive city. The eggbeaters alone were not enough.
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The “Martini Glasses Art” on Airway reflect our El Paso Culture ????
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Yes, the martini glasses fit our heavy drinking culture, but beer bottles or margarita glasses would have been more fitting. That piece of art if you want to call it art was probably commissioned shortly after El Paso was named The Drunkest City in the U.S. in 2015. You know how the city of El Paso loves rankings. The artist got the last laugh.
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Better still FIX THE STREETS.
Hold Rep Escobar’s feet to the fire,
Where is the infrastructure,
And medical reform wecwete promised.
Woopie we have art and third world roads
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Better still FIX THE STREETS.
Hold Rep Escobar’s feet to the fire,
Where is the infrastructure,
And medical reform wecwete promised.
Woopie we have art and third world roads
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who is wecwete?
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I cannot imagine that the junk that distracts drivers on the interstate cost anything or is worth anything. Paul Foster , Woody Hunt, and Dee Margo should put it in their yards to show what type of art they enjoy. It is blatantly rude to expose citizens and visitors to such trash. I am appalled at the poor management of this city. The streets in the neighborhoods here are in terrible shape and residents have a hard time with maintenance of their homes with the taxes being so outrageous. Shame!
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Instead of a reply to all 7 comments I got at one time, decided on this one. Even though ALL of the others got it just right. What attracts touristas in El Taxo are signs that read “Gas, food or motel” and the ones that have “Phoenix 400 miles or Dallas 700 miles”. All the signs “attract” drivers going East, West or North, OUT of town, I-10 or I-25. Gas is the most expensive in Texas. A CHEAP motel will cost a $100 PLUS per night. Go on to Las Cruces, Van Horn or Ft Stockton. The POLITICIANS are a disgrace, an embarrassment to the PEOPLE. In one of the POOREST towns in Texas, a school Superintendent makes half-MILLION$$$$ per year.. The City “Manager” takes down Hundreds of THOUSANDS$$$ per year. Other than the Military, Federal employees, the jobs in El Taxo are street sweepers, rock wall builders, roofers, fast food, and bums on most every street corner. The $750,000 just blown off. More waste of TAXPAYER money. This election in November, the PEOPLE need to clean house of EVERYBODY that is in office, a job now. Ask questions of candidates, what THEY will do to help. YOU, YOUR family. Drain “The swamp”, “Sweep the desert” or whatever to just get rid of this corrupt empire. El Pasoans DO deserve BETTER, but NOTHING ever gets BETTER for THE PEOPLE..
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Considering the terrible management of this city, no wonder the people are always drunk.
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Plant more trees.
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