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DOWNTOWN Decision on large-scale art piece draws criticism from many quarters in Ashland Comment By Alec Dickinson for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Alec Dickinson for the Tidings Posted Sep. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Alec Dickinson for the Tidings Posted Sep. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News You can’t please everybody, so the saying goes, but when it comes to public art, perhaps it should be “you can’t please anybody.” A week after selecting “Gather,” Susan Zoccola’s 20-foot-tall metal sculpture, to grace the Gateway Island in front of the Ashland Public Library, the city's Public Arts Commission has requested a study session with the City Council and delayed making a recommendation. The commission had tentatively planned to forward the recommendation of the seven-member selection committee to fund Zoccola’s piece following a yearlong selection process that began with more than 60 artists expressing interest in producing a piece for the Gateway site.Just when it appeared the process would wrap up, public opposition to the choice has prompted the delay. Opponents of the piece have been vocal in their condemnation of both the piece and the process by which it was selected. Ann Seltzer, city liaison to the Public Arts Commission, says the commission decided to seek a dialogue about the piece, the process, and public art in general before recommending the piece to the council for final approval. “They see the study session as an opportunity to inform and educate the council and the public on the process used to arrive at the selection of the public art piece ‘Gather’ for the Gateway Island," she said. "They are eager to have an open dialogue with the council about public art in Ashland.” While a dialogue might be what the commission is seeking, some will be happy with nothing short of the wholesale withdrawal of the recommendation. The piece has been panned online as resembling a bingo wheel, a fan or a squirrel cage, and objections to the process have taken issue with the fact that the artist is not from Ashland, with some even questioning whether there were improprieties in the selection process. Those arguments have been secondary, however, to the general sentiment that the piece isn’t right for Ashland. A large part of that argument has centered on whether a contemporary work is the right fit for the location. George Kramer, an Ashland architect, historian and former Ashland Historical Commission chairman, says he feels the downtown should be set aside to protect its historic character. “I think that the single biggest problem with this is the process," Kramer said. "I think that the Public Arts Commission needs to reintegrate itself into the historical review process that works for everything else in the historic district. I think they need to recognize that art is a really vital part of the community, but that it’s not the only focus.” Kramer also noted that the city has prioritized pedestrian access for decades now, and that commissioning a piece that is designed to be seen from an automobile sends the wrong message. “We have worked for four decades trying to make Ashland a truly walkable community, and this is a piece that by its sheer scale and by its location is geared toward automobiles. And I don’t think this is the right piece for this location. I think if it was 6 feet tall and surrounded by some nice plantings, that would be fine. But the Public Arts Commission, by its own process, wanted this to be a monumental thing that would be iconic for the city of Ashland. And I just think that is incredibly presumptuous.” The significance of this was not lost on artist Susan Zoccola, however. Zoccola said in an interview earlier this month that she wanted something that would be highly visible from an automobile, but that would also be approachable. “I wanted it to be big enough that it was going to be visible from the cars and from a little bit of a distance, but not so big that it would be scary to sit by.” Kramer, however, says the size of the piece is the crux of the problem with “Gather." “My primary objection is the scale. I don’t think the scale is compatible with a piece of property in the downtown core. And frankly that its design is so contemporary. I just don’t think there was enough public input, and I don’t think they took into consideration the historic character of the city, and as a result, they made a choice that I don’t think is right for downtown Ashland.” Kramer also took issue with the Public Arts Commission’s process for arriving at the piece. He said he felt historic character should have been a primary consideration. Kramer, who drafted the ordinances defining four historic districts in Ashland and is the former chairman of the Oregon Heritage Commission, says downtown Ashland should be defined on its own merits, not by art installations. “The worst thing that you can do in a historic area is have the newest thing be the thing you snap your head and look at. I mean, even if it’s wonderful, you want to set historic areas aside to protect their existing character. You don’t try to change that character. This piece of art, by definition, wants everybody to look at it. It doesn’t belong in an area that we’ve already set aside to be what it is.” Alec Dickinson is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By Alec Dickinson for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Alec Dickinson for the Tidings Posted Sep. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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