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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild Jr: Sanders is the real thing ... Inner Peace: Spiritual strength carries friend through illness ... Haggen market puts Ashland on closure list ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Sanders is the real thing ... Inner Peace: Spiritual strength carries friend through illness ... Haggen market puts Ashland on closure list ... OUR VIEW Our View: History for history's sake Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Given the vocal opposition to the Public Arts Commission's choice of a work to be installed on the Gateway Island, it makes sense for the commission to pause, meet with the City Council and the public and clear the air before submitting the piece for approval. What doesn't make sense is to scrap the project entirely or start over. Public art is always a controversial matter, especially when public money is involved. No two people will view a work of art in the same way, or agree on whether it represents the community appropriately. Our biggest problem with the objections raised so far is the idea that no work of modern art can possibly be suitable because downtown is a historic district. History for history's sake, one might say. Opponents have attacked the process of selecting "Gather" — the Public Art Commission's choice — criticized the size of the piece and questioned its placement where it will be seen from passing cars. A contemporary work of art, they argue, detracts from Ashland's historic character. Yes, downtown Ashland is historic. It is also a functioning city center in the year 2015. Historic preservation is valuable, but it is not enough. Times — and art — change. Today's contemporary art will be tomorrow's historic art, just as today's historic works were contemporary in their day. Ashland needs to look forward, not back. Rejecting art created with Ashland in mind because it is "modern" doesn't sound like the act of a progressive community. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 24, 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501