Five sculptures featured in Basalt’s first crack at a public art installation likely will get extended display time in 2019.
The Basalt Public Arts Commission wants to make Motio 3.0 a focal point of its efforts next year. Five sculptures in the Motio series were erected in 2017 at scattered sites throughout town. Now, the arts commission wants to reassemble all five pieces in one location to be determined for 2019, members of the commission told the Town Council on Tuesday night.
Arts commission member Missy Hagen said the Motio installation has been well-received.
“Of any 100 comments we receive, 99 are positive,” she said.
The multicolored pieces look like high-tech jungle gyms, though they are for looks only. They cannot be climbed on.
The council has fielded one objection from a resident about the art. Michael Kerr appeared before the board earlier this year to complain that he had to look at one of the sculptures every time he turned off Highway 82 onto East Two Rivers Road. He urged the council to take it down. The council didn’t respond to Kerr’s request.
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The arts commission’s other plans for 2019 include planning an additional rotating public art display, initiating a grant program for artists and developing an art master plan for programs over the next three to five years.
The goals were outlined for the Town Council on Tuesday night. The commission and council will hold a work session early in 2019 to flesh out the plan.
“All of these things I support,” Councilman Gary Tennenbaum said.
“Yeah, go,” Councilman Auden Schendler said. “I love it — the whole plan.”
IN OTHER COUNCIL ACTION
• Roaring Fork Valley nonprofit organization Response was selected as the 2019 beneficiary of the Roaring Fork Charity Classic. An annual golf tournament is used to raise funds for a nonprofit. Response works to end domestic and sexual abuse, and support survivors to achieve safety and empowerment.
• Doug MacDonald was appointed as a citizen representative to the Basalt Finance Committee. Ann Nichols was reappointed to the board.
• Six Longhorns were honored as the December Citizens of the Month. They were Abraham Diazbarriga and Natalie Chavarin Elizalde from the elementary school; Henry Haag and Taylin Beckman from the middle school; and Karuna Owens and Jaciel Saucedo from the high school.
• The 2019 budget was adopted. The general fund for next year is $14.16 million.