Color conundrum
<p>Visitors to McEuen Park walk and mingle near the entrance art fixture “Under the Rainbow” on Friday, July 11. The city’s arts commission feels the structure is under-performing and is working with artist Howard Meehan to improve the lighting of the cables.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - The $110,000 McEuen Park sculpture named "Under The Rainbow" is under-performing, and the city's arts commission is meeting today to discuss how to fix it.
During the arts commission meeting in August, members discussed how to best address the fact that the cables are not illuminated as much as they thought they would be.
According to the minutes of the August meeting, Commissioner Jennifer Drake discovered that the artist, Howard Meehan, had changed his proposal between the time he originally submitted it and when he was selected to the final four.
Apparently, Drake said the selection committee did not catch the change in the type of wires Meehan planned to use.
"The biggest change from the original proposal was the use of electromagnetic glow wire," the minutes stated.
"In the information submitted with the maquette, Mr. Meehan changed the wire to cables and added all of the lights on the yoke that weren't included in the original proposal."
Recreation Director Steve Anthony said the artist was up-front about the changes, but the committee simply didn't notice the change or what effect that would have on the sculpture.
Anthony said this has happened a couple of times and the commission is looking for a way to prevent it from happening in the future.
Joe Sharnetsky, chairman of the city's arts commission, suggested during the August meeting that the city should start requiring change orders similar to what is done in the construction industry.
"Chairman Sharnetsky said that he remembers a discussion about steel cables in one of the subcommittee meetings," the minutes said, adding if there was a formal change order process, it could have been more thoroughly addressed.
"Now the commission wants to deal with the artists to get an idea on what it will take to make changes," Anthony said on Monday. "We will know a lot more after the meeting (today)."
The problem, Anthony said, is that the lighting on the cables can only be seen up close.
"The farther away you get from the piece, the less you can see of the lights," Anthony said, adding the lights are also competing with surrounding lights in the park, which makes the problem worse.
During the August meeting, the commission discussed establishing a subcommittee to resolve the procedural issues. Commissioner Drake and Commissioner Mike Dodge agreed to serve on that committee.
In other business, the commission will review and select the Mayor's Arts Awards at its meeting today at 3:30 p.m. in the Old Council Chambers at Coeur d'Alene City Hall.