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Restore the Arc

Vandalism should not end sculpture’s tenure as a community icon

Whatever one’s personal opinion about the Arc of History installation at the U.S. Highway 550/160 interchange, the sculpture – and all its various adornments – belongs to the community in every sense.

The city of Durango invested $28,000 in taxpayer money to contract for the artwork, which was chosen after a public process gathered input from the community, and the conversation around its artistic merits that followed the sculpture’s installation was lively. From there, the Arc of History has inspired creativity far and wide, drawing auxiliary artwork to complement, supplement or otherwise respond to the sculpture’s design. That creativity was replaced with destruction Tuesday, causing major damage to the sculpture. The community should rally to restore it.

Throughout the Arc’s first year in Durango, it has worn many hats – beginning with community lightning rod. Armchair art critics responded by turns in defense and disgust when the Arc was chosen from among more representational contenders for the honor of anchoring the newly constructed intersection in 2014.

Once the initial furor dissipated, Durangoans shifted their response toward whimsy, fitting the sculpture with various accessories that accentuated its design. Perhaps the most renowned among these was the dinosaur head that appeared last fall under cloak of darkness, only to be abducted within hours. The dinosaur head’s progeny is still unknown, but its presence – however brief – on the Arc of History was sufficient to launch it into the public spotlight, where the papier-mâché head was sold via silent auction at Studio &.

The sculpture has produced spawn – of both the Styrofoam variety, as well as that hatched from eggs. It celebrated graduation, and, apparently, summer nuptials – if the veil and flowers that most recently appeared on the sculpture are any indication.

What prompted someone or some group to turn the casual but whimsical interactive nature of our relationship with the Arc toward destructive vandalism is unknown, but it is a disappointing development in what – up to now – has been a lively, fun and creative community conversation made possible by the city’s commitment to investing in public art of wide-ranging variety, media and style. The city is deeming the Arc attack a total loss, but the conversation should not stop there.

Tom Holmes, the Pennsylvania artist who created the sculpture, surely has the expertise to repair it – and the community should rise to the cause.

Restoring the Arc will not be free, but it is an investment worth making. Durango has grown over the last year as the sculpture has found its place – and many faces – in the community. There has been an impressive amount of creative and financial investment made in the sculpture, and it should not stop now. Perhaps with Holmes’ oversight, a group of Arc of History caretakers can assemble a retooled version of the sculpture, with support from the broader community. While it would be ideal to have the work done quickly, Halloween is a practical target: That way, the Arc will be ready for its next costume.



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