The city of Durango’s Public Art Commission decided Tuesday that repairing the infamous Arc of History sculpture at the U.S. Highway 550/160 intersection is the best remedy for the destructive vandalism that left the stone-and-steel artwork in ruins last month. It is the correct course for the community in that it clearly establishes the value – monetary and otherwise – the city places on public art, as well as imparts Durango’s unwillingness to acquiesce to senseless destruction. The Arc of History, as a lightning rod for the community’s varied and strongly held art sensibilities as well as our creative endeavors, will once again reign intact at the gateway to Durango. And when it does, perhaps everyone can lighten up a little.
The Arc of History was the result of a $28,000 commission offered by the city to Pennsylvania artist Tom Holmes after a public selection process put the abstract sculpture at the top of the Art Commission’s list. A lively discussion ensued, wherein would-be art critics offered their interpretations of the sculpture that included “rock banana,” “ghastly piece of junk,” and “upside-down mountain,” on the lengthy list of descriptors. Holmes’ own explanation of the work, as written in a post-destruction letter to the city, was that it held symbology of the ages in its structure. “The crescent reappears as the moon returns, as the cocoon sleeps nestled between two leaves. The cradle holds the entire history of our species, striated into epochs, our future dwindling towards extinction as all species must eventually expire. The natural order as we observe it.”
Either way, the community is heavily invested in the piece, both from having spent $28,000 for its purchase and for the lively conversation that it has inspired – and the city is right to not let the sculpture “dwindle towards extinction.” Doing so, as Holmes said, ensures, “that the people who loved it and were afraid to speak out are not silenced even more.”
Investing the requisite funds to rebuild the Arc – presumably by paying the deductible on the city’s insurance policy – is the right move. Attempting to bar any future interaction with the sculpture, however, is not. The city’s public art collection is extensive, wide-ranging, and wholly accessible to the public – that is as it should be. There is a lengthy pre-Arc history in Durango of adorning our public art with seasonally appropriate features. “Puck,” the cast-bronze sculpture on East Second Avenue near the Durango Arts Center, often sports a scarf during the chilly months. The stationary cyclists in the roundabout on Florida Road have been seen in Hawaiian shirts, Santa hats, carrying Easter baskets and currently sport backpacks for back-to-school season. None of these is an affront to the artist – nor should the city endeavor to stop such covert dress-up missions.
The city plans to install a surveillance camera at the sculpture site to prevent any future destruction of the rehabilitated Arc. While doing so might be useful in apprehending any theoretical future vandals, the camera can have strong implications for the community’s relationship with public art – which, aside from the Arc’s damage, has largely been creatively interactive.
Restoring the sculpture is as much about protecting the community’s interpretation of and reaction to art as it is righting an act of senseless destruction. If a camera is to be used, then the city should commit to reviewing its footage only if the sculpture is damaged in the future – not simply adorned.
