Durango’s biggest public art piece, “Common Threads,” came close to finally being installed this month after a two-year delay.
But no contractors came forward to do the project.
The series of laser-cut metal panels, designed by local artists based on submissions from residents, is slated for installation in the U.S. Highway 550/160 interchange near the DoubleTree Hotel.
The city of Durango called on contractors to come forward with installation budgets and timelines by May 3. The project needed to be finished by May 31, the expiration date for $20,000 in remaining grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We did not receive any bids,” said Nicol Killian, the city’s assistant director of community development.
The 20 steel panels needed to be installed on a state highway, which requires additional funding for traffic control measures, Killian said.
Construction costs for materials like concrete required for the project’s foundation work are higher than ever because of economic disruption sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.
Contractors who were interested in the project estimated the city was about $10,000 to $15,000 shy of what would be needed to do the install, she said.
“The cost of concrete has gone up compared to a year and half ago,” Killian said. “I have no idea what it’s going to cost now based on the current values of everything.”
The city won’t lose the remaining $20,000 in grant funding: The National Endowment for the Arts granted the city’s extension request Thursday. The new deadline is Sept. 30.
“That’s awesome. That gives us some time to regroup and go through the next steps,” she said.
City staff members and the Durango Creative Economy Commission members are considering installing the art in a different location or asking the City Council for more funding.
“If we did it somewhere like in a park or on a trail where the city owns property, we wouldn’t need traffic control,” Killian said, which would save money. “It is a piece that people will want to touch and get close to. On the highway, you can’t do that. It might be a better fit somewhere where people can experience it more closely.”
The “Common Threads” installation was initially delayed in 2019 when grant funding fell through.
The steel panels, created by Durango artists Allison Leigh Smith and Bryce Pettit, are based on input gathered from more than 25 meetings and hundreds of community members. They feature cutouts of bears, birds, mountains, the Animas River and other mainstays of Southwest Colorado.
The panels were funded by a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and $25,000 in funding and in-kind contributions from the city.
“The pieces are done. Really all that’s left is installation,” Killian said. “It’s been a great project because there was so much community involvement, especially from children. We need to get it up as soon as we can.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
