To the Editor:
The recent decision by town council approving out-of-town sculptures to be installed in Creston is a bad idea. Why is it a bad idea? Let me count the ways:
It is a bad idea because sculptures “from Kaslo to Kazakhstan” in no way reflect the aesthetic and cultural spirit of Creston, which is what we want to convey to visitors. Every community has unique attributes that it features, and these grow out of community spirit and sensitivity, and not by imposition from without.
It is a bad idea because such imported pieces ignore the rich local artistic flavour of our present practicing artists who live in Creston, not Kazakhstan or Kaslo. With few dollars available to support our local artists, why on Earth should we go to expense and effort parachuting in foreign elements, instead of honouring our own?
It is an especially bad idea to contemplate moving present instillations to make way for imports. Here a question of morality arises. There is a reason why these sculptural pieces are where they are. They speak to our community. Culture grows organically out of a community’s need to express its being and aspirations. This cannot be done by imposing grotesque foreign pieces from Kazakhstan or Kaslo.
Finally, it is a bad idea because it is an insult to our own local artists who seemingly had no say or consultation in this matter, and who were not invited to participate with their own local projects in their own way or at least have some input. They deserve an apology.
If the local artisans and artists hold a mass protest at the next council meeting to object to this retrograde development, I will be there to support them.
Local artists express the conscience of the community and deserve to be exhibited. What more need be said?
“A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.” (Matthew 13:57)
Creston