Letters to the Editor

Anti-Solar Web Campaign Is Misleading 

To the editor:

   The opponents of Solar Web have begun a campaign so misleading and distorted that I am compelled, as a member of the Public Art Committee of the Santa Monica Arts Commission, and as an outgoing arts Commissioner, to write this letter. 
   To compound the confusion, the one lone member of the Arts Commission to vote against the project is, sadly, one of those leading this campaign of misinformation. A list of "Pros and Cons" about Solar Web has been circulated to City Council and other interested parties which is so full of almost comical misinformation and outright lies that I'd like to respond to the four that are the most egregious:
   First: much of their argument is based on the fact that they consider Solar Web to be a "jungle gym". Solar Web is not, and never has been, a "jungle gym". It was described as "jungle gym-like" by others along the way, which has proved to be unfortunate; but it was never thought of as a "jungle gym" in any way by the artist. The opponents have seized upon the words "jungle gym" and run crazily with it, citing endless requirements for "playground safety". This is a sculpture. It is not a "jungle gym".
   Second: Yes, it would be great to have more funding for art and artists in the schools--I agree wholeheartedly. But it comes out of an entirely different budget, and the questions about budgeting for art in the schools must be directed to those who control the money for these programs; the Board of Education is the place to go for that discussion. Designated money for one project in the city can't legally be given to another project. Public art projects such as Solar Web are funded from the "% for Art" budget, a part of the city's Capital Improvement Fund. Every time a capital improvement in the city is made--such as sidewalk and street repairs, or the building of a public building—1% of the total budget for that particular capital improvement goes into this "% for Art" account, and is designated to be used only for on-site visual art projects. The opponents of Solar Web know this, but they continue to propagate the myth that these funds are interchangeable anyway; that they do this knowingly is deleterious to an open and honest public process.
   Railing against Solar Web is not going to bring more money for education, as they imply, as anyone taking a moment to look at the city budget can see .
   Third: the major park improvement projects named in "Pros and Cons" were never "fine arts education" projects. These projects are also funded from entirely separate budget items .Also, the DWRRF project is an artist-designed water reclamation facility, and is not part of the California Wash project.
   Fourth: In "Pros and Cons", they make the ridiculous claim that the sculpture will "block the view from the only place on the beach walkway from which you can see both Palos Verdes and Point Dume." Well, I've lived here at the beach for a long time, and that's not true. Period. Anyone who takes even a cursory stroll on the boardwalk can tell you that you can clearly see Point Dume and Palos Verdes simultaneously from any point on the entire Santa Monica walkway.
   All of this leads me to believe that these are fake "scare" issues they are throwing out for reasons of their own. It defies common sense to believe what they say in "Pros and Cons": that people are afraid that Solar Web will endanger their children; or that money is being willfully, seemingly narcissistically, poured into this project in order to deprive schoolchildren of art programs; or that Solar Web is useless because the equinoxes fall at a time when kids are on school holiday, or at sunset when "students and teachers have gone home for the day". To those people who oppose Solar Web because they want to protect the view from their houses (and whose buildings themselves in turn block others' view of the beach) I still say --- "You don't complain about your view of public beach parking lots, snack bars, volleyball nets, lifeguard stands, and stupendously ugly restroom buildings, yet you want to get rid of sculpture?"
   What is sad is that, in order to promote their own agenda-- whatever it is-- they choose to sabotage a fine public art project that has been worked on for 15 years. As Judge Judy says with such glee-- "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining."

Sincerely,
Alice Fellows
Santa Monica Arts 
Commissioner (outgoing)
Public Art Committee