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FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016
Vol. CXXV, No. 10
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices Visit our Web site at at www.tacomadailyindex.com
Published Published Since Since 1890 1890
Last days for aging downtown Tacoma art installation Posted online Thurs., Jan. 14 By Todd Matthews, Editor A downtown Tacoma art installation created 40 years ago by a prominent Pacific Northwest artist could be removed by the end of this month. The wall-mounted Untitled (Concrete Sculpture) was commissioned by Bob Price Architecture Co. and created by Harold Balazs in 1976 as part of a courtyard fountain at the Bicentennial Pavilion located near South 13th Street and Market Street. Balazs's work is on display throughout Washington State, including Riverfront Park in Spokane; the Federal Building in downtown Seattle; the Temple Beth El synagogue building in Tacoma; and the former Puget Sound Bank (now KeyBank) in University Place. Six years ago, University of Washington Press published a book about Balazs that coincided with exhibits of his work at museums in Spokane, Pullman, and La Conner. A City staff report prepared last year notes the artwork is "unstable and poses a safety hazard." A consultant reviewed the artwork seven eight ago and recommended it for deaccession. She found the structural and surface conditions of the artwork to be unstable, and deemed it a public safety hazard. The artwork was not commissioned by the Tacoma Arts Commission, and there is no formal contract on record. The Tacoma Arts Commission voted in April to deaccession the artwork. "People were climbing it," City of Tacoma Arts Administrator Amy McBride told the Tacoma Daily Index in November (see "Safety concerns force Tacoma to remove aging art installation downtown," Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 6, 2015). "I love Harold's work. Unfortunately, he was working in a material that isn't particularly durable after thirty years. But it had a good run! Close to forty years!" "People have told me that it has suffered quite a high degree of vandalism," Balazs, 87, told the Tacoma Daily Index in November during a telephone interview from his home in Mead, Wash. "I just had a couple more pieces that have been vandalized and torn down. Nobody wants to repair them." Balazs recalled the artwork originally included water and light features. "I very seldom gave any titles to the work I did. I know that was the case there. I think somebody was going to try and salvage it and just use it in their home, but I guess that hasn't come to pass. "It's just what happens with age," he added. "In the old days, they repaired stuff. But the lifetime en-
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20 Tacoma arts organizations will share $50K in City grants Posted online Mon., Jan. 4 The Tacoma Arts Commission recently announced it has awarded $50,000 in 2016 Arts Projects funding to 20 Tacoma organizations in support of public outreach projects in the fields of music, dance, theater, literary, visual, film, cross-disciplinary, and cultural arts. The Arts Projects funding program aims to support highquality community projects with a strong focus on arts that are accessible and affordable to the public. Funded organizations include Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Assemblage Theater, Barefoot Collective, Centro Latino, Children's Museum of Tacoma, Feast Arts Center, Fort Nisqually Foundation, Foss Waterway Seaport, Hilltop Business Association, King's Bookstore, Northwest Repertory Singers, Old Town Business and Professional Association, Puget Sound Poetry Connection, Second City Chamber Series, Sister Cities Council of Tacoma/Pierce County, Sixth Avenue Business District, Tacoma Concert Band, Tacoma Little Theatre, Washington State Historical Society, and Write@253. Funded projects include the production of six diverse cultural and arts festivals, historical arts and crafts demonstrations, visual art programs for families, contemporary dance performances, two theater productions, four music performance series, poetry writing and performance workshops for youth, poetry readings, visual art exhibits and lectures, and an international film festival. The awards this year ranged in value from $1,000 to $5,000. "These organizations represent a cross section of the incredibly dynamic, thriving arts community in Tacoma," said Tacoma Arts Commission Chair Mike Sweney. "We are thrilled to be able to support projects that will benefit talented artists and diverse audiences throughout the city." The Arts Projects is one of three funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts Commission. More information is available online at cityoftacoma.org/funding.
To read the Tacoma Daily Index's complete and comprehensive coverage of the City of Tacoma Arts Projects funding, visit our Web site for the following articles: — 18 Tacoma arts organizations will share $50K in City grants (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 17, 2014) — Apply today for 2015 Tacoma Arts Projects grants (Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 22, 2014) — 19 Tacoma arts organizations will share $50K in City grants (Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 27, 2014) — Apply today for Tacoma Arts Projects grants (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 23, 2013) — Smiraldo named Tacoma's poet laureate (Tacoma Daily Index, April 12, 2013) — 20 Tacoma arts organizations will share $50K in City grants (Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 23, 2013) — Apply today for 2013 Tacoma community arts funding (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 23, 2012) — City of Tacoma community-based Arts Projects funding now available (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 10, 2011) — Tacoma Arts Commission funds 21 projects (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 28, 2010) — City of Tacoma accepts applications for community-based arts programming (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 25, 2010) — 19 art projects funded by Tacoma Arts Commission (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 23, 2009) — Apply today for 2010 community arts funding (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 22, 2009) — Tacoma Arts Commission funds 20 projects (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 23, 2008) — Arts Projects funding application now available (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 1, 2007) — Tacoma Arts Commission announces funding awards (Tacoma Daily Index, April 14, 2005)
durance of most buildings is twenty-five years. Very little gets saved anymore. It's thrown in the dump." In November, four contractors responded to the
City of Tacoma's call for bids to remove and dispose of the art installation (see "4 contractors bid on project to remove aging art installation downtown," Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 3, 2015). "The contract has been awarded," City of Tacoma Public Art Specialist Rebecca Solverson told the Tacoma Daily Index earlier this month. "I don't have a final date yet [for de-installation]. It's possible it'll be pushed to later in January."
NOTE TO READERS
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Tacoma Daily Index will not be published on Mon., Jan. 18.