The greatest thing to happen to the local art scene since paint
The Pappajohn Sculpture Garden is nearly ready for public presentation. Des Moines’ movers, shakers and lackeys are gushing with heady praise. Famed art connoisseur Chet Culver has issued glowing pre-opening reviews. This fair city’s overlords are ever ready to scrub away Des Moines’ uniquely quaint visual patois and replace it with a false patina of “big city” class.
A rich, tranquil “green” midtown area was torn up and is now crowded with trendy sculptures touted endlessly as modern (ho-hum) and expensive. Look objectively and fairly at this mélange of art devices on display — welded I-beams, reminiscent of D-days anti-tank obstacles, amorphous and writhing oceanic sea slugs, Sci-Fi insects and sharp menacing spiders ready to pounce.
All that is missing is a creaky water mill to fulfill the Garden’s schlocky promise as a contemporary homage to a 1950s miniature golf course. Where are the day-glow balls and little wooden pencils with which to keep score on the tote cards?
Of course the true trustees of this installation will be the capital city’s graffiti artists and taggers. The Sculpture Garden is a target rich for their late night spray bomb talents. That will make this entire effort a success.
Gary Wilson
Des Moines
Another satisfied reader
O.K. I really have tried to get into your publication because I need a dose of alternative viewpoints from time to time, but it just isn’t working for me. All of your opinions, from “Our View” to “Civic Skinny” seem to come across like middle school students wrote them.
Someone needs to tell your writers those witty remarks and smart-ass remarks are not the same thing. For a publication that likes to bill itself as an alternative to mainstream media, you seem to promote a lot of conservative mainstream ideas. Your political insights and ideas seem like something right out of a Republican ideology pamphlet, and your observations are seldom insightful and often out and out wrong. I can get these same talking points from freshman Republican legislators or the old guard at the Register — a paper that you spend a lot of time denigrating and copying.
Open your minds a bit and you’ll be amazed at what you might learn. Oh, and your nightlife section is a total waste of time for anyone over 22 years old. Who wants to go drinking where a bunch of wasted people puke on your shoes while trying to convince themselves their (sic) having a great time? I hope you get it together sooner or later because Des Moines needs an alternative to mainstream ideas.
Ron VanElsen
Des Moines
Online Algona reader not happy with the change
What did you do to my favorite online paper? I can’t find a damn thing in this new lousy format. It was so easy to use before, now a nightmare has happened. Please go back to the old format.
Kenyon Gabrielson
Algona
Send your opinions to Cityview, 414 61st Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50312. Fax us at 953-1394, or e-mail us at letters@dmcityview.com. Please limit letters to 200 words or less. Cityview reserves the right to edit for length and clarity.The writer’s address and daytime phone number will not be
printed, but must be given for verification.
