We did some more checking on the cost of the Uptown sculpture. The city Finance Department said it wrote two checks to artist Nick Poupore (aka Nic Noblique) in February for the sculpture.
The first was on Feb. 4 for $1,970 and was for metal. The second was on Feb. 6 for $18,104.36 and was for the sculpture itself. That totals $20,074.36 - about half of the $40,000 purchase price.
The Finance Department employee who helped me said the payments came with a note saying $30,000 of the $40,000 payment was due in advance. But, according to this employee, there was no obvious record of $30,000 or $40,000 in payments.
We're still checking with the City Development Department on payments for the sculptures and will report back when our calls to the department are returned.
Also, a second Noblique sculpture may be installed in the Uptown area. A privately owned piece, significantly smaller than the red sculpture already in place, is expected to be installed between Uptown's mosaics walls.
And, another Noblique statue can be seen in the window of 1301 Washington Ave. in Uptown. That sculpture is also privately owned.
Lastly, we should note Noblique is a Wisconsin native. The 33-year-old was born in Appleton and now lives in Galveston Island, Texas. He's had dozens of sculptures displayed around the country, including one on Navy Pier in Chicago.
In this article, the successful Noblique says his credo is: "Art is whatever you can get away with."
Myself I think art is a 21 year old Redhead stripier, can I get The City to pay for that too?
ReplyDeleteOf course Brain Ocooner of City Devoment nor anyone else will be held to account for this not being exposerd when Becker pulled it off.
Note the excuse " I was only following orders" does not work. However will the City Council have the spine to toss O'Connell out of office?
Im sure the money came from another way that wouldn't necessarily go through the city's finance department.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need more of his "art" do something constructive with the money sheesh......
ReplyDeleteColt
ReplyDeleteWhat's a stripier?
I like public art work and i like this one.
11:15
ReplyDeleteYour the only one.
Where is the other 20K? Interesting the artist talked about it being what you could get away with. Fits Becker to a T. This was a mess and still is a mess. Why not get the community involved and vote on how to spend 50k? Anyway where is the other 20K? The artist was supposed to have been paid 40k. The receipts total 20.
ReplyDeleteThese CCDG funds need to be watched better. It is based on who you know and favoritism does play a role. We do not need blatant money wasting going on.
ReplyDeleteI like the sculpture, it certainly needs a new base however.
ReplyDeleteHey Colt... male or female redhead?
Actually, the sculpture kinda looks like a redhead doing a wild dance.
That's a better name for it. "Redheaded Dance"
Becker's gone, the sculpture is up, lets move on.
I like the sculpture, it certainly needs a new base however.
ReplyDeleteHey Colt... male or female redhead?
Actually, the sculpture kinda looks like a redhead doing a wild dance.
That's a better name for it. "Redheaded Dance"
Becker's gone, the sculpture is up, lets move on.
I like public art, i like this piece. We should have put it on the City Hall grass triangle. This would have connected the 6th St "heart of the arts" to the new trying to be heart of the arts. The uptown railroad triangle sure needs some help! Landscaping, new base etc. If I was the artist I would be horrified with the concrete base. If we paid for it, could we have it smoothed out... oooh and painted too?
ReplyDeleteWe can no longer be happy to just be told so much money went to this or that group out of the CBDG funds. We need line by line what they are going to spend the money on. The base is beyond a mess. We have so many talented artists and that is the best Racine can do? Yes, lets have more sculpture. Great idea but let the artists do the job they do best and let Brian OConnel do..... well whatever he does best not sure what that is yet.
ReplyDeleteColt - learn how to spell if you're going to continue to whine.
ReplyDeletequit picking on colt's spelling..It's whining with an accent...Besides Colt's right why did we pay 20-40, K for this thing??
ReplyDeleteAnd "Stripier" is kinda funny!! It's like a French Stripper!!
this sculpture is beautiful. I agree it needs to be in a different location but maybe now there will be motivation to re-do this area. Nic is a wonderful person (i know him personally) and artist. Congrats to him on his accomplishment. get over the money. Would everyone like it if they didnt know it cost 40grand? probably. get over it.
ReplyDelete