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News & ArtsWednesday, March 31, 2010
City PR Firms and Tourism Interests Steamroll Chihuly Meeting
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Moderators Bill Block, Seattle Center Advisory Commission chair, and Seattle Center director Robert Nellams kicked off the meeting with a stump speech on how the Chihuly Museum would benefit the Center. City Council Members Sally Bagshaw, chair of the parks and Seattle Center committee, and Jean Godden, an alternate member of the committee, were also there to hear testimony.
But that testimony was stacked. This was more of a circus than a public meeting.
The Seattle Center brought its own public comment sign up sheet with them and the first hour of comment was wholly devoted to blowing Chihuly's glass—the audience heard from the CEO of the Space Needle, a Seattle Center Advisory Board member, Seattle Center business managers and financial officers, and a hotel concierge representative.
"This is a gift to all of us," said Lanice Gillard, a Snoqualmie art teacher who received free art supplies from Chihuly. "Chihuly's still living, I feel like we should be shouting his name." Most people had prepared comments that also read like press releases. At least three PR and lobbying firms were at the event representing Chihuly/Space Needle interests—Roger Nyhus Communications, Porter Novelli, and Century Pacific.
There were 300 "YES FOR CHIHULY AT THE NEEDLE" stickers handed out to the crowd; when I asked Tina Podlodowski (former Joe Mallahan campaign chair and sticker distributor) if this was a PR stunt, she said, "We're just big fans of Dale's and we wanted supporters here to be really visible." Another sticker dispenser said that people behind the Chihuly museum hired the PR firm Porter Novelli to make and distribute them.
Over 200 people signed up for public comment. Nearly everyone in the crowd—and at the lectern—was wearing a YES FOR CHIHULY AT THE NEEDLE sticker as they quipped. Among the gushing:
"He's the Elvis of Glass!"
"We should be down on our knees in thanks that we have such an iconic Northwest artist!"
"One of the first things tourists ask me is, 'Where can I see Dale Chihuly?'"
"This is guaranteed to be another must-see destination in Seattle!"
Less than 10 people in two hours spoke against this project. Opponents included the League of Women Voters and a group called Friends of the Green (FROG). Dorothy Hopper, a downtown resident, brought with her a petition signed by 115 neighbors opposing the project, saying that the Seattle Center should make the space green as the master plan intended. "Once open space is gone, it's gone forever," she said.
With 20 minutes left in the scheduled meeting, there were still at least 60 people signed up to comment. David Goldstein of HorsesAss was signed up to speak as a citizen but was last on the list (his coverage of last night here. In the comments he notes that he had a chance to testify at 9 p.m.). I asked him about what he wanted to say to the crowd: "Downtown has scarce resources for families with young children," he told me. "We don't have schools, basketball courts, or a lot of green space. If we want to build a healthy downtown core, we need these elements. We need to preserve this open space in walking distance—or a monorail ride—from downtown Seattle. We don't need another crappy catering space."
Meanwhile, approximately 300 people have written, called, or emailed City Hall to comment on Chihuly's gaudy wonder, according to the offices of City Council members Tom Rasmussen and Sally Bagshaw. Ninety percent of those comments have been against the project.
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Hopefully this awful idea can be killed before it gains traction.
Um, besides the Bellagio, I have no idea who this dude is.*shrug*
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"A single space dedicated to a living artist is usually called a gallery, right? Don’t we have a bunch of those down on First Ave? By Pike Place Market? Where tourists actually go"
Well said. I agree this is what any museum will turn out to be. The supporters of truly functional public space - for citizens - rather that just for tourists and coventioneers, don't have PR firms on retainer ready to grease the wheels of government. But I wrote again today to Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, who's head of the committee which will need to sign off on this, and if the letters and calls against the museum idea continue to outpace those in support, as this post suggests they are, there's a good chance of stopping this thing.
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Let the city make some money. I am almost never down in that area, and I doubt any of you are either. I would prefer to have a museum of "Seattle Glass Artists", with maybe the pirate having a permanent display? But at least provide rotating space for local artists to get their glass bought by tourists. I mean, come on. We have amazing local talent, and they deserve money. And the city deserves money. So build it, and put green space/a skate park near it.
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Fat? Check. Credited for ideas that aren't his? Check.
Only, Presley didn't have 2 museums erected for him while he was still alive. Wait for Dale to die imo.
http://horsesass.org/?p=25867
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Really, how many glass art enthusiasts are there in the world ? Who care about art you can't smoke weed out of ?
How many of you who are transplants had even heard of The Pirate before moving here ? Dude doesn't even have his stuff at Target.
If Chihuly deserves his own museum at Seattle Center there's about a hundred actually famous people named in responses to a recent Questionland question who deserve one even more, I vote for a Sir Mix-a-lot museum of big butts.
chihuly is to glass what thomas kinkade is to painting. i hope the city grows some balls and tells the wrights to pony up some cash and buy adjacent real estate.
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opponents speak up - loudly and often. Please ask your friends, loved ones, neighbors, coworkers, baristas, etc. to oppose this project by calling and writing. We have an opportunity to reclaim public space for the masses. Let's not be complacent and let this proposal simply happen.
As part of their lease, they are required to create distribution of free tickets for low income and educational purposes thought various charities, the communtiy and the Seattle Center. There there will be the development of an educational program incorporating lesson plans, interactivity and creativity to ensure that EVERY SEATTLE SCHOOLD DISTRICT 5th Gradeer gets to visit.
It costs money to go to the Aquarium and Zoo, both opeated by the parks. It will cost about the same for this exhibit.
It should be noted to all here that private funds have paid for more than 50 % of the development of amenites on the Seattle campus over the last 20 years. 400 Million of 700 Million spent has been private dollars. Would you prefer NOT to have renovated the 1924 built opera house to make it viable in todays concerts and theatre setting? To bring it up to code and make it fully ADA accessable?
The Opera House AND Mercer Arena were BOTH built by PRIVATE FUNDS on PUBLIC Park Land. And like the Chihuly space, we taxpayer still own the building and the grounds.
We DO need more open space, but this space would be far from good open space even if plowed and planted. It is surrounded on all sides by tall attractions. There is no direct access to any of it. It sits to the side of the long standing traditional Mural Stage. It used to be a Putt Putt Golf Course at one time. IF you want open space, the Center already has GREAT space for the fountain, and 17 acres of it. But for good open space, hit the Sculpture Park (oh dear, also funded by those damn rich white old folks) Or Myrtle Edwards, Or Kinnear, or Denny, or South Lake Union. I, too, wish the Commons had passed. I worked FOR it.
But open space has to work as good open space. The open space by the fountain works really well. If it were me, I would first doze the buildings east of the Key Arena, west of the fountain, and open that space up.
The space in question has not seen light of day since about 1870, and unless you mow down the Science Center and the Childrens Theatre, it will not be best used as OPEN space. We have already used tax dollars to pay for the building. This offer costs taxpayers and the parks NOTHING. The Wrights are on the hook for at least a half MILLION a year. IF it does not work, they will be the first to doze the place.
WHY HERE, and not elsewhere? Simple. This way the CENTER gets the money instead of some private developer. IF plowed, this space does NOTHING to make up the $350,000 shortfall the previous tennant was paying into the parks. The new tennant is paying $150,000 more, and will generate more admissions tax. This way the CENTER gets another 400,000 or so to visit the grounds. This brings in revenue for the CITY. Creates JOBS. even some UNION jobs. It offers teaching about art. It brings MORE CHOICES to the 74 acres that are the vibrant heart of the city.
I am NOT a paid flack, do NOT blow glass, and have no direct connection to this proposal. I am a pragmatic parent, and fourth generation resident who sees an overall win.
Rose and K - Hundreds of Thousands have paid to see Chihuly Glass on display in various exhibits around the globe and across the USA. You need to get out more before you claim no one has heard of him.
This exhibit, Like EMP, will also be a strong attaction for the 3 million of us locals within a 50 mile radius. Most of those living here could not tell you who No Mo was, or Tony Galino... but there is no residency test to live here, nor visit the center. Even those citing the Bubbleator at the meetings seemed to forget that it originally was in the US pavilion (aka Key Arena) NOT the Center House.
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