A few years ago I was asked about public art. Whether or not we should invest in public art projects with the current state of the economy and what public art should look like and what is appropriate.
In Flagstaff we have a lot of public art, from bronze statues in the square to murals on the sides of the downtown buildings but my thoughts went to the public art project of the Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth.
We meet the people behind the project through my mother-in-law who was helping them at the county fair. They had a large mountain lion sculpture that they were asking kids to come over and paint. My kids of course obliged and I got to learn about what the organization's goals were and what they were trying to promote with their art.
The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth is dedicated to the development of children and youth through community programs and outreach. Their mission is "To provide leadership in developing community-wide strategies that enhance the well-being of children and youth in Coconino County, AZ".
In the style of Cows on Parade, their public art project called PAWS (Promoting Assets With Art) seeks to promote and educate people about 40 developmental assets that are believed to be essential to raising successful children. They hope to have one sculpture to represent each of the 40 assets, sponsored by a local business or group, and painted by a local artist. The original mountain lion sculpture was created by artist Dion Wright. To this date there are only 7 sculptures that have been painted and put on public display.
The colorful mountain lions add a welcome cheer to our public areas and whether or not you agree with spending money on such things during a time of tightening our belts, we all benefit from such a positive expression of ourselves.
In Flagstaff we have a lot of public art, from bronze statues in the square to murals on the sides of the downtown buildings but my thoughts went to the public art project of the Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth.
We meet the people behind the project through my mother-in-law who was helping them at the county fair. They had a large mountain lion sculpture that they were asking kids to come over and paint. My kids of course obliged and I got to learn about what the organization's goals were and what they were trying to promote with their art.
The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth is dedicated to the development of children and youth through community programs and outreach. Their mission is "To provide leadership in developing community-wide strategies that enhance the well-being of children and youth in Coconino County, AZ".
In the style of Cows on Parade, their public art project called PAWS (Promoting Assets With Art) seeks to promote and educate people about 40 developmental assets that are believed to be essential to raising successful children. They hope to have one sculpture to represent each of the 40 assets, sponsored by a local business or group, and painted by a local artist. The original mountain lion sculpture was created by artist Dion Wright. To this date there are only 7 sculptures that have been painted and put on public display.
The colorful mountain lions add a welcome cheer to our public areas and whether or not you agree with spending money on such things during a time of tightening our belts, we all benefit from such a positive expression of ourselves.
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