Art used to attract shoppers to Chesterfield's The Yards

[dave7634]

Have any of you read this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-17881029

[Pete]

Good find Dave - not sure whether it will benefit the town though. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Big Dave]

I'm always dubious about the value of public art 'with a purpose'.
Will this stuff attract shoppers to The Yards? Will they spend more when they go there to look at it?
If the answer to both is 'Yes', then that's OK but I'm doubtful.

[Pete]

Still, it's euro-funded, so not wasting too much if it has little or no effect.

[therealjr]

Still, it's euro-funded, so not wasting too much if it has little or no effect.

Unless you figure that those euros could be re-allocated to a better use?

[Big Dave]

Unless you figure that those euros could be re-allocated to a better use?

Especially considering how much the UK pays to the EU - since 1979 approx £228 billion.

[Pete]

Any idea how much the funding for this project is?

[k4blades]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the EU funded by taxes. (Not that I want to go off topic and get all politcal Pete. )

[Pete]

Yes, I believe it is. But before we go any further I believe that art, design, architecture, etc, is vital to the aesthetics of towns.

We've seen the concrete monstrosities that Russia built after the war and I wouldn't want that kind of shit here in England.

My problem is with bullshit art where some council committee decides what to commission, like that awful sculpture outside the County Council offices, or the one outside the new flats where Bradbury Hall used to be.

[k4blades]

100% agree with all of that, but where the money comes from is another issue. What about sponsorship or the Lottery?
(The thing thats on McDs wall, I bet they aren't paying for it.)

[Pete]

Thing is the money has already been allocated, so its coming to Chesterfield at least.

But I am right behind you as regards Lottery money. When it was set up it was primarily to make up the difference between what the government was stopping as regards subsidising the arts but now it is used for all sorts of other things as well - and I think that is wrong.

[Darax]

...I honestly think those hands sticking out of the wall are going to be fairly creepy.

I cannot for the life of me remember the bloke's name, but I personally would have thought something like this would have been better
http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Bridge%20Art%20-%20geograph.org.uk%20-%201193016.jpg/-/en (which is under the bridge leading to Queen's Park). He's done a few other gorgeous mural type things around chesterfield, and they just seem a bit more noticeable/attractive/actually involving some skill to produce (forever a modern art sceptic. )

Plus helping to support a local artist, which I'm not sure the planned sculptures will be doing :s

Ah well, pipe dreams Bit late to change it now, just hope that it really does bring more people to chesterfield in the end.

[Pete]

Now here's a coincidence - my grandson got painted by that guy on the wall of kids play area by the Chamber of Commerce.

Didn't he or his group/company do some buildings down Brampton last year? I seem to remember a florist

[Darax]

Now here's a coincidence - my grandson got painted by that guy on the wall of kids play area by the Chamber of Commerce.

Didn't he or his group/company do some buildings down Brampton last year? I seem to remember a florist

Think so, just found the company that did it

 http://www.urbancanvas.co.uk/Art/Public_Art.html

Some really nice looking things on there, makes me wonder what they could have done around chesterfield.

[Pete]

That's them - Urban Canvas

I went to a show of theirs down Brampton last year.

They seem sorted - and more than capable