ABOVE: stills from a WTVM news story about a public art project that’s come off the rails in Georgia.

A public library art committee in Columbus, Georgia, has taken the rather odd step of voting to use their art budget to pay for other services for the library, like more handicapped parking spaces and more shelving. Worthy goals, certainly, but it seems that the job of an art committee should be to advocate for art, not against it. Sculptor Albert Paley had originally been tapped to build a $250,000 sculpture outside the new Columbus library, but after uproar from the public over the cost, the art committee caved and reneged on the contract with Paley (who is now apparently suing them).

In the report from local TV news station WTVM, local citizens are interviewed about their feelings on the subject, and their sentiment seems to be that public art is a waste of money and that increased shelf space in the library is a worthier use of it. This is such a small local issue, but it struck a chord with us because similar fiascos happen all over the place so frequently. Small communities with scarce resources are obviously in a bind when it comes to big-ish public art projects. But begrudging an outdoor sculpture to a library seems like terminal small-mindedness to us. And for an art committee of that library to allow itself to be bullied like this is just sad. The video stream from WTVM is dismal, but you’ll get the audio experience.

LINK: WTVM News 9 > Art Committee Recommends Money Be Used Elsewhere