Comment: Art By Committee = Lowest Common Denominator

Following a public hearing Thursday, the city's Arts and Culture Commission for San Pablo Avenue streetlight poles. Public interest in the story was high, judging from the number of comments on our story published in advance of the meeting, "." Our "Comment of the Week" is one of those comments, a differing view by Larry Craighill:

Everyone seems to latch on to this "clip art" tag, and blame the artists. It might occur to some that when a public art project is "designed by committee" (operative concept here), what you get is the lowest common denominator. The artists delivered what was specified. If you want to see more similar results, just look at the sculpture adorning the abutments on the pedestrian over crossing of the Eastshore Freeway south of Universtiy Ave. in Berkeley. Trying to deliver art (a very personal and creative endeavor) to meet the demands and criteria of a committee process is anathema.

• Editor's note: The "Comment of the Week" doesn't necessarily reflect the view of El Cerrito Patch. It's chosen according to what we believe will be of general reader interest.