Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Over The River

Christo to headline Salida symposium (excerpt)

source: Copyright © 2007 The Pueblo Chieftain

By TRACY HARMON
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

SALIDA - The common silvery thread that ties the waters of the Arkansas River to art, writing, fishing and rafting will be explored May 26-27 during "A River Runs Through Us," a Colorado Art Ranch Artposium.

Internationally known artists Christo and Jeanne Claude will talk about their proposed grand-scale artwork "Over the River" when they headline the event with a 7 p.m. May 26 presentation at the Salida Steam Plant Theater, Sackett and G streets.

Bulgarian-born Christo and his partner-wife Jeanne-Claude, both 71, propose to hang about seven miles of translucent fabric panels over eight segments of the Arkansas River between Canon City and Salida. The artwork, if permitted, would hang for 14 days, sometime between mid-July and mid-August in 2011 at the earliest.

The Salida Artposium will explore how rivers, the Arkansas in particular, inspire the arts, and shape the region's history, culture and environment.

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Breakout sessions will be held at Bongo Billy's Salida Cafe, 300 W. Sackett St., and will explore a rich range of river-related topics. Presentations will focus on fly-fishing, nature journal writing, poetry, river-running, landscape photography, creating art with found objects from the river and Salida’s relationship with the river.

Colorado Art Ranch, a new nonprofit residency program for artists and writers, will host the Artposium event under the direction of Grant Pound, founder and executive director.

"The idea for Colorado Art Ranch was conceived in the Wet Mountain Valley in fall 2005," Pound said. "I thought that Colorado's unique beauty would be the perfect muse for artists and writers from around the world."

The Artposium is made possible by a seed grant of $50,000 from the Jeffrey David Talley Foundation.

The Artposium event will raise money for a residency program and encourage rural economic development through the arts and heritage tourism. The residency program is slated for May 24-June 21 and will provide artists and writers with four weeks of living and studio space to work uninterrupted.

Cost to attend the May 26-27 Artposium is $249 per person or $230 per person for two or more. Registration can be completed at www.coloradoartranch.org or by calling 303-279-5198.

No official stance

source: Copyright © 2006 Arkansas Valley Publishing

No official stance
Chaffee County Commissioners tell Rags Over the Arkansas River they are not ready to make official stand

by Jason Starr
Mail Staff Writer

Chaffee County Commissioners reminded members of Rags Over the Arkansas River on Monday they are not ready to take an official stand for or against the Christo and Jeanne Claude "Over the River" project.

Six members of ROAR spoke against the proposed public art display in the Bighorn Sheep Canyon during Monday's work session in Salida. Commissioner Jerry Mallett and Jim Osborne said the board of commissioners could not make a decision about the project until the Bureau of Land Management releases a draft of its environmental impact statement.

Commission chairman Tim Glenn was absent from Monday's meeting.

Cathey Young, a member of ROAR, suggested commissioners publicly state opposition to the project before the impact statement is released. Ken Tiegs of ROAR pointed to a letter from county weed coordinator Larry Walker in which Walker said the project would contribute to the spread of the elongated mustard weed.

"Noxious weeds increase rapidly when soil and native vegetation is disturbed," Walker wrote.

Commissioners said they are aware of Walker's concerns and the concerns of ROAR members. They assured opposers that safety of residents of Chaffee County and that of residents of the canyon, which is mostly in Fremont County, would be their primary concern.

Tiegs attended a commissioners meeting last month describing ROAR's opposition.

BLM expects an appeal on Over the River decision [excerpt]

source: Copyright © 2006 Arkansas Valley Publishing

BLM expects an appeal on Over the River decision

by Jason Starr
Mail Staff Writer

Whichever way the Bureau of Land Management rules on the Over the River project, the issue will likely end up in appeals court, BLM Field Manager Roy Masinton told Chaffee County Commissioners Monday.

Masinton, delivering a report on BLM issues affecting Chaffee County during a work session in Salida, said both the artists and the opposition group are prepared to appeal if the BLM decision doesn't go their way.

"I anticipate, no matter what decision is made, we'll go to court on it," Masinton said.

Artists Christo and Jeane Claude are attempting to gain approval to stretch fabric over the Arkansas River in sections from Salida to Cañon City in a public art display. A group centered in Howard called Rags Over the Arkansas River is leading the opposition.

Although the project would only affect about 500 feet of property in Chaffee County, representatives from the county participate as a cooperating agency when the BLM holds meetings on the issue.

At the artists' request, the BLM changed course earlier this year and went from an environmental assessment of the project to a more comprehensive environmental impact statement. However, the environmental impact statement has not yet been initiated.

Masinton said the BLM is awaiting more detailed plans about the set-up, display and deconstruction of the project before proceeding. He also needs to hire a third-party contractor to conduct the EIS, which the artists will pay for.

"I've made no commitment to the artist or anybody as to whether we are going to allow this or not," Masinton said.

Over the River finds task force opposition

source: Copyright © 2006 Arkansas Valley Publishing

Over the River finds task force opposition

by Jason Starr
Mail Staff Writer

An informal declaration of opposition to the “Over the River” project surfaced Tuesday from the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Citizens Task Force.

Members of the opposition group, Rags Over the River, solicited the statement during the regular task force meeting in Salida in an attempt to influence federal land managers studying the project.

The Bureau of Land Management is in early stages of an environmental impact statement for the plan by Christo and Jeanne-Claude to stretch fabric across the river as a public art display.

ROAR wanted to get the task force on record before the initial public comment deadline Wednesday. Roy Masinton, bureau field manager in Cañon City, said public comment will be accepted throughout the process, especially after the environmental impact statement is released next year.

During the meeting, Rags Over the River secretary Cathey Young quoted citizens who submitted negative comments to the bureau. Rags president Dan Ainsworth and board member Ken Teigs also spoke.

They raised concerns about emergency vehicle access, traffic snarls and effects on wildlife during construction, viewing and cleanup of the project.

“(Residents in Bighorn Sheep Canyon) have the right to conduct their lives without disturbance,” Teigs said. “And they also have the right to police and ambulance protection.”

Masinton recommended the task force refrain from commenting on the proposal until the impact study is complete.

“Many of the impacts ... described here are real and we will assess those in the environmental impact statement,” he said. “The (task force) has a right to get involved in this, but I would wait until we have a document that discusses the impacts.”

Task force members said they are already well versed in the pros and cons of the project. After chairman Marshall Nichols initially indicated the group would hold off making a statement, he took an informal poll and one of the 14 members said they favor of the project.

“We have informally taken a stance against it, but will not make a formal statement until we see the EIS,” Nichols said.