November 10, 2009 - 12:50 pm

Deficit?... What deficit?

I know you've heard about the billions of deficit run up by our state government again this year. But isn't it nice to know that there's still room in the budget for a $700,000 roadside art project to celebrate the new prison in Connell.

IN CONNELL!!!!!!!!!

Here's the story from the Tri-Cities Herald:

The next time you're driving north on Highway 395, keep your eyes peeled for some giant wildflowers while passing Connell.

Those majestic blooms -- made of forged steel and 12 to 17 feet high -- are part of a $620,584 public art project.

The flowers were designed by Whidbey Island artists Nick Lyle and Jean Whitesavage. The second phase will be a collection of bronze figures and stone tables and benches to be installed in September along Main Street.

More than a half-million dollars is a significant chunk of change for public art, especially for a small town like Connell, said Alice Taylor with the Washington State Arts Commission.

"This is the single largest budget for artwork," Taylor said. "It is significant for Connell, just as having the largest corrections center in the state is significant for Connell, and now it brings art and art-related construction jobs."

The Art in Public Places Program was initiated by state legislation passed in 1974, which allocates one-half of 1 percent of the state's capital construction budget for public artwork.

The money for the Connell project came from the recent $179 million expansion of the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center.

"We had the option of choosing one artist for the entire budget, or splitting the money between two," said Melissa Kelly, a Connell resident who served on the art selection committee for the project.

The committee chose two projects with the idea to enhance the city's main thoroughfare as well as capitalize on Connell's close proximity to a busy highway. The flower project was $189,000, while $431,584 was allocated for the bronze figures and stone tables and benches.

"I am thrilled to have Nick and Jean's flower sculptures come to Connell," Kelly said. "There is something deep and rich about living in a town filled with art. I am excited that my children will be exposed to art as they grow up in a small town. Sometimes jewels are hidden away in small places like Connell."

The flowers along the highway also will draw travelers' attention to Connell, said Alleda Arnold, another committee member.

"Our downtown development association has been working for years trying to get travelers to notice us," Arnold said. "Who could not notice these beautiful native flowers?"

Your tax dollars at work!