To Bicycle Canberra and Lyons75,
Don’t know how much the Chifley Shops playground cost, but given the way they dicked about for at least two years in completing it, I’m willing to bet Chifley was several multiples of the cost of this sculpture at Lyons.

Spykler said :

carnardly said :

I like the Lyons takeaway food shop’s chips and potato cakes. 🙂

agreed…If you buy 20 scallops for your lunch, they often throw in a dim sim or another 4 scallops in for free..

Healthy AND delicious!

carnardly said :

I like the Lyons takeaway food shop’s chips and potato cakes. 🙂

agreed…If you buy 20 scallops for your lunch, they often throw in a dim sim or another 4 scallops in for free..

I think the hospital could make much better use of that money.

I like the Lyons takeaway food shop’s chips and potato cakes. 🙂

I thought all this public art BS was supposed to have stopped when Stanhope quit.

Lyons75 said :

Poetix – I don’t think you read my entire comment, I like public art and yes I do look at it and appreciate it – I can even appreciate the orange windmills on Adelaide Avenue.

BUT I really think the $$$ would have been better spent on providing ‘basic’ facilities for the community, like a good quality kids playground or a bbq and a shelter. To me they add more to the creation of a community than a sculpture.

Agree, $50 000 for public art and $100 000 for a playground and BBQ

Lyons75 said :

Poetix – I don’t think you read my entire comment, I like public art and yes I do look at it and appreciate it – I can even appreciate the orange windmills on Adelaide Avenue.

BUT I really think the $$$ would have been better spent on providing ‘basic’ facilities for the community, like a good quality kids playground or a bbq and a shelter. To me they add more to the creation of a community than a sculpture.

Agree $50 000 for public art and $100 000 for a playground and BBQ

Poetix – I don’t think you read my entire comment, I like public art and yes I do look at it and appreciate it – I can even appreciate the orange windmills on Adelaide Avenue.

BUT I really think the $$$ would have been better spent on providing ‘basic’ facilities for the community, like a good quality kids playground or a bbq and a shelter. To me they add more to the creation of a community than a sculpture.

First thing Lyons needs is a better takeaway. I’ve tried to support the local a few times but it’s terrible.

Lyons75 said :

So I say pull down this piece of art and build a bbq for the community. 🙂

BethiePrice said :

I’m confused as to what these are for…other than another place to graffiti

God forbid that ‘the community’ might look at a sculpture. (That’s what they’re for, incidentally.) It seems quite whimsical and imaginative to me, looking at the photos, and is unlikely to frighten the kiddies. ‘Family friendly’ does not mean ‘art-free’.

shadow boxer said :

That is indeed a cracker, if the good people of Lyons don’t want it we would gladly accept it in Gungahlin.

Even next to the spinnifex on the GDE would bring a smile.

I think something like this would go well in the Lyneham shops, which unbelievably, don’t have a sculpture of their own.

That is indeed a cracker, if the good people of Lyons don’t want it we would gladly accept it in Gungahlin.

Even next to the spinnifex on the GDE would bring a smile.

I’m confused as to what these are for…other than another place to graffiti

Bicyclecanberra – you took the words right out of my mouth. I am a big fan of public art, but in the right places and to me $150k for a piece of public art in a little community centre is crazy.

As a Lyons resident I would have much prefered the money was spent on a kids playground and bbq area like at Chifley. The facility in Chifley is always packed on weekend and coupled with ‘A Bite to Eat’ and a great little supermarket it has made Chifley a great little community centre.

Lyons has certainly evolved in the 10 or so years I’ve lived there and it is no longer quite the ‘poor cousin’ of Woden suburbs. The recent refurbishment of the shops (of which the public art was a part of) is nice, but didnt really add anything to the community. Couple this with there is no modern kids playgrounds in the suburb or nice parks with BBQs and picnic tables – it unfortunately still lacks a community and family friendly feel.

So I say pull down this piece of art and build a bbq for the community. 🙂

This bit of sculpture apparently cost around the $140 – $150 000 dollar mark. While I support Public art in certain locations I think that a Playground would have been better for the Lyons shops, to bring people in, like at Chifley shops.