If the deluge of art-oriented press releases entering the SFR offices over the past six months are to be taken seriously, Santa Fe isn't just under attack as a premier and desirable arts and culture destination by savvy cities in other enterprising states, but is also facing pressure from nearby in the form of blossoming scenes in Silver City, Truth or Consequences and Madrid. Why not? Rent's cheap, property is affordable, spaceports are just around the corner. But if you sneak out to any of these places you quickly realize that Santa Fe, despite a longstanding reputation for provinciality, is relatively sophisticated. Heck, as my momma-in-law is fond of saying, Santa Fe's scene is hotter than a fresh, uh, frocked fox in a forest fire. And it's precisely because the city is fed from so much information and inspiration from around the world. What a smart, progressive town.
But then, just as one is basking in the glow of Santa Fe's sophistication, along comes something like The Railyard Park Manifesto to send us all back to the Stone Age. Sure, on the surface it seems exciting. A plain envelope arrives at the office one day and inside-a manifesto! A bonafide manifesto! A demand to print the thing in its entirety! The presumably self-appointed Citizen's Railyard Park Review Committee, a group of "local design professionals, landscape architects and artists as well as neighborhood residents" has had enough of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and its boneheaded handling of parkland in the community-owned
Railyard property and, goshdarnit, they're doing something about it. First off, heartfelt congratulations to anyone in this age of apathy with strong enough feelings about something to stand up and get involved. Secondly, sheer style points must be awarded for sending out a manifesto. Two problems, though: It's not a manifesto and it's whiny and ridiculous.
A manifesto is generally understood to be a declaration of principles and intentions, but this is little more than a list of complaints. This "manifesto" is a bit too much like today's national Democratic party-cranky and pissed off because things aren't going their way, but lacking the vision and determination to do anything about it. It begins by lambasting TPL and its "East Coast park planners" for, well, being from the East Coast. It's true that not enough projects here are contracted to locals but, when locals fail to submit an engaging proposal, it's not fair to get mad at the winners just 'cause they ain't from around here.
The next point is that the use of gabion walls, wire forms full of river stones such as those used to curb road and riverside erosion, will be an offensive element along the Cerrillos Road "visual corridor," an important approach to downtown. I happen to think that gabion walls are beautiful, interesting and different like our city is supposed to be, but the "manifesto" complains about the "traditional stonework" that might have been. Some might find them ugly, but an affront to a visual corridor that already boasts Long John Silvers, Hobby Lobby and OilStop? I think the gabions will hold their own.
Horror of horrors, the "avant-gard" out-of-towners plan a "circular ramada with 12 'porch swings'"-but our thankless watchdog group is certain that vandals will strike. Though the vandals will apparently leave alone the true local's desire for a pétanque court, a sticking point for these anti-elite folks, irked because the TPL and its fancy minions refuse to supply a court for a game that, honestly, can be played on any small stretch of flat ground.
The four-page diatribe goes on to list concerns about "basic pedestrian movement" and "realistic maintenance issues" and to reiterate the fact that it doesn't appear on paper as though it's going to be exactly the park they want-not the one they would have designed. The only conclusion left to the seven Good Samaritans who've drafted the manifauxsto is that TPL simply has not acted in good faith in the creation of a park for Santa Fe or else they would have hired locals who would follow proven principles of park design. Yes, I suppose if TPL hadn't engineered the entire transaction that enabled the city to purchase the Railyard property, that would be better. I suppose if Catellus Corporation were building a Costco and a TGI Friday's where the park is going to be, that would be better. I suppose if TPL hadn't agreed to manage the creation of a park on behalf of a beleaguered city, going so far as to gain additional easements and public space, that would be better.
The manifauxsto proudly begins with Territorial Governor Lew Wallace's infamous old saw about calculations based on experience elsewhere failing in New Mexico. Why then, do these fussy citizens go on to suggest that the park ought to be based on calculations that have proven successful elsewhere? Why does this attitude crop up in an otherwise sophisticated city full of curiosity and the desire to experiment? Why the kneejerk and boring reaction that people from the East Coast or West Coast (the South? Canada? Mexico?) are bad? And, most of all, with all the completely cracked-out development that happens around here, why can't people come up with something more worthy of indignation than a park? It's public, open space. Play pétanque if you want to. Have a concert if you want to. The park designer can't prevent you from doing it. If you don't like the path that's laid out before you, don't follow it.
That last is advice one could get by following the life and work of Nam June Paik, the maverick artist and video pioneer who died in Miami at the end of January. The service was last Friday, but you can still send contributions in his memory to EAI (Electronic Arts Intermix), 535 W. 22nd St., 5th floor, NY, NY 10011.
Anyhow, NJP, you was a bad mamma jamma. The world was never the same after you started tweaking things. I bet you'd be OK with a park that broke a few traditions.
