It could have, and should have, been handled with a defter touch, but at the end of the day, the right decision was made.
Social media was abuzz late last week when word got out that artist Gordon Mackey had been told by the Town of Okotoks to remove the more than 100 small sculptures he has hidden along the Sheep River pathways since 2022.
The request to remove the art was disappointing for the artist and for the many people who enjoy his work while out on a walk, but the really infuriating part is that all it took was a single complaint to put an end to the project. Not surprisingly, that one complainant was not held in high regard by those voicing their opinion.
Sure, the art pieces were technically contravening a bylaw, but given Mackey had taken pains to affix them to dead trees and stumps, this was a classic case of no harm, no foul. They had been up for the better part of two years without incident, so taking action after a single complaint was heavy handed.
It also seemed out of step for a local government that’s making efforts to embrace art and the artistic community. In the last few weeks, Okotoks has put out a call for more public art pieces, has offered grants to increase the number of arts and culture events, and is in search of a new artist in residence for Month of the Artist in September.
The backlash that ensued not only prompted Mayor Tanya Thorn to wisely reverse the course the Town had taken, but it also led the Town to develop a program to showcase local artists' work in select parks and pathways.
That means there will be more public art, not less, which is definitely a good thing.
