The PF HYPER Blog: Red Bull and our bridge: Followup

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Worker adjusting the wireless access point outside my window.

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Red Bull and our bridge: Followup

Update: I just found a couple of other stories on the exhibit that are worth linking. Corporate Babysitter has a somewhat cynical view of the event and raises some interesting questions like who's paying for the electricity. And there's a review over here that sees it as interesting art and I suppose worth the blocking of a major bike artery. (Includes a link to some photos.)

The show begins tomorrow with the giant photo cubes sitting on the Stone Arch Bridge. The Park Board got back to me (read my email here):

Thank you for your email regarding your concern for the Red Bull Illume exhibit on the Stone Arch Bridge. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's (MPRB) involvement with the art exhibit is limited to the permit that has already been issued for the exhibit. The MPRB event permit office receives a variety of requests for permits each year for events to be held within the parks, and they carefully review and consider each one. I believe the Illume art cubes will be placed down the center of the bridge deck, to provide pedestrian traffic on either side. I've copied our event permit coordinator on this email so that he is aware of your concerns.

Looks like they considered pedestrian traffic but forgot that this is a major bike route. It's hard to understand this lack of awareness given that City Hall is shouting from the rooftops what a bike-friendly town we have here.

Besides the whole bike thing, there's also the issue of promoting Red Bull on park property. The Minneapolis Park Board has also been accepting some other advertising money and some city residents don't think it's proper. The Downtown Journal has a story on the issue.

Maybe this will work out OK and the bikes will have enough room to safely cross the bridge. If the cubes are up, I'll see them tomorrow when my morning run takes me across the Stone Arch Bridge. Also watch for a story on the exhibit in the Minnesota Daily. (I'll post the link when it's available.)

Technorati Tags: Minneapolis, Park, Red_Bull, Illume

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 12:14 PM [to Del.icio.us]