Adopt-A-Monument Program saves landmarks
In Houston, years of neglect had created a backlog of deteriorating public artwork. The Sam Houston Monument in Hermann Park, the city's most famous outdoor sculpture, was in particular need of restoration. Installed in 1925, the equestrian sculpture was in danger of collapsing because of the structural deterioration of its granite base.
To save Sam, the city formed the Houston Municipal Art Conservation Office (HMACO), which promptly instituted an Adopt-A-Monument Program. Operated through the city's Parks and Recreation Department, HMACO is responsible for the care and preservation of more than 100 public outdoor sculptures, 38 of which have already been restored.
As HMACO expected, once the restoration of the Sam Houston statue got under way, city residents, many of whom were not aware of the city's significant public art collection, learned the importance of maintaining outdoor sculptures. That, in turn, boosted the Adopt-A-Monument Program.
The program works in two ways: A single sponsor can adopt a work by agreeing to underwrite conservation and/or maintenance of a specific piece, or organizations or individuals can contribute to a conservation and maintenance fund, which is a general pool of contributions used for unadopted works. (Sam was adopted by the fifth-graders at Bunker Hill Elementary, who also help clean the still-unadopted Neuhaus Fountain.)
But the city did not stop there. Last December, Mayor Lee Brown unveiled a proposal to require certain capital improvement projects to include funding for public art. Under Brown's proposal, the city would add 1.75 percent to design and construction appropriations on certain projects to fund civic art. The ordinance is expected to result in $4.1 million for public art over the next four years.
The ordinance reflects the artistic community in Houston, according to Jessica Cusick, director of the Civic Art and Design for the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/ Harris County. "Houston is one of the largest art centers in the United States," Cusick told the Houston Chronicle. "Physically, it doesn't reflect that. People aren't aware of the fact that this is a major art center. This type of program will enhance Houston's image and will project the city as we all know it to the people who come and visit us."
HMACO's efforts have won several awards, including the Smithsonian's first-ever Save Outdoor Sculpture! Monumental Defender Award. The group also received a grant through the Smithsonian's Save America's Treasures Millennium Project. For more information about the Adopt-A-Monument Program, contact Pam Ingersoll, municipal art coordinator, at (713) 845-1265.
