Residents chip in to buy public art,- Yazzy's at williamverdult.com

Behind the SceneAccording to Carolyn and Ron Gordanier both always glance at  the southwest corner of Main and 10th streets in Blue Springs,  and then smile..

“OH!” and three other sculptures have been on display across the city since March. When their temporary exhibition expired at the end of September, the city put them up for sale, with all proceeds given to the artists.

The Gordaniers say “OH!” always puts them in a “whimsical mood.” Carolyn Gordanier grins each time she sees it. So when the city decided to sell the art pieces, they knew what they wanted to do: Buy the $1,000 “OH!”and keep it on public display.

But there was a snag.

“It was out of our price range,” said Ron Gordanier, a retiree. “But I thought I had a solution.”

The Gordaniers sought nine other donors to help buy the sculpture by Omaha, Neb.-based Diane Mattern. Nine of the 10 are couples. Each couple and the remaining donor chipped in $100 apiece.

“We wanted to show that individuals can get together to buy a piece of public art; it doesn’t have to be a big corporation with deep pockets,” Ron Gordanier said.

“We hope that we’re starting a brand new idea in Blue Springs,” Carolyn Gordanier added. “Maybe other couples can do it, too.”

Already, it appears that the Blue Springs Art League is keeping her hope alive.

The league also has bought “Angelic Interlude,” a $2,500 sculpture by Shawn Morin.

“We are a very old suburb of Kansas City, and we’re trying to be more modern to keep up with our surrounding cities,” said Darlene Jones, president of the Blue Springs Art League, a non-profit advocacy group for public art. “By incorporating the visual art into the fabric of our community, we can enhance the creative spirit and quality of life for all our citizens.”

Eleanor Frasier, chairwoman of the Blue Springs Public Art Commission, said the excitement over public art is becoming infectious.

“I think people were waiting for someone to say, ‘Let’s do it,’ and then they’ll say, ‘Count me in,’ ” Frasier said. “I think it’s wonderful that citizens have stepped up to say this is important to the city and we should keep it.”

Two sculptures remain unsold. They are “American Identity” by Juniper Tangpuz, priced at $800, and “Providence” by Don Lawler, going for $10,000.

“I hope individuals and organizations will also say we want to keep them here,” Frasier said. “If other organizations would sponsor art, we could bring so much more art to the community.”

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