WRITING in your October 12 edition, G Seale of Woodfields asks how much is cultural art costing people who pay council tax to Watford Council? This is not the first time this issue has been raised.

So please could I take this opportunity to bury a few myths once and for all about how these pieces of community art came into being.

Myth one the memory wall, masks, sensory garden and hornet were paid for by the council taxpayers of Watford.

Wrong. These pieces of community art were funded entirely through either National Lottery funds or by capital raised by the council through sales of land or planning agreements. No money raised through council tax was spent on their design or construction not a penny.

Myth two nobody gave "the real people of Watford" a chance to choose.

Wrong. An independent public art panel made up of real Watford people involved with art in Watford chose the artists they wanted to design the pieces and then selected the final designs.

The panel included residents' representatives and arts experts, including the Watford Observer's own Grelle White.

Myth three Watford is becoming a concrete and metal jungle.

Wrong. There was a fear that it was, but a survey carried out with local businesses and visitors to the town confirmed, among other things, that the town centre lacked identity and character.

It was to help restore some character that we commissioned the town centre improvement programme and arranged for the independent panel to commission the community art.

One thing that is not a myth is that art by it's very nature is subjective.

Some people love the work of Michaelangelo for instance, others hate it. Similarly people love or hate Whistler, Van Gogh, Hockney or whoever.

The same is the case with community art in Watford. It may not please all of the people all of the time.

But people notice it, talk about it and, by doing so, help put Watford town centre on the map.

And that is exactly the reason why the work was commissioned in the first place.

Joan Hancox, Quality of Life Manager, Town Hall, Watford

October 26, 2001 15:58