WFAA-TV

DALLAS - Just as the Dallas Fire-Rescue is readying itself to ask for donations to buy needed equipment, some may be wondering why the city council is spending tens of thousand of dollars for art at fire stations.

However, the stations aren't the only spots the city is spending for art. The city of Dallas is spending millions on public art, some of which doesn't even work, all over.

Dallas taxpayers didn't just pay for the new $11 million building when the South Central Police Station opened last year. They also paid for the art that went inside the main lobby floor. The piece is called "Perspective" and was created by a Massachusetts artist.

"No, we just came and completely ignored it," said Anna Lemus, a police station visitor, when asked if she noticed the art. "It wasn't like our main concern at this point, I think."

But even if people noticed it, they wouldn't see the $165,000 public art project because water droplets cover the inside of the glass cover.

"So, we're working with the artist to find the solution to this problem," said Maria Munoz-Blanco, director of Dallas Cultural Affairs.

"Perspective" is one of the latest taxpayer-funded art projects under Dallas' "Percentage for Art" program. The program requires spending of up to 1.5 percent of certain city construction projects on art.

In the past three years, the city has spent more than $3 million on art.

"We are confident that the citizens of Dallas value what we're doing in terms of bringing art to communities through public art," Munoz-Blanco said.

But, like the South Central police art, not all of it works or is even placed where citizens can see it.

The city placed a metal sculpture by a New York artist in a secure area at police headquarters. Because of a software glitch, it doesn't rotate as designed.

"And without that portion working, we are not quite happy with it yet," Munoz-Blanco said.

But under the contract, the city doesn't appear too unhappy. It paid the artist all but $5,500 of the $240,000 deal.

Such spending for artful expression has left one city council member expressing frustration.

"...I have serious questions about where this art goes, and is it really necessary?" said Mitchell Rasansky, Dallas City Council.

Rasansky said taxpayers got soaked by "Waterwork," a public video art project paid for by the Dallas Water Utilities Department last year. Screens over four floors at city hall show video of a water treatment plant. The project cost taxpayers $160,000. The screens cost from $7,000 to $8,600 each. And yes, water rates went up this year.

There are smaller projects as well, which include a wall by a Dallas artist in a meeting room at Grauwyler Library that cost $37,000.

The city is spending $30,000 to $38,000 for public art at each of its five fire stations under construction.

At the same time, Dallas Fire-Rescue just told the council it wants to start an "adopt-a-fire-station" program to appeal for donations for items, like working equipment, the city can't afford.

"If we put art in the public facilities that are all over our neighborhoods, it does make each neighborhood have a little piece of art of their own," Munoz-Blanco said.

"But can we really afford it?" asked Rasansky. "... And do certain types of buildings, like fire stations, need artwork in them?

These art projects aren't isolated just to buildings. In December, the city council approved a project for $40,080 to be place at Triangular Parkway, which already has some nice landscaping and is just across from Hotel ZaZa.

The artwork is a small wall with flowers, which qualifies because of new street construction.

The city council and Mayor Tom Leppert raised taxes this year.

Leppert campaigned as a leader who would adjust priorities and protect taxpayers.

But like art, city spending is in the eye of the beholder, and he supports the "Percentage for Art," program.

"I think it's something that you want to have," he said. "You want to have arts reach out to the arts. It's an important part of what we're doing."

But what about the projects that don't work, and art at fire and police stations?

"I think you can always kind of work on it, to tweak and make sure the dollars are going at the right type of projects," he said. "And some projects, it may not be appropriate."

Meanwhile, back at South Central, the city has withheld about 10 percent of the $165,000 pay from the artist until there's a solution to the moisture.

"I mean, it looks nice, don't get me wrong, but not in a police station," Lemus said.

E-mail bwatson@wfaa.com