With the coming of the cold weather, Springfield’s “Art & Soles” public art project has moved indoors. Last week, all of the 19 giant fiberglass sneakers, personalized by Valley artists, were gathered in a temporary gallery at 1391 Main St. Previously, the sneakers had been displayed throughout the downtown area.
The Art & Soles project was inspired by public arts projects in other cities like Easthampton (where artists decorated oversized fiberglass bears) and Burlington, Vt. (where the medium of choice was, appropriately, cows). Springfield’s choice of six-foot sneakers was a nod to the city’s distinction as the birthplace of basketball, and the display kicked off with this year’s induction ceremonies at the basketball Hall of Fame.
“Art & Soles” has not been without its problems, starting with controversy over the decision by the Springfield Business Improvement District, organizer of the project, to paint over part of a sneaker without the permission of the artist, Robert Markey. The sneaker—called “Wanna Dance?”—features, on its top, images of dancers against lush green grass and a blue sky. On its partially upraised sole, however, Markey added a reference to a less seemly aspect of the city’s downtown culture: a stripper, dressed in a bikini, dancing on a pole. The BID explained its decision to spray-paint over the stripper as an effort to keep the exhibit “family friendly”; Markey called the move “censorship of public art,” adding, in an interview with the Springfield Republican, “That happens in communist China. But, Springfield?” (Markey’s “Wanna Dance?” sneaker remains part of the exhibit, despite the disagreement.)
The next bump: the decision to postpone a planned auction of the sneakers last month, with the proceeds to benefit local arts programs. According to a statement from the BID announcing the postponement, “many of the people who had expressed interest in bidding on a sneaker were unable to attend the event.”
Last week, Don Courtemanche, the BID’s executive director, told the Advocate that a new auction date should be announced shortly, likely in late January.
In the meantime, the opening of the Art & Soles Gallery will provide an opportunity for potential bidders, and visitors coming downtown during the holiday season, to check out all the art in one place. Sneaker themes include Forest Park and its zoo, the city’s public libraries and schools, the history and architecture of the city, and, appropriately enough, basketball.
Photos of all the sneakers can also be seen online at www.artandsolespringfield.com. The gallery is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays), and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
