A Stroll Through Saratoga Springs: Pointe Shoes and Fiberglass Horses

 Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
― Pablo Picasso

The last time I visited Saratoga Springs, New York, our nearly 17-year-old son was  two. So I was surprised last night during an amble through this city of 26,000 souls to discover massive pointe shoes and life-sized fiberglass horses. The public artwork celebrates two big draws of this tourist town along the Adirondack Northway: dance and horse racing.

The fiberglass horses have been up since at least 2002. The gigantic ballet pointe shoes, sponsored by the National Museum of Dance  debuted last month ago. How cool is this?

Oh, and just to prove that public art is not a new idea, I coudn't resist including a photo this guy. He, weighs 300 pounds and sits with his twin outside Saratoga City Hall.  The pair were removed from the City Hall entrance decades ago but brought back in 2008. 

I can't figure out if he is bothered by the bureaucrats who work inside, or with the citizens who come calling.