Friday, June 28, 2013

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.



4 comments:

  1. I remember that when I made Spiritual Exercises in Winona, MN, in 2007, they were doing herons. This was really a great gift to me as I had only discovered herons when we had moved to our house here in Olathe, Ks, and I saw them when I had started to get up and go for walks to the little lake near our house.

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  2. I remember visiting my cousin who lives near there...lots of horse art and some related to those who place their bets. It was cool to see!

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  3. My, my, my - what a lovely time you had in Saratoga Springs! I'm so glad, I love living near that town!

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    1. Yes, this seriously looks like a great place to live/retire!

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