Pricey Flagstaff roadside art now ditched

City officials scrapped what some in Flagstaff facetiously dubbed the "alien outhouses" on Monday after a car hit the sculpture a few weeks ago. That accident exposed a 110-volt electrical terminal, creating a public hazard, said City Architect Karl Eberhard. This was the second time a car plowed into the expensive piece of art since its installation. Named "Solar Calendar" by artist Mary Boone Wellington, the artwork has been plagued by problems, mainly in illuminating it.

The city had brought in various experts over the years in an attempt to fix it, Eberhard said, but estimates pegged the repairs at several thousand dollars. The city also made numerous attempts to contact Wellington over the years for a consultation but never received a response from the artist.

Several attempts to relocate the piece were also explored over the years but were eventually ruled out because it would have been cost-prohibitive.

Former Councilmember Karen Cooper, a strong advocate for public art, called the piece "interesting" and said it fostered discussion about the role of publicly funded art in the community.

"Public art shouldn't just be bronze cowboys," Cooper said.

She said the placement of the artwork along the busy Route 66 corridor was unfortunate, as few people actually got a chance to see it up close. She said she would have preferred to see the sculpture installed in a city park.

But the decommissioning of the artwork could mean that the final resting place might be on someone's front lawn.

Eberhard said the city will attempt to auction off the remaining pieces of the artwork to the public in the coming weeks.

Portions of the "Solar Calendar," including pieces too damaged to be fixed, were taken to the city landfill. The used batteries, replaced by the city several years ago, were taken to the hazardous products center, he said.