Tucson's Public Art

Title: River Agave Fencing (2004)

Location: River Road, between First and Campbell Avenues

Details:

She Said:

This section of fencing is, indeed, pleasing to the eye. River Road has been widened and straighted out of recognition in several spots, but the sound barrier walls and handsome fencing go a long way toward making the changes palatable. These agave leaves are one example of the additions to the walls that give travelers a break from blank walls. It's good to realize that we live in a community that cares about such niceties.

He Said:

Why put up a boring old fence when you can have something like this? The stylized agave leaves mixed in the straight lines provide some texture while retaining a uniform look. As of late, Tucson and Pima County have been making sound barrier walls along reconstructed roadways that serve a dual purpose: one functional, the other making them pleasing to the eye. I think it says a lot about the community that the cheapest utilitarian solution is not sufficient, and that the populace wants more; they want, and deserve, an environment that is inviting and stimulating. And while there is much about the widening of River Road I do not like, this is not one of them.