When residents renewed their requests in 2010 for improved lighting under the gateway between East Dallas and the Arts District, the city held an open call for artists with the goal of making the underpass friendlier and brighter for pedestrians and cyclists. In 2011 the cities public art selection committee chose the colorful, minion-esque, “Happy Shapes,” which are planned to be made of high-density polyethylene with LED lights that change color on touch.
Fast forward to July of 2015 and there is still no movement on the project. According to Kay Kallos, public art program manager of the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the holdup occurred because, while TxDOT has jurisdiction over the land, the electrical infrastructure must connect to the city utilities through the Street Department’s jurisdiction. Both groups must agree on the location and electrical access (including who will shoulder the cost of electricity) before the arts project can proceed. To complicate matters, as of July of this year, TxDOT was still claiming that they hadn’t received a completed application packet from the city’s Cultural Affairs Office, although the city reports that they have been “in constant contact with TxDOT through the entire process.”
BPNA President Collins recently had a conference call with David Allen and the Arts Manager with the City of Dallas, and they had little to add except to say that TxDot is now working on the bridge above the underpass and therefore it is unlikely that they will allow the project to move forward until the stabilization of the bridge is complete.
Other locations in our neighborhood may be considered for the Happy Shapes installation if the underpass is no longer a possibility. In that event, a scouting meeting would take place to identify the best option in the neighborhood. We will keep you all posted on any new developments!