NEWBURYPORT — There comes a time when every artist hits a wall. For Jeff Briggs, that creative roadblock was this: He did not know how to draw the face of a humble fish.
Briggs’s task is to create the characters that will populate a Boston-themed carousel planned for the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Instead of the usual horses, riders will sit atop replicas of such iconic local fauna as a right whale, a harbor seal, and that staple of New England cuisine, the Atlantic cod. The indigenous animals, Greenway officials hope, will make the carousel a signature element of the still-developing park.
Comments
Yay Newburyport! I've seen Mr. Briggs around town and can't wait to see what he creates.
I'm sure that this is a wonderfully artistic endeavor, but there's already a carousel at the Greenway, owned by a private business who leases space from the Greenway people. It seems very popular, is quite attractive. Why is the Greenway (partially funded by taxpayers) spending almost $3 million to make another one? Who will be responsible for the operation and maintenance costs going forward? Here's a case where 'privatization' is surely the better deal.
Great example of local craftsmanship and teh start of what may become a local landmark. However, this still doesn't justify the salaries and SG&A overhead the conservatory consumes.