The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 18

1 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 30. 1994 A19 LETTERS Contention over a park's sculpture The Star welcomes short, concise letters signed with name, address aid telephone number. All are subject to editing. Send to Letters to the Edftor, The Indianapolis Star, P.O.

Box 145, Indianapolis, IN 4S2CS-0145. Send letters by computer modem via the Internet to IndyStar indy.net Or fax tetters by dialing (317) 633-9423. A fv sound of the running stream by Acclaimed design then, the final product fell far short of Taflinger's dream. His original plan had called for a pool that would double as a skating rink with giant columns of water leaping skyward the center column 100 feet high and sputtering out a message In Morse Code. One old-timer recalls the message was to be "peace on earth, good will to men," with its intended audience any extra-terrestrials who might fly overhead.

Members of the John Holllday family, who deeded the park property to the city of Indianapolis in 1916, were never fond of the idea to place the artwork in the park, but were outlobbied by Taflinger and his supporters. Alexander Holllday. the grandson, says The Ruins have always reminded him of the "bombing of Dresden." He believes John Holllday would have been appalled by them since they detract from the park's mission, specified In the deed, to offer a place for recreation and nature study. Although no one seems able to say how much The Ruins cost taxpayers, newspaper clippings By ANDREA NEAL Dt is said that beauty is In the eye of the beholder. What better to Illustrate that familiar adage than the debate over sculpture at Holliday Park.

The debate has taken center stage now that plans for a new nature center at the park have been unveiled. To accommodate the center. Friends of Holliday Park would like to move three Karl Bitter statues that sit atop a monument known as The Ruins. Crit ics say the plan would disrupt a coherent piece of art. For those who haven't visited the Northside park.

The Ruins are a set of columns designed by the late Hoosier artist Elmer Taflinger to look something like crumbling buildings from ancient Rome. They serve as pedestals for the statues, which are the key element of a landscaped area called Constitution Mall. Rains hodgepodge By any reasonable standard. The Ruins and mall are neither coherent nor beautiful. They are a hodgepodge of trees, limestone Debating the future of Holliday Park As a professor of the humanities at Indiana Institute of Technology.

I am horrified to learn that someone is considering eliminating The Ruins at Holllday Park. This design won national acclaim. It is also the work of a native Hoosler. Elmer Taflinger. and his life's dream took Indianapolis 20 years to complete.

Now, less than 15 years after It was dedicated, someone wants to destroy It. Students of mine have studied Taflinger's plan for Holllday Park, which he called Constitution Mall, and were surprised how patriotic It Is. The grand plan Includes 50 state trees. 13 original Colony trees, the Indiana state tulip tree, the Indianapolis tree, the Adam and Eve trees: the stage representing the Constitution with its three stones representing the leg-j islative, executive and Judicial branches of government; the umn showing man's leap from Earth to moon: and the statue of Justice to All Races of Mankind. The anchor to Taflinger's Constitution Mall is The Ruins with its three Doric columns and huge limestone figures of the three races of humanity: Negroid.

Caucasian and Oriental. The two reflecting pools are the New World Pool and the Common Pool of Mankind. The twin columns in the fountain area represent the spirit of American man and woman reaching beyond the stars. The 26 columns In the pool area are from the oldlSisters of Good Shepherd Convent, the five center ones representing the five major land masses of the Earth. Taflinger's carefully conceived design pays homage not only to the ideals our country was founded on but also to our ancestors who came from all parts of the globe.

For Instance, one statue looks toward Europe, another to Africa, another to Asia. Out front, the religion tree is the living "Christmas tree." and nine rocks around the parking lot represent the members of the Holllday family. The yuccas stand for the world's religions. If the elements of the beautiful design were clearly labeled and If everyone knew its particulars, I am sure we would begin to respect what a treasure we have in Holllday Park. And Instead of destroying "the monstrosity," as some have called it, we would celebrate and honor this patriotic Jewel.

WILLIAM M. KING Indianapolis with neighbors, educators, naturalists and other members of the community. Among those who have carefully reviewed the plans, attended public meetings and read the newsletter and other publications, virtually all are enthusiastic about proposed Improvements. In fact, nearly $1 million of the $4 million goal has been pledged to make these dreams a reality. Plans for Holliday Park are not cast in stone, but are constantly evolving.

Everyone has a chance to be heard. If you have a question, we urge you to ask it. If you have an opinion, we urge you to share it. If you're contemplating a contribution, we urge you to send it. Our address is: Friends of Holliday Park, P.O.

Box 90347. Indianapolis, 46290. Zahn is chairwoman of the Nature Center planning committee, Hoffman is president ot Friends of Holliday Park; Hiatt is chairman of the nature center campaign. Elmer Taflinger at The Ruins, 1977 suggest it was well In the tens of thousands. Part of the reason (t took so long to finish was that the price tag at one point reached almost a half million dollars, causing the city to scale back Its commitment.

Needless to say, no one has spent the necessary sum to maintain the sculpture and reflecting pool so both are In a state of disrepair. Prior to installation of a fence, the monument was declared a hazard to children and the city faced two lawsuits fron) families of children who fell from it. Send to Circle Centre? Alexander Holllday, for says it would be fine with him to move The Ruins somewhere else In the park or elsewhere In the city. One possibility, he says with some amusement, would be to incorporate them into the design for Circle Centre mall. In his opinion, the nature is more in keeping with John Holliday's desires than The Ruins.

He is right. Certainly. The Ruins add a disjunctive flavor to our city's art heritage and a colorful chapter to our history. But they don't particularly enhance Holliday Park. The goal should be to find a good to show off the Bitter statues and let The Ruins fall where they may.

It would be a shame If art purr Ists thwart the plans for a much needed nature center by Insisting The Ruins not be touched. Neal is an editorial writer for The Star, 6 Tremendous Selection Of Bridal Sets Red Tagged! PERSONALLY SPEAKING The Ruins add a distinctive flavor to our city's art heritage and a colorful chapter to our history, but they don't particularly enhance Holliday Park. slabs, pillars and a reflecting pool mixed together to represent America, democracy, religion and the world what Taflinger considered a symbolic lesson In history. The real history lesson, perhaps, can be found in the story of how The Ruins came to be. It all began in 1958 when a national contest was held to give away the Races of Man statues by Bitter, which graced a building in New York that was about to be torn down.

Taflinger. a well-known Indiana artist, came up with the winning design and somehow persuaded Indianapolis officials to foot the blU. It took 20 years for the city to complete the project, and even LETTER SPOTLIGHT All Diamond Fashion Ring HOW (299 HJ Umxsx va 'j ffiftiiiMfii'i to -40 jgiffiy, my side ana the face of the fields (which) has often comforted me more than the faces of men." Sculpture In Holliday Park would be welcome Indeed, but let it be sculpture appropriate to Its setting, sculpture that exalts the mystical connection between na ture and the human being. ROBERT V. ZALK1N Indianapolis Rest in peace The Friends of Holliday Park have definitely succeeded In developing a wild spot that is still love ly, and now accessible to every one.

However, now they want to mess with The Ruins. I agree with Steve Mannheimer in his commentary Nov. 20 that The Ruins should remain where they are. Why not let a part of the his torical evolution of the park re main in peace and in place? The Ruins are an aesthetic entity that can easily co-exist with the theme of recreational use. The two com plement each other.

For example, after I wander along the river, pond and wood trails. I stop at The Ruins and sit on the grass, enjoying the peace- fulness of a different type of beau ty, not natural but man-made art istry. Also, The Ruins are a distinctive feature of Holllday Park, setting it off from other nature parks. What Is wrong with being unique? SARA MOHR Indianapolis Man of vision It Is Impossible to believe that Friends of Holllday Park, a private citizen group, would even think of dismantling The Ruins in Holliday Park. The Ruins' statues came from the old St.

Paul Building on a historic site in lower Manhattan. The St. Paul had been recognized as the tallest building in the world at the end of the 19th century. It stood until 1958 when Western Electric Co. razed It to build a new headquarters and offered the statues In a national competition, which Indianapolis won with thanks to artist Elmer Taflinger.

From his studies of the St. Paul site came Taflinger's Idea for Con stitution Mall. It took 15 years, 13 designs and four mayors to erect The Ruins in Holllday Park, which were dedicated In 1973. It took five more years for this Indefatigable, visionary artist to realize his dream. In 1978, Constitution Mall surrounding The Ruins was dedicated.

The date of Sept. 17 was chosen for the dedication because it was the anniversary of the sign- ing of the Constitution. Taflinger was Indeed a proud man at these dedication ceremonies, as were hundreds of others, including myself. MARY C. VINCI Indianapolis Happy memories Yesterday I visited Holllday Park.

Happy memories were rekindled: pleasant walks, picnics, a marriage proposal and the dream of my friend, Indiana artist Elmer Taflinger. Taf was so proud when his dream of two decades, Constitution Mall, was brought to fruition and dedicated in 1978. In today's world, when better understanding between the races is so desperately needed, why destroy an artistic edifice that speaks to racial harmony? The economics are obvious. Don't spend anything to destroy the Constitution Mail when a few thousand dollars will preserve this artistic treasure. LELAND G.

HOWARD Rockville Part of history Our family was very disturbed about the possible dismantling of The Ruins in Holliday Park. Those ruins go along with the history of the park. Why would anyone even consider moving them without no tifying park users or neighborhood resiaentsi" Many great changes have been made recently: playground, parking, roadways, improved trails, all well done. Dead trees and brush should be removed instead of concrete statues. Our family walks in the park every day.

We are very proud of the park and neighborhood. VIRGINIA PATTERSON Indianapolis Si5DLllQDa WEE? TAG ITEMS AWE By TAMARA ZAHN HOWARD HOFFMAN and THOMAS HIATT Recent articles published in The Indianapolis Star about Holliday Park have called considerable attention to the plans being developed for a new nature center and other improvements Opinions have been voiced by reporters from The Star concerning what will happen to The Ruins when the proposed nature center is built. These articles create the illusion of controversy where none exists. Despite repeated invitations, Star reporters have not availed themselves of opportunities to understand the facts behind the Holliday Park success story. Only a few years ago, Holllday Park was probably best known as an uncontrolled haven for drug dealers and prostitutes.

Today, with the city's best playground, a restored rock garden and newly accessible paths along White River, the park Is a destination for children and families. None of this happened by accident. In 1990. the Friends of Holliday Park was formed to reclaim the park for its original intent. Now with hundreds of members, the Friends of Holliday Park can look back at four full years of accomplishments.

Holliday Park is today fulfilling what the Holliday family intended when they deeded the property to the city of Indianapolis in 1916 "to preserve for the people of Indianapolis a place for recreation and the study of nature." There's much to be done still. Here's what is being considered and why: The only building on the property, Holliday House, is in poor repair, badly landscaped, difficult to maintain and not the kind of place where children can learn about nature. Our goal is to build a nature center that will serve the community in the ways envisioned by the Hollidays. It will offer classes to school and youth groups, evening nature programs for the entire community and a place for families to come and learn about the wonder of nature. Project funding includes an endowment that will help maintain the facility and its programs.

Other projects are under way as well. By spring, new labels will be completed for each tree species in the upper portion of the park so that children can learn their names and features. Local gardening groups will plant and maintain flower beds. Trail monitors and other volunteers are devoting hundreds of hours per month to maintenance, educational projects and other efforts that Improve the park. The area called The Ruins features unique sculptures, which are a vital part of the park's heritage.

Unfortunately, in their current setting, they have their stone backs to the street and their beauty is punctuated by PVC pipe, crumbling stonework and stagnant water. The leaking fountains and reflecting pool are surrounded by a rusting fence that makes maintenance virtually impossible. That's why Friends is considering moving the Bitter sculptures to a better, more prominent location for all to enjoy. No final decisions have been made on The Ruins, a suggested water feature or other landscaping. Public meetings have been held and will continue to be held, seeking input from all interested individuals.

The dynamic planning process continues to be basedon extensive consultation HOW (995 o. WAS'2399 Diamond Tennis Bracelet 1 Carat Total Weight Diamond Heart Save The Ruins On behalf of Historic Indianapolis as well as the recent statewide Save Outdoor Sculpture project, count me among the many who are far from excited about the proposed demolition of The Ruins at Holllday Park. Indeed, 1 am appalled that this artistic landmark is given such short shrift by a group claiming to be the park's friends. The plans may have been on display since September, as the Friends of Holllday Park claim. But one suspects they were, as Douglas Adams bemoaned, "hidden in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet in a disused lavatory marked 'beware of the This may explain why there supposedly was no opposition.

I applaud much of the work already accomplished in the rehabilitation of Holllday Park, and certainly a properly staffed nature center in the park is appropriate. But The Ruins provide a meditative setting much needed in this busv world, as well as represent ing a historic approach toward the contemplation oi nature, i nere is, I can safelv attest, nothing else like it in the state of Indiana. True friends of Holliday Park would not destroy this unique blend of nature and artifice. GLORY-JUNE GREIFF Indianapolis 'Terribly ugly I don't know why I got so hot. when I read Steve Mannheimer's apologies for The Ruins in Hoili-dav Park Nov.

20. except that the thing Is so terribly ugly and so out of character tor us setting. iwann-heimer says The Ruins is distinctive. So it is and so is a hippopotamus at an elegant dinner party. Distinctive, but hardly appropriate.

The function of The Ruins, states Mannheimer. is to remind us of "the inescapabillty of time," and the weight of civilization and to provide an "instructive note of melancholy." Worthy themes, but far different from my purpose in entering the park, to quote John 4 Burroughs, to "el the green grass under my feet and the Pendant WAS $169 THOUSANDS Of ADDITBOIML Includes 18" Chain Off 45y 12 Carat Total Weight Your Friend In The Diamond Business 895-0400 Willow Lake Center a fi 179-9009 I If Greenwood Place IV II 1 Carteton Square Mall Eattgate Consumer Mall DIRECT DIAMOND IMPORTERS 357-0209 mmmi i i i..