Art Project Over Arkansas River Approved
A project that proposes suspending eight fabric panels over parts of the Arkansas River in south-central Colorado has been approved.
The Department of the Interior announced Monday that the Bureau of Land Mangement (BLM) Royal Gorge Field Office approved the temporary art installation called Over The River.
Over the River is a two-week temporary work of art by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The project calls for 5.9 miles of fabric panels to be suspended above the Arkansas River along a 42-mile stretch of the river between Salida and Can?on City. Fabric panels will be suspended at eight distinct areas of the river that were selected by the artists.
Over The River is estimated to generate $121 million in economic output and draw 400,000 visitors during construction and display. The construction is anticipated to begin in 2012, culminating in a two-week display in August 2014. The OTR Corp has projected it will cost $50 million for construction that will be covered by the project proponent.
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says steps have been taken to mitigate the environmental and wildlife effects of the project. Salazar says, “Drawing visitors to Colorado to see this work will support jobs in the tourism industry and bring attention to the tremendous outdoor recreation opportunities in this area.”
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper says, “We applaud Christo and his late wife, Jeanne-Claude, for their perseverance to create this wonderful artwork in the Arkansas River Valley.”
