Christo Gains Federal Approval for Art Project

Federal officials announced Monday they have approved Christo's proposal to suspend miles of fabric over the Arkansas River in Colorado. New York-based artist Christo has been planning and trying to get approval of this project since 1992.

The $50 million project is named "Over the River" and will include eight suspended panel segments. The segments are made of a translucent, silvery fabric than will span 42-miles of the Arkansas River.

Over the river

Christo and his late wife Jeanne-Claude thought of this project idea back in 1992. In order to get approval from the Bureau of Land Management, Christo needed to write an environmental impact statement because of the possible affects the project could have on wildlife.

The BLM approved the project as long as Christo follows numerous measures to prevent disruption to the river and surrounding towns.

"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," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told MSNBC.

The BLM sees more positives coming from the project the negatives. The project could draw an estimated 4000,000 visitors and generate $121 million in economic output.

Localized controversy

Christo's project has met a lot of opposition from the local communities near the river. Some points of contention are the impact on Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that live in the Arkansas River canyon and road safety in the canyon highway through the installation zone. BLM officials say they have taken the steps to prevent damage.

“After careful consideration of the potential impact to the Arkansas River and the wildlife and plants that inhabit this beautiful area, we believe that steps have been taken to mitigate the environmental effects of this one-of-a-kind project,” Salazar told the Washington Post.

Fly-fishing businesses and a group called Rags Over the Arkansas River are two opponents of the project. Also, Colorado wildlife commissioners voted in May to send a letter opposing the project.

Christo's past projects

Christo and Jeanne-Claude made a name for themselves by doing projects similar to this one. They wrapped the Reichstag building in Berlin in 1995. They also were the artists who did The Gates in Central Park in New York City. There were about 7,500 gates made of orange colored fabric in 2005.

Christo says he is excited to move forward with the project in Colorado.

“We are elated,” Christo said to the NY Times. “Every artist in the world likes his or her work to make people think. Imagine how many people were thinking, how many professionals were thinking and writing in preparing that environmental impact statement.”

Permits are still needed from local counties in Colorado, as well as from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Photo by  chadley.