KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — After hearing from nearly 50 people split evenly on the future of the Ianelli Fountain, Mayor Bobby Hopewell adjourned Monday night’s meeting, endorsing Vice Mayor Erin Knott’s suggestion that they come up with a healing plan, because whatever they do will make people unhappy.
The fountain, in an abstract way depicts a Native American and a pioneer facing off against one another, the pioneer holding what appears to be a club or a staff.
Everyone agreed last night that the Gun Lake Tribe got the rawest of deals when most of them were shipped west of the Mississippi River nearly 200 years ago.
The opposing opinions expressed during public comment, basically disagreed over whether the Ianelli Fountain should be used as a teaching moment in Bronson Park or in a museum.
Only a few opponents suggested that the fountain, which has stood in Bronson Park for over 70 years, should be demolished in place and something else put in the park.
Opponents say it’s hurtful to minorities and doesn’t belong in the park. They say it’s ugly and racist and most say it should be moved to a museum, or some other park.
Supporters say it’s a masterful work of Art Deco, designed by a famous artist, and the plan that has already been approved by the City Commission is to use it to further enhance understanding, not to promote racism. Some of them said that its a piece of Public Art doing its job, which is to spark conversation.
The city’s master plan for the park calls for teaching aids to expand on the sculpture and explain what happened to the native Americans who once had a reservation where Kalamazoo now stands.
It also calls for monuments at all four corners of the former reservation that would also serve as learning tools.
City staff says because it’s made of poured cement and was manufactured where it stands, they aren’t sure whether it could be moved, but if it were to be moved it could cost between $300,000 to $500-thousand.
City Manager Jim Ritsema says they are ‘beyond the point of no return on their park revitalization plan” and the fundraising that has gone along with it, and the staff recommendation is to go forward, with that plan, refurbishing the fountain where it stands.
A lot of funding was donated with the understanding that refurbishing the Ianelli Fountain would be part of the package.
Some speakers last night said that was why they gave money, and some of the fundraisers said that was the agreement they made, and backing away from that deal now might not only hurt funding efforts for the park, but other fundraising efforts by the city.
The commission will revisit the issue in 90 days.
