Trying to read the signs

If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad

Let the record reflect that I am, and always have been, pro-dandelion.

Last week we finally saw the installation of Winston-Salem’s most recent excursion into public art: large metal sculptures of that hardy flower, the dandelion, in a project named “Invasive Hope.”

“The installation will feature a 40-foot dandelion puff rising near the Peters Creek Parkway interchange and a scattering of sculptural seed across the road,” the Journal’s John Hinton reported Thursday (a bit after the fact). “The project includes a pair of towering 12-foot yellow dandelion bouquets installed on both sides of the Church Street bridge over Salem Parkway.”

Mid-morning Thursday, I drove by to witness the sunny vision and found that, as the saying goes, the sculptor knew the assignment: The dandelions are bright and cheerful. They command attention. In my travels, I’ve seen nothing like them.

Not everyone will like this particular installation, of course. Fair enough. Some people don’t like salted caramel ice cream.

But online, a long string of knee-jerk sourpuss complaints accompanied Hinton’s story: It cost too much; the money would have been better spent on schools or the homeless; the dandelion is a noxious weed, hardly a suitable representation; “The City of Arts and Weeds,” they’ll call us.

There was also a claim that I see as almost Fox News-like in its detachment: “The city should have told us that it was going to do this.”

It’s disheartening to see these ill-informed complaints, especially after several days, especially after the facts have been re-publicized.

You see, the city did tell us it was going to do this, repeatedly. Gayle Anderson, former president and CEO of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, put it this way: “It’s important to remember that this was a public art project with many opportunities for residents to weigh in. As the City of Arts and Innovation, public sentiment was that the roadway should reflect our community’s energy and spirit, as well as its past and its future. No matter what might have been chosen, there would have been champions and critics.

“I, personally, think this is a wonderful art installation, created by professional local artists who captured our city’s essence.”

The City of Winston-Salem is actually very good about seeking public input, providing multiple forums for citizen involvement in most if not all projects. But you’re not going to hear about those opportunities if your sole source of information is social media.

And you’re not going to get intelligent analysis from keyboard warriors who don’t even bother to read the story before offering their responses. If nothing else, the dandelions serve as a timely reminder that the internet can be a cesspool of vitriolic ignorance, posted by sad malcontents who would light cigars with anticipation if they saw a kid with a balloon.

Of course, not every commentator was a Philistine; many expressed their appreciation and admiration. “I have been waiting for this dandelion installation!!” one friend confirmed. “It’s truly lovely!!” “I love this art project. I love the dandelions in my yard too,” another said. My favorite comment: “I didn’t realize how deeply I craved large-scale whimsy until I drove by Truist Stadium tonight.”

I can almost feel the smile on her face.

I was still with the Journal when it published its first news story about the dandelion sculpture on July 2, 2022. The first complaints about the sculpture arrived on my desk on … July 2, 2022.

As the editorial page editor, it fell to me to weigh in on the issue, which I did on July 8. The Journal had traditionally supported public art, so it wasn’t difficult for me to make these points:

1. The $1 million price tag for the sculpture seems quite steep, until you realize that it’s only a fraction of the city’s $627.6 annual budget.

2. The sum had already been earmarked for public art in a 2018 bond referendum with strong public support and was nontransferable.

3. There are always alternate uses for tax money. You can play the “you should’ve spent it on” game all day long about any expenditure. But our representatives must juggle a variety of interests (to make sure everyone is equally unhappy).

4. On top of all of that, the city hired a local firm, Elephant in the Room, to produce the sculpture, thus boosting the local economy. (The sculptures might also boost the local economy by drawing daytrippers.)

5. And, for the “wants vs. needs” crowd, what I felt was the best argument: “Because life, when it’s difficult — especially when it’s difficult — has to consist of more than putting nose to the grindstone for eight hours, choking down a bowl of gruel and collapsing in bed. … We need inspiration. We need soul sustenance.”

Communities that learn how to offer that thrive. They develop character that draws investment and residents; they become worthy of devotion.

As I travel North Carolina’s blue highways from China Grove to Angier, the thing that I remember isn’t the McDonald’s or Waffle House or strip mall or the ancient statue in the town square (you know the kind). I remember the colorful murals, the whirligigs, the palimpsest of commerce, worn by decades of rain and wind, peeking at us like pranking poltergeist under the staircase. I remember the boardwalks and boats, the wooden black bears climbing buildings in downtown Plymouth and the fiberglass painted pigs on the sidewalks of Lexington.

I remember the uniquities.

They generate a sense of community pride. This isn’t just another cookie-cutter community, they say; this is a place.

I sometimes forget — perhaps because familiarity breeds neglect — but we have public art here, too, downtown, on Broad Street — hell, colorful, imaginative murals are on the walls of Monstercade and Mothership Studios, within a block of my house.

But because we become inured to the usual, public art should be refreshed constantly.

My editorial concluded thusly:

“As for the humble dandelion itself — a word derived from the French ‘lion’s tooth’ — there are worse symbols. The ubiquitous dandelion is impossible to eradicate. Dandelions are edible, and more nutritious than most vegetables. According to flowerglossary.com, ‘When you give someone a single dandelion or a bouquet, you’re giving a message of hope, telling the recipient to not give up and to persevere to sunnier times ahead.’”

Yes, our sidewalks and roads need repair; our schools need support; our friends and neighbors suffer from loneliness and economic pressure. We won’t forget those needs exist. But we should have nice things. The city should provide some of them.

Thursday afternoon, I walked down to view the most prominent portion of the sculpture up close: The biggest dandelion. While a section of pappus seeds seems to have floated off to who knows where, the stem stands tall against the sun, with other pappi extended, light and sinewy. It reminded me of where many of us stand now: weathered, worn, but determined, ready for the next storm.

We’re resilient and confident, just like the enduring, humble, lovely dandelion.

…..

Overflow:

Thanks to Dale Briggs for the use of his masterful photos.

The answer to (nearly) every question about the dandelion sculpture:

https://www.cityofws.org/3686/Dandelions

A map of official public art can be accessed here:

www.cityofws.org/1267/Public-Art-Commission

Watch a video of the dandelion installation here:

https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinstonsalem

Zorro is also feeling a lot of excitement over the dandelions and wants everyone to know that they can pick up a free copy of the “Dandecats” coloring page at Coffee Park Airstream this morning. Come on by!

To be clear, I’m very concerned about our schools and the homeless, too. But eliminating this sculpture would have provided no extra funds for school lunches or homeless shelters.

Solving those problems is going to require much more effort than a one-time $1 million contribution. I’m quite happy for my taxes to be raised to fight those problems — how about the others who say we should have used the money for those maladies? Are they willing to pay more? Are they willing to volunteer for agencies that serve those needs?

Speaking of priorities, CNN reported last week that the DOJ dropped the charges in a long-running bribery case involving FIFA. The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York appeared in court and told the judge, “The Department of Justice does not want to use its resources to continue to pursue the prosecution.” He added, “It doesn’t fit with the administration’s priorities.”

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/27/politics/fifa-case-bribery-not-priority?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc&recs_exp=up-next-article-end&tenant_id=related.en

The Trump administration’s current, overriding priority, as exemplified by administrators’ rhetoric and spending, is to maintain a white Christian majority in America.

His administration’s decimation of our state department and diplomatic corp while more than doubling the military budget is also telling.

Let’s remember this in November.

TCB:

We’re on the Green Street Pedestrian Bridge three times a week, protesting against the Trump regime and for the First Amendment:

Monday, 4:30 to 6 pm

Thursday, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Saturday, 10 am to noon

My first book, “Stardust and Scar Tissue,” is available from Bookmarks, Book Ferret, The Eclectible Shop and from the publisher, Press 53. My newer book, “Tiny Sliver of a Moon” is available from Bookmarks, Book Ferret, and The Eclectible Shop. And the trunk of my car.

Sing us out, Eric:

Thanks for being here today. If you know anyone else who should be with us, send them along.