(Photo from Newsday)Surprised? Not much.
It's finally time, it seems, to honor Ike, that symbol of post war America. No one doubts that we could all benefit from remembering the grandfatherly prez- the question (as usual) is how. What do you memorialize? His accomplishments? His background? His really cool jacket?
Congress OK'd the idea of a memorial back in the last century- 1999, to be exact. By 2005 they gave the nod to the site across from the National Air and Space Museum.
By 2010, Frank Gehry's concept of a wall relief of Ike's Greatest Hits with a young Dwight D. looking on was unanimously approved by the Eisenhower Memorial Committee, including grandson David Eisenhower. Then the storm blew in.
To make a long story short, people (family included) objected to the emphasis on young Ike. Gehry changed it. Then the National Civic Art Society opened a new competition for a more congenial design. They established their web presence with a website at http://www.eisenhowermemorial.net/ to tell their side of the story.
David E. bailed from the original committee.
Granddaughter Susan held press conferences.
The saga continues.
For those of us who remember the brouhaha that introduced Maya Lin to DC, this is more of the same- with cyberspace overtones.
But now, there's a new twist.
Enter, the US Congress. No clear consensus on what you're building, the House Appropriations Committee said, no more funds in 2013. That's getting to the core of the matter. And, for once in my life, I have to say I agree with these guys.
The best discussion of the controversy I've read so far comes from a Washington Post blog- http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/david-brookss-criticism-of-eisenhower-memorial-design-falls-short/2012/06/13/gJQAtUurZV_blog.html
