Christo and Jeanne-Claude are proposing to cover 8 miles of the Arkansas River in drapery. Oh, and call it art. The Bureau of Land Management is soliciting opinions on the "Over the River" project before deciding whether or not to grant permits. The person to contact is the field office director Roy Masinton. Comments must be submitted by February 10. If you do send an email be sure to include some art criticism of Christo's past projects. We don't want to seem uncultured, after all.

Christo is the fella that put up the "Gates" exhibit in Central Park last winter. His mission was to lighten the mood of an otherwise gray and dreary winter. Instead it looked like a giant road construction project. But that's just my opinion, which reminds me of some advice from a friend, "Always call yourself an artist. No one can disprove you."

According to their website, the couple spent several years traversing the Rocky Mountain Range looking for the perfect stream to cover in sheets of fabric. They settled on the Arkansas River in Colorado because it has high banks and a road follows long expanses. Christo doesn't have the best environmental record with his project, and though he claims that the materials will not harm the surroundings, I don't think he can claim to be a river scientist. What happens when stretches of the river will be shrouded from sunlight during a peak season for insect hatches? And, in turn, how will the fish population react? These are issues that need to be brought to the BLM's attention. Also, will increased visitation damage the river banks or cause erosion? A press release from the ArkAnglers says not to bother making fun of Christo's past work or questioning whether "Over the River" is art or not. Though these statements are funny, I'm sure, they don't have any bearing on the decision-making.

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