Carmel's newest Art Gallery - the Evan Lurie Art Gallery has been open for several months now, and I have yet to check it out. There's been a bit of a buzz about the door pulls, and more than just a bit of a buzz over the way in which Lurie was recruited for and is now being employed using taxpayer dollars to help revitalize the Carmel Arts District.

Details can be found here and I'm not going to rehash the entire front page article for you here, but the highlights are included below.

I'm curious - what does everyone think? I've heard suprisingly little dissent over this on the site and I'm torn over wanting to be thrilled that the midwest has snagged this artist with a history of investing in revitalizing buildings/galleries, family in tow; and worrying that Carmel's government may have overstepped the bounds of propriety in using taxpayer dollars to "revitalize" an area that was already a thriving arts community...

HIGHLIGHTS: $4.1M = total price of The Evan Lurie Fine Art Gallery building

Carmel has invested: $1.2 million cash. $2.9 million loan to the developer. If the developer were to default on the loan, the city would be responsible.

Lurie himself has invested Evan Lurie has paid $1.3 million for his space on the first two floors; the city has applied that toward paying down the loan. (Nothing, admittedly to sniff at! I have no doubt of Lurie's invested interest in this project)

THE CONSULTING CONTRACT Carmel has agreed to pay artist Evan Lurie, at a rate of $100 an hour, to recruit galleries and businesses to the Carmel Arts & Design District. Lurie's contract limits him to $50,000 per year.