Log In


Reset Password
Opinion Editorial Cartoons Op-Ed Editorials Letters to the Editor

Dinosaur head

Beloved reptile belongs in the public eye

Unlike the stone spine upon which it perched, the now infamous dinosaur head that captured Durango’s hearts and minds on Halloween is widely beloved by the town’s armchair art critics. The menacing teeth and fierce eyes do not scare this community, and to prove it, a bidding war for the famed cranium ended with a $5,000 check to Durango Arts Center. With many dinosaur-related questions now settled, a few critical ones remain, namely, where will the head reside? Given its rapid rise to notoriety in the community, a public display is appropriate.

How else to honor an artistic creation that drew a reward far higher than the top bid entered in the auction at Studio &, whose staff conducted the sale to raise proceeds that will fund art education and scholarships at the Durango Arts Center? The dinosaur head was born and raised in the public eye and belongs there in perpetuity.

Karen Zink wrote a $5,000 check to the arts center on behalf of an anonymous bidder whose identity will be revealed in early January, despite the fact that her client’s $3,500 bid was unrivaled. Clearly, the dinosaur head is a treasured community artifact that warrants an enduring display. The question now is where to enshrine the sculpture to maximize admiration opportunities. We encourage a community conversation around the matter and urge the dinosaur head’s benefactor to consider the beast’s public value. With plentiful prominent venues to choose from, there is surely an ideal locale for the sculpture’s permanent home.



Reader Comments