Some
of you might remember that in 2011 I was asked to present a proposal
to the garden club for their gift of a sculpture-turned-etched glass
to the library, which I did in December of that year. The garden
club had amassed a large sum of money and needed to spend it to avoid
having to pay taxes on the bank account.
You
can read the whole sordid tale here if you are interested.
I
did find out last September, quite by accident, from the people that
got the commission that the committee had, indeed, shown them my
design.
It
dredged up all the bad feelings for a while but I did succeed in
putting it all behind me. I was just too damn busy by then to allow
it to occupy my thoughts. And the people who did the work, which was
installed last summer, were in dire straits and really needed the
commission so it was hard for me to begrudge them it especially since
we were starting on the two walls for Invesco.
Fast
forward to yesterday when I finally dragged my sorry ass to the gym
after more than a week since my previous visit. I was about halfway
through my cardio when a lady started up on the treadmill next to me
and asked what I was reading (I always take a book to read while I do
my brisk walk). She was very friendly and chatty, as if she knew
me. She looked familiar but I couldn't place her until she mention
the Garden Club. I told her that I hadn't been to any of the
meetings this year because we had so much work and I was always in
the city on Thursdays (meeting day). She asked what kind of work we
did and then put two and two together and asked if we had done the
work for the library.
“No”,
I told her, “we had submitted a proposal but it wasn't picked.
“
“I
liked your design the best.” she said.
“Really?”,
I replied, “cause I only got 5 votes.”
“I
know.” she said. “I liked your design the best but I didn't vote
for it and I'll tell you why. It was more money. Just about
everyone liked your design the best” she continued, “but they
didn't vote for it for the same reason.”
I
was a little dumbfounded. I knew, even if they didn't, that my
proposal was within the budget allocated for the project.
So,
even though they were asked to vote on the design they liked best, what they voted on was the amount of money they liked best.
Somehow,
that actually makes me feel better about the whole thing.
glad you got a bit of closure on it. and glad you didn't begrudge the other folks who needed the work and got it. :)
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it always the case that the cheapest tender is picked? Nothing to do with quality or design, cost wins out every time.
ReplyDeleteGlad you’re feeling less pissed off about it though.
Amazing how this type of thinking can exist. If just one leader had said this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for something special they would have spent the money...which apparently they had. But you probably know that librarians and their ilk are forced to be conservative on money and it is hard to get out of that mold.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute. They have a large sum of money to spend, you were within the amount they had AND [most important] they liked YOUR project the best, but didn't pick it because it cost the most?
ReplyDeleteWell that says a whole lot about them and their "gift" to the library. "Hey library, we only like you enough to spend XXX amount of money, eventhough the other Ellen window would've been much prettier and we HAVE the money."
You're a better person than I am, 'cause that would take bucket fulls of prayer on my part to put on a happy face if I heard that. Gawd I hate politics and money.
Ah well, that's just me being cranky for you ::smiling:: because actually you have a great heart and I am very happy that at least you know yours was the favorite. Plus you are such a sweetheart you don't begrudge the people that were picked [although not their fault] because you know how tough it is to get commissions.
I am so glad you're my friend. We can sure learn a lot from you lady. Hope you and Big Mama [yes, still slightly obsessed with your tortoise over here in my pond] are having a great day, basking in the sunshine! And because you have motivated me I, too, am off to the gym in a few because I think there is a recumbent bike with my name on the seat. Love and hugs!
I still think it sucks. They took the design they liked the best & without negotiation with you, handed it over to someone in dire straits. They roundly took advantage of everybody.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they liked your design best feels kind of good, but they were completely unethical. Garden Club Jerks.
Cheap bitches. Sorry. But still.
ReplyDeleteThat does make the grapes less sour.
ReplyDeleteThey're not off my hook. If they were too cheap to commission your work they had no business presenting the deisgn to another bidder.
ReplyDeleteIt speaks volumes about the kind of person you are to hear that you did not begrudges the others in need of work.. and that knowing the reasons behind the choice made you feel better about the whole thing. It doesn't surprise me but it does speak volumes.
ReplyDeletedang cheap assed folks bug me!!!
ReplyDeletePeople are such funny petty little animals.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes. It always comes back to money, doesn't it?! I can see how that would make you feel better.
ReplyDeleteI'm still appalled by the lack of professionalism in the way the whole thing was handled.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I have had quotes price isn't the deciding factor - I mean yes £900 rather than £9 million but I know what my budget is and I would rather buy something I really liked even just outside of my budget than something I didn't which was well within.
Cheap doesn't always win.
ReplyDeleteThat is truly a sad way to vote on art. I hope that they all feel a pang of guilt as they walk by the chosen piece. I do need to say that I was just rereading a kiln glass book in preparation for getting my first kiln tomorrow - and I saw your name under a photo and went "hey I know that name!"
ReplyDeleteWow, I bet that did help you feel somewhat better! Funny how sometimes life brings things back around. Timing was good that you went to the gym!
ReplyDelete