It was like watching Godfather III. That’s how disappointing this weekend’s Canal Convergence was at the Scottsdale Waterfront.
For years the unique display of art had been trending as one of the city’s great emerging events.
But this past weekend did Scottsdale Public Art forget to let anyone know what could previously be called a spectacle was actually going on? Apparently so because the crowds were but a fraction of previous years. What’s so perplexing about the scant spectactors and utter lack of energy was the City of Scottsdale’s major investment of tourism tax dollars into the event last year. With more resources and good February weather the opposite result should have occurred.
We applauded the Scottsdale Tourism Development Commission and subsequent endorsement by the Scottsdale City Council to provide Canal Convergence with more city dollars. This is why it pains us to make such a critique now. But questions need to be answered because someone fell down on the job. Canal Convergence and the celebration of so many things that are good and right and artful about our community is too important to let die on the vine by stewards who apparently got too lazy with previous successes or the reassurance of more resources.
At a minimum the Scottsdale Tourism Development Commission should call the backers onto the carpet at their next meeting, demanding an account of public dollars and the damage such a faint foray this year may cost the event in future ones.