A city arts task force on Wednesday debated changing how Scottsdale’s public art is funded, a plan that may expose the program to budget cuts or political agendas.

A city arts task force on Wednesday debated changing how Scottsdale’s public art is funded, a plan that may expose the program to budget cuts or political agendas.

Size is everything. The Tempe Center for the Arts’ first major event Saturday night, a black-tie gala culminating in a concert by jazz singer Natalie Cole, proved as much.

"Beautiful" was the word that seemed to roll off everyone’s lips.

"Beautiful" was the word that seemed to roll off everyone’s lips.

"Beautiful" was the word that seemed to roll off everyone’s lips.

Public art takes many forms in the East Valley, from the depiction of lizards on walls lining Loop 101 in Scottsdale to stainless steel arches sheltering people at bus stops in Tempe.

Developers may be asked to pay for part of future public art projects in north Scottsdale, just as they do downtown.

A series of free community presentations offered by local artists will highlight the city of Phoenix’s public art collection of more than 1,000 artworks during the months of May and June.

When the weather starts to cool down, a number of interactive public art exhibits will be heating up Scottsdale’s art landscape.

Less than a week after the unveiling of the Hashknife Pony Express monument, downtown Scottsdale welcomed another public art work.

At a time of severe budget crunches in Mesa, the city arts board is imploring the City Council to preserve the public arts program before it fades from memory. In the past couple years, the program and Cultural Community Aid grants have been reduced to zero.

The plastic pink flamingo, once the ne plus ultra of tacky lawn decor, has indeed fallen on hard times. Witness the summerlong plight of Seattle artist Nicole Kistler, who needed a gaggle of the bogus birds for a public art installation at the campus of her alma mater, Arizona State University.

The plastic pink flamingo, once the ne plus ultra of tacky lawn decor, has indeed fallen on hard times. Witness the summerlong plight of Seattle artist Nicole Kistler, who needed a gaggle of the bogus birds for a public art installation at the campus of her alma mater, Arizona State University.